Reduced vaccination and the risk of measles and other childhood infections post-Ebola

Abstract

Vaccinate children despite Ebola: During the medical emergency caused by the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, routine childhood vaccination programs have been suspended. If vaccination is not resumed soon, there could be even more deaths. Measles is highly infectious, and outbreaks are a sign of health care systems in trouble. Using mathematical modelling, Takahashi et al. estimate that about a million children across Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea are vulnerable to measles. Aggressive public health programs are vital for this region to minimize harm, not only from measles but also from polio, malaria, tuberculosis, and other childhood infections. Science , this issue p. 1240