Martin Novák
Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
Title: Decrease in measles vaccination coverage – a new public health problem in Slovakia
Biography
Biography: Martin Novák
Abstract
In Slovakia vaccination against measles was introduced in 1969. Firstly it began with monovalent (1969 - M), then we used bivalent (1987 – MM) and trivalent (1992 –MMR) vaccine. Our aims were to analyse vaccination coverage by MCV1 and MCV2 and their impact on measles incidence at national and regional levels. We made retrospective review of measles vaccination reported from 2000 to 2015. Cohort studies evaluating measles vaccination coverage in 24-months old children born between 1996 and 2013 (MCV1) and 10-years-old children born between 1987 to 2003 (MCV 2) were conducted. The data were obtained from the databases of the Epidemiological Information System of the Slovak Republic and from the regular annually controls in Slovakia, 2000-2015. Since 1999, measles has been eliminated, only imported cases were reported in our country. The vaccination coverage remained at the highest levels (98.0-99.9%). In the last children cohorts (born in 2011, 2012, 2013) MCV1 decreased from 96.8% (2011) to 93.9% (2013) and MCV2 to 97.6% (2003) at national level. MCV1 at regional level was from 90.1% (2013) to 98.2% (2011) and MCV2 from 95.8% to 99.1% (2003). Children born in 2013 - only 40 (50.7%) districts reached level 95.0% and more, 31 (39.2%) reached from 90% to 94.9% and 8 (10.1%) districts had less that 90.0% vaccination coverage. Decrease of MCV2 in adolescents (2003) below 90.0% only 2 (2.5%) districts. Our analysis showed positive impact of vaccination against measles. Increasing of anti-vaccination activities and risk populations (Romany population, migrants) are the main factors affecting the vaccination coverage.
This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Support Agency under the Contract No. APVV-0096-12 (EPIBIOMAT).