Failure of Targeted Urban Supplemental Measles Vaccination Campaigns (1997-1999) to Prevent Measles Epidemics in Mozambique (1998-2001)

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http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JID/journal/issues/v187nS1/020676/brief/020676.abstract.html

The Journal of Infectious Diseases    2003;187:S51-S57
© World Health Organization 2003. All rights reserved. The World Health Organization has granted the Publisher permission for the reproduction of this article.
0022-1899/2003/18710S-0008

 

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SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE

Failure of Targeted Urban Supplemental Measles Vaccination Campaigns (1997–1999) to Prevent Measles Epidemics in Mozambique (1998–2001)

Julie Cliff,1 Alexandra Simango,1 Orvalho Augusto,1 Lieve Van der Paal,2,a and Robin Biellik3

1Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, and 2World Health Organization, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique; 3World Health Organization, Expanded Program on Immunization Inter-Country Team, Southern Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe

 

This study assessed the effect of urban supplemental measles vaccination campaigns (1997–1999) in Mozambique that targeted children aged 9–59 months. Reported measles cases were analyzed to the end of 2001 to determine campaign impact. Hospital inpatient data were collected in the national capital and in three provincial capitals where epidemics occurred the year after the campaigns. Measles epidemics followed campaigns in the capital city, in 4 of 9 provincial capitals, and in 39 of 126 districts. Reasons for limited campaign impact included a low proportion of urban dwellers, the geographic location of some provincial capitals, the limited target age group, and low routine and campaign coverage. Routine immunization and disease surveillance should be strengthened and campaigns must achieve >90% coverage and target wider age groups and geographic areas in order to reach a high proportion of persons susceptible to measles.

 


     Presented in part: XI Jornadas de Saúde, Maputo, Mozambique, June 2001 (abstract Te 04).
     Financial support: World Health Organization.
     a Present affiliation: Medical Research Council Programme on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda.

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