Headlines - Measles Eradication Is Not in Sight

Since January 1, 2008, more than 22,000 cases of measles have been reported in France, with increasingly significant spikes in the springs of 2009, 2010, and 2011. In 2011, 14,966 cases were reported, of which 16 presented with a neurological complication, 714 with severe pneumonia, and six resulted in death. The sharp decline in the number of reported cases between May and October 2011 marked the end of this third wave. Since the fall of 2011, there has been a slight resurgence in the number of reported cases, roughly on the same scale as that observed in late 2008 and early 2009. However, there was no significant increase in the number of cases in March, as had been observed in 2010 and especially in 2011.

This situation is generally reflected in the Burgundy and Franche-Comté regions. In Burgundy, the number of reported cases rose from six in 2008 to seven in 2009, 52 in 2010, 175 in 2011, and two since January 1, 2012. In Franche-Comté, the number was four in 2008, two in 2009, 162 in 2010, 317 in 2011, and 12 since January 1, 2012. The decline in the number of cases in 2012, with the shift from an epidemic to sporadic activity, is also observed in our regions following the peaks of 2011 (and 2010 in Franche-Comté, linked to significant clusters of cases).

Measles is a highly contagious disease whose reservoir is exclusively human, and vaccination was intended to eradicate it in order to prevent the severe cases and deaths it causes. The outbreaks of recent years show that the public health goal of eradication has not been achieved. To achieve this, the percentage of the population protected must be at least 95%. The decrease in the number of cases observed in 2012 should not lead us to believe that eradication can be achieved without improving vaccination coverage among the population. Coverage remains insufficient in both of our regions and constitutes a public health challenge.