BACKGROUND Use of mobile information technology may aid collection of real-time, standardised data to inform and improve decision-making for polio programming and response. We utilised Android-based smartphones to collect data electronically from more than 8,000 households during a national round of polio immunisation in South Sudan. The results of the household surveys are presented here, toge...

BACKGROUND Although the vaccination coverage in most high income countries is high, variations in coverage rates on the national level among different ethnic backgrounds are reported. A qualitative study was performed to explore factors that influence decision-making among parents with different ethnic backgrounds in the Netherlands. METHODS Six focus groups were conducted with 33 mothers of ...

Based on an analysis of the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP), a public-private partnership (PPP) set up to introduce MenAfriVac® vaccine in African countries, this article examines failures accelerated disease control programme that targeted highly infectious disease. I argue integration into World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expanded Programme Immunisation had effect reinforcing inequalities a...

In the case of the individual consultation initiated by the patient, it is relatively clear where the doctor’s responsibilities lie in terms of providing a quality service and how this is organised. However, when a consultation is initiated by one or more of the health care team, as part of a nationally prescribed screening programme involving a number of professionals, there is an issue of who...

OBJECTIVE The nominal registration system of Uruguay's national immunization program (NIP) tracks administered vaccines on a paper form filled out after each vaccination and collated into a national database, thus allowing for individual follow-up. This study performed a comprehensive assessment of the quality of Uruguay's immunization data in November 2006 to evaluate the validity of the infor...

BACKGROUND Delayed vaccinations increase the risk for vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). Monitoring of delayed vaccinations by using a national immunisation registry has not been studied in countries recommending a two-dose (3 and 5 months of age) primary series of e.g., pertussis vaccine. Surveillance/monitoring of all vaccinations may improve vaccination programmes functioning. METHODS We...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine when added to the routine expanded programme on immunisation under field conditions in rural Africa. DESIGN Infants were immunised according to two schedules--an early schedule at birth, 3 months, and 6 months and a later schedule to correspond with routine vaccination in the expanded programme on immunisation at 3 months, 4 1/2 month...

BACKGROUND Introduction of new vaccines in low- and lower middle-income countries has accelerated since Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance was established in 2000. This study sought to (i) estimate the costs of introducing pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, rotavirus vaccine and a second dose of measles vaccine in Zambia; and (ii) assess affordability of the new vaccines in relation to Gavi's co-financing...

Although widely recommended, influenza vaccination of children is part of the national vaccination programme only in few countries. In addition to Canada and the United States (US), in Europe Finland and the United Kingdom have introduced live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for healthy children in their programmes. On 22 June 2016, the US Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices, vote...

A primary anti-NIP PFC response can be elicited by a GVH reaction provided certain structural requirements of the NIP-carrier are met. NIP-coated F(1) erythrocytes and NIP-coated parental erythrocytes give rise to substantial anti-NIP PFC responses in F(1) mice after the injection of parental spleens. These conjugates do not of themselves give rise to an anti-NIP PFC response and, in fact, norm...