[Vaccination against measles. The situation in Mexico and America. Advances in the method of aerosol immunization]

We present general comments on the epidemiology of measles considering the pre-vaccine era as well as the post-vaccine period in which some changes can be observed: the decrease in morbidity and mortality, the extension of the inter-epidemic interval, the increase in the mean age of infection, etc. We make some estimations about the vaccine coverage and the ideal age of immunization for the goal of eradication (assuming a lifelong immunity for the vaccinees). The technical problems in measles immunization are also revised explaining why no continental country has been able to eliminate the disease. We describe the epidemiological situation in North America, Mexico and Latin American countries. Lastly we present the Mexican experience with the inhaled aerosolised vaccine: the studies in Monterrey (Sabin et al, 1982), other investigation in Mexico, D.F. and in the State of Jalisco, as well as the mass campaigns in Aguascalientes in 1988 and in Coahuila and Nuevo León in 1989. We propose it as an effective, harmless, simple, inexpensive and practical method.