Current Trends
Measles -- United States, First 39 Weeks, 1982
During the first 39 weeks of 1982, 1,284 measles cases were
reported in the United States, a record low for the first 9 months
of
any year and a 51.5% decrease from the 2,646 cases reported during
the
same period last year. Fewer than 100 cases were reported in each
week for the first 39 weeks of 1982, and record low numbers of
cases
in any 1 week were reported for 34 of those weeks. Fewer than 100
cases of measles per week have now been reported for 68 consecutive
weeks.
A provisional total of 96 cases of imported measles was
reported
to CDC during the first 39 weeks of 1982, an average of 2.5
importations per week. Sixteen of these 96 imported cases led to
278
additional cases within the United States. Measles importations
and
importation-related cases accounted for 29.1% of the total cases
reported. Of the 96 measles importations, 60 (62.5%) occurred
among
U.S. citizens.
Provisional information indicates that, as of week 43, there
are
only two reported active chains of transmission in the United
States.
Reported by the Div of Immunization, Center for Prevention Svcs,
CDC
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: The measles elimination campaign has made great
progress since its inception in 1978. However, the ultimate
benefit
of the current low incidence in the United States will only be
determined by success in maintaining these low incidence levels.
To
assist in making measles elimination permanent, the Department of
Health and Human Services has initiated a national education and
promotion campaign on the theme, "Keep Measles A Memory." This
phase
of the measles elimination program began October 1, with the
enlistment and aid of major national medical, educational, and
voluntary organizations. These organizations and their local and
state
chapters and affiliates have worked as a coalition with numerous
government agencies to achieve childhood immunization goals,
particularly during and since the National Immunization Initiative
in
1977-1979. Elimination of vaccine preventable childhood diseases
has
documented economic benefit whether measured in short- or long-term
financial advantages to individuals or to society (1).
Reference
Koplan JP, Axnick NW. The benefits, risks and costs of viral
vaccines. In: Melnick JL, ed. Progress in medical virology.
Basel, Switzerland: S Karger, 1982:180-91.
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