Journal of travel medicine
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What can we learn from COVID-19 vaccine R&D in China? A discussion from a public policy perspective.
Given China’s relatively weak innovative and regulatory capacity compared with developed countries, China’s progress on COVID-19 vaccines is especially impressive. We summarize three key lessons from China’s experience with COVID-19 vaccine R&D: (i) set strategic vaccine R&D goals and achieve broad consensus; (ii) strengthen coordination across government agencies and (iii) adopt the state-driven collaborative model.
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We present clinical, genomic and epidemiological data on the first 106 cases with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant in Madrid. Even from the start, the increase of this variant was due to transmission events within the community, some causing extensive clusters, rather than further imports. Most cases developed non-severe disease.
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Updated seroprevalence studies of infections in migrants may aid the design of tailored vaccination and prevention programmes. The objective of this study was to describe the seroprevalence rates for potentially transmissible viral infections in migrants attended at a referral centre in a major European city. ⋯ Differences in seroprevalence for vaccine-preventable and transmissible infections according to gender, age range and area of origin were observed. Tailored screening, vaccination and prevention strategies in potentially vulnerable migrant groups should be designed.
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Growing international migration has increased the complexity of tuberculosis transmission patterns. Italy's decision to close its borders in 2018 made of Spain the new European porte entrée for migration from the Horn of Africa (HA). In one of the first rescues of migrants from this region at the end of 2018, tuberculosis was diagnosed in eight subjects, mainly unaccompanied minors. ⋯ Our study suggests a potential en route transmission of a pan-susceptible strain, which caused at least 15 tuberculosis cases in Somalian and Eritrean migrants diagnosed in four different European countries.
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In 2019, approximately, 1.4 billion people travelled internationally. Many individuals travel to megacities where air pollution concentrations can vary significantly. Short-term exposure to air pollutants can cause morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular and respiratory disease, with the literature clearly reporting a strong association between short-term exposure to particulate matter ≤2.5 μm and ozone with adverse health outcomes in resident populations. However, limited research has been conducted on the health impacts of short-term exposure to air pollution in individuals who travel internationally. The objective of this systematic review was to review the evidence for the respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts from exposure to air pollution during international travel to polluted cities in adults aged ≥18 years old. ⋯ More research is warranted to clearly understand the impacts of air pollution related changes on travellers' health, especially on vulnerable groups who may be at higher risk of adverse impacts during travel to polluted cities.