Feasibility study of enforcing immunization certificate check before primary school or kindergarten enrollment in Guizhou Province, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the feasibility of enforcing immunization certificate check before children enroll in primary schools or kindergartens in Guizhou Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted. The multi-stage and cluster sampling approach was adopted for the quantitative part of the study. A questionnaire was designed and 996 children and their keepers were interviewed. Principals, doctors or teachers of the primary schools, directors and child care nurses of kindergarten, and staff of immunization agencies were invited to take part in 12 focus group discussions; meanwhile, face-to-face individual in-depth interviews with 16 officials of the Health, Education and Governmental Departments at various levels were conducted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total number of subjects was 996. 16.7% of the children in the study completed all the procedures of the National Immunization Programme. 34.3% of them had immunization certificates while the remainder 44.7% registered in immunization agencies. Factors, including the migrant children, doubt about vaccine efficiency, mother's occupation and educational background, knowledge of the National Immunization Programme on targeted vaccines, played an important role in obtaining or not immunization certificates. 95% of the keepers interviewed thought the immunization certificates were useful; 94.8% of them considered the check was critical while only 3.6% of them thought it unnecessary. The first reason from those who found it unnecessary was that they feared that repeated immunization might affect their children's health. The second reason was the cost of immunization, which some of them could not afford to pay. However, the Health Department expressed a favorable attitude to the checking scheme. Though the Education Department agreed that the scheme was essential, they worried that it would affect the enrollment rate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In spite of the difficulty in administering immunization certificate check, the effort would be rewarding for raising the immunization coverage rate among the children in Guizhou Province.</p>

An epidemiological study on vaccine derived polio virus circle in Zhenfeng County of Guizhou Province / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the event and cause of vaccine derived polio virus (VDPV) circle happened at Yaoshang Village, Wanlan Township, Zhenfeng County, Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province in August 2004.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Virus isolation was performed for stool specimens collected from two children cases with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) reported at Yaoshang Village and 21 normal children under five years old in the same village. And, routine immunization coverage at the Village and AFP incidence and performance of AFP surveillance system in Zhenfeng County were investigated, as well.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Vaccine derived polio virus 1 (VDPV1) was identified in the feces of two affected children at Yaoshang Village and three other normal children at the same village. Totally, seven cases of AFP have been underreported in Zhenfeng County since 2002. Routine immunization coverage was rather low at Wanlan Township, and nearly nil at Yaoshang Village.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Oral polio vaccine (OPV) with attenuated live virus has been used in China for many years to prevent polio. Circulation of VDPV in Zhenfeng County issues a new challenge to eradication of polio. It is necessary to strengthen routine immunization and AFP surveillance to prevent occurrence of VDPV event.</p>

Surveillance on hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Guizhou during 1984-2000 / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relations between different areas on hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Guizhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Various forms of infectious areas were surveyed continuously through epidemiologic surveillance system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In fixed areas under surveillance system, the mean positive rate of HFRSV among Apodemus agrarius was 3.39%, comparing with Rattus norvegicus 1.61% in Apodemus infectious areas of Zunyi county, 3.19% in Rattus norvegicus, but no HFRSV of Apodemus agrarius was identified in Rattus infectious area of Shiqian county. Both Apodemus and Rattus infectious areas were relatively stabilized. In both banks of Luowang river, Kaiyang county, which had been identified as areas of infections for Apodemus in the eastern part, Rattus infectious area in the west, slow change was noticed. In 1983 - 1984 was not found in Apodemus agrarius HFRSV, however the infectious rate of HFRSV in Apodemus agrarius was 13.85% (Ag 1/65, Ab 8/65) in the western part of the province in 1995 - 1998.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both Apodemus and Rattus infectious areas were stabilized but changed slowly. Mixed type and the result of mutual penetration were noticed.</p>