title: Introduction to the control of measles by vaccination in the People's Republic of China.
abstract: Measles vaccine is provided free of charge in China. In big cities the section clinics are responsible for measles vaccination. In rural areas, barefoot doctors go from door to door to administer the vaccine, or parents are told to bring their children to the cooperative medical station for vaccination. In most parts of China, eight months is considered the optimal age for primary vaccination. The seroconversion rates are usually greater than 90%. With the elapse of time, titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody decreased regularly and even declined to an undetectable level. As a result some people who had been vaccinated became ill with measles. Thus, one vaccination cannot guarantee persistence of antibody for life. It would be appropriate to carry out revaccination for maintenance of adequate immunity against measles. In view of the situation in China as a developing country, the main goal of the campaign against measles in the near future should be the broadening of effective vaccination coverage for control of epidemics, the reduction in incidence, and the lowering of the fatality rate. Measles can definitely be eliminated as has already been done for smallpox.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D008457:Measles / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine