First opportunity measles vaccination – routine measles immunization

The African Regional recommended schedule for measles vaccination contains one measles vaccine given subcutaneously at or shortly after the 9th month of age. The African Region has not had any policies for second measles doses in routine immunization until May 2008, when the Regional Measles Technical Advisory Group (TAG) recommended introduction criteria. These recommendations and the criteria have been endorsed by the 16th meeting of the African Task Force for Immunisation (TFI), and have also been included in the policy recommendations of the Global Strategic Advisoy Group of Experts (SAGE). South Africa, Swaziland, Mauritius, Seychelles have adopted their own policies for a second measles vaccine schedule. The African Region does not yet have a rubella control goal.

The proportion of children below 1 year of age immunized against measles is one of the key indicators used to measure the progress towards reducing child mortality in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the African Region, the regional routine measles vaccination coverage has improved from 53% in 2000 to 82% in 2007 according to administrative coverage figures sent by countries to WHO and UNICEF.

DPT-3 & measles administrative coverage. African Region. 1990 - 2007.

Twenty eight countries have attained an increase in administrative coverage in 2007 as compared to 2006, while 17 have seen some reduction of coverage rates. As of the end of 2007, 23 countries have coverage levels of more than 80% while only 2 countries have administrative coverage below 60%.

The WHO UNICEF estimate for measles coverage in the African Region in 2007 is 74%, and has also shown a steady increase in the past years.

Despite the improvements mentioned above at Regional and national levels, there still are major gaps in immunization coverage at subnational levels even in the countries that have high national level coverage figures. These gaps continue to create pools of susceptibles and result in periodic measles outbreaks and need to be addressed.