Shuyan Zuo1, Lisa Cairns2, Yvan Hutin2, Xiaofeng Liang3, Yibing Tong4, Qing Zhu5, Dayong Zhang5, Lisa A Lee2, Peter Strebel6, Linda Quick7. 1. Office of the WHO Representative, People's Republic of China, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zuosh@wpro.who.int. 2. Office of the WHO Representative, People's Republic of China, Beijing, China. 3. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. 4. Guizhou Provincial Health Bureau, Guiyang, China. 5. Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang, China. 6. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. 7. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To develop a successful model for accelerating measles elimination in poor areas of China, we initiated a seven-year project in Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces, with reported highest measles incidence of 360 per million population in 2002. METHODS: Project strategies consisted of strengthening routine immunization services, enforcement of school entry immunization requirements at kindergarten and school, conducting supplemental measles immunization activities (SIAs), and enhancing measles surveillance. We measured coverage of measles containing vaccines (MCV) by administrative reporting and population-based sample surveys, systematic random sampling surveys, and convenience sampling surveys for routine immunization services, school entry immunization, and SIAs respectively. We measured impact using surveillance based measles incidence. RESULTS: Routine immunization coverage of the 1st dose of MCV (MCV1) increased from 82% to 93%, while 2nd dose of MCV (MCV2) coverage increased from 78% to 91%. Enforcement of school entry immunization requirements led to an increase in MCV2 coverage from 36% on primary school entry in 2004 to 93% in 2009. Province-wide SIAs achieved coverage greater than 90%. The reported annual incidence of measles dropped from 200 to 300 per million in 2003 to 6 per million in 2009, and sustained at 0.9-2.2 per million in 2010-2013. CONCLUSIONS: This project found that a package of strategies including periodic SIAs, strengthened routine immunization, and enforcing school entry immunization requirements, was an effective approach toward achieving and sustaining measles elimination in less-developed area of China.
BACKGROUND: To develop a successful model for accelerating measles elimination in poor areas of China, we initiated a seven-year project in Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces, with reported highest measles incidence of 360 per million population in 2002. METHODS: Project strategies consisted of strengthening routine immunization services, enforcement of school entry immunization requirements at kindergarten and school, conducting supplemental measles immunization activities (SIAs), and enhancing measles surveillance. We measured coverage of measles containing vaccines (MCV) by administrative reporting and population-based sample surveys, systematic random sampling surveys, and convenience sampling surveys for routine immunization services, school entry immunization, and SIAs respectively. We measured impact using surveillance based measles incidence. RESULTS: Routine immunization coverage of the 1st dose of MCV (MCV1) increased from 82% to 93%, while 2nd dose of MCV (MCV2) coverage increased from 78% to 91%. Enforcement of school entry immunization requirements led to an increase in MCV2 coverage from 36% on primary school entry in 2004 to 93% in 2009. Province-wide SIAs achieved coverage greater than 90%. The reported annual incidence of measles dropped from 200 to 300 per million in 2003 to 6 per million in 2009, and sustained at 0.9-2.2 per million in 2010-2013. CONCLUSIONS: This project found that a package of strategies including periodic SIAs, strengthened routine immunization, and enforcing school entry immunization requirements, was an effective approach toward achieving and sustaining measles elimination in less-developed area of China.
Authors: José E Hagan; Ashley Greiner; Ulzii-Orshikh Luvsansharav; Jason Lake; Christopher Lee; Roberta Pastore; Yoshihiro Takashima; Amarzaya Sarankhuu; Sodbayar Demberelsuren; Rachel Smith; Benjamin Park; James L Goodson Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Date: 2017-12 Impact factor: 6.883