Measles primary prevention

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

The joint press release by members of the Measles Initiative brings to light another benefit of the fight against measles: "Measles vaccination campaigns are contributing to the reduction of child deaths from other causes. They have become a channel for the delivery of other life-saving interventions, such as bed nets to protect against malaria, de-worming medicine and vitamin A supplements. Combining measles immunization with other health interventions is a contribution to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal Number 4: a two-thirds reduction in child deaths between 1990 and 2015."

Primary Prevention

• The vaccination is generally not given earlier than this because children younger than 18 months usually retain anti-measles immunoglobulins (antibodies) transmitted from the mother during pregnancy.
• A "booster" vaccine is then given between the ages of four and five.
• Vaccination rates have been high enough to make measles relatively uncommon.
• Even a single case in a college dormitory or similar setting is often met with a local vaccination program, in case any of the people exposed are not already immune.