Measles immunization : two-doses policy experience

Abstract EN

Background : Measles vaccine was first used in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1974 for 9-month-old infants.

In 1985, a second dose of measles vaccine combined with Mumps and Rubella (MMR) at the age of 15 months was added and the two-dose policy was adopted, the first dose given at 9 months and the second dose at 15 months (MMR).

In 1998 the two dose-schedule was evaluated and a new policy was adopted, the 1st dose MMR at 12 months of age and the 2nd dose MMR at 5 years of age.

Objectives : To review the process of developing an immunization strategy for measles in the Kingdom of Bahrain and to examine the impact of two doses of measles immunization policy on measles disease incidence in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Methods : A descriptive study that analyses the data available at the Immunization Unit in the Public Health at the Ministry of Health was undertaken to reduce the incidence rate and eliminate measles in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Results : Measles vaccination one-dose coverage for infants increased from 45 percent in 1980 to more than 87 per cent in 1990 and reached 98 percent by 2000 and 100 percent in 2003.

Coverage for a second dose of measles vaccine given as MMR was 82 % per cent in 1985 and reached 99.5 % in 2003.

Since 1993 the first and second dose coverage has been maintained above 90 percent.

The adoption of 2nd dose policy together with the high coverage attained leads to the drop in the measles disease incidence rate from 838 / 100,000 population in 1970 to 1.7 / 100.000 population in 2003.