Measles among under-9-month-olds in rural Bangladesh: its significance for age at immunization

Bull World Health Organ. 1991;69(1):67-72.

Abstract

Any decision to modify measles immunization strategies away from the use of the conventional vaccine given to children at 9 months of age to the adoption of recently proposed vaccine strains that can be given to 4-6-month-olds will depend on the age distribution of severe cases of measles in the community. Reported are the results of an analysis of two community-based measles surveillance systems in rural Bangladesh, which found that 17% of all measles cases reported for under-5-year-olds in a nonvaccinated population involved infants aged less than 9 months. In a vaccinated population from the same area, 31% of all measles cases reported for under-5-year-olds occurred among under-9-month-olds. Using a rather restrictive definition for measles-related deaths (those occurring within 6 weeks of the onset of the rash), the proportion of measles-related deaths that occurred before 9 months of age was 13% of all such deaths that were reported.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Bangladesh / epidemiology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Immunization Schedule*
  • Infant
  • Measles / epidemiology*
  • Measles / mortality
  • Measles / prevention & control
  • Measles Vaccine / administration & dosage
  • Population Surveillance

Substances

  • Measles Vaccine