Measles Among Hospitalized Nigerian Children

Abstract

Background: Measles is a vaccine preventable infection. The prevalence of the infection in any setting is thus a tool for measuring the effectiveness of the immunization program in the locality. Objectives: To study the rate and effect of immunization in hospitalized children with measles. Methods: A one year prospective study, between October 1st , 2005 and November 31st, 2006, in which consecutive children admitted with measles at the children's emergency unit of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun –State were studied. Results: All the 42 (21 male and 21 female) children admitted with measles in this period were studied and their ages ranged between 5 months to 8 years. These children accounted for 42 (6.6%) of the total 636 admissions at the children emergency unit over the study period. The common modes of presentation were pneumonia, heart failure, croup and gastroenteritis. Of the 42 children 13(31.0%) were immunized and the remaining 29(69.0%) were not immunized against measles. The common reasons stated for failing to receive the vaccine by the parents of the non-immunized children were, the unavailability of vaccines at the health facility by 12(41.4%) and the children being under age for immunization (age below 9 months) by 8(27.6%). The mean number of hospitalization days was 4.3 for the immunized and 5.2 for the non-immunized patients. Of the 42 cases of measles, there were 8 (19.0%) deaths. Six (75.0%) of the 8 fatal cases were non-immunized. Conclusion: To reduce the morbidity and mortality arising from measles, efforts should be made to ensure the availability of potent vaccines at all appropriate health facilities always. Also the National Program on Immunization should be modified to accommodate a first dose of vaccine at 6 and the second at 9 months.