ABSTRACT
AIM: To assess effectiveness of Act-HIB vaccine forprevention of acute respiratory diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine hundred immunized children 1 - 5 years old as well as not immunized children of the same age were followed-up. Criteria for clinical effectiveness of the vaccine were rate of acute respiratory infection episodes, duration of disease episode, and rate of complications development. Level of nasopharyngeal coverage were also studied by bacteriological tests of nasopharyngeal secretion samples. RESULTS: Obtained data showed that immunization leads to increase of host's resistance capabilities, decrease of acute respiratory disease incidence and changes in structure of complications due to infection. CONCLUSION: Prevention of Hib-infection using Act-HIB vaccine leads to decrease of acute respiratory disease rates and severity of infections. Total incidence of acute respiratory infections in children aged 1 - 5 years decreased by 27%, whereas incidence of pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis - by 50%. Vaccination resulted in decrease of antibiotic use, number of pediatric consultations.
