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11 vaccine-preventable diseases to consider during World Immunization Week
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Immunization averts 2 to 3 million deaths globally each year, according to WHO. However, significant challenges remain in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.
World Immunization Week begins today, and to mark the occasion, Infectious Disease News is spotlighting 11 vaccine-preventable diseases — from polio to hepatitis B. Learn more about what researchers, government officials and health organizations are doing to improve vaccination rates worldwide, as well as the latest clinical data on these avoidable illnesses.
CDC: VFC program continues to protect millions of children from disease
The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program was launched in 1994 in direct response to a measles resurgence in the United States that caused more than 100 deaths. The CDC now estimates that more than 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 early deaths among children born during the last 20 years will be prevented because of vaccinations Read more.
WHO: Polio eliminated from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia has been declared “polio-free,” according to WHO. The region is the fourth of six regions to be certified, making 80% of the global population now polio-free. Read more.
Investigational nasal pertussis vaccine shows promise
An intranasal Bordetella pertussis vaccine appears to be safe and effective in colonized adults, according to researchers from Sweden and France. Read more.
Financial incentives boosted HBV vaccination completion 12-fold among IDUs
Injection drug users who were offered small financial incentives to complete the hepatitis B virus vaccination schedule were 12 times more likely to do so. Read more.
Herpes zoster increased stroke risk
The incidence of herpes zoster increased the risk for stroke within the first 6 months of infection, according to researchers from the United Kingdom. However, antiviral therapy may decrease that risk. Read more.
Uncertainty about HPV vaccine effectiveness remains high
Researchers found that a significant proportion of patients have low levels of confidence in the efficacy of the HPV vaccine, which may account for low uptake and disparities in HPV vaccination. Read more.
Childhood influenza immunization rates on the rise
Influenza vaccination coverage among children improved during the 2010-2011 influenza season compared with the 2009-2010 season, the CDC reported. Read more.
Rubella control, prevention enters new accelerated phase
Worldwide rubella cases have decreased 86% — down to 94,030 in 2012 from 670,894 in 2000 — due to vaccination advancements, according to the CDC. Read more.
Japanese encephalitis, rabies vaccination low among travelers to Asia
A low proportion of travelers to Asia completed their vaccination series against rabies and Japanese encephalitis, according to study results presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Read more.
CMV not responsible for lower response to pneumococcal vaccine
Recent data indicate that cytomegalovirus infection is not directly responsible for the lower immune responses to pneumococcal vaccine seen with age. Read more.