title: Impact of a mass vaccination campaign against a meningitis epidemic in a refugee camp.
abstract: Serogroup A meningococcus epidemics occurred in refugee populations in Zaire in August 1994. The paper analyses the public health impact of a mass vaccination campaign implemented in a large refugee camp. We compared meningitis incidence rates from 2 similar camps. In Kibumba camp, vaccination was implemented early in the course of the epidemic whilst in the control camp (Katale), vaccination was delayed. At a threshold of 15 cases per 100 000 population per week an immunization campaign was implemented. Attack rates were 94 and 134 per 100,000 in Kibumba and Katale respectively over 2 months. In Kibumba, one week after crossing the threshold, 121,588 doses of vaccine were administered covering 76% of all refugees. Vaccination may have prevented 68 cases (30% of the expected cases). Despite its rapid institution and the high coverage achieved, the vaccination campaign had a limited impact on morbidity due to meningitis. In the early phase in refugee camps, the relative priorities of meningitis vaccination and case management need to be better defined.
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haelterman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boelaert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suetens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blok
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henkens
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Toole
mesh_terms: D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012036:Refugees; D012432:Rwanda / Q000208:ethnology; D014611:Vaccination