ABSTRACT
Objective Hepatitis A immunization strategies were carried out in 2001 in Tianjin. We wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies related to hepatitis A control programs and to provide the basis for further modification of the strategies. Methods Descriptive epidemiology study was used to analyze the hepatitis A epidemic situation in 2000-2011 in Tianjin and to evaluate the disease reporting system. Hepatitis A vaccine coverage of target population and serum epidemiological study were carried out in 1999,2005 and 2010 to check on the hepatitis A antibody levels so as to evaluate the immuno-barrier condition in the normal population. Cox-Stuart test was used to analyze the epidemic trend of hepatitis A and other intestinal infectious diseases in Tianjin. Results The incidence rate of hepatitis A decreased from 2.89/100 000 in 2000 to 0.12/100 000 in 2011,and the percentage of hepatitis A in all types of viral hepatitis decreased from 8.02%in 2000 to 0.48% in 2011 in Tianjin. The positive rates of hepatitis A antibody also increased in the residents. Conclusion The hepatitis A vaccination program was successful in the programs on prevention and control of hepatitis A in Tianjin,China.
ABSTRACT
Objective Hepatitis A immunization strategies were carried out in 2001 in Tianjin. We wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies related to hepatitis A control programs and to provide the basis for further modification of the strategies. Methods Descriptive epidemiology study was used to analyze the hepatitis A epidemic situation in 2000-2011 in Tianjin and to evaluate the disease reporting system. Hepatitis A vaccine coverage of target population and serum epidemiological study were carried out in 1999,2005 and 2010 to check on the hepatitis A antibody levels so as to evaluate the immuno-barrier condition in the normal population. Cox-Stuart test was used to analyze the epidemic trend of hepatitis A and other intestinal infectious diseases in Tianjin. Results The incidence rate of hepatitis A decreased from 2.89/100 000 in 2000 to 0.12/100 000 in 2011,and the percentage of hepatitis A in all types of viral hepatitis decreased from 8.02%in 2000 to 0.48% in 2011 in Tianjin. The positive rates of hepatitis A antibody also increased in the residents. Conclusion The hepatitis A vaccination program was successful in the programs on prevention and control of hepatitis A in Tianjin,China.
ABSTRACT
The field of vaccinology was born from the observations by the fathers of vaccination, Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur, that a permanent, positive change in the way our bodies respond to life-threatening infectious diseases can be obtained by specific challenge with the inactivated infectious agent performed in a controlled manner, avoiding the development of clinical disease upon exposure to the virulent pathogen. Many of the vaccines still in use today were developed on an empirical basis, essentially following the paradigm established by Pasteur, "isolate, inactivate, and inject" the disease-causing microorganism, and are capable of eliciting uniform, long-term immune memory responses that constitute the key to their proven efficacy. However, vaccines for pathogens considered as priority targets of public health concern are still lacking. The literature tends to focus more often on vaccine research problems associated with specific pathogens, but it is increasingly clear that there are common bottlenecks in vaccine research, which need to be solved in order to advance the development of the field as a whole. As part of a group of articles, the objective of the present report is to pinpoint these bottlenecks, exploring the literature for common problems and solutions in vaccine research applied to different situations. Our goal is to stimulate brainstorming among specialists of different fields related to vaccine research and development. Here, we briefly summarize the topics we intend to deal with in this discussion.