Ca. Dequadros et al., MEASLES ELIMINATION IN THE AMERICA - EVOLVING STRATEGIES, JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, 275(3), 1996, pp. 224-229
The strategy currently used to control measles in most countries has b
een to immunize each successive birth cohort through the routine healt
h services delivery system. While measles vaccine coverage has increas
ed markedly, significant measles outbreaks have continued to recur. Du
ring the past 5 years, experience in the Americas suggests that measle
s transmission has been interrupted in a number of countries (Cuba, Ch
ile, and countries in the English-speaking Caribbean and successfully
controlled in ail remaining countries, Since 1991 these countries have
implemented one-time ''catch-up'' vaccination campaigns (conducted du
ring short period, usually 1 week to 1 month, and targeting all childr
en 9 months through 14 years of age, regardless of previous vaccinatio
n status or measles disease history). These campaigns have been follow
ed by improvements in routine vaccination services and in surveillance
systems, so that the progress of the measles elimination efforts can
be sustained and monitored. follow-up mass vaccination campaigns for c
hildren younger than 5 years are planned to take place every 3 to 5 ye
ars.