Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis mortality, United States, 1979-2016: Vaccine-induced declines in SSPE deaths

Lia B Pallivathucal; Andrew Noymer

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.07.030

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis mortality, United States, 1979-2016: Vaccine-induced declines in SSPE deaths

Vaccine. 2018 Aug 23;36(35):5222-5225. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.07.030. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Authors

Lia B Pallivathucal¹, Andrew Noymer²

Affiliations

¹ Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States. Electronic address: lpalliva@uci.edu.
² Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California, 653 E. Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, United States. Electronic address: noymer@uci.edu.

PMID: 30057285
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.07.030

Abstract

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by measles virus. We estimate SSPE age-specific mortality in the United States, 1979-2016. The general decline in SSPE mortality reflects that of measles. Shifts, over time, in SSPE mortality by age echo changes in the age distribution of measles in the 1970s and in the 1989-91 outbreak. The current epidemiological situation is that autochthonous SSPE will disappear in the United States, assuming measles vaccination rates remain high.

Keywords: Measles; Mortality; SSPE; Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

MeSH terms

Age Distribution
Female
Humans
Male
Measles / epidemiology
Measles / mortality
Measles / prevention & control
Measles Vaccine / therapeutic use
Measles virus / immunology
Measles virus / pathogenicity
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / epidemiology
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / mortality*
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / prevention & control*
United States
Vaccination / statistics & numerical data

Substances

Measles Vaccine