On September 9, a group of citizens from various regions of the republic gathered in front of the building of the Ministry of Health (MoH). The gatherers were parents of children suffering from a rare and extremely severe disease — Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE). They asked the government to allocate necessary medications, medical care, and financial assistance. Gazeta interviewed the parents and prepared a report.
Following this, the MoH commented to Gazeta on the vaccination status of children with SSPE. According to the ministry, currently 238 children with SSPE are under supervision in the republic. Of these, 133 (55.8%) did not receive the measles vaccine according to the national immunization calendar.
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis is a fatal disease caused by the measles virus, leading to irreversible destruction of the brain. After infection, the virus enters brain cells and remains in a "dormant" latent state for 5–10 years. Then it suddenly "awakens" and begins to destroy the brain from within. The outcome is almost 100% death or lifelong severe disability.
The central nervous system and immunity of infants under 1 year are not yet fully formed. If the virus enters the body during this period, it easily settles in brain tissue and remains latent. According to statistics, children who had measles before the age of 1 have a several times higher risk of developing SSPE (brain destruction) in the future compared to older children.
The MoH reported that most unvaccinated children contracted measles at a very early age. According to the ministry, of the 238 children under supervision with SSPE, 228 (95.8%) contracted measles before reaching one year of age. In 2019, the national immunization calendar scheduled measles vaccination at one year of age.
Also, children born in 2019 were supposed to be vaccinated a year later, in 2020. However, the quarantine imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic negatively affected the full coverage of the population with immunization programs. According to the MoH's statistical analysis, on average 10% of parents are irresponsible about immunization programs or are against vaccination. Since 2023, taking into account the epidemiological situation, measles vaccination has started from 6 months of age.
The MoH stated that in the 1980s–1990s, there was no practice of vaccinating the entire population against measles. During this period, mainly organized groups of children, including pupils of educational institutions, were mandatorily vaccinated against measles. Therefore, determining whether a specific citizen was vaccinated based on general statistical data on population vaccination coverage in those years requires a lot of time and resources.
According to the MoH, of the 238 patients with SSPE under supervision, 185 (77.7%) were born in 2019. Another 21 (8.8%) were born in 2023, and 18 (7.5%) in 2018. The remaining years from 2015–2024 account for 1–2 each. Thus, the information that 90% of children with SSPE were born in 2019 was not confirmed, the MoH statement emphasizes.
According to the MoH, of the 238 SSPE patients under supervision, 105 (44.1%) were vaccinated against measles. However, 83 of them, i.e., 80%, contracted measles before receiving the vaccine. The ministry, citing scientific literature, reported that approximately 3% of those who received two doses of measles vaccine may not develop immunity or it may weaken over time, which can lead to measles. For those who received one dose, this figure is 7%. According to WHO, the effectiveness of the measles vaccine after one dose is about 93%, and after two doses it reaches up to 97%.
According to the current national immunization calendar in Uzbekistan, children are vaccinated against measles twice: at 6 months and at 6 years. According to the MoH, improper administration of the vaccine can lead to inflammation of the skin or subcutaneous tissue. Also, violation of the requirements for the temperature at which the vaccine vial is opened and stored can cause insufficient immunity formation in the vaccinated person. However, the ministry did not confirm the claim that poor-quality vaccine causes SSPE.
The MoH reported that all 13 types of vaccines included in the national immunization calendar of Uzbekistan have passed WHO prequalification. Prequalification is the process of assessing whether a vaccine's quality, safety, and efficacy meet international standards. The ministry also noted that scientific articles have been published on the detection of wild measles virus strains in patients with SSPE. For every 100,000 children infected with measles before the age of 5, approximately 18 cases of SSPE can occur. The disease usually manifests 7–10 years after measles.
The MoH also noted an increase in measles incidence in Uzbekistan and neighboring countries in 2019, 2020, as well as 2023–2024. The MoH reported that the child handed to the Minister of Health on September 9, when parents came with an appeal — minor citizen Kh.E., living in Jarkurgan district of Surkhandarya region — was born in 2019. He contracted measles at 6 months of age and was not vaccinated against measles. The child was diagnosed with SSPE in September 2022.
According to the ministry's conclusion, the majority of SSPE cases are observed in children who have had measles. 95.8% of patients under supervision contracted measles before reaching one year of age. The MoH also reported that SSPE cases are mainly registered among children born in years when measles incidence increased.
Source: www.gazeta.uz