Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1981 Mar;71(3):270–274. doi: 10.2105/ajph.71.3.270

Low measles incidence: association with enforcement of school immunization laws.

K B Robbins, D Brandling-Bennett, A R Hinman
PMCID: PMC1619804  PMID: 7468859

Abstract

Of 54 federal immunization project areas in the United States, 13 areas with low measles incidence rates in 1977 and 1978 and 10 with high measles incidence rates were compared for differences in surveillance systems, demography, vaccine utilization, school immunization laws, and immunity levels. There was no significant difference between the low incidence and high incidence group for any examined parameter of demographic characteristics, vaccine utilization, or surveillance systems. However, in the low incidence group, school immunization laws were found to be more comprehensive and more strictly enforced with a statewide policy of exclusion from school of noncompliant students. Furthermore, immunization levels were similar for two-year-olds in both groups but were significantly higher for school entrants in the low incidence group. In all public health efforts to control or eliminate measles, priority should be given to establishing and strictly enforcing comprehensive school immunization laws.

Full text

PDF
270

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Conrad J. L., Wallace R., Witte J. J. The epidemiologic rationale for the failure to eradicate measles in the United States. Am J Public Health. 1971 Nov;61(11):2304–2310. doi: 10.2105/ajph.61.11.2304. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Duffy J. School vaccination: the precursor to school medical inspection. J Hist Med Allied Sci. 1978 Jul;33(3):344–355. doi: 10.1093/jhmas/xxxiii.3.344. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gee L., Sowell R. F., Jr A school immunization law is successful in Texas. Public Health Rep. 1975 Jan-Feb;90(1):21–24. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hinman A. R., Brandling-Bennett A. D., Nieburg P. I. The opportunity and obligation to eliminate measles from the United States. JAMA. 1979 Sep 14;242(11):1157–1162. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jackson C. L. State laws on compulsory immunization in the United States. Public Health Rep. 1969 Sep;84(9):787–795. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Middaugh J. P., Zyla L. D. Enforcement of school immunization law in Alaska. JAMA. 1978 May 19;239(20):2128–2130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Orenstein W. A., Halsey N. A., Hayden G. F., Eddins D. L., Conrad J. L., Witte J. J., Modlin J. F., Preblud S. R., Nieburg P. I., Hinman A. R. From the Center for Disease control: current status of measles in the United States, 1973--1977. J Infect Dis. 1978 Jun;137(6):847–853. doi: 10.1093/infdis/137.6.847. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Schreier H. A. On the failure to eradicate measles. N Engl J Med. 1974 Apr 4;290(14):803–804. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197404042901412. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sejda J. Moznosti eradikace ci eliminace spalnicek. Cesk Pediatr. 1977 Dec;32(12):729–731. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Witte J. J., Axnick N. W. The benefits from 10 years of measles immunization in the United States. Public Health Rep. 1975 May-Jun;90(3):205–207. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Wyll S. A., Witte J. J. Measles in previously vaccinated children. An epidemiological study. JAMA. 1971 May 24;216(8):1306–1310. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES