Classification of global measles cases in 2013–17 as due to policy or vaccination failure: a retrospective review of global surveillance data

Publication date: March 2019Source: The Lancet Global Health, Volume 7, Issue 3Author(s): Minal K Patel, Walter A OrensteinSummaryBackgroundDespite improvements in reported coverage of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) and progress towards elimination of measles, 172 939 measles cases were reported worldwide in 2017. Questions have been raised about whether measles cases are due to failure of immunisation programmes or vaccine policy failure, which might require changes to vaccination schedules or number of doses.MethodsThis retrospective review of global surveillance data analysed case-based data for cases of measles occurring during 2013–17 submitted to WHO by its member states. Cases were classified as programmatically preventable (ie, did not receive the age-appropriate number of doses for that country) or programmatically non-preventable (ie, appropriately vaccinated as per national programme) on the basis of age at onset, year of birth, vaccination status, and eligibility for MCV doses in the country reporting the case. We grouped reasons why cases were non-preventable into four categories as follows: (1) received at least two doses of MCV; (2) too young for first dose; (3) received one dose but was too young to receive the second; or (4) was only eligible for one dose according to the national schedule. We analysed numbers and proportions of preventable and non-preventable cases of measles by region and year, reasons for non-preventable cases by year, preventable ca...
Source: The Lancet Global Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research