A World without Measles and Rubella: Meeting the Regional Elimination Targets on the Path to Global Eradication
A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 321
Special Issue Editors
Interests: prevention of vaccine preventable diseases (VPD); operational research of VPDs; evidence-based introduction of new vaccines; eradication of measles; rubella; congenital rubella syndrome; polio
Interests: Measles rubella (MR) operations research; measles susceptibility in infancy; vaccine delivery systems; measles surveillance and laboratory diagnosis; MR eradication feasibility
Interests: operational research directed towards policy and strategic decision making for elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases; population immunity and vaccine efficacy studies
Interests: novel infectious disease surveillance methods; control of zoonotic diseases and strategies for reducing inequity in public health service delivery
Interests: Measles rubella (MR) operational research; MR global epidemiology; MR rapid diagnostic tests; MR vaccine administration in infancy; measles case fatality ratios; MR eradication feasibility
2. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Interests: vaccine preventable disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and response; immunization policy and strategy; immunization program design and evaluation
Interests: measles; mumps; vaccine; immunology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Measles and rubella continue to affect children worldwide, even though effective, safe and inexpensive vaccines have been available for over 50 years. Although measles immunization is estimated to have prevented over 56 million childhood deaths since the year 2000, the residual annual burden of 136,216 measles deaths and 32,000 children born with congenital rubella syndrome is unacceptable. Eliminating measles and rubella worldwide is technically feasible, and every WHO region has set measles and rubella elimination targets. However, without a global target, regions are struggling with achieving and then sustaining measles/rubella elimination. Global measles/rubella-containing vaccination coverage stagnated around 85% for over a decade before declining to lower levels in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many planned supplemental immunization activities intended to fill the immunity gaps were postponed or cancelled during the pandemic. Additionally, nineteen countries have yet to introduce rubella-containing vaccine despite the overwhelming evidence of disease and economic burden, as well as ethical considerations.
This Special Issue will explore the current progress toward measles and rubella elimination in various countries and regions; identify the key barriers and gaps in strategies, implementation and resources which hinder elimination efforts; and propose new approaches to progress towards regional measles and rubella elimination goals, and ultimately measles and rubella eradication.
We are seeking original manuscripts, reviews, position papers, and lessons-learned articles focused on measles and rubella elimination strategies, implementation, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, programs and policies. Sections include the following:
- Forward;
- Preface;
- Introduction;
- Scientific and deployment factors to justify global eradication of measles and rubella;
- Global and regional overviews;
- Rash and fever surveillance;
- Laboratory surveillance;
- Population immunity;
- Capacity development across the primary health care system, in alignment with the Global Health Security Agenda;
- Supplemental immunization activities;
- Rapid detection and response to outbreaks.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Jon Kim Andrus
Dr. Mark Papania
Dr. Sunil Bahl
Prof. Dr. David N. Durrheim
Dr. Katrina Kretsinger
Dr. Peter Strebel
Prof. Dr. Paul A. Rota
Dr. Susan Reef
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- measles
- rubella
- immunization
- vaccination
- elimination
- eradication
- population immunity
- congenital rubella syndrome
- surveillance
- under 5 mortality
- infant mortality
- modeling
- economics
- immunity gap
- epidemiology
