Measles surveillance in Belgium 1982-1989
Van der Veken, J.
Acta Clinica Belgica 45(6): 379-385
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 1784-3286 PMID: 1964353 Document Number: 355372
Since 1982, a network of general practitioners registers measles in Belgium. The trend is notably downwards in the whole country, but significantly more in the Flemish region than in Wallonia. A possible explanation is the lower vaccination coverage in Wallonia. In Flanders this coverage for persons under 20 years old is estimated at 65%. On the contrary in Wallonia it is no higher than 37%. For the country as a whole, the vaccination coverage is calculated at 48%. Moreover this type of registration allows an estimation of the severity of the illness by recording complication and hospitalization rates. Fifteen percent of the cases under 20 years old presented a complication, while 1.6% of the cases were hospitalized.