WHO position on measles vaccines

Abstract

This article presents the WHO recommendations on the use of measles vaccines excerpted from the recently published measles vaccines: WHO position paper. This revised WHO position paper on measles vaccines replaces the corresponding paper published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record in March 2004. In accordance with its mandate to provide guidance to Member States on health policy matters, WHO issues a series of regularly updated position papers on vaccines and combinations of vaccines against diseases that have an international impact on public health. These papers, which are concerned primarily with the use of vaccines in large-scale immunization programmes, summarize essential background information on diseases and vaccines, and conclude with the current WHO position concerning their use in the global context. This updated paper reflects the recent recommendations of WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization.