Measles

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to summarize important papers concerning measles disease and measles-containing vaccines published in 2004.

Recent findings: Endemic measles has been successfully controlled in the Americas and, to a lesser extent, in Europe. This has been achieved with a high uptake of two doses of a measles-containing vaccine. Even in industrialized countries, where vaccine uptake is poor, for example Japan, the disease is still a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Vaccine failure is predominantly due to primary vaccine failure, which may, in part, be genetic in origin and related to HLA type. Measles-containing vaccines have been shown to be associated with febrile convulsions, but there is no strong evidence of a link with atopy. There is considerable evidence that there is no causal relationship with autistic disorders. In spite of this, many parents and some professionals have concerns about the safety of the vaccines, which may lead to their underuse.

Summary: It is possible to eliminate measles with a high uptake of two doses of measles-containing vaccine, but concerns about safety persist and need to be tackled. More research is required into how to do this effectively and also to elucidate the causes of vaccine failure.