Análisis de las Campañas de Vacunación Antigripal destinadas al personal de salud del HIBA: período 2016-2018 / Analysis of Influenza Vaccination Campaigns for HIBA health personnel: 2016-2018 period

Introducción: la vacunación antigripal es la forma más eficaz para prevenir la enfermedad por virus Influenza y sus complicaciones. La cobertura en los profesionales sanitarios es un indicador de calidad hospitalaria. Material y métodos: estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. A partir de registros vacunales, se calculó la cobertura para las campañas 2013 a 2018. Se compararon las coberturas por trienios. Se describieron características generales de las campañas de 2016 a 2018. Resultados: en 2016 se alcanzó la mayor tasa del período (59,79%, IC 95%:58,75-60,81); en 2017, la menor (34,46%, IC 95%:33,48-35,46). La campaña 2018 obtuvo una cobertura de 54,90% (IC 95%: 53,88-55,92) y se inició más tempranamente que otras. Al comparar las tasas trienales del período se observó una diferencia de proporción de -1,3% (IC 95%: -2.84-0.24). Durante los tres últimos años, el personal vacunado correspondió mayormente al sexo femenino, a la Sede Central y tenía relación contractual directa. Las mayores coberturas específicas correspondieron a la sede de San Justo y a los profesionales de enfermería. El puesto ambulante fue el que aplicó más vacunas. Conclusión: si bien hubo variaciones en las coberturas alcanzadas a lo largo de los años, siendo la del año 2016 la más elevada y la del año 2017 la más baja, no se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las coberturas alcanzadas al comparar trienios. Resulta necesario continuar realizando intervenciones adaptadas al contexto local que permitan alcanzar los objetivos de cobertura esperados. Discusión: se reconocieron varios obstáculos para alcanzar las coberturas esperadas. La educación al personal de salud, la evaluación sistematizada de los ESAVI (Eventos supuestamente atribuibles a vacunación e inmunización) y la descripción de los elementos que facilitaron las coberturas específicas elevadas de algunas subpoblaciones podrían contribuir para mejorar los resultados. (AU)

Introduction: influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza virus disease and its complications. Coverage in health professionals measurement is an indicator of hospital quality. Material and methods: descriptive cross-sectional study. From vaccination records, the coverage was calculated for the 2013 to 2018 campaigns. The coverage for three years was compared. General characteristics of the campaigns from 2016 to 2018 were described. Results: in 2016, the highest was achieved during the period (59.79%, IC 95%: 58.75 -60.81). In 2017, the lowest (34.46%, IC 95%: 33.48-35,46). The 2018 campaign achieved a coverage of 54.90% (IC 95%: 53.88-55.92) and started earlier than others. When comparing the triennial rates of the period, a difference of proportion of -1.3% was observed (IC 95%: -2.84-0.24). During the last three years, the vaccinated staff corresponded mostly to the female sex, to the headquarters and had a direct contractual relationship. The largest specific coverage corresponded to the San Justo headquarters and to nursing professionals. The ambulatory position was the post that applied the most vaccines. Conclusion: although there were variations in the coverage achieved over the years, with 2016 being the highest and 2017 being the lowest, there were no statistically significant differences in the coverage achieved when comparing trienniums. It is necessary to continue carrying out interventions adapted to the local context to achieve the expected coverage objectives. Discussion: several obstacles were recognized to reach the expected coverage. The education of health personnel, the systematic evaluation of the ESAVIs and the description of the elements that facilitated the high specific coverage of some subpopulations could contribute to improve the results. (AU)

VaxcineTM: an oil-based adjuvant for influenza vaccines

Vaccination is the method of choice for the prevention of influenza infection. However, the quantity of the antigen available, especially in the case of pandemics, often fails to meet the global demand. However, improved adjuvants can overcome this problem. Preliminary results obtained in this study revealed that one year after a single subcutaneous immunisation with influenza A H3N2 virus in an oil-based carrier, VaxcineTM, outbreed mice produced a high immunoglobulin G response that lasted for up to one year and exhibited less variation in titre compared with the response of the control group treated with alum. The haemagglutination-inhibition titres induced by VaxcineTM were also higher than those generated by alum. These data indicate that VaxcineTM is a good adjuvant candidate for seasonal influenza vaccines.

¿Crónica de una pandemia anunciada? / Chronicle of an announced pandemic?

In the last years our country has been affected by several outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Cholera and Hanta virus and recently, by pathogens associated to red tide. Chile was able to manage those emergencies using the local health system. The new threat that may emerge and could eventually overcome that capacity, is the possible H5N1 influenza virus outbreak. Influenza is responsible for the most destructive pandemic, the Spanish influenza, that killed over 40 million individuals in 1918. The new influenza strain (H5N1) is at present endemic in poultry in Asia and has been associated to human fatal cases in Hong Kong and Vietnam. Even though this strain is not able yet to be transmitted among humans, evidence has accumulated that such ability could be reached by the new strain, since it was already detected in pigs. That particular evidence may indicate that the virus could adapt to infect humans, since a similar situation was observed in several of the influenza pandemics. The World Health Organization set a "task force" to develop a strategy that may help to control the virus spread. Several countries are already stocking anti-flu drugs and others are developing new vaccine that are currently been assayed in human volunteers. It is possible that we may have a vaccine before the outbreak; this development is even faster than for SARS. The mayor question to be addressed for developing countries is: What will be done if we do not have the vaccine on time?.

Single radial immunodiffusion potency test for standardization of indigenous equine influenza vaccine.

Single radial immunodiffusion (SRD) assays were used for measuring the haemagglutinin antigen contents of equine influenza vaccine prepared from an Indian virus isolate. A/Equine-2/Ludhiana/1/87 (H3N8). Five different preparations of the vaccine were standardized by SRD to prepare 913 doses, each containing 20 micrograms HA/ml-1 dose-1. This test also showed influenza virus subtype specificity as no cross reaction was observed between subtype 1 (H7N7) and subtype 2 (H3N8) viruses.