Incremental effectiveness of 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine compared with 1 dose among high school students during an outbreak

J Infect Dis. 2004 May 1:189 Suppl 1:S86-90. doi: 10.1086/377699.

Abstract

A measles outbreak occurred among a highly vaccinated population in Alaska during 1998, providing an opportunity to determine the incremental efficacy of >or=2 doses of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) compared with 1 dose. Of 33 confirmed case patients identified, 31 had been vaccinated with 1 dose of MCV, 1 had received 2 doses, and vaccination status was unknown in 1 case. Seventy percent of cases were school-associated; 58% of cases occurred in 2 high schools. Of 3679 students attending the 2 schools, 50.4% and 45.5% had received >or=2 doses of MCV before measles introduction at the schools. The relative risk of developing measles among persons vaccinated with >or=2 doses of MCV compared with 1 dose was 0.06 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.44; P<.001), yielding an estimated incremental vaccine efficacy of 94.1% (95% confidence interval, 55.9%-99.2%; P<.001). Rapid implementation of a mandatory second-dose MCV requirement probably limited the extent of this outbreak.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Alaska / epidemiology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunization, Secondary*
  • Male
  • Measles / epidemiology
  • Measles / prevention & control*
  • Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / administration & dosage*
  • Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / therapeutic use*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, Combined

Substances

  • Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
  • Vaccines, Combined