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Brazil Orders 'Dose Zero' MMR for Infants in São Paulo and Guarulhos

Health officials say the extra early dose aims to curb local measles spread after recent infant cases by giving short-term protection before routine immunization.

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Overview

  • São Paulo state and Guarulhos health authorities recommended the 'dose zero' MMR for children aged 6 months to 11 months and 29 days after three confirmed infant cases, a move announced on Friday by the Ministry of Health.
  • The ministry will send about 100,000 vaccine doses to the two cities to support targeted vaccination actions and local immunization drives.
  • Public-health teams have launched active case finding, contact identification and monitoring, epidemiological investigations, and vaccination blocking in neighborhoods and at transport hubs linked to the cases.
  • Officials stressed the dose zero is an added, temporary measure that does not replace the national schedule, which requires the first MMR at 12 months and a second dose, preferably tetravalent, at 15 months.
  • Authorities say the new cases may be linked to importation and flagged higher measles circulation in the United States, Canada and Mexico as a travel-related risk that increases the chance of further introductions.