A measles outbreak in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1982 epidemic

A large measles epidemic occurred in Israel during late 1982, with more than 8,000 reported cases. We anticipated that the cohort serving in the army would be most affected by that epidemic, as there is no measles vaccination program for susceptible adults in Israel. A surveillance program began immediately, and the Army Health Branch was notified of 2,940 cases. The majority of patients were in the first 3 months of service, which are spent mostly in basic training camps, an ideal setting for a measles outbreak. No differences in age-adjusted rates between the sexes were noted, but there were significantly higher rates of illness among those with higher education (24/1,000 in those who completed high school vs. 17/1,000 in those who did not) and those in the highest socioeconomic class. In the light of these data, we suggest that during the first few years of implementation of measles vaccination, infectivity has become dependent on origin and socioeconomic status.