Journal of travel medicine
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In response to the vaccine shortage of yellow fever vaccine (YF-VAX) due to manufacturing delays, the unapproved 17D-204 YF-VAX was used as an investigator-initiated clinical trial in Japan. The vaccine was administered to 11 279 participants in 19 YF vaccination centres in Japan, and few serious adverse events were observed.
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Every year, many thousands of travellers return to the United Kingdom (UK) from visits to other countries and some will become unwell due to infections acquired abroad. Many imported infections have similar clinical presentations, such as fever and myalgia, so diagnostic testing is an important tool to improve patient management and outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the demographics, travel history, presenting symptoms and diagnostic outcomes of referrals to the UK's specialist diagnostic Rare & Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) for the period 2015-2020. ⋯ None of the top five infections diagnosed by RIPL in travellers are vaccine-preventable, therefore understanding traveller demographics, destination-specific risk factors and encouraging preventative behaviours is the best available strategy to reduce the number of returning travellers who become infected. Prompt referral of acute samples with a detailed travel history, including purpose of travel and activities undertaken as well as dates and destinations can be a valuable tool in designing public health interventions and diagnostic algorithms.
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The recent emergence of Japanese encephalitis in south-eastern Australia highlights the changing epidemiology of this important disease and the need for integrated surveillance to inform risk-based discussions and vaccination advice for travellers and endemic populations.