Health experts have said that the number of reported worldwide measles cases has increased by 79 percent in the first two months of 2022 compared to the same time last year.

It's a worrying sign of an increased risk for the spread of the highly contagious virus and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

There are fears that this reported increase is the beginning of large measles outbreaks globally. Here's what you need to know about the current situation.

Following this development, the World Health Organization and UNICEF describe the current condition for measles outbreaks as a "perfect storm."

"Measles is more than a dangerous and potentially deadly disease. It is also an early indication that there are gaps in our global immunization coverage, gaps vulnerable children cannot afford," Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, was quoted as saying in a report posted on the WHO website.

"It is encouraging that people in many communities are beginning to feel protected enough from Covid-19 to return to more social activities. But doing so in places where children are not receiving routine vaccination creates the perfect storm for the spread of a disease like measles," Russel said.

Several factors are contributing to what's being called a perfect storm. Pandemic-related disruptions, increasing inequalities in access to vaccines, and the diversion of resources from routine immunization all play a role.

Too many children right now are being left without protection against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. As a result, the risk of large outbreaks has increased.

In 2020, 23 million children missed out on all basic childhood vaccines. That's the highest number seen since 2009 and 3.7 million more than in 2019.

As those restrictions are being eased in many areas, we are seeing an increase in the number of measles cases being reported, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Experts said this is particularly worrisome because there's been an increase in the number of children that have missed their routine measles doses due to disruptions in healthcare services during the Covic-19 pandemic.

The best protection against measles is being vaccinated. The measles vaccine is safe and effective, and since its introduction, billions of doses have been given globally, preventing serious illness and death. Even if you or your child has missed one of the scheduled measles doses, it's not a problem.

You can get vaccinated right now. It's important to remember that being vaccinated against measles also protects all of your other immunizations. An added benefit of being vaccinated is that you are also protecting your family and members of your community from getting measles.

And this is particularly important for those that are too young to get vaccinated or those who are sick or immunocompromised. If you have specific questions or concerns about measles or the timing of the measles vaccination, experts suggest that people should have a conversation with their trusted healthcare provider.

The risk is also heightened as many communities have relaxed social distancing practices that were implemented during the height of the pandemic. That gives the measles virus a chance to spread faster among unprotected communities.

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by the measles virus. It is easily spread through the air by an infected person coughing or sneezing. And symptoms typically include fever and rash.

Complications of measles infection are common and can range from mild ones, such as diarrhea to extremely serious ones like pneumonia and brain inflammation. Measles is a serious disease. And before the measles vaccine was introduced in the early 1960s and commonly used, there are an estimated 2 million deaths attributed to measles every year. And this was mostly in children.

The interventions that we put in place for the Covid-19 pandemic, such as mask-wearing, teleworking, and travel restrictions, also slowed the transmission of other respiratory diseases, including measles.