Journal of public health
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Journal of public health · Dec 2007
Economic evaluation of Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccination in Indonesia: a cost-effectiveness analysis.
Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) causes significant morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age. A safe and effective vaccine is available but is not in general use in developing countries. This paper evaluates the cost-effectiveness of introducing Hib vaccine in Indonesia as an addition to the country's current DTP-Hepatitis B vaccination program. ⋯ The model demonstrates significant cost-effectiveness of implementation of a Hib vaccination program for Indonesian society.
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Journal of public health · Sep 2007
Health impact of the Buncefield oil depot fire, December 2005: study of accident and emergency case records.
On Sunday 11th of December 2005, an explosion occurred at the Buncefield oil depot, Hertfordshire, resulting in a large fire that blazed for several days. Two Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments were placed on stand-by to receive casualties. A simple surveillance system was put in place during the acute phase of the incident, but this was not adequate to fully examine the health impact of the fire. ⋯ There was a significant impact on local health services, with many emergency service personnel attending A&E asymptomatically. Alternative health service provision for these individuals, possibly near to the scene of the incident, should be considered. This incident has also highlighted an urgent need to develop surveillance systems that enable real-time monitoring of the acute public health impact of major incidents.
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Journal of public health · Dec 2006
Comparative StudyRelationship between constituent labelling and reporting of tar yields among smokers in four countries.
Countries have adopted different approaches to disseminating cigarette tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (CO) levels to consumers, with some (e.g. EU member states, Canada, Australia, but not the United States) requiring disclosure of results from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) test method on packs. Cross-country comparisons can provide insight into how smokers use yields when information is presented differently. ⋯ Of current smokers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, 33.6% gave a numeric response when asked to report the tar yield of their brand, whereas 66.4% responded 'I don't know.' American participants (9.2%) were less likely than Canadian (28.0%), UK (36.5%) or Australian (68.2%) smokers to give an answer, even after controlling for sociodemographic and smoking behaviour factors. Constituent labelling policies can affect whether smokers report a tar yield for their cigarette brand. Pack labelling appears to be useful for conveying information about cigarettes to smokers; however, there is an urgent need to develop more meaningful information on toxic constituents of cigarette smoke.
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Journal of public health · Dec 2006
Developing audit standards required for outbreaks of communicable diseases-lessons from a mumps outbreak.
A mumps outbreak occurred in 2004-05 in England and Wales. The outbreak in the Avon area of England led to mass vaccination of 16- to 24-year-olds with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR). The response to the outbreak was audited. Literature and web searches for audit standards were undertaken, and experts in the field were contacted. No comprehensive audit standards for outbreaks of communicable diseases were found. This article describes an approach to developing audit standards for outbreaks of communicable diseases. ⋯ Audit standards should be developed, which include issues relating to the structure, process and outcome of responses to outbreaks. The development of audit standards for the management of outbreaks is crucial to evaluate outbreak control and make necessary improvements.