Measles is an acute viral disease that is highly contagious and preventable through vaccination. In 2018, Brazil recorded reintroduction of the virus, with a sharp increase in cases and deaths. Although Brazil recovered, in 2024, the measles elimination certificate granted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the outbreak between 2018 and 2022 reinforced the importance of continuous monitoring and epidemiological surveillance, especially among vulnerable groups. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze measles case-fatality in Brazil from 2018 to 2022 according to age group, sex, and region of residence, to identify the most affected population profiles. Observational ecological study with a quantitative approach using secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Confirmed measles cases and deaths recorded from 2018 to 2022 across Brazil were considered. Case-fatality was calculated as the ratio between the number of deaths and the number of confirmed cases in the period, expressed as a percentage. Analyses were stratified by age group (<1 year, 1–4 years, 5–19 years, 20–59 years, and ≥60 years), sex (male and female), and geographic region (North, Northeast, Southeast, South, and Center-West). Between 2018 and 2022, 39,697 measles cases and 44 deaths were confirmed in Brazil, with an overall case-fatality of 0.11%. In 2019, the highest number of cases (21,433) and deaths (20) was recorded, but with the lowest case-fatality (0.09%). In contrast, 2022 had the lowest number of cases (83) and deaths (2), but the highest case-fatality (2.40%). Over the entire 2018–2022 period, case-fatality was higher among women (0.13%) than men (0.09%). By region, the Center-West had the highest case-fatality (1.96%), while the South reported no deaths. By age group, the highest case-fatality was observed among infants <1 year (0.33%), and there were no deaths among people aged 60 years or older. From 2018 to 2022, measles case-fatality in Brazil was low, but it had a greater impact on infants under 1 year, women, and residents of the Center-West region. These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening vaccination and continuous monitoring, especially in higher-risk populations, to prevent new outbreaks and reduce measles-related mortality.
Karoline Eliseu Favarin (Sun,) studied this question.