The UN is warning that measles cases almost doubled in only a year.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), by mid-January this year they'd seen just under 230,000 reported cases of measles for 2018 around the world.
That compares to 115,000 cases from 2017 reported at the same time last year - with the final number eventually rising to 173,000.
WHO says it's now expecting the 2018 cases to increase due to delays in reporting and outbreaks in the last few months of the year.
In the wake of the rising number of cases, UN scientists are working to debunk myths about the measles vaccination.
They're stressing that any suggestion of a link between autism and the vaccine was based on incorrect data.
They say vaccine coverage has stalled at 85%, considerably below the 95% required to prevent outbreaks.
"We’re backsliding"
Katherine O’Brien, Director of Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO, explained: "Measles is not going anywhere... it’s everyone’s responsibility.
"For one person infected, up to nine or 10 people could catch the virus."
She pointed out that progress has been made tackling the disease, and deaths from measles have fallen by more than 80% since 2000.
However, she added: "We’re backsliding on the progress that has been made, not because we don’t have the tools, but because we’re not vaccinating."
The WHO previously said an estimated 110,000 died from the "highly infectious but easily preventable" disease in 2017.
Initial symptoms for measles include a high fever, a runny nose and and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth, followed by a rash after several days.
There are potential serious complications such as blindness, severe diarrhoea and infections such as pneumonia.
Receiving two doses of the measles vaccine or the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is considered the best protection against the disease.
