[Serological evidence of persistent elimination of measles in Czechoslovakia].

The authors report on the elimination surveillance programme initiated in 1969 with the introduction of mass vaccination. In 1982 the elimination of measles was achieved. It included serological surveillance or/and annual serological reports, which considerably contributed to the optimum effect of vaccination and re-vaccination strategies. Within the frame work of this programme, from 1971 to 1987, approximately 40,000 probands from all regions of the Czech Socialist Republic were examined. Proof was supplied as regards low vaccination and high post-vaccination seropositivity in children. Since the elimination of measles, seropositivity in children's and adult age has been in the range of approximately 95%. The paper gives an illustration of the vaccination history in children born in the Czech Socialist Republic in 1960-1986. It also analyzes the average levels of HI antibodies in non-vaccinated persons (1:54.9) with measles infection, in vaccinated and non-vaccinated newborns (1:20.4) and in persons after a single-dose vaccination (1:12.0). From 1982, when measles was eliminated, up to 1987, 126 sporadically occurring cases with measles were reported. In some of these cases, the exact diagnosis of measles was made with the aid of serological tests (HI test, CF reaction, EIA, IF IgM tests and SPIT-HI test).