Background: Measles vaccination at ages 12-15 months is a routine part of standard health care in developed countries. Nonetheless, the prevention and control of measles outbreaks remain a challenge, owing to incomplete or variable compliance with immunization programs and primary vaccine failure (approximately 5%). In Israel, vaccination coverage against measles is high, yet sero-epidemiological studies conducted in the early 1990s showed that 15% of 18-year-olds were unprotected.
Methods: 1994 there was a countrywide epidemic of measles, which spread to the military. The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps immediately launched a wide-scale vaccination campaign, targeting primarily field units and training bases, where crowded living conditions are the rule.
Results: The immunization campaign led to an abrupt cessation of morbidity in the military. In the civilian sector, where no intervention was undertaken, the epidemic continued for another 4 months.
Conclusions: Institutional measles outbreaks, especially in the presence of crowded conditions or high contact rates, may be effectively controlled by mass vaccination.
Copyright 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.