While measles is still not eliminated in Belgium, the Office for Birth and Childhood (ONE) has decided that from September the second vaccine against measles, rubella and mumps (MMR) would now take place in 2nd primary, and no longer in 6th primary.
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Routine vaccination, introduced in 1985, has greatly reduced the number of cases. But measles, a highly contagious infectious disease, continues to wreak havoc. During the last epidemic, in 2019, more than 400 cases occurred in Wallonia and Brussels, reports La Libre Belgique on Thursday.
To eradicate the disease, a coverage rate of 95% of the population would have to be achieved. However, according to figures released in 2019, while in Flanders this rate was 93.4%, it was only 76.4% in Brussels and 70.1% in Wallonia.
Decrease the number of unvaccinated teens
It is for this reason that, on the basis of an opinion from the Higher Health Council, the Office for Birth and Childhood (ONE) decided that from 1 September the second vaccine against Measles, rubella and mumps (MMR) would now be done in 2nd primary, and no longer in 6th primary (the first dose being given at the age of 12 months). For ONE, “administering the 2nd dose of MMR vaccination between 7 and 8 years old and no longer between 11 and 12 years old will make it possible to limit the total number of adolescents who are not yet fully vaccinated and therefore well protected”
Concretely, the child aged 7 or 8 can now receive this second dose via his usual vaccinator (school medicine or the attending physician). In school medicine, this vaccination will no longer be done during the 6th primary health check-up but during the 2nd primary health check.
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