ABSTRACT
A small outbreak of measles occurred after a 33-year-old female aircrew (cabin) member presented at an emergency room with fever. Three members of the hospital staff were infected: a 42-year-old man, a 33-year-old woman, and a 26-year-old woman. The first 2 patients had not been immunised, and the third had received 2 immunisations according to the Dutch National Immunisation Programme. Vaccination of the 2 sero-negative patients within 48 h after exposure with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) did not prevent the development of measles. Vaccination was deemed unnecessary in the third patient. No tertiary cases occurred. The same measles virus (genotype D5) was detected by PCR and sequencing in all 4 patients. Measles remains a risk for hospital staff members who have not acquired natural immunity. The current policy of immunising patients within 72 h after exposure to measles may not be sufficient. It also appears that immunisation through the Dutch National Immunisation Programme does not always protect against nosocomial infection. Providing MMR vaccination or boosters to hospital staff in certain departments might be beneficial.
