Strategies for Global Measles Surveillance and Vaccination

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines against Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2023) | Viewed by 4928

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Viral Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Interests: viral immunology; vaccine development; vaccinology; diagnostic assay development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases in the world, and as such, a high level of population immunity (>92%) is required to prevent sustained measles virus transmission. The administration of measles-containing vaccines (MCV) has been largely successful in helping to control the spread of measles globally, demonstrating that regional and eventual global elimination of measles are achievable goals. Despite significant progress towards measles elimination over the last two decades, numerous setbacks have been encountered. Global estimates of first dose MCV coverage have not surpassed 85% for several years and reported measles cases increased by more than 500% globally in 2019, resulting in multiple countries losing their elimination status. Novel strategies and technologies to support measles surveillance and vaccination efforts are urgently needed, particularly in resource-limited settings, to address these issues and bring the world closer to achieving measles elimination.

For this Special Issue, we invite the submission of original research articles and review articles focused on new technologies and novel approaches for vaccine delivery and improving measles surveillance, including (but not limited to) the following areas:

  • Implementation and development of alternate vaccines or vaccine delivery methods;
  • Development of new diagnostic tests/methods, including rapid diagnostic tests;
  • Molecular epidemiology and genetic characterization of wild-type viruses;
  • Challenges for virologic surveillance in resource-limited settings.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Stephen Crooke
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • measles
  • measles vaccine
  • measles-containing vaccine
  • measles surveillance
  • immunization
  • diagnostics
  • molecular epidemiology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2070 KiB  
Article
Suboptimal MMR Vaccination Coverages—A Constant Challenge for Measles Elimination in Romania
by Aurora Stanescu, Simona Maria Ruta, Costin Cernescu and Adriana Pistol
Vaccines 2024, 12(1), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12010107 - 22 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Measles is targeted for elimination since 2001, with a significant reduction in cases recorded worldwide, but outbreaks occur periodically due to immunization gaps. This study analyzes the evolution of vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) in Romania, a EU country with large measles epidemics during [...] Read more.
Measles is targeted for elimination since 2001, with a significant reduction in cases recorded worldwide, but outbreaks occur periodically due to immunization gaps. This study analyzes the evolution of vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) in Romania, a EU country with large measles epidemics during the last two decades, including an ongoing outbreak in 2023. Vaccination against measles has been part of the National Immunization Program since 1979, initially as a single dose, and from 1994 onwards it has had two doses. The initially high national VCRs of >97% gradually declined from 2010 onward and remained constantly under 90%, with further decreases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lowest VCRs for both vaccine doses in the last decade were recorded in 2022 and were 83.4% for the first dose and 71.4% for the second dose, with significant differences among Romania’s 42 counties. Several factors contributed to this decline, including failure to attend the general practitioners’ offices, increased number of children lost to follow-up due to population movements, missed vaccination opportunities due to temporary medical contraindications, a surge in vaccine hesitancy/refusal, a decreasing number of general practitioners and discontinuities in vaccine supply. The persisting suboptimal VCRs in Romania threaten the progress toward measles elimination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Global Measles Surveillance and Vaccination)
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10 pages, 269 KiB  
Article
Serological Evaluation for Measles among Italian and Foreign Medical Students in a University Hospital in Rome
by Luca Coppeta, Cristiana Ferrari, Giuseppina Somma, Viola Giovinazzo, Ersilia Buonomo, Marco Trabucco Aurilio, Michele Treglia and Andrea Magrini
Vaccines 2023, 11(7), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071256 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1180
Abstract
Background: Measles infection in the hospital setting is a major issue. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, measles outbreaks continue to occur in some European countries. We aimed to evaluate the immunological status of medical students attending the Tor Vergata Polyclinic (PTV). [...] Read more.
Background: Measles infection in the hospital setting is a major issue. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, measles outbreaks continue to occur in some European countries. We aimed to evaluate the immunological status of medical students attending the Tor Vergata Polyclinic (PTV). Methods: Measles antibodies titers were assessed by venipuncture on a sample of 2717 medical students who underwent annual health surveillance visits from January 2021 to March 2023. Subjects showing serum IgG values above 1.0 S/CO were considered serologically protected. Personal data, country of origin, and main demographic characteristic were also collected. Results: 66.7% (1467 Italian and 346 foreign) of medical students showed protective IgG antibodies levels. Female students were serologically immune more frequently than males (68.6% vs. 63.3%; p < 0.01 at Chi2). The mean antibody titer was 1.72 S/CO, significantly higher in females than males (1.67 vs. 1.75, respectively; p < 0.05), and significantly related to age (p < 0.01). Albanian students, who were the largest foreign population in our study, showed a low serological protection rate (40/90: 44.4%). Conclusions: The proportion of serologically non-immune students is high, raising concerns about the possible risk of hospital transmission. Substantial differences in the rate of immunity have been found between subjects coming from different parts of Europe and the world. Pre-training assessment of all medical students and vaccination of susceptible individuals is highly recommended, particularly for those from low immunization rate countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Global Measles Surveillance and Vaccination)

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8 pages, 1620 KiB  
Brief Report
Seroprevalence of Measles Antibodies in a Highly MMR-Vaccinated Population
by Huy Quang Quach, Inna G. Ovsyannikova, Diane E. Grill, Nathaniel D. Warner, Gregory A. Poland and Richard B. Kennedy
Vaccines 2022, 10(11), 1859; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10111859 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1731
Abstract
As an extremely contagious pathogen, a high rate of vaccine coverage and the durability of vaccine-induced immunity are key factors to control and eliminate measles. Herein, we assessed the seroprevalence of antibodies specific to measles in a cohort of 1393 adults (20–44 years [...] Read more.
As an extremely contagious pathogen, a high rate of vaccine coverage and the durability of vaccine-induced immunity are key factors to control and eliminate measles. Herein, we assessed the seroprevalence of antibodies specific to measles in a cohort of 1393 adults (20–44 years old). ELISA results showed a nontrivial proportion of 37.6% study subjects being negative for measles immunoglobulin G (IgG). We also found significant influences of sex and age of the study cohort on the IgG level. Our findings suggest that even within a highly vaccinated population, a subset of individuals may still have sub-optimal immunity against measles and potentially be susceptible during any future measles outbreaks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Global Measles Surveillance and Vaccination)
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