Top 5 Takeaways

1. Operation Allies Welcome (OAW): Initiated on August 29, 2021, to resettle eligible persons from Afghanistan, with evacuees housed at U.S. military bases.
2. First Measles Case: Reported on September 4, 2021, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, with subsequent cases identified across multiple sites.
3. Mass Vaccination Campaign: Conducted from September 8-12, 2021, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL), resulting in 88% of eligible evacuees being vaccinated by September 12.
4. Surveillance and Quarantine: Enhanced measles surveillance and quarantine measures were implemented, with no additional measles cases reported as of February 1, 2022.
5. Challenges and Recommendations: Issues included inaccurate documentation of evacuee locations and insufficient quarantine space; future missions should consider pre-arrival vaccination and enhanced local testing capabilities.

Original Article Author and Citation

Corresponding Author

Nikki Pritchard, nikki.l.pritchard.mil@mail.mil

Suggested Citation

Pritchard N, Worrell MC, Shahum A, et al. Notes from the Field: Response to Measles Among Persons Evacuated from Afghanistan — Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, August–October 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:609–610. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7117a3

Summary

Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) was initiated on August 29, 2021, to resettle eligible persons from Afghanistan. The first confirmed measles case among evacuees was reported on September 4, 2021, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. A mass MMR vaccination campaign was conducted at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) from September 8-12, 2021, resulting in 88% of eligible evacuees being vaccinated. Enhanced surveillance and quarantine measures were implemented, successfully preventing further spread of measles.

Methods

The public health response included providing MMR vaccine or immunoglobulin to exposed persons, conducting a mass vaccination campaign, and enhancing measles surveillance. Vaccination rates were calculated by merging vaccination and registration data. Contact tracing and quarantine measures were also implemented.

Discussion

The mass vaccination campaign and enhanced surveillance efforts were effective in halting the spread of measles among evacuees. However, challenges such as inaccurate documentation of evacuee locations and insufficient quarantine space were encountered. Future missions should consider pre-arrival vaccination, reinforcing disease surveillance, and expanding capabilities for isolation, quarantine, and local testing.

Conclusion

Early mass vaccination and other response efforts successfully halted the spread of measles among Afghan evacuees at JBMDL. Future missions should address challenges related to documentation, quarantine space, and local testing capabilities to improve response effectiveness.

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