Vaccinations and Malaria Chemoprophylaxis of Adolescents Traveling From Greece to International Destinations: A Nine-Year Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: There are few publications focusing on vaccination and malaria chemoprophylaxis in adolescent travelers. We assessed pretravel vaccinations and malaria chemoprophylaxis of adolescents 12-18 years old traveling from Greece to international destinations. METHODS: We prospectively studied 239 adolescents 12-18 years old during 2008-2016. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data. RESULTS: Adolescents sought pretravel services at a mean of 24.1 days before departure. Their main destinations were sub-Saharan Africa (79 adolescents; 33.1%), Latin America (56; 23.5%) and North America (26; 10.9%). Almost half (46.1%) of them planned to stay abroad for at least 3 months. Sixteen (7.4%) adolescents planned to visit friends and relatives. The yellow fever vaccine and the typhoid vaccine were the most frequently administered vaccines (74.1% and 20.5%, respectively), while the hepatitis A vaccine and the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine accounted for most routine vaccinations (18% and 14.2%, respectively). The rabies and the typhoid fever vaccines were administered inadequately to adolescents traveling to endemic areas. Malaria chemoprophylaxis should have been prescribed in many cases traveling to sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small number of adolescents from Greece traveling abroad seek pretravel counseling. We found significant gaps in typhoid fever and rabies vaccinations of adolescents traveling to endemic areas. We also found gaps in prescription of malaria chemoprophylaxis for those traveling to high-risk areas. There is a need to develop communication strategies to access adolescent travelers and improve appropriate vaccination and use of malaria chemoprophylaxis.

Seroepidemiological study of pandemic influenza H1N1 following the 2009-2010 wave in Greece.

Knowledge of seroprevalence rates against 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus will assist vaccination recommendations and the preparation of the health-care system during subsequent years. This study was conducted in Greece during June-August 2010 to estimate the seroprevalence rate against pandemic H1N1 virus. Persons presenting in 29 health-care facilities across the country were studied. Seroprevalence was estimated employing a virus-free ELISA that specifically recognizes 2009 H1N1 virus antibodies in human sera. Sera collected from 2005 to April 2009 were also used to estimate pre-pandemic seroprevalence rates. A total of 954 persons were studied. The overall seroprevalence rate was 28.5% (95% confidence interval=25.6-31.3%). Age-specific rates were 34.2% in persons 0-4 years, 36.3% in persons 5-19 years, 25.0% in persons 20-39 years, 23.4% in persons 40-59 years, and 31.8% in persons ≥ 60 years. The highest rates were recorded in the Regions of Ionian Islands (67%) and Epirus (42.9%), while the lowest (8.4%) in the Region of Thessaly. Age-specific attack rates of infection during 2009-2010 were 28.8% in persons 0-4 years, 32.5% in persons 5-19 years, 14.3% in persons 20-39 years, 19.1% in persons 40-59 years, and 14.4% in persons ≥ 60 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that Region of residence and caring for children <5 years were associated with increased risk for seropositivity. Urbanity, personal and family characteristics, working in a health-care facility or in a school, history of pandemic H1N1 vaccination or history of influenza-like illness during 2009-2010 were not associated with increased risk for seropositivity.