Vaccination with a combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella aiming at elimination of the three diseases

Abstract

General vaccination with a combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was introduced in Sweden in 1982. The vaccination is performed at the age of 18 months and 12 years. The coverage in the former age was about 90% and in the latter between 80 and 90%. Seroconversion against measles was 96% in 18 months old and 82% in the 12 year old. The corresponding figures concerning mumps were 93 and 80% and concerning rubella 99 and 100%. Before this vaccination was introduced preschool children were partly vaccinated against measles and teen-age girls against rubella. The measles morbidity is low since the beginning of the 1980's, the morbidity of mumps is unchanged while rubella was epidemic in 1985. Mainly unvaccinated age groups were affected.