EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF MEASLES HOSPITALIZATIONS IN BRAZIL FROM 2020 TO 2025

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological profile of hospital admissions due to measles in Brazil from 2020 to 2025. Methods: This was an ecological, descriptive, retrospective study based on secondary data from the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SIH/SUS), available through DATASUS/TABNET. Hospital admissions, deaths, and mortality rates were analyzed according to year, geographic region, sex, race/ethnicity, and age group, considering measles as the primary diagnosis (ICD-10 B05). Results: A total of 940 hospital admissions and eight deaths were recorded during the study period. A marked reduction in hospital admissions was observed between 2020 and 2023, followed by a slight increase in 2024 and 2025. The North region accounted for the highest proportion of hospitalizations (58.62%), while children under 1 year of age had the highest number of admissions, followed by those aged 1 to 4 years. The highest proportional mortality was observed among individuals aged 80 years or older. Hospitalizations were similarly distributed between sexes, with a predominance of the brown race/ethnicity category among records with available information. Conclusion: Measles-related hospital admissions decreased substantially during the study period; however, the persistence of hospitalizations and the increase observed in recent years highlight the need to maintain high vaccination coverage, continuous epidemiological surveillance, timely diagnosis, and ongoing training of healthcare professionals to prevent viral reintroduction and sustained transmission in Brazil.