Vaccine
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Control measures to limit the spread of a cholera outbreak in Pohnpei Island (Micronesia), included mass vaccination with the single-dose live-attenuated oral cholera vaccine CVD 103-HgR as a potential adjunct measure. The outbreak provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the practicality of use and effectiveness of this vaccine. Under field conditions encountered in Pohnpei, crude vaccine efficacy was estimated at 79.2% (95% CI: 71.9-84.6%) in the target population. Retrospective analysis suggests that mass vaccination with oral cholera vaccines can be a useful adjunct tool for controlling outbreaks, particularly if implemented early in association with other standard control measures.
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In 1998, Australia enacted comprehensive national legislation making receipt of the maternity immunisation allowance (MIA) and the child care benefit (CCB) conditional on evidence of age-appropriate immunisation. We assessed the impact of this policy on immunisation status using a nationally representative population-based case-control study of 589 fully immunised controls and 190 incompletely immunised cases, aged 28-31 months. ⋯ The use of legislated financial immunisation incentives for parents appears to be widely accepted among Australian parents and to have had an impact on immunisation uptake. The policy may serve as a model for other comparable countries.