title: A general measles vaccination campaign in urban Guinea-Bissau: Comparing child mortality among participants and non-participants.
abstract: Measles vaccination campaigns targeting children aged 9-59months are conducted every three years in Guinea-Bissau. Studies have demonstrated beneficial non-specific effects of measles vaccine. We compared mortality one year after the December 2012 measles vaccination campaign in Bissau city for children who received campaign measles vaccine with children who did not receive campaign measles vaccine.
  
  
  
  Field workers from Bandim Health Project registered all children living in the Bandim Health Project's study area who received measles vaccination at the campaign posts. Children not seen during the campaign were visited at home and campaign participation status was assessed. We compared mortality rates of participants vs. non-participants in Cox regression models.
  
  
  
  5633 children aged 9-59months (85%) received campaign measles vaccination and 1006 (15%) did not. During the subsequent year 16 children died. Adjusted for background factors, the hazard ratio (HR) comparing measles vaccinated versus unvaccinated was 0.28 (95% CI: 0.10-0.77). The benefit was larger for girls (HR: 0.17 (0.05-0.59)) and for children who had received routine measles vaccine before the campaign (HR: 0.15 (0.04-0.63)).
  
  
  
  We found indications of strong beneficial non-specific effects of receiving measles vaccine during the 2012 campaign, especially for girls and children with previous routine measles vaccination. Measles vaccination campaigns may be an effective way of improving child survival.
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark; OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital/Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark. Electronic address: s.byberg@bandim.org.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Byberg
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark; Department of Public Health, Centre for Global Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Thysen
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Careme
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark; OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital/Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Benn
authors.affiliation: Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark; OPEN, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital/Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Fisker
mesh_terms: D046688:Child Mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006169:Guinea-Bissau; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine
keywords: Child survival; Guinea-Bissau; Measles vaccination campaign; Measles vaccine; Non-specific/heterologous effects; Supplementary immunization activities