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Science 29 October 1999:
Vol. 286. no. 5441, p. 869
DOI: 10.1126/science.286.5441.869j
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Mass vaccination has reduced the incidence of childhood infections in many countries. Vaccination campaigns are also associated with changes in the pattern and spatial synchrony of epidemics. Rohani et al. (p. 968) analyzed weekly incidence data for measles and whooping cough in England and Wales from 1944 to 1994, during which period vaccination campaigns led to changes in the dynamics of the diseases. Although vaccination disrupted pre-existing synchrony in measles epidemics, it had the opposite effect on whooping cough and induced synchrony where none previously existed. Models suggest that differences in the incubation periods underlies the different progress of the two infections. These results have implications for the timing of pulsed mass vaccination for whooping cough.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)