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Rapid vaccination coverage to help combat spread of measles – PAHO
PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne
While 34 Member States of the Pan American Health Organization [PAHO] remain measles-free, endemic transmission of the virus has now been re-established in Venezuela. However, to stop further spread of measles throughout the region, the Director of PAHO, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, has urged all countries to rapidly increase vaccination coverage.
“It is vital that we continue vaccinating in order to reach more than nine percent of our children everywhere,” said Dr. Etienne.
“We must also strengthen national epidemiological surveillance and establish rapid response teams to expeditiously manage suspected cases, prevent new cases, and halt outbreaks. These measures to sustain elimination were agreed to by Ministers of Health in 2017. These commitments must be renewed,” she asserted.
Measles circulation in other regions of the world has always represented an ongoing threat to the Americas, as imported cases can reintroduce the virus among unvaccinated individuals. In 2017, there were 149,142 cases of measles reported globally, with the Americas accounting for just 0.6 percent of all cases.
Venezuela, Guyana’s neighbour to the west, reported its first cases of measles in July of last year. The neighbouring territory continues to battle an outbreak of the disease and confirmed that this outbreak was due to a virus strain that was originally reported in Asia and later in Europe.
As at August 20 this year, Venezuela has reported 3,545 confirmed cases of measles, of which 62 deaths resulted. A further 10 countries in the region have reported a total of 1,459 confirmed cases and six deaths. This is according to information released by PAHO, which revealed that in the Americas, coverage rates for the first dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are currently less than 95 percent.
In addition, lower immunization coverage has been observed in some municipalities and in specific settlements. Vaccination coverage rates for children aged five years and under must be 95 percent or greater among all populations in order to maintain elimination.
Moreover, PAHO and its partner agencies have been working with Venezuela to increase vaccination coverage, strengthen epidemiological surveillance and interrupt transmission. The organization has also mobilized financial resources to support the purchase of vaccines, other supplies and technical cooperation activities to help Venezuela and other affected countries halt the spread of measles.
In 2016, the Region of the Americas became the first in the world to obtain the measles elimination certification, following years of concerted efforts to vaccinate children.
A majority of countries in the Americas Region reported their last endemic cases more than 18 years ago. However, the fact that a disease has been eliminated does not mean that it no longer exists since, according to PAHO, it simply means that it does not circulate in a specific area.
A country is no longer considered to be measles-free when the same type of virus has been circulating for more than 12 continuous months. The recurrence of endemic circulation of measles virus, as well as current outbreaks, is evidence of existing gaps in vaccination coverage, which must be urgently addressed, thus the call for rapid increase of vaccination coverage.
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