Secular trend and epidemiology of measles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 2009–2012

• Published in: Travel medicine and infectious disease 2015-01, Vol.13 (1), p.74-79
• Main Authors: Memish, Ziad A, Bamgboye, Elijah A, Mohammed, Mutaz, AlHakeem, Rafat, Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A, Assiri, Abdullah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Disease Eradication; Elimination; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Female; Genotype; Health facilities; Humans; Immunization; Immunization Programs; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Male; Measles; Measles - epidemiology; Measles Vaccine; Middle Aged; Mortality; Retrospective Studies; Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology; Seasonal variations; Sex Distribution; Spatial distribution; Surveillance; Travel medicine; Vaccination; Vaccination - statistics & numerical data; Vaccines; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1477-8939; 1873-0442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2014.11.009

Summary Purpose To determine incidence of measles and progress towards its elimination in Saudi Arabia. Methods A retrospective analysis of routinely collected active and passive surveillance data on measles at the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. All laboratory confirmed measles from (2009–2012) were analyzed to determine measles annual incidences and distribution by age, gender, nationality, seasonality, vaccination status and spatial distribution by region. Results Measles incidence per 1,000,000 populations increased from 3.2 in 2009 to a peak of 12.8in 2011 and a slight fall to 9.9 in 2012. About 50% of cases were in children under-five years, 12% were infants and 33% were 15 years and above. Of the total, 39%were unvaccinated and16% had unknown vaccination status. Fifty-five percent of infants were not due for vaccination. Of children