Epidemiology and Infection
Volume 140, Issue 9, 2012, Pages 1589-1598

Measles outbreak in an asylum-seekers' shelter in Germany: Comparison of the implemented with a hypothetical containment strategy (Article)

Takla A.* , Barth A. , Siedler A. , Stöcker P. , Wichmann O. , Deleré Y.
  • a Immunization Unit, Robert Koch Institute, DGZ-Ring 1, 13086 Berlin, Germany, Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany, European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
  • b District Health Authority, City of Neumünster, Germany
  • c Immunization Unit, Robert Koch Institute, DGZ-Ring 1, 13086 Berlin, Germany
  • d Immunization Unit, Robert Koch Institute, DGZ-Ring 1, 13086 Berlin, Germany, Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany, European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
  • e Immunization Unit, Robert Koch Institute, DGZ-Ring 1, 13086 Berlin, Germany
  • f Immunization Unit, Robert Koch Institute, DGZ-Ring 1, 13086 Berlin, Germany

Abstract

In order to contain a measles outbreak in a German asylum-seekers' shelter, serological testing of all residents was performed, followed by selective vaccination of those with negative test results/not tested. In this paper we describe the outbreak epidemiologically and then compare the implemented strategy with a hypothetical mass vaccination of all individuals unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status born after 1970 as recommended by the German Standing Committee on Vaccination in terms of potentially avoided cases, logistics, and costs. Three hundred (70%) residents participated in the serological testing, of which 39 (13%) were seronegative. In total, 144 individuals were eligible for vaccination, while a mass vaccination would have targeted 359 persons. However, serological testing was time-and personnel consuming and revealed several logistical problems. Its costs amounted to 90 000, double that of mass vaccination that additionally might have avoided three of the eight cases. Mass vaccination seems the preferred measure for measles outbreak control in such settings. © 2011 Cambridge University Press.

Author Keywords

outbreak measles Germany Refugees Mass vaccination

Index Keywords

Models, Biological Germany refugee human Refugees comparative study Aged epidemiological data Young Adult health care cost school child Humans Adolescent Infant, Newborn male preschool child female Infant Child, Preschool measles vaccination Disease Outbreaks Article epidemic infection control Mass Vaccination measles vaccine adult serology measles mumps rubella vaccine Seroepidemiologic Studies measles Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84864452224&doi=10.1017%2fS0950268811002597&partnerID=40&md5=1fd8020ac0def8582de33ebd235630ce
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268811002597
ISSN: 09502688
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English