Articles: pandemics.
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Jan 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyImmunogenicity and safety of cell-derived MF59®-adjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine for children.
Mass immunization of children has the potential to decrease infection rates and prevent the transmission of influenza. We evaluated the immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of different formulations of cell-derived MF59-adjuvanted and nonadjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine in children and adolescents. This was a randomized, single-blind, multicenter study with a total of 666 healthy subjects aged 6 months-17 y in one of 3 vaccination groups, each receiving formulations containing different amounts of influenza A/H1N1 antigen with or without MF59. ⋯ Among children aged 6-11 months, 1 dose of 7.5_fullMF59 resulted in an HI titer ≥1:40 in >70% while 2 doses of 3.75_halfMF59 were required to achieve this result. All vaccines were well tolerated. Our findings support the immunogenicity and safety of the 3.75_halfMF59 (2 doses for children <12 months) and 7.5_fullMF59 vaccine formulations for use in children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 y The use of the 3.75_halfMF59 could have the benefit of antigen and adjuvant sparing, increasing the available vaccine doses allowing vaccination of more people.
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As seen during past pandemic influenza outbreaks, pharmaceutical interventions (PHIs) with vaccines and antivirals are the most effective methods of mitigation. However, availability of PHIs is unlikely to be adequate during the early stages of a pandemic. Hence, for early mitigation and possible containment, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) offer a viable alternative. Also, NPIs may be the only available interventions for most underdeveloped countries. In this paper we present a comprehensive methodology for design of effective NPI strategies. ⋯ If harnessed effectively, NPIs offer a significant potential for mitigation of pandemic influenza outbreaks. The methodology presented here fills a gap in the literature, which, though replete with models on NPI strategy evaluation, lacks a treatise on optimal strategy design.
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Dec 2014
ReviewEffectiveness of travel restrictions in the rapid containment of human influenza: a systematic review.
To assess the effectiveness of internal and international travel restrictions in the rapid containment of influenza. ⋯ Extensive travel restrictions may delay the dissemination of influenza but cannot prevent it. The evidence does not support travel restrictions as an isolated intervention for the rapid containment of influenza. Travel restrictions would make an extremely limited contribution to any policy for rapid containment of influenza at source during the first emergence of a pandemic virus.
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We are not ready for a global pandemic of Ebola virus. The current West African epidemic should serve as a dire warning of things to come.
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Since the detection of Ebola virus in 1976. recorded 13 major epidemics in Africa. The current threat in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone absorbs another victims and threatened pandemic. ⋯ For this reason, there is an absolute necessity to introduce regimes sanitation, quarantine at the suspects and maintain the highest safety measures for emergency responders. Developed procedures require absolute compliance.