The effect of heterogeneity in measles vaccination on population immunity

Epidemiol Infect. 2004 Aug;132(4):675-83. doi: 10.1017/s0950268804002080.

Abstract

High overall vaccination levels sometimes hide pockets of poor coverage. We adopted a meta-population framework to model local aggregation of populations, and used this to investigate the effects of vaccination heterogeneity. A recent survey of antibody levels in a community with low vaccination levels in The Netherlands enabled us to assess the relative importance of local and long-range infective contacts, and thus identify feasible levels of aggregation in the meta-population model. In the aggregated model, we found that heterogeneity in vaccination coverage can lead to a much increased rate of infection among unvaccinated individuals, with a simultaneous drop in the average age at infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Measles / prevention & control*
  • Measles Vaccine / immunology*
  • Models, Immunological*
  • Netherlands
  • Vaccination*

Substances

  • Measles Vaccine