A travel clinic’s role in reducing measles and pertussis in the community

Abstract

Background: There were an increased number of cases of measles in the United States in the year 2011, and in 2012 the US recorded the most number of pertussis cases in a single year compared to the previous fifty years. A Travel Clinic can serve as an important contact point to increase uptake of vaccines against these two diseases. Methods:There was an increased emphasis on testing for measles immunity and vaccination with MMR and Tdap vaccines in persons seeking pre-travel counseling at our Travel Clinic in the year 2011. A retrospective chart analysis of patients seen at the Travel Clinic was performed in 2012. We evaluated the number of MMR and Tdap vaccines administered, as well as the number of persons tested for measles immunity by serology.Results: 1261 persons were evaluated for in-person consultation in 2011. In addition to traditional "travel vaccines", 133 MMR vaccines and 397 Tdap vaccines were administered. In addition, 416 patients were evaluated for measles immunity by serology testing. Conclusions:The Travel Clinic is accessed by a large number of persons prior to their travel abroad. Those who are not up-to-date with Tdap vaccine and those not immune to measles have an opportunity to receive the recommended vaccines at their pre-travel visit. The Travel Clinic hence represents a unique opportunity to increase the uptake of MMR and Tdap vaccines in healthy individuals who may not otherwise visit their primary-care-providers, thus reducing the overall risk of outbreaks in the community.