Evaluation of the Measles Control Campaign
The Australian Measles Control Campaign took place in the 2nd half of 1998. It aimed to increase measles vaccination coverage in preschool and primary schoolchildren, and was the first stage in a longer term strategy to eliminate measles from Australia. The Campaign was designed and implemented by the Department of Health and Family Services.
NCIRS devised and performed the evaluation of coverage and outcomes of the Campaign. The evaluation involved telephone interviews with 2400 parents about their responses to the Campaign, as well as analysis of the ACIR data relating to the Campaign and analysis of serosurveys before and after the Campaign.
The evaluation estimated that 96% of the 1.8 million Australian schoolchildren aged 5-12 years were vaccinated during the Measles Control Campaign. The serosurvey after the Campaign showed that 94% of children aged 6-12 years were immune to measles, a rise from 84% before the Campaign. Immunity in preschool-aged children rose from 82% to 89%, but there was no change in the levels of immunity (91%) in young people aged 12-18 years who were not targeted in the Campaign.
The evaluation showed that the results in the targeted age groups were excellent and were proportionally equally as good as, if not marginally better than, the results of a similar campaign conducted in the United Kingdom in 1994.
For the complete report (html & pdf) see: http://immunise.health.gov.au/metadata/measeval.htm
See also Reference 80.