Measles epidemic in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: children vaccinated, but too early - In the news

2023-11-17 10:36:58

November 17, 2023

A measles epidemic has hit Ardèche and Drôme since mid-September and affects children with a complete vaccination schedule but a first dose received before 12 months. The Directorate General of Health recommends, for them, a booster vaccination, i.e. a third dose.

The Directorate General of Health (DGS) alerted on Thursday November 16 of a measles epidemic affecting Ardèche and Drôme. The epidemic broke out on September 19 in a college in the town of Guilherand-Granges in Ardèche. The first case is a teenager from Drôme, returning from Indonesia where he contracted the virus. The identified viral strain, covered by vaccines marketed in France, is actually circulating in Indonesia. “As of November 8, 2023, 64 cases of measles were recorded (in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region – editor’s note) of which 40% were not or incompletely vaccinated and 60% were vaccinated with 2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella, editor’s note),” explains the DGS. For comparison, in 2022, 15 cases of measles were recorded in France, 5 imported cases and 10 indigenous cases.

The DGS analyzed the health records of contaminated children with a complete vaccination schedule (2 doses): “73% of adolescents vaccinated with 2 doses had received their first dose before the age of 12 months”. A decision support unit (CAD), organized on October 17 by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency, confirmed “that early vaccination before 12 months could lead to less long-term immunity and explain the significant proportion of vaccinated college students who contracted measles.”

Compulsory vaccination for children born from 2018

In Drôme and Ardèche, the DGS also recommends checking ” as soon as possible “, the vaccination status of all people born after 1980. They must have received two doses of MMR vaccine, the first after 12 months, with a minimum period of 1 month between the two doses. The vaccination schedule must be completed with a 3rd dose if the first was injected before 12 months, and a second dose if a single dose was administered after 12 months. Finally, two doses, spaced at least one month apart, are recommended for people who have never been vaccinated, have never contracted measles, and have only received a single dose before 12 months.

Measles vaccination is compulsory for all children born from 1^is January 2018. The first dose is administered at 12 months, the second between 16 and 18 months. For people born after 1980, it is recommended that they have received two doses of vaccine with a delay of one month between the two doses.

To note : with a significant drop in vaccination coverage worldwide, measles cases are on the rise again with an 18% increase in cases in 2022 and a 43% increase in the number of deaths compared to 2021, according to the figures provided by the WHO on November 16, 2023. 9 million people would have been contaminated, 136,000 patients would have died, especially children.

Source : DGS, 16 November 2023, Ameli.fr, WHO
Written by : Dorothée Duchemin – Edited by Emmanuel Ducreuzet