Measles eradication in the Americas:: Experience in Haiti

On 8 March 2000 a case of laboratory-confirmed measles was detected in Haiti. Over the ensuing months, an explosive epidemic occurred that spread to 8 of the 9 departments of Haiti, including the nation's capital, Port au Prince. After peaking in the last half of November 2000, the epidemic began a rapid decline. The date of onset for the last confirmed case was 26 September 2001. During the 18 months of the epidemic, 1149 cases were confirmed. To control the epidemic, various strategies were employed, including vaccination campaigns that used fixed posts and door-to-door activities. Critical factors in the success of these campaigns were thorough training and supervision of field staff; a high-quality door-to-door vaccination strategy; multiple visits to homes; and monitoring of vaccine coverage by household during the course of the campaigns.