Advisability of carrying out mass prevention of infectious hepatitis with gamma globulin

In Vilnius 15,183 pupils in 20 schools were observed for two years; in October, 1966, gamma globulin prophylaxis of infectious hepatitis was carried out among all the pupils of these schools. 17.062 pupils in 27 schools, who received no gamma globulin, were used for control. At the end of the first year of observation morbidity rate among the immunized children was found to be considerably lower than among the school children of the control group. During the second year of observation morbidity rate among the children of the "old" immunized group increased 3.5-fold and did not significantly differ from morbidity rate among the children of the control group. The latter increased 1.8-fold. The authors have come to the conclusion that the effect of gamma globulin prophylaxis on the epidemic process depends on the method of such prophylaxis. The method of prophylaxis by introducing gamma globulin immunization with universal coverage, as the use of the former method is not followed by an increase in total morbidity (i.e. among both immunized and nonimmunized children) during the second year after immunization, which is observed after prophylaxis by universal immunization.     

广州市15岁以下人群乙肝疫苗查漏补种项目实施效果评价

目的评价广州市2001—2011年15岁以下人群乙肝疫苗查漏补种效果,为制定乙肝免疫策略提供依据。方法对广州市2001年、2008年和2009—2011年15岁以下儿童乙肝疫苗查漏补种项目实施效果进行评价。结果 3次乙肝疫苗查漏补种实施,可调查儿童6 973～319 478人,2001年、2008年和2009—2011年实施乙肝疫苗查漏补种项目首针及时接种率分别为90.88%9、5.1%和96.92%,全程接种率分别为92.44%、97.14%和99.08%。2009—2011年乙肝疫苗首针及时接种率比2001年、2008年分别提高了15.21%和88.70%;2009—2011年乙肝疫苗全程接种率比2001年、2008年分别提高了15.27%和88.71%。结论乙肝疫苗查漏补种项目的实施,显著提高了乙肝疫苗首针及时接种率和全程接种率,起到了良好的预防作用。     

Experience of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in controlling diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough

The analysis of the morbidity and mortality rates in diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis in Bulgaria after the introduction of the compulsory mass immunization of children with combined DPT vaccine is presented. These data indicate that morbidity in diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis has sharply decreased. Favorable results with respect to these three diseases are the consequence of the complete coverage of the child population by immunization with the vaccine whose quality has been steadily improving for the last 20 years. A higher purity of toxoids has been achieved, and at present it exceeds the latest WHO requirements. Pertussis vaccine is produced with the use of strains whose serological characteristics correspond to those of the pertussis strains circulating in the country. The study of the reactogenicity of DPT vaccine, carried out over the period of 20 years, has shown that the vaccine has low reactogenicity.     

Total immunization of children against influenza decreases morbidity in a number of diseases among elderly persons during influenza epidemic

Immunization of children aged 3-6 years in kindergartens and school children aged 7-17 years against influenza with inactivated influenza vaccine was carried out in two districts of the Moscow region. The comparison of morbidity in influenza-like diseases among the immunized children with that among nonimmunized children in control districts revealed that the effectiveness of immunization was 60.9% in kindergartens and 68.8% in schools. The analysis of morbidity in a number of diseases among 158,451 elderly persons not immunized against influenza demonstrated that, in comparison with the control districts, in those districts where mass immunization of children was carried out morbidity in influenza-like diseases among elderly persons was 3.4 times lower and, out of other 10 diseases under study, morbidity in 8 diseases was 1.5-2.6 times lower. As indicated by the data obtained in this study, total anti-influenza immunization of children in organized groups not only essentially decreased influenza morbidity among children, but also greatly decreased morbidity in influenza and a number of diseases, appearing as complications of influenza infection, among nonimmunized elderly persons during influenza epidemic.     

百色市1～6岁儿童乙肝疫苗接种后免疫水平状况分析

掌握百色市乙型肝炎疫苗纳入儿童免疫规划后的免疫效果,客观评价免疫规划工作现状。方法按现况研究原理,全市12个县(区),每个县(区)各抽取150名儿童,每个县在东、西、南、北、中五个方位随机抽取5个行政村,每个行政村抽取6个年龄组(1～6岁儿童),每个年龄组抽取5名常住儿童(当地居住三个月以上),收集血清样本进行乙肝病毒感染相关标志表面抗原及抗体检测。结果全市共调查1～6岁儿童1 809名儿童,乙肝表面抗原携带率为0.66%,低于2006年全国调查的1～4岁人群乙肝表面抗原携带率(0.96%),达到中国《2006—2010年全国乙型病毒性肝炎防治规划》提出的5岁以下儿童乙肝表面抗原携带率<1%的控制目标要求;1～6岁儿童乙肝表面抗体阳性率为77.77%,高于2006年全国调查的1～4岁人群乙肝抗体阳性率(71.24%)。结论百色市自2003年将乙肝疫苗纳入免疫规划管理后,乙肝免疫效果显著,乙肝病毒表面抗原阳性率大幅度下降,婴幼儿体内保护性抗体水平也高于全国水平。加强对孕产妇住院分娩率和婴幼儿乙肝疫苗接种工作,尤其是乙肝疫苗首针及时接种是今后乙肝预防控制的重点。     

Immunization Coverage Surveys and Linked Biomarker Serosurveys in Three Regions in Ethiopia

Objective

Demographic and health surveys, immunization coverage surveys and administrative data often divergently estimate vaccination coverage, which hinders pinpointing districts where immunization services require strengthening. We assayed vaccination coverage in three regions in Ethiopia by coverage surveys and linked serosurveys.

Methods

Households with children aged 12–23 (N = 300) or 6–8 months (N = 100) in each of three districts (woredas) were randomly selected for immunization coverage surveys (inspection of vaccination cards and immunization clinic records and maternal recall) and linked serosurveys. IgG-ELISA serologic biomarkers included tetanus antitoxin ≥ 0.15 IU/ml in toddlers (receipt of tetanus toxoid) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) anti-capsular titers ≥ 1.0 mcg/ml in infants (timely receipt of Hib vaccine).

Findings

Coverage surveys enrolled 1,181 children across three woredas; 1,023 (87%) also enrolled in linked serosurveys. Administrative data over-estimated coverage compared to surveys, while maternal recall was unreliable. Serologic biomarkers documented a hierarchy among the districts. Biomarker measurement in infants provided insight on timeliness of vaccination not deducible from toddler results.

Conclusion

Neither administrative projections, vaccination card or EPI register inspections, nor parental recall, substitute for objective serological biomarker measurement. Including infants in serosurveys informs on vaccination timeliness.     

From intervention to impact: modelling the potential mortality impact achievable by different longlasting, insecticide-treated net delivery strategies

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The current target of universal access to long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets (LLIN) is 80% coverage to reduce malaria deaths by 75% by 2015. So far, campaigns have been the main channel for large-scale delivery of LLINs, however the World Health Organization has recommended that equal priority should be given to delivery via routine antenatal care (ANC) and immunization systems (EPI) to target pregnant women and children from birth. These various channels of LLIN delivery are targeted to children of different ages. Since risk of mortality varies with child age and LLIN effectiveness declines with net age, it was hypothesized that the age at which a child receives a new LLIN, and therefore the delivery channel, is important in optimizing the health impact of a net. METHODS: A simple dynamic mathematical model was developed of delivery and impact of LLINs among children under five years of age and their household members, incorporating data on age-specific malaria death rates, net use by household structure, and net efficacy over time. RESULTS: The presented analysis finds that supplementing a universal mass campaign with extra ANC delivery would achieve a 1.4 times higher mortality reduction than campaign delivery alone, reflecting that children born in the years between campaigns would otherwise have access to old nets or no nets at an age of high risk. The relative advantage of supplementary ANC delivery is still present though smaller if malaria transmission levels are lower or if there is a strong mass effect achieved by mass campaigns. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that LLIN delivery policies must take into account the age of greatest malaria risk. Emphasis should be placed on supporting routine delivery of LLINs to young children as well as campaigns. Lucy C Okell and Lucy Smith Paintain contributed equally.     

After 2015: infectious diseases in a new era of health and development

Running over timescales that span decades or centuries, the epidemiological transition provides the central narrative of global health. In this transition, a reduction in mortality is followed by a reduction in fertility, creating larger, older populations in which the main causes of illness and death are no longer acute infections of children but chronic diseases of adults. Since the year 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have provided a framework for accelerating the decline of infectious diseases, backed by a massive injection of foreign investment to low-income countries. Despite the successes of the MDGs era, the inhabitants of low-income countries still suffer an enormous burden of disease owing to diarrhoea, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other pathogens. Adding to the predictable burden of endemic disease, the threat of pandemics is ever-present and global. With a view to the future, this review spotlights five aspects of the fight against infection beyond 2015, when the MDGs will be replaced by a new set of goals for poverty reduction and sustainable development. These aspects are: exploiting the biological links between infectious and non-infectious diseases; controlling infections among the new urban majority; enhancing the response to international health threats; expanding childhood immunization programmes to prevent acute and chronic diseases in adults; and working towards universal health coverage. By scanning the wider horizon now, infectious disease specialists have the chance to shape the post-2015 era of health and development.     

Effect of investment in malaria control on child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa in 2002-2008

Background

Around 8.8 million children under-five die each year, mostly due to infectious diseases, including malaria that accounts for 16% of deaths in Africa, but the impact of international financing of malaria control on under-five mortality in sub-Saharan Africa has not been examined.

Methods and Findings

We combined multiple data sources and used panel data regression analysis to study the relationship among investment, service delivery/intervention coverage, and impact on child health by observing changes in 34 sub-Saharan African countries over 2002–2008. We used Lives Saved Tool to estimate the number of lives saved from coverage increase of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs)/indoor residual spraying (IRS). As an indicator of outcome, we also used under-five mortality rate. Global Fund investments comprised more than 70% of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) for malaria control in 34 countries. Each $1 million ODA for malaria enabled distribution of 50,478 ITNs [95%CI: 37,774–63,182] in the disbursement year. 1,000 additional ITNs distributed saved 0.625 lives [95%CI: 0.369–0.881]. Cumulatively Global Fund investments that increased ITN/IRS coverage in 2002–2008 prevented an estimated 240,000 deaths. Countries with higher malaria burden received less ODA disbursement per person-at-risk compared to lower-burden countries ($3.90 vs. $7.05). Increased ITN/IRS coverage in high-burden countries led to 3,575 lives saved per 1 million children, as compared with 914 lives in lower-burden countries. Impact of ITN/IRS coverage on under-five mortality was significant among major child health interventions such as immunisation showing that 10% increase in households with ITN/IRS would reduce 1.5 [95%CI: 0.3–2.8] child deaths per 1000 live births.

Conclusions

Along with other key child survival interventions, increased ITNs/IRS coverage has significantly contributed to child mortality reduction since 2002. ITN/IRS scale-up can be more efficiently prioritized to countries where malaria is a major cause of child deaths to save greater number of lives with available resources.     

Yellow fever in Africa: public health impact and prospects for control in the 21st century

In the last two decades, yellow fever re-emerged with vehemence to constitute a major public health problem in Africa. The disease has brought untold hardship and indescribable misery among different populations in Africa. It is one of Africa's stumbling blocks to economic and social development. Despite landmark achievements made in the understanding of the epidemiology of yellow fever disease and the availability of a safe and efficacious vaccine, yellow fever remains a major public health problem in both Africa and America where the disease affects annually an estimated 200,000 persons causing an estimated 30,000 deaths. Africa contributes more than 90% of global yellow fever morbidity and mortality. Apart from the severity in morbidity and mortality, which are grossly under reported, successive outbreaks of yellow fever and control measures have disrupted existing health care delivery services, overstretched scarce internal resources, fatigued donor assistance and resulted in gross wastage of vaccines. Recent epidemics of yellow fever in Africa have affected predominantly children under the age of fifteen years. Yellow fever disease can be easily controlled. Two examples from Africa suffice to illustrate this point. Between 1939 and 1952, yellow fever virtually disappeared in parts of Africa, where a systematic mass vaccination programme was in place. More recently, following the 1978-1979 yellow fever epidemic in the Gambia, a mass yellow fever vaccination programme was carried out, with a 97% coverage of the population over 6 months of age. Subsequently, yellow fever vaccination was added to the EPI Programme. The Gambia has since then maintained a coverage of over 80%, without a reported case of yellow fever, despite being surrounded by Senegal which experienced yellow fever outbreaks in 1995 and 1996. The resurgence of yellow fever in Africa and failure to control the disease has resulted from a combination of several factors, including: 1) collapse of health care delivery systems; 2) lack of appreciation of the full impact of yellow fever disease on the social and economic development of the affected communities; 3) insufficient political commitment to yellow fever control by governments of endemic countries; 4) poor or inadequate disease surveillance; 5) inappropriate disease control measures, and 6) preventable poverty coupled with misplaced priorities in resource allocation. Yellow fever can be controlled in Africa within the next 10 years, if African governments seize the initiative for yellow fever control by declaring an uncompromising resolve to control the disease, the governments back up their resolve with an unrelenting commitment and unwavering political will through adequate budgetary allocations for yellow fever control activities, and international organisations, such as WHO, UNICEF, GAVI, etc., provide support and technical leadership and guidance to yellow fever at risk countries. Over a ten-year period, of stage-by-stage mass yellow fever vaccination campaigns, integrated with successful routine immunisation, Africa can bring yellow fever under control. Subsequently, for yellow fever to cease being a public health problem, Africa must maintain at least an annual 80% yellow fever vaccine coverage of children under the age of 1 year, and sustain a reliable disease surveillance system with a responsive disease control programme. This can be achieved at an affordable annual expenditure of less than US$1.00 per person per year, with a reordering of priorities.     

潍坊市儿童11种国家免疫规划疫苗接种率抽样调查

目的了解潍坊市11种国家免疫规划疫苗的接种状况,比较常住儿童与流动儿童的接种率水平。方法采用分层随机抽样方法对2005年1月1日—2010年12月31日出生的儿童进行抽样调查。结果调查的常住和流动儿童2 160名,建卡、建证、卡证相符率均>95%,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);BCG、HepB、OPV123、DPT123、MV或MR、MenA、JE-I 1、MMR、DPT4、HepA-I、JE-I 2、OPV4、MenAC1的接种率,常住儿童为95.63%～99.44%,流动儿童为93.89%～98.89%,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);HepB首针、MV初种及时率常住和流动儿童均>95%,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);6岁年龄组MenAC2、DT、MV3常住儿童分别为92.15%、91.11%、93.33%;流动儿童分别为86.25%、85.00%、87.08%,差异有统计学意义(χ2=18.89、18.42、23.48,P<0.01)。结论潍坊市4岁以下常住和流动儿童疫苗各剂次接种率差异无统计学意义,6岁年龄组MenAC2、DT、MV3疫苗接种率常住儿童高于流动儿童,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。     

Assessment of the prophylactic effectiveness of an inactivated influenza vaccine by immunizing schoolchildren in the springtime

To evaluate the prophylactic effectiveness of influenza inactivated chromatographic vaccine, limited epidemiological observations were made on school children aged 11-14 years in Leningrad, in the autumn of 1981 and the spring of 1982. For immunization, made in a single administration, the vaccine composed of A (H3N2) + +A (H1N1) and containing 3.0-3.4 micrograms of hemagglutinin of each component per 0.2 ml of the preparation was used. Altogether 6928 schoolchildren were under observation; of these, 3686 children were immunized and 3242 children received placebo. The results of questioning and the analysis of morbidity rate among the schoolchildren, both immunized and receiving placebo, showed the safety and low reactogenicity of the vaccine irrespective of the time of the immunization campaign. The immunogenic potency of the preparation, as indicated by all observation results, proved to be higher in spring, than in autumn. The data thus obtained indicate that children immunized in spring were better protected and retained a higher level of protection within 12 months after immunization. The shift of the time of the immunization campaign from autumn to spring increased the immune layer in the groups of children by 16.5%. In 10 months after spring immunization the morbidity rate in influenza and acute respiratory diseases among the vaccinees was found to decrease 1.7 times.     

Liposome and epimedium polysaccharide-propolis flavone can synergistically enhance immune effect of vaccine

Three preparations of epimedium polysaccharide-propolis flavone immunopotentiator (EPI), EPI liposome, EPI suspension and EPI watery solution were prepared. In immune response test, their adjuvanticities were compared in 14-day-old chickens vaccinated with Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine. In immune protection test, the effects of the three preparations on Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection were compared in chickens vaccinated with ND vaccine then challenged with NDV. The results displayed that EPI liposome could enhance the antibody titer, T lymphocyte proliferation and the concentrations of interferon-γ and interleukin-6, when compared with the other two preparations. In EPI liposome group, the antibody titers, lymphocyte proliferation and protective rate were the highest, while the mortality and morbidity were the lowest, in comparison with the other groups. These results indicated that liposome could enhance the immune effect of EPI on ND vaccine and would be expected as the suitable dosage form of this immunopotentiator.     

Vitamin A supplementation in infectious diseases: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE--To study the effect of vitamin A supplementation on morbidity and mortality from infectious disease. DESIGN--A meta-analysis aimed at identifying and combining mortality and morbidity data from all randomised controlled trials of vitamin A. RESULTS--Of 20 controlled trials identified, 12 trials were randomised trials and provided "intention to treat" data: six community trials in developing countries, three in children admitted to hospital with measles, and three in very low birth weight infants. Combined results for community studies suggest a reduction of 30% (95% confidence interval 21% to 38%; two tailed p < 0.0000001) in all cause mortality. Analysis of cause specific mortality showed a reduction in deaths from diarrhoeal disease (in community studies) by 39% (24% to 50%; two tailed p < 0.00001); from respiratory disease (in measles studies) by 70% (15% to 90%; two tailed p = 0.02); and from other causes of death (in community studies) by 34% (15% to 48%; two tailed p = 0.001). Reductions in morbidity were consistent with the findings for mortality, but fewer data were available. CONCLUSIONS--Adequate supply of vitamin A, either through supplementation or adequate diet, has a major role in preventing morbidity and mortality in children in developing countries. In developed countries vitamin A may also have a role in those with life threatening infections such as measles and those who may have a relative deficiency, such as premature infants.     

Effectiveness of measles immunoprophylaxis and the criteria for assessing its possible elimination

The study of measles morbidity in Donetsk Province in 1960-1984 and the study of antimeasles immunity in different groups of the population have shown that the problem of the liquidation of measles cannot be solved by immunizing the population in a single administration of the vaccine. To enhance the effectiveness of the immunoprophylaxis of measles and its influence on the epidemic process, a number of problems must be solved with the aim to improve the quality of the vaccine, especially its thermal stability, to establish the possibility of shifting the beginning of immunization from 15-17 months to 12 months of age, to increase the coverage of children with immunization against measles by decreasing the number of groundless exemptions from immunization and by immunizing children in risk groups according to individual schedules and dosage, to carry out selectively the booster immunization of persons who have lost their postvaccinal immunity, as revealed by laboratory test, or in whom such loss may be supposed, to introduce the objective method (indirect hemagglutination test) for controlling the state of immunity among different groups of the population into laboratory practice at sanitary and epidemiological stations. As to the possibility of the liquidation of measles, the statement of this problem is correct, but for its solution a complex of additional prophylactic and epidemic-control measures should be taken.     

Impact of vaccination on the infectious diseases epidemiology: example of pertussis

Several vaccines are now routinely used since fifty years in different developed countries. Their principal impact has been to decrease morbidity and mortality of the infectious diseases they are targeting. One disease, smallpox, is eradicated, poliomyelitis will be soon, diphteria is controlled in several countries but pertussis is still endemic although an efficacious vaccine was used. Why? Pertussis is an example of an infection for which the immunity of the population has changed after the introduction of generalized vaccination with killed whole cell pertussis vaccines, from a natural immunity due to infection to different types of vaccine-induced immunity. These different types of immunity have changed the protection against infection, disease and transmission. The impact of the generalized vaccination in a human population has been an important change in the epidemiology of the disease. In fact, a child-to-child transmission observed before the introduction of vaccination is now replaced by an adolescent-adult to infant transmission. The major consequence is an increase in the mortality and morbidity in non vaccinated infants mostly contaminated by their parents. Researches undertaken on the agent of the disease, the bacterium, Bordetella pertussis, conducted to the development of subunits vaccines, efficacious and better tolerated by infants than whole-cell vaccines. Many developed countries decided to change vaccines but also to add vaccine boosters for adolescents and adults in order to stop the transmission of the disease to infants. However, even after 15 years of studies in many countries, pertussis is still underestimated in adults and generalized adult vaccination remains difficult. The new goal now is to give information to medical students and health care workers in general in order to increase adolescent and adult's vaccination coverage.     

Epidemiological and immunological criteria of the effectiveness of immunization with adsorbed DPT vaccine by the old and new schedules

The study revealed that the immunization of children with adsorbed DPT vaccine from the age of 3-4 months, as compared with the immunization of children from the age of 5-6 months, did not lead to an essential increase in the coverage of children with immunization at the period under study (1970-1983) and did not affect the total level of pertussis morbidity, as well as the proportion of children aged up to 1 year in the total number of pertussis cases. Children immunized at an early age produced antibodies in titers, equivalent to the titers in older children, but their immunity against pertussis, in contrast to their immunity against diphtheria and tetanus, was retained for a shorter period. The injection of adsorbed DPT vaccine at the age of 3-4 months was accompanied by a poorly pronounced increase in the content of IgG, the predominant synthesis of IgM and the suppression of the synthesis of IgA. The shift of the start of vaccination to the age of 3-4 months has probably some immunological grounds for diphtheria and tetanus, but it is premature with respect to pertussis.     

More effective immunization

Immunization activities, in spite of being one of the easiest health components to deliver, are frequently forgotten or relegated to a low priority. One of the major reasons why immunization services have not been more widely implemented in developing countries is that present knowledge is inadequately applied. Although gaps do exist in some technical and operational areas, the most important concern is the application on a larger scale of already available knowledge and technologies. It is emphasized that programming strategies should promote delivery of immunization services to the population groups at highest risk of contracting the target diseases--children less than 1 year old and pregnant women--and that these services can most effectively be delivered as an integral part of the primary health care system. The use of immunization coverage as a simple and meaningful indicator of the extension of coverage of health services is analysed by using data from immunization programmes in two countries of the Americas.     

An acidic oligopeptide displayed on AAV2 improves axial muscle tropism after systemic delivery

Background

Countrywide 5.9 million, 0-11 Month old children are immunized annually by EPI (Expended Program on Immunization) against 8 vaccine preventable diseases including measles and so on. Unfortunately the basic immunity centers are not uniform throughout the country. Each center provides services to about 27000 people which is inadequate. The purpose of this study was to explore the development of EPI Pakistan in terms of immunization of measles.

Methods

Nucleotide sequences were analyzed by neighbor joining method (bootstrap test) using Bio- edit and MEGA-5 software to find evolutionary relationship between wild type measles strain and vaccine strain (Edmonston strain) used in Pakistan. For statistical analysis of data SPSS 16 was used.

Results

Currently 1.3 vaccinators are working at each U C (union council) which according to national EPI policy should be at least 2. About 56% and 44% children of age 0-11 months did not received second dose of measles in the last two years respectively. Out of these 4231 cases which were reported last year, 1370 have received their first dose of measles vaccine.

Conclusion

Seroconversion and seroprevalence study of the vaccine and field strain of measles virus is needed to confirm whether its failure is due to service unavailability or vaccine in-affectivity.