MEASLES ERADICATION IN THE AMERICAS: PROGRESS TO DATE

Monday, 16th of June 2014

[source]Journal of Infectious Diseases[|source]

In the increasingly congested public health practice environment, it is not uncommon that we achieve great milestones,  but never get time to publish in peer reviewed journals.  Ciro A. de Quadros, the recently fallen global public health icon, did make time to document important milestones.

 In two reports, Ciro A. de Quadros and his team at Division of Vaccines and Immunization, Pan American Health Organization, document the interventions, progress and eventual elimination of indigenous measles virus transmission. It is this legacy that we use today as additional evidence for biological plausibility of measles eradication. Details are accessible at:

1.  http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/189/Supplement_1/S227.long

2.  http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/187/Supplement_1/S102.long

 

ABSTRACT

The region of the Americas has shown extraordinary progress in its fight to interrupt measles transmission. The Pan American Health Organizations recommended strategy includes the following: a one-time nationwide campaign targeting 1 to 14 year old children; routine vaccination among 1 year olds; and nationwide campaigns conducted every 4 years, targeting all 1 to 4 year olds. Rapid house-to-house monitoring of vaccination and measles surveillance are other essential components of the strategy. During 2001, only 541 cases were confirmed in the region. In 2002, only Venezuela and Colombia had indigenous transmission. After important vaccination efforts in both countries, the last reported case occurred on 20 September 2002, in Venezuela. Since then, no confirmation exists of indigenous measles circulation anywhere else in the region. Nonetheless, important challenges remain, including insufficient coverage during routine and campaign vaccination and inadequate investigation of some cases.