Epidemiology of Diseases Preventable by Vaccination

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology and Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1299

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Interests: vaccine-preventable diseases; health disparities; universal health coverage (UHC); vaccination hesitancy; public health responses to pandemics

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy
Interests: preventive healthcare; vaccination; vaccine hesitancy; health behavior and vaccination; vaccination strategies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccines have significantly changed the landscape of infectious diseases. However, vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) still pose significant challenges in areas with limited access to healthcare and with the emergence of new strains of vaccine resistance. The persistence of VPDs, such as the resurgence of measles in regions with declining vaccination rates, underscores the need for epidemiology, which has an important role in understanding the vaccination, transmission dynamics, and prevalence. With advanced epidemiological modeling, researchers can predict disease outbreaks, identify gaps in vaccine coverage, and assess the long-term impacts of vaccination efforts.

This Special Issue aims to address key aspects of the epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases, enhance our understanding of their dynamics, and support the development of more effective and sustainable immunization programs worldwide. We welcome original research articles and reviews for consideration in this Special Issue.

Dr. Caterina Elisabetta Rizzo
Dr. Cristina Genovese
Dr. Roberto Venuto
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • vaccine safety and efficacy
  • vaccination strategies
  • epidemiological surveillance
  • vaccine equity
  • disease burden and impact

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2074 KiB  
Article
Measles Epidemiology and Coverage of Immunization Against Measles in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia: Local Trends in a Regional Context
by Mioljub Ristić, Svetlana Ilić, Smiljana Rajčević, Mirjana Štrbac, Snežana Medić, Tatjana Pustahija, Vladimir Vuković, Marko Koprivica, Gorana Dragovac and Vladimir Petrović
Vaccines 2025, 13(7), 711; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13070711 - 30 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Background: Despite ongoing global elimination efforts, measles remains a persistent public health threat. Methods: This retrospective observational study examines trends in crude measles incidence and vaccination coverage from 1948 to 2024 in the northern region of Serbia—Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (AP Vojvodina)—which accounts [...] Read more.
Background: Despite ongoing global elimination efforts, measles remains a persistent public health threat. Methods: This retrospective observational study examines trends in crude measles incidence and vaccination coverage from 1948 to 2024 in the northern region of Serbia—Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (AP Vojvodina)—which accounts for 26.9% of the national population. This study further explores measles vaccination coverage across the province’s seven districts, along with the number of reported measles cases, age distribution, and vaccination status of affected individuals from 2000 to 2024. Data were obtained from official annual immunization records maintained by public health institutions within the framework of Serbia’s national mandatory immunization program. Results: A notable resurgence of measles occurred in Serbia during 2017–2018, following a decline in vaccination coverage. In AP Vojvodina, outbreaks were recorded in 2007, 2014–2015, and 2017–2018, predominantly affecting unvaccinated children and adults aged 20–39 years. Since 2019, the measles incidence has significantly declined. During the 2018 outbreak, the highest incidence was observed among children aged 1–4 years (40.6 per 100,000), followed by infants under 1 year (17.3 per 100,000) and adults aged 20–39 years (12.5 per 100,000). An analysis of the data from 2000 to 2024 revealed substantial age- and dose-related differences in measles incidence, particularly among unvaccinated individuals, those who had received one or two doses of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV), and those with unknown vaccination status. During the 2017–2018 epidemic, unvaccinated children under 1 year and those aged 1–4 years were the most affected. A marked increase in cases among single-dose recipients was noted in 2018, especially in adults aged 20–39 years (9.5%) and those ≥40 years (13.5%). A considerable proportion of measles cases in these age groups had unknown vaccination status: 33.1% among individuals aged 20–39 years and 18.2% among those aged ≥ 40 years. Epidemiological investigation linked the 2007 and 2014–2015 outbreaks in AP Vojvodina to importations from Bosnia and Herzegovina. No specific source was identified for the 2017–2018 outbreak, suggesting possible endemic transmission. Conclusions: These findings underscore the impact of fluctuating vaccination coverage on measles resurgence. Sustaining high two-dose MCV coverage, strengthening routine immunization programs, enhancing surveillance systems, and ensuring timely outbreak preparedness are critical measures for achieving effective measles control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Diseases Preventable by Vaccination)
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