S Yang1, F Zhou. 1. Municipal Donghu Hospital in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518003, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To survey the epidemic patterns and clinical characteristics of a relatively large scale measles epidemic in Shenzhen, 1998. METHODS: Morbidity among permanent and temporary residents in 4 different age groups, related to their history of measles vaccination among the infant cases of <or= 8 month olds as well as measles histories of their mothers, and on history of the vaccination in > 8 month olds among the two types of residents. Using data originated from the hospital documents of 208 measles cases in 1998. RESULTS: Among the total 208 cases: (1) Of 107 cases of temporary residents in age > 8 mon., 79.4% were unvaccinated while 41.7% were unvaccinated among 72 cases of permanent inhabitants in age > 8 mon.; (2) The two peaks fell on 9 month to 5 year olds (32.7%), in which predominant cases were permanent inhabitant, while among the 14 - 36 year group (33.7%) temporary resident accounted for 71.4%; (3) Among 208 cases, there were 29 in 3 - 7 mon. olds, taking up 14.0% of the whole, who all did not receive the vaccinations. Seventeen of the 29 cases (58.6%) of the said children had mothers with positive histories of measles while the infants manifested atypical mild measles. The rest 12 of the 29 cases (41.4%) whose mothers had an negative histories of contracting measles, 4 infants manifested typical measles and 8 atypical mild measles. CONCLUSIONS: (1) One of the main causes of this epidemic was the unsound history of vaccination in the population; (2) In Shenzhen, preventive measures should focus on infants and young children among permanent inhabitants while focusing on adolescents and youths on temporary residents; (3) It was suggested that in Shenzhen, infants born to mothers without measles history or infants at the age borderline for measles immunization but without vaccination should receive it; Women in reproductive ages without measles history or vaccination should be considered as vaccination receivers.
OBJECTIVE: To survey the epidemic patterns and clinical characteristics of a relatively large scale measles epidemic in Shenzhen, 1998. METHODS: Morbidity among permanent and temporary residents in 4 different age groups, related to their history of measles vaccination among the infant cases of <or= 8 month olds as well as measles histories of their mothers, and on history of the vaccination in > 8 month olds among the two types of residents. Using data originated from the hospital documents of 208 measles cases in 1998. RESULTS: Among the total 208 cases: (1) Of 107 cases of temporary residents in age > 8 mon., 79.4% were unvaccinated while 41.7% were unvaccinated among 72 cases of permanent inhabitants in age > 8 mon.; (2) The two peaks fell on 9 month to 5 year olds (32.7%), in which predominant cases were permanent inhabitant, while among the 14 - 36 year group (33.7%) temporary resident accounted for 71.4%; (3) Among 208 cases, there were 29 in 3 - 7 mon. olds, taking up 14.0% of the whole, who all did not receive the vaccinations. Seventeen of the 29 cases (58.6%) of the said children had mothers with positive histories of measles while the infants manifested atypical mild measles. The rest 12 of the 29 cases (41.4%) whose mothers had an negative histories of contracting measles, 4 infants manifested typical measles and 8 atypical mild measles. CONCLUSIONS: (1) One of the main causes of this epidemic was the unsound history of vaccination in the population; (2) In Shenzhen, preventive measures should focus on infants and young children among permanent inhabitants while focusing on adolescents and youths on temporary residents; (3) It was suggested that in Shenzhen, infants born to mothers without measles history or infants at the age borderline for measles immunization but without vaccination should receive it; Women in reproductive ages without measles history or vaccination should be considered as vaccination receivers.