Characteristics of patients admitted to the intensive care unit during the 2019 measles epidemic in Samoa: A retrospective clinical case series.

This report focuses on the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Samoa’s national Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital during the 2019–2020 measles epidemic. The majority of the 72 ICU admissions were young children aged 2–23 months, with 75% not fully vaccinated against measles; the overall mortality rate was 61%, predominantly due to severe pneumonia and shock. Nearly all patients presented with multiple complications, chiefly pneumonia, and many required invasive respiratory support and vasopressors. The findings highlight the severe impact of low measles immunization coverage in Samoa and underscore the importance of sustained vaccination programs to prevent future outbreaks and associated critical illness.