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Measles infection has substantial impact on short-term quality of life

Measles infection was shown to have a substantial short-term impact on health-related quality of life at both the individual patient level as well as for overall disease burden, according to study findings.

Using the EuroQol EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, researchers queried 507 individuals with confirmed measles, as reported by Public Health England, requesting information on the short-term impact of the illness on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In particular, respondents were asked to report their HRQoL on the day the questionnaire was received, on their worst day of infection and at follow-up 3 weeks afterward.

Dominic Thorrington

Among the 203 individuals who completed the questionnaire, the majority reported they were not vaccinated, according to the researchers.

Mean time off school or work reported was 9.6 days. The illness lasted an average of 13.8 days, and mean number of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost was 0.019, equivalent to 6.9 days. The researchers determined the overall disease burden with regard to QALYs lost in England based on the number of confirmed cases during the 12-month period reviewed was 44.2 QALYs.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.