Increasing coverage and efficiency of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and introducing universal varicella vaccination in Europe: a role for the combined vaccine.
Universal mass vaccination according to a 2-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine schedule is recommended by the World Health Organization and is fundamental to the control of these important diseases. Very high coverage (first dose, > or =95%; second dose, > or =80%) is necessary to achieve and sustain high population immunity, and eventually interrupt indigenous transmission of these diseases. In 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued a recommendation for 2 doses of varicella vaccine to be given universally to children. Coadministration of MMR and varicella vaccines, though efficacious and well tolerated, can be difficult because of the 2 separate injections and associated compliance issues. In addition to the general advantages of a combined vaccine, recently registered measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccines could facilitate introduction of varicella universal mass vaccination by simplifying administration and providing the potential to achieve high coverage rates for these 4 diseases.
Vesikari
Timo
T
University of Tampere Medical School, Tampere, Finland. timo.vesikari@uta.fi
Sadzot-Delvaux
Catherine
C
Rentier
Bernard
B
Gershon
Anne
A
D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine