Exploring the time to intervene with a reactive mass vaccination campaign in measles epidemics

The current WHO policy during measles outbreaks focuses on case management rather than reactive vaccination campaigns in urban areas of resource-poor countries having low vaccine coverage. Vaccination campaigns may be costly, or not timely enough to impact significantly on morbidity and mortality. W...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology and infection 2006-08, Vol.134 (4), p.845-849
Main Authors: GRAIS, R. F., DE RADIGUÈS, X., DUBRAY, C., FERMON, F., GUERIN, P. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case management
Cities
Communes
Democratic Republic of the Congo - epidemiology
Disease outbreaks
Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Health facilities
Humans
Immunization
Intervention
Mass immunization
Mass Vaccination - organization & administration
Measles
Measles - epidemiology
Measles - prevention & control
Measles Vaccine - administration & dosage
Niger - epidemiology
Population Surveillance
Psychoeducational intervention
Public health
Retrospective Studies
Surveillance
Time Factors
Urban areas
Vaccination
Vaccines
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Summary:The current WHO policy during measles outbreaks focuses on case management rather than reactive vaccination campaigns in urban areas of resource-poor countries having low vaccine coverage. Vaccination campaigns may be costly, or not timely enough to impact significantly on morbidity and mortality. We explored the time available for intervention during two recent epidemics. Our analysis suggests that the spread of measles in African urban settings may not be as fast as expected. Examining measles epidemic spread in Kinshasa (DRC), and Niamey (Niger) reveals a progression of smaller epidemics. Intervening with a mass campaign or in areas where cases have not yet been reported could slow the epidemic spread. The results of this preliminary analysis illustrate the importance of revisiting outbreak response plans.
ISSN:0950-2688
1469-4409
DOI:10.1017/S0950268805005716