ABSTRACT
Maintaining the vaccine cold chain is an essential part of a successful immunization programme, but in developed countries faulty procedures may occur more commonly than is generally believed. A survey was conducted in a health district in central Italy to assess the methods of vaccine transportation and storage. Of 52 primary vaccination offices inspected, 39 (76.5%) had a refrigerator for vaccine storage but only 17 (33.3%) kept records of received and stored doses. None of the seven main offices selected for monitoring had a maximum and minimum thermometer and none monitored the internal temperature of the refrigerator. Moreover, other faulty procedures, such as the storage of food and laboratory specimens in vaccine refrigerators and the storage of vaccines on refrigerator door shelves, indicated that the knowledge and practice of vaccine storage and handling were often inadequate.
Subject(s)
Drug Storage/standards , Quality of Health Care , Vaccines , Documentation/standards , Drug Storage/methods , Drug Storage/statistics & numerical data , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Personnel/education , Health Personnel/psychology , Humans , Italy , Refrigeration/standardsSubject(s)
Disease Outbreaks , Food Microbiology , Salmonella Food Poisoning/etiology , Salmonella/isolation & purification , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Feces/microbiology , Female , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Salmonella Food Poisoning/epidemiology , Salmonella enteritidis/isolation & purification , Salmonella typhimurium/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: During a survey regarding infant health in 7 regions, diffusion and length of time of breast-feeding nowadays in Italy were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By OMS Epi methodology, 210 children sampled from each area of study and specialized health workers carried out the interviews at home using a specific questionnaire. The mothers were questioned about the length of time they breast fed their child. RESULTS: 76% of mothers said they breastfed, 32% said they did it for less than 3 months and 44% for more. In each area, the percentage of breastfeeding was 70% or more. This percentage changed only if the birth weight was very low or the mothers' instruction was high, but this is probably because the most cultured mothers answered easier they breast fed longer. DISCUSSION: It seems that mothers are pro-breastfeeding and, in each region, just a quarter of them don't practise it. Besides, about half women breastfed for more than 3 months. This study doesn't permit us to know why some women don't breastfeed or why they wean their children too early. For this reason, we need to curry out further studies.
