Why is measles on the rise? - BBC World Service?

Measles used to be a common illness, but now it's coming back because fewer people are getting vaccinated.

Vaccines are like shields that protect you from germs, in this case, the measles germ. When enough people have these shields, they make it hard for the germ to spread around. But if too many people don’t get their vaccines, the germ can easily move from one person to another.

Sometimes people think vaccines aren't needed, like when they’ve never seen someone get sick from measles. It's kind of like not wearing a coat on a warm day because you don’t feel cold yet.

Also, some people are worried about the vaccine and might think it can cause more problems than good. But in most cases, getting vaccinated is much safer than getting sick from measles.

When fewer people have their shields (vaccines), the measles germ finds more people who aren’t protected, like a group of kids playing tag without wearing any clothes. The germ can spread quickly and cause more sicknesses.

So, to keep measles away, it's important for many people to get vaccinated, just like how a whole team wears uniforms to stay together and play well.