TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges to achieving measles elimination, Georgia, 2013–2018
AU - Khetsuriani, Nino
AU - Sanadze, Ketevan
AU - Chlikadze, Rusudan
AU - Chitadze, Nazibrola
AU - Dolakidze, Tamar
AU - Komakhidze, Tamta
AU - Jabidze, Lia
AU - Huseynov, Shahin
AU - Mamou, Myriam Ben
AU - Muller, Claude
AU - Zakhashvili, Khatuna
AU - Hübschen, Judith M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for assessing measles transmission across age groups was provided by the US CDC’s Global Immunization Division, Center for Global Health, through cooperative agreement with the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia (agreement no. 1U19GH000963-03). The work done in Luxembourg was financially supported by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the Ministries of Health and of Higher Education and Research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/11
Y1 - 2020/11
N2 - Controlling measles outbreaks in the country of Georgia and throughout Europe is crucial for achieving the measles elimination goal for the World Health Organization’s European Region. However, large-scale measles outbreaks occurred in Georgia during 2013–2015 and 2017–2018. The epidemiology of these outbreaks indicates widespread circulation and genetic diversity of measles viruses and reveals persistent gaps in population immunity across a wide age range that have not been sufficiently addressed thus far. Historic problems and recent challenges with the immunization program contributed to outbreaks. Addressing population susceptibility across all age groups is needed urgently. However, conducting large-scale mass immunization campaigns under the current health system is not feasible, so more selective response strategies are being implemented. Lessons from the measles outbreaks in Georgia could be useful for other countries that have immunization programs facing challenges related to health-system transitions and the presence of age cohorts with historically low immunization coverage.
AB - Controlling measles outbreaks in the country of Georgia and throughout Europe is crucial for achieving the measles elimination goal for the World Health Organization’s European Region. However, large-scale measles outbreaks occurred in Georgia during 2013–2015 and 2017–2018. The epidemiology of these outbreaks indicates widespread circulation and genetic diversity of measles viruses and reveals persistent gaps in population immunity across a wide age range that have not been sufficiently addressed thus far. Historic problems and recent challenges with the immunization program contributed to outbreaks. Addressing population susceptibility across all age groups is needed urgently. However, conducting large-scale mass immunization campaigns under the current health system is not feasible, so more selective response strategies are being implemented. Lessons from the measles outbreaks in Georgia could be useful for other countries that have immunization programs facing challenges related to health-system transitions and the presence of age cohorts with historically low immunization coverage.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094221225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079037
U2 - 10.3201/eid2611.200259
DO - 10.3201/eid2611.200259
M3 - Article
C2 - 33079037
AN - SCOPUS:85094221225
SN - 1080-6040
VL - 26
SP - 2565
EP - 2577
JO - Emerging Infectious Diseases
JF - Emerging Infectious Diseases
IS - 11
ER -