Air travel as a risk factor for introduction of measles in a highly vaccinated population

Robert S van Binnendijk; Susan Hahné; Aura Timen; Gijs van Kempen; Robert H G Kohl; Hein J Boot; Katja C Wolthers; José C F M Wetsteijn; Anne de Vries; Krista Westert; Kevin E Brown; Rik L de Swart

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.08.048

Air travel as a risk factor for introduction of measles in a highly vaccinated population

Vaccine. 2008 Oct 29;26(46):5775-7. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.08.048. Epub 2008 Sep 9.

Authors

Robert S van Binnendijk¹, Susan Hahné, Aura Timen, Gijs van Kempen, Robert H G Kohl, Hein J Boot, Katja C Wolthers, José C F M Wetsteijn, Anne de Vries, Krista Westert, Kevin E Brown, Rik L de Swart

Affiliation

¹ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Rob.van.Binnendijk@rivm.nl

PMID: 18786588
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.08.048

Abstract

Epidemiological and molecular investigation of two small measles clusters in The Netherlands in July/August 2007 revealed an association with travel by air of the index cases and nosocomial spread in the first cluster. Although these importations did not result in an outbreak among unvaccinated subjects, the observations illustrate the challenges for measles control in a country with high measles vaccination coverage (> 95%) but with pockets of low coverage.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aviation / statistics & numerical data*
Brazil
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin M / analysis
Immunoglobulin M / immunology
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
Male
Mass Vaccination / statistics & numerical data*
Measles / diagnosis
Measles / transmission*
Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / immunology
Molecular Epidemiology
Netherlands / epidemiology
Occupational Exposure
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Risk Factors
Travel / statistics & numerical data*

Substances

Immunoglobulin M
Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine