U.N. agencies - 117 million children may miss measles shots due to COVID-19

FILE PHOTO: A South Sudanese child receives a vaccination against measles during a campaign in Juba, South Sudan February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 117 million children could miss out on immunisation against measles as the COVID-19 pandemic forces social distancing and piles pressure on health services, United Nations health agencies warned on Tuesday.

Measles immunisation campaigns in 24 countries have already been delayed, and more will be postponed, potentially putting children in 37 countries at risk, according to the Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI), which is backed by the World Health Organization, the U.N. children's fund UNICEF and others.