World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific

Measles

The Lao People's Democratic Republic Measles SIA Orientation
and Planning Meeting

In preparation for its Measles and Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) targeting people nine months to 19 years old, the Ministry of Health of the Lao People's Democratic Republic convened a National Orientation and Planning Meeting from
22 to 26 August 2011. Representatives from WHO, UNICEF, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation participated in the meeting officiated by the Minister of Health. Participants included national and provincial Maternal and Child Health (MCH), EPI and Ministry of Education staff who reviewed technical and operational aspects of the upcoming campaign and conducted extensive joint and peer-reviewed planning during the meeting. Routine immunization programme performance and progress towards control of hepatitis B were also reviewed.

The SIA will be launched in the southern provinces on 28 October 2011 by the Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and in the Central and Northern provinces on 15 November 2011 by the President. The SIA will also provide oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), vitamin A and deworming medicine to children, and is expected to end by 9 December 2011.



Measles is a contagious viral illness that impacts millions of children in the Western Pacific Region. Although a safe vaccine has been available since 1963, measles remains a leading cause of childhood preventable death and disability. It is estimated that 20 000–30 000 deaths in the Region are due to measles annually.

WHO in the Western Pacific Region has committed itself to the goal of measles elimination, that is, the sustained interruption of measles virus transmission with continued intervention measures required to maintain interruption. Intervention measures are: achieving and maintaining 95% population immunity to measles virus in each birth cohort of every country; developing and maintaining effective surveillance in each country; and each country developing and maintaining effective access to an accredited laboratory.

To achieve and maintain 95% population immunity, each country needs a plan to ensure that practically every child is vaccinated. Other plans are needed to ensure that outlying groups in the community also have a measles-immunity profile consistent with the stated objective.

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Fact sheets

News and press releases

13 October 2011
WHO's governing body reviews state of preventable diseases in the Western Pacific
[full text]

14 October 2010
Despite substantial progress, lapses threaten regional immunization goals
[full text]

7 December 2009
Global measles deaths drop by 78%
[full text]

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Relevant publications and documents

Measles-Rubella Bulletin
The Measles-Rubella Bulletin, issued by Western Pacific Regional Office of WHO shares information and reports progress on measles elimination activities in the Western Pacific Region. Timely articles focus on current activities and experiences with measles elimination efforts. In addition, the Measles-Rubella Bulletin provides updated country-specific surveillance information such as the number of reported suspected and confirmed measles cases, and measles incidence rate. The Measles-Rubella Bulletin is available from this website and is also distributed by email.

Global Reductions in Measles Mortality 2000-2008 and the Risk of Measles Resurgence, WER Vol. 84, 49
At the Sixty-first World Health Assembly in 2008, all WHO Member States reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a 90% reduction in measles mortality by 2010 compared with 2000. Using a natural history model to estimate the number of measles deaths, WHO estimates that from 2000 to 2008, the number of measles deaths decreased by 92% in the Western Pacific Region and 78% globally. Approximately 12.7 million measles deaths were averted worldwide during this period as a result of routine and supplementary immunization activities. If the strategy to accelerate reductions in measles mortality cannot be sustained, global measles mortality will increase, resulting in a slowing down of progress towards reaching Millennium Development Goal 4.

Measles Vaccines - WHO Position Paper
This revised WHO position paper on measles vaccines published in the Weekly Epidemiologic Record in August 2009 replaces the corresponding paper published in March 2004. Updated topics addressed in the position paper include optimal age for MCV1, intervals between periodic SIAs, introduction of routine MCV2, optimal timing of routine administration of MCV2, criteria for stopping follow up SIAs, measles vaccination of HIV-positive individuals, measles outbreak response, and vaccine safety surveillance.

Western Pacific Regional Plan of Action for Measles Elimination
Central to this Regional Plan is a strategy for providing a second opportunity for measles immunization. A single dose of measles vaccine protects about only 85% of children, but 95% of the population must be immune to stop transmission. A second dose, given after the age of one year, will protect 99% of children. Therefore, to eliminate measles, children must have a second opportunity that reaches practically every child.

Field Guidelines for Measles Elimination
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease that remains a leading cause of death among children in the Western Pacific Region. Therefore, the Western Pacific Region is now moving towards measles elimination. These guidelines provide guidance for countries to implement the Western Pacific Regional Plan of Action for Measles Elimination as urged by the 2003 Regional Committee Meeting.

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Upcoming meetings and events

No meeting/event planned at this time.



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Measles

Contact Information

Dr David Sniadack
Medical Officer, EPI

Dr Youngmee Jee
Scientist (Laboratory Virologist), EPI

Dr Wang Xiaojun
Medical Officer, EPI