Health Care-Associated Measles Outbreak in the United States After an Importation: Challenges and Economic Impact

Abstract

Suspecting measles as a diagnosis, instituting immediate airborne isolation, and ensuring rapidly retrievable measles immunity records for HCPs are paramount in preventing health care-associated spread and in minimizing hospital outbreak-response costs.

Vaccination of healthcare workers: A review

“…119,120 Many nosocomial measles cases have been reported in the literature during the last 2 decades. 117 As with other highly contagious diseases, nosocomial measles transmission may involve a large number of potential contacts that should be traced quickly for implementation of appropriate isolation measures to stop the within-hospital spread of the virus.…”

Cost effectiveness of a web-based decision aid for parents deciding about MMR vaccination: a three-arm cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care

“…(The average treatment cost per case of measles in the UK was the GBP equivalent of US$307 in 2002 and then inflated to 2011-2012 using the NHS Hospital Community Health services inflator). International studies [37][38][39] have also shown that measles cases are problematic as well as expensive for society; there is the potential for serious complications (for example, meningitis and brain damage) and death in children who are unvaccinated The recent measles outbreaks in England and Wales [40][41][42] confirms that the value attached to increasing the uptake of the MMR vaccination appears so high that even small improvements towards achieving herd immunity have the potential for large health gains.…”

Research priorities for global measles and rubella control and eradication

“…Several studies provided estimates of the cost of responding to measles virus importations and containing outbreaks in high income countries [64][65][66][67]; however, the economic burden of measles outbreaks in low and middle countries is uncertain. Cost estimates of measles outbreaks and response activities in low and middle income countries would provide evidence for shaping national immunization policies, advocating for political and financial commitment, and demonstrating the economic benefits of measles eradication.…”

“…Integration of rubella and CRS elimination activities in the strategic plan for measles eradication requires efforts to establish the investment case for these combined efforts. Economic studies demonstrated the economic benefits of rubella vaccination in high income countries [64,66,67]; however, the burden of disease and life-long costs of individuals with CRS in low and middle income countries requires characterization to support estimates of the global economic burden of rubella and CRS. …”