title: Increasing coverage and efficiency of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and introducing universal varicella vaccination in Europe: a role for the combined vaccine.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere Medical School, Tampere, Finland. timo.vesikari@uta.fi
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vesikari
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sadzot-Delvaux
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rentier
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gershon
mesh_terms: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine