From April 26 to May 2, the 5th European Immunization Week is taking place under the auspices of the WHO. This year, measles is being highlighted.
The Immunization Week has several objectives:
– To help the French understand better the individual and collective benefits of vaccination as a means of preventing infectious diseases;
– To encourage them to have their health or vaccination records checked and to proceed with the recommended vaccinations and/or catch-up vaccinations;
– To inform professionals about updates and issues regarding the vaccination schedule.
Measles vaccination is the priority of the 2011 European Immunization Week. The measles epidemic that began in 2008 in France intensified in 2009, and spread across the entire country in 2010. At the beginning of 2011, this epidemic accelerated further.
This highly contagious disease is a central concern for public authorities and health professionals. Measles no longer affects only children: it now affects babies (under 1 year) and young adults (in 2010, more than half of those affected were over 14 years old). This disease, wrongly considered benign, can have serious consequences: pneumonia and encephalitis (with irreversible handicap), potentially leading to hospitalizations (one-third of reported cases in 2010), or even death. The only solution to stop this rapid progression is actually simple: vaccination with two doses, for people aged 1 to 31 years old (born since 1980). Indeed, it is important to recall that this epidemic is the result of insufficient vaccination coverage: 82% of individuals who contracted measles in 2010 were not vaccinated and 13% had received only one dose of the vaccine.
