ABSTRACT
The childhood immunization schedule is well known and generally well implemented in developed countries. For various reasons, the same is not true of vaccines aimed at preventing infections in adults, in which vaccination coverage is incomplete and generally very deficient. In order to assess the situation of adult vaccination in Spain, the Fundación de Ciencias de la Salud has brought together a series of experts in different fields, including doctors, nurses, representatives of patient associations, health managers and economists, health authorities and journalists to deal with this issue. The format was that of a round table in which a series of questions previously formulated by the coordinators were to be answered and debated. The document presented is not an exhaustive review of the topic, nor is it intended to make recommendations, but only to give a multidisciplinary opinion on topics that could be particularly debatable or controversial. The paper reviews the main vaccine-preventable adult diseases, their clinical and economic impact, the possibilities of reducing them with vaccination programmes and the difficulties in carrying them out. The role of nursing, pharmacy services, patient associations and the health administration itself in changing the current situation was discussed. Prospects for new vaccines were discussed and we speculated on the future in this field. Finally, particularly relevant ethical aspects in decision-making regarding vaccination were discussed, which must be faced by both individuals and states. We have tried to summarize, at the end of the presentation of each question, the environment of opinion that was agreed with all the members of the table.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Vaccines/administration & dosage , Communicable Disease Control , Infection Control , Vaccination Coverage/statistics & numerical data , Viral Vaccines/administration & dosage , Adult , Forecasting , Haemophilus Infections/epidemiology , Haemophilus Infections/prevention & control , Haemophilus influenzae type b , Hepatitis B/epidemiology , Hepatitis B/prevention & control , Humans , Incidence , Influenza, Human/prevention & control , Meningococcal Infections/epidemiology , Meningococcal Infections/prevention & control , Neisseria meningitidis , Papillomavirus Infections/epidemiology , Papillomavirus Infections/prevention & control , Spain/epidemiology , Streptococcal Infections/epidemiology , Streptococcal Infections/prevention & control , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Varicella Zoster Virus Infection/epidemiology , Varicella Zoster Virus Infection/prevention & controlABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure (HBP) is a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor and its detection at early ages may allow strategies to be designed to reduce cardiovascular risk in adulthood. OBJECTIVES: To provide blood pressure (BP) values in a sample of adolescents using an electronic oscillometric device. MATERIAL AND METHODS: BP was measured according the European Society of Hypertension guidelines using an oscillometric device. Height and weight were also measured. Four height groups were used in order to associate the 90, 95, and 99 percentiles with systolic BP (pSBP) and diastolic BP percentiles (pDBP) for sex and age: H150 (≤ 150cm), H160(151-160cm), H170(161-170cm), and H180(≥171cm). RESULTS: Data from 2,758 students aged 12-17 years were included in the analysis. BP increases with age, with differences of up to 11mmHg in boys vs. 3mmHg in girls for SBP and 3mmHg vs. 1mmHg for DBP. In high SBP, for the younger adolescents, the difference related to height was 15mmHg in boys vs. 8mmHg in girls, with no significant increase in the older ones in either gender. The high BDP varied depending on the height, 10mmHg in younger boys and 3mmHg in older ones, while in girls the variation was 3mmHg for all ages. CONCLUSIONS: SBP/DBP in adolescents increases with age and also with height, giving similar figures in the taller ones, regardless of age.
Subject(s)
Adolescent/physiology , Blood Pressure , Age of Onset , Body Height , Body Weight , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Early Diagnosis , Female , Humans , Hypertension/diagnosis , Hypertension/epidemiology , Male , Oscillometry , Reference Values , Spain , Sphygmomanometers , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) represent an important health problem among aging adults and those with certain underlying pathologies and some diseases, especially immunosuppressed and some immunocompetent subjects, who are more susceptible to infections and present greater severity and worse evolution. Among the strategies to prevent IPD and PP, vaccination has its place, although vaccination coverage in this group is lower than desirable. Nowadays, there are 2 vaccines available for adults. Polysacharide vaccine (PPV23), used in patients aged 2 and older since decades ago, includes a greater number of serotypes (23), but it does not generate immune memory, antibody levels decrease with time, causes an immune tolerance phenomenon, and have no effect on nasopharyngeal colonization. PCV13 can be used from children 6 weeks of age to elderly and generates an immune response more powerful than PPV23 against most of the 13 serotypes included in it. In the year 2013 the 16 most directly related to groups of risk of presenting IPD publised a series of vaccine recommendations based on scientific evidence regarding anti-pneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying pathologies and special conditions. A commitment was made about updating it if new scientific evidence became available. We present an exhaustive revised document focusing mainly in recommendation by age in which some more Scientific Societies have been involved.
