ADVERSE REACTIONS AFTER MEASLES CATCH-UP VACCINATION CAMPAIGN IN IZMIR, TURKEY

A. Egemen¹, N. Kusin1, V. Mevsim², L. Kidak²

1: Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, İzmir, Turkey

2: Local Health Directorate İzmir, Turkey

 

Background: The European Advisory Group on the Expanded Programme on Immunization of WHO has recommended that by 2005 or earlier measles should be eliminated in all countries in Europe. Elimination policies adopted in many countries to well-control measles; have raised various safety issues concerning multi dose vaccination.

Objective: To investigate, all short-term adverse reactions during catch-up vaccination campaign, among 9-60 months age groups with or without immunized anyway.

Methods: A total of 3000 children were selected for the study randomly from 11 locations in İzmir, Turkey. The questionnaire on adverse reactions were given to all families during the vaccination and 2770 questionnaires from 51.9% boys and 48.1% girls, were gathered after four weeks at home visits.

Results: Vaccination-attributable events occurred in 12.6% overall. The clearest vaccine-attributable effect was fever exceeding 38.6˚C and 39.5˚C were 11.4% and 0.3%, respectively. Other systematic reactions were 4.9% irritability, 0.7% coughing, 0.5% diarrhea, 0.4% vomiting and 0.3% conjunctivitis. Local reactions have been observed 3.5% ache and 2.8% erythema around injection place.

Any one adverse reaction rate among the children who never had measles were 1.2% in unvaccinated group, 7.7% in one dose vaccinated group and 0.6% in two dose vaccinated group. Also the adverse reaction rate among children in whom had measles before the catch-up campaign were, 0.4% in unvaccinated group 2.6% in one dose vaccinated group and 0.1% in two dose vaccinated group.

Conclusion: Determination of short and long term adverse reactions in the mass vaccination in a country, would encourage the health personnel for applying programs in order to eliminate measles for national basis.

 

 

 

 
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