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Assessment of coverage levels of single dose measles vaccine
1Department of Paediatrics, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi. perv_tariq@hotmail.com
Insights
Low measles vaccine coverage leads to significant complications, even in vaccinated children. Increased immunization rates are crucial for effective measles control and preventing severe outcomes like pneumonia and encephalitis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Measles vaccination is a cornerstone of pediatric infectious disease control.
- Suboptimal vaccine coverage can lead to persistent measles transmission and outbreaks.
- Understanding the consequences of low coverage is vital for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical outcomes and epidemiological characteristics of measles cases in a setting with potentially low vaccination coverage.
- To identify common complications and risk factors associated with measles infection.
Main Methods:
- A case series design was employed, collecting data on 68 admitted measles cases.
- Information gathered included epidemiological profile, vaccination history, and comorbidities.
- Data were collected over a nine-month period at Rawalpindi General Hospital.
Main Results:
- The mean age of affected children was 2 years and 8 months, with a high proportion (<1 year) of cases.
- Notably, 50% of measles cases occurred in vaccinated children.
- Pneumonia was the most frequent complication, followed by gastroenteritis and encephalitis, with five deaths reported, all linked to encephalitis.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights that measles can still occur in vaccinated individuals, underscoring the need for high immunization coverage.
- Vaccine failure and complications necessitate a concerted effort to improve measles vaccination rates.
- Effective control of measles requires achieving and maintaining high population immunity levels.
Objective:
To study the consequences of low coverage levels of a single dose of measles vaccine.
Design:
Case series.
Place And Duration Of Study:
The study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) from January 2001 to August 2001.
Patients And Methods:
Information about 68 admitted cases of measles was collected on a structured proforma with reference to epidemiological profile, vaccination history and comorbidities.
Results:
Mean age observed in measles cases was 2 years and 8 months with a range from 3 months to 8 years. Maximum number of cases reported were <1 year of age (n=22, 32%). Fifty percent of cases were seen among vaccinated children. Seventy-five percent (n=51) had history of contact with a measles case. Pneumonia was the commonest complication followed by acute gastroenteritis, encephalitis, febrile convulsions, oral ulcers, oral thrush, eye changes of vitamin-A deficiency and pulmonary tuberculosis (T.B.) in descending order of frequency. Fifty-four cases were successfully treated for complications of measles and discharged. Nine cases left against medical advice. Five patients died--all of them had encephalitis either alone (n=1) or in combination with pneumonia and acute gastroenteritis (n=4).
Conclusion:
There is a dire need to increase the immunization coverage to reduce the rate of vaccine failure and achieve effective control of measles.
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