Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregiver beliefs and experiences of routine childhood immunisation in Indonesia.

The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to significant health services declines in South-East Asia including Indonesia, which experienced a decline in routine immunisation of children. This study investigated the influence of the pandemic on the beliefs and experiences of caregivers of children related to routine immunisation. This study involved a cross-sectional survey among 1399 caregivers of children aged 0-24 months in Central Java and West Nusa Tenggara provinces from March-April 2022. Data on beliefs and experiences of childhood immunizations were captured using core items from the WHO/UNICEF Behavioural and Social Drivers of Immunization (BeSD) survey. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with uptake of routine immunisations. While nearly all caregivers (95.7%) reported wanting their child to receive all recommended routine immunisations, only 40.3% of children aged 2-24 months were up-to-date with all vaccines for age. Factors associated with up-to-date included higher parental education (aOR: 1.76, 95% CI 1.02-3.05), higher household income (aOR: 1.54, 95% CI 1.09-2.18), and caregivers who found it moderately or very easy to get immunisations (aOR: 2.26/2.22, 95% CI 1.06-4.83/1.06-4.69). Recovery efforts should prioritise responding to the factors associated with immunisation status (e.g., perceived ease of access) and on families experiencing disadvantage (e.g., caregivers with lower education and household income) to ensure protections against future outbreaks that are responsive to the context-specific needs and priorities of districts and communities.

A single dose of quadrivalent HPV vaccine is highly effective against HPV genotypes 16 and 18 detection in young pregnant women eight years following vaccination: an retrospective cohort study in Fiji.

Background: In 2008/9, Fiji vaccinated >30,000 girls aged 9-12 years with the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (4vHPV) vaccine coverage for at least one dose was >60% (one dose only was 14%, two dose only was 13%, three doses was 35%). We calculated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of one, two and three doses of 4vHPV against oncogenic HPV genotypes 16/18, eight years following vaccination. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken (2015-2019) in pregnant women ≤23 years old, eligible to receive 4vHPV in 2008/9, with confirmed vaccination status. The study was restricted to pregnant women due to the cultural sensitivity of asking about sexual behavior in Fiji. For each participant a clinician collected a questionnaire, vaginal swab and genital warts examination, a median eight (range 6-11) years post vaccination. HPV DNA was detected by molecular methods. Adjusted VE (aVE) against the detection of vaccine HPV genotypes (16/18), the comparison group of non-vaccine genotypes (31/33/35/39/45/51/52/56/58/59/66/68), and genital warts were calculated. Covariates included in the adjusted model were: age, ethnicity and smoking, according to univariate association with any HPV detection. Findings: Among 822 participants the prevalence of HPV 16/18 in the unvaccinated, one, two and three-dose groups were 13.3% (50/376), 2.5% (4/158), 0% (0/99) and 1.6% (3/189), respectively; and for the non-vaccine high-risk genotypes, the detection rate was similar across dosage groups (33.2%-40.4%, p = 0.321). The aVE against HPV 16/18 for one, two and three doses were 81% (95% CI; 48-93%), 100% (95% CI; 100-100%), and 89% (95% CI; 64-96%), respectively. Prevalence of HPV 16/18 was lower among women with longer time since vaccination. Interpretations: A single dose 4vHPV vaccine is highly effective against HPV genotypes 16 and 18 eight years following vaccination. Our results provide the longest duration of protection for reduced dose 4vHPV schedule in a low- or middle-income country in the Western Pacific region. Funding: This study was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government and Fiji Health Sector Support Program (FHSSP). FHSSP is implemented by Abt JTA on behalf of the Australian Government.

Vaccine Champions Training Program: Empowering Community Leaders to Advocate for COVID-19 Vaccines.

Strong community engagement has been critical to support COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Australia and elsewhere. Community engagement builds trust, enables tailored information dissemination and shapes social norms. Engagement is particularly important in communities with greater vaccine hesitancy, lower health literacy and mistrust in authorities. Early in 2021, as a team of vaccine social scientists and clinicians, we developed a program to train and empower community, faith, industry and healthcare leaders to advocate for COVID-19 vaccines as "vaccine champions". We partnered with the Victorian Department of Health to deliver 91 online Vaccine Champions sessions from March 2021 to June 2022. Over 80 people who received this training were supported by the Department of Health to become formal vaccine champions, independently delivering over 100 locally tailored information sessions. Our survey evaluation of 20 sessions delivered in 2022 found most participants (94%, 118/125) felt more confident to discuss safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and find relevant information after attending a session. We also recorded >90% participant satisfaction with training content, format and presentation. Qualitative feedback from two group interviews highlighted the value of vaccine communication role plays and opportunities for discussion. In this brief report, we present an overview of the Vaccine Champions program, evaluation and next steps.

The impact of the rotavirus vaccine on diarrhoea, five years following national introduction in Fiji.

BACKGROUND: In 2012, Fiji became the first independent Pacific island country to introduce rotavirus vaccine. We describe the impact of rotavirus vaccine on all-cause diarrhoea admissions in all ages, and rotavirus diarrhoea in children <5 years of age. METHODS: An observational study was conducted retrospectively on all admissions to the public tertiary hospitals in Fiji (2007-2018) and prospectively on all rotavirus-positive diarrhoea admissions in children <5 years at two hospital sites (2006-2018, and 2010-2015), along with rotavirus diarrhoea outpatient presentations at one secondary public hospital (2010-2015). The impact of rotavirus vaccine was determined using incidence rate ratios (IRR) of all-cause diarrhoea admissions and rotavirus diarrhoea, comparing the pre-vaccine and post-vaccine periods. All-cause admissions were used as a control. Multiple imputation was used to impute missing stool samples. FINDINGS: All-cause diarrhoea admissions declined among all age groups except among infants ≤2 months old and adults ≥55 years. For children <5 years, all-cause diarrhoea admissions declined by 39% (IRR)=0•61, 95%CI; 0•57-0•65, p-value<0•001). There was an 81% (95%CI; 51-94%) reduction in mortality among all-cause diarrhoea admissions in children under <5 years. Rotavirus diarrhoea admissions at the largest hospital among children <5 years declined by 87% (IRR=0•13, 95%CI; 0•10-0•17, p-value<0•001). Among rotavirus diarrhoea outpatient presentations, the IRR was 0•39 (95%CI; 0•11, 1.21, p-value=0.077). INTERPRETATIONS: Morbidity and mortality due to rotavirus and all-cause diarrhoea in Fiji has declined in people aged 2 months to 54 years after the introduction of the RV vaccine. FUNDING: Supported by WHO and the Australian Government.

Effect of ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction on pneumonia hospital admissions in Fiji: a time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: In October, 2012, Fiji introduced routine infant immunisation with a ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) using three primary doses and no booster dose (3 + 0 schedule). Data are scarce for the effect of PCV in the Asia and Pacific region. We aimed to evaluate the effect of PCV10 on pneumonia hospital admissions in children younger than 5 years and adults aged 55 years and older in Fiji, 5 years after vaccine introduction. METHODS: We did a time-series analysis assessing changes in pneumonia hospital admissions at three public tertiary hospitals in Fiji. Four pneumonia outcomes were evaluated: all-cause pneumonia, severe or very severe pneumonia, hypoxic pneumonia, and radiological pneumonia. Participants aged younger than 2 months, 2-23 months, 24-59 months, and 55 years and older were included. Data were extracted from the national hospital admission database according to International Classification of Diseases-tenth revision codes J10·0-18·9, J21, and J22 for all-cause pneumonia. Medical records and chest radiographs were reviewed for the main tertiary hospital to reclassify hospital admissions in children aged younger than 2 years as severe or very severe, hypoxic, or radiological pneumonia as per WHO definitions. Time-series analyses were done using the synthetic control method and multiple imputation to adjust for changes in hospital usage and missing data. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 2007, and Dec 31, 2017, the ratio of observed cases to expected cases for all-cause pneumonia was 0·92 (95% CI 0·70-1·36) for children aged younger than 2 months, 0·86 (0·74-1·00) for children aged 2-23 months, 0·74 (0·62-0·87) for children aged 24-59 months, and 1·90 (1·53-2·31) in adults aged 55 years and older, 5 years after PCV10 introduction. These findings indicate a reduction in all-cause pneumonia among children aged 24-59 months and an increase in adults aged 55 years and older, but no change among children aged younger than 2 months. Among children aged 2-23 months, we observed declines of 21% (95% CI 5-35) for severe or very severe pneumonia, 46% (33-56) for hypoxic pneumonia, and 25% (9-38) for radiological pneumonia. Mortality reduced by 39% (95% CI 5-62) for all-cause pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and asthma admissions in children aged 2-23 months. INTERPRETATION: The introduction of PCV10 was associated with a decrease in pneumonia hospital admissions in children aged 2-59 months. This is the first study in a middle-income country in the Asia and Pacific region to show the effect of PCV on pneumonia, filling gaps in the literature on the effects of PCV10 and 3 + 0 schedules. These data support decision making on PCV introduction for other low-income and middle-income countries in the region. FUNDING: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government.

A Comparison of Pneumococcal Nasopharyngeal Carriage in Very Young Fijian Infants Born by Vaginal or Cesarean Delivery.

Importance: Pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage is a prerequisite for pneumococcal disease. The main transmission route is from toddlers, who commonly carry pneumococci. However, neonatal pneumococcal disease case reports suggest that vertical pneumococcal transmission may also occur. Objective: To describe and compare pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage and density by infant mode of delivery in young Fijian infants. Design, Setting, and Participants: Annual cross-sectional surveys were performed in Suva, Fiji, before the introduction of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10), from September 14 to December 20, 2012, and after PCV10 was introduced, from July 11 to November 19, 2013; July 15 to December 9, 2014; and August 13 to November 19, 2015. Caregivers of 2006 infants aged 5 to 8 weeks participated in the surveys. Statistical analysis was performed from May 24, 2018, to August 12, 2019. Exposures: Caregivers provided data on infant mode of delivery and demographics via interviewer-led survey. Main Outcomes and Measures: Pneumococci in swab samples were detected and quantified by lytA quantitative polymerase chain reaction with molecular serotyping by microarray. Pneumococci were categorized as PCV10 or non-PCV10 serotypes. Results: Of the 2006 infants (976 girls and 1030 boys; mean [SD] age, 6.1 [0.02] weeks]), 1742 (86.8%) were born vaginally and 264 were born by cesarean delivery. Infants delivered vaginally, compared with those born by cesarean delivery, had a higher prevalence of overall pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage (470 of 1722 [27.3%; 95% CI, 25.2%-29.4%] vs 47 of 260 [18.1%; 95% CI, 13.6%-23.3%]; P = .002), PCV10 carriage (113 of 1698 [6.7%; 95% CI, 5.5%-7.9%] vs 8 of 256 [3.1%; 95% CI, 1.4%-6.1%]; P = .03), and non-PCV10 carriage (355 of 1698 [20.9%; 95% CI, 19.0%-22.9%] vs 38 of 256 [14.8%; 95% CI, 10.7%-19.8%]; P = .02), and had higher median densities of overall pneumococci (4.9 log10 genome equivalents [GE]/mL [interquartile range, 4.8-5.0 log10 GE/mL] vs 4.5 log10 GE/mL [interquartile range, 4.1-4.6 log10 GE/mL]; P = .01) and non-PCV10 pneumococci (4.9 log10 GE/mL [interquartile range, 4.7-5.0 log10 GE/mL] vs 4.4 log10 GE/mL [interquartile range, 4.0-4.7 log10 GE/mL]; P = .01). Vaginal delivery was associated with overall (adjusted odds ratio, 1.57 [95% CI, 1.10-2.23]; P = .01) and non-PCV10 (adjusted odds ratio, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.01-2.20]; P = .04]) pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage. Vaginal delivery was not associated with PCV10 carriage (adjusted odds ratio, 1.67 [95% CI, 0.80-3.51]; P = .17). After adjustment, vaginal delivery was not associated with density. Conclusions and Relevance: Pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage prevalence and density were higher in infants delivered vaginally compared with those delivered by cesarean birth. After adjustment, vaginal delivery was associated with pneumococcal carriage. Differences in carriage by mode of delivery may be due to differential exposure to the vaginal microbiota during delivery and the effect of intrapartum antibiotics during cesarean delivery on the infant microbiome. Our findings also raise the hypothesis that vertical transmission may contribute to pneumococcal acquisition.

Effect of ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction on pneumococcal carriage in Fiji: results from four annual cross-sectional carriage surveys.

BACKGROUND: The indirect effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are mediated through reductions in carriage of vaccine serotypes. Data on PCVs in Asia and the Pacific are scarce. Fiji introduced the ten-valent PCV (PCV10) in 2012, with a schedule consisting of three priming doses at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age and no booster dose (3 + 0 schedule) without catch-up. We investigated the effects of PCV10 introduction using cross-sectional nasopharyngeal carriage surveys. METHODS: We did four annual carriage surveys (one pre-PCV10 and three post-PCV10) in the greater Suva area in Fiji, during 2012-15, of 5-8-week-old infants, 12-23-month-old children, 2-6-year-old children, and their caregivers (total of 8109 participants). Eligible participants were of appropriate age, had axillary temperature lower than 37°C, and had lived in the community for at least 3 consecutive months. We used purposive quota sampling to ensure a proper representation of the Fiji population. Pneumococci were detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and molecular serotyping was done with microarray. FINDINGS: 3 years after PCV10 introduction, vaccine-serotype carriage prevalence declined, with adjusted prevalences (2015 vs 2012) of 0·56 (95% CI 0·34-0·93) in 5-8-week-old infants, 0·34 (0·23-0·49) in 12-23-month-olds, 0·47 (0·34-0·66) in 2-6-year-olds, and 0·43 (0·13-1·42) in caregivers. Reductions in PCV10 serotype carriage were evident in both main ethnic groups in Fiji; however, carriage of non-PCV10 serotypes increased in Indigenous Fijian infants and children. Density of PCV10 serotypes and non-PCV10 serotypes was lower in PCV10-vaccinated children aged 12-23 months than in PCV10-unvaccinated children of the same age group (PCV10 serotypes -0·56 [95% CI -0·98 to -0·15], p=0·0077; non-PCV10 serotypes -0·29 [-0·57 to -0·02], p=0·0334). INTERPRETATION: Direct and indirect effects on pneumococcal carriage post-PCV10 are likely to result in reductions in pneumococcal disease, including in infants too young to be vaccinated. Serotype replacement in carriage in Fijian children, particularly Indigenous children, warrants further monitoring. Observed changes in pneumococcal density might be temporal rather than vaccine related. FUNDING: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government through the Fiji Health Sector Support Program; Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Epidemiology of intussusception before and after rotavirus vaccine introduction in Fiji.

In 2012, Fiji introduced rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix, GSK) into the national immunisation schedule. We describe the intussusception epidemiology prior to rotavirus vaccine, temporal association of intussusception cases to administration of rotavirus vaccine, and estimate the additional number of intussusception cases that may be associated with rotavirus vaccine. A retrospective review of intussusception cases for children aged <24 months old was undertaken between January 2007 and October 2012 pre-vaccine. All admissions and deaths with a discharge diagnosis of intussusception, bowel obstruction, paralytic ileus, or intussusception ICD10-AM codes were extracted from national databases and hospital records. Nationwide active intussusception surveillance was established for three years post-vaccine (2013-2015). There were 24 definite intussusception cases in the pre-rotavirus vaccine period, 96% were confirmed by surgery. The median age was 6.5 months. The incidence rate was 22.2 (95% CI: 13.9-33.7) per 100,000 infants. There were no deaths. Active surveillance identified 25 definite intussusception cases, 96% of which were among children who were age-eligible for rotavirus vaccine. None were potentially vaccine related. We estimated one to five additional  cases of intussusception every five years. The incidence of intussusception pre-rotavirus vaccine in Fiji is low. Intussusception associated with rotavirus vaccine is likely a rare event in Fiji.

Epidemiology and risk factors for typhoid fever in Central Division, Fiji, 2014-2017: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Typhoid fever is endemic in Fiji, with high reported annual incidence. We sought to identify the sources and modes of transmission of typhoid fever in Fiji with the aim to inform disease control. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We identified and surveyed patients with blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever from January 2014 through January 2017. For each typhoid fever case we matched two controls by age interval, gender, ethnicity, and residential area. Univariable and multivariable analysis were used to evaluate associations between exposures and risk for typhoid fever. We enrolled 175 patients with typhoid fever and 349 controls. Of the cases, the median (range) age was 29 (2-67) years, 86 (49%) were male, and 84 (48%) lived in a rural area. On multivariable analysis, interrupted water availability (odds ratio [OR] = 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-4.00), drinking surface water in the last 2 weeks (OR = 3.61; 95% CI 1.44-9.06), eating unwashed produce (OR = 2.69; 95% CI 1.48-4.91), and having an unimproved or damaged sanitation facility (OR = 4.30; 95% CI 1.14-16.21) were significantly associated with typhoid fever. Frequent handwashing after defecating (OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.35-0.93) and using soap for handwashing (OR = 0.61; 95% CI 0.37-0.95) were independently associated with a lower odds of typhoid fever. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sanitation facilities appear to be a major source of Salmonella Typhi in Fiji, with transmission by drinking contaminated surface water and consuming unwashed produce. Improved sanitation facilities and protection of surface water sources and produce from contamination by human feces are likely to contribute to typhoid control in Fiji.

State Regulation of Community Paramedicine Programs: A National Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Community Paramedicine (CP) is a rapidly evolving field within prehospital care where paramedics step outside of their traditional roles of treating acute conditions to provide elements of primary and preventive care. It is unclear if current state oversight regarding the scope of practice (SOP) for paramedics provides clear guidance on the novel functions provided and skills performed by CP programs. OBJECTIVE: To determine the process and authority, as currently defined by state laws and regulations in the United States, to expand paramedic SOP in order to perform CP roles and to assess state EMS agencies' interpretation of paramedic SOP as it applies to CP. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of laws, regulations, and policies from the 50 U.S. states in effect between February and June 2016 that define or apply to paramedic SOP. We determined whether each state's SOP included 21 potential skills applicable to CP within the following categories: assessment, treatment & intervention, referrals, and prevention & public health. Laws were also queried for mechanisms for expanding SOP, alternate destinations, and community paramedicine for each state. Additionally, we surveyed representatives from U.S. State Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies and asked which of these skills were a part of their current SOP. All data was coded into Excel™ and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: All 50 U.S. states have laws relating to EMS. Forty-one states have a statewide SOP (82%), and 3 states have statewide protocols from which the SOP has been inferred for purposed of this study, but may not legally constitute SOP in this jurisdiction (6%). 20 states (40%) had a clearly defined mechanism for expanding SOP. Sixteen states (32%) had laws specific to CP. Seven states (14%) allowed for patients to be transported to alternate destinations. Of the 21 skills surveyed, on average there were 8.63 (6.41-10.85) fewer skills for paramedics found in state SOP laws and regulations than were reported as being a part of a state's paramedic SOP. All skills demonstrated variability between the legal review and survey results with 13.04-96.15% concordance. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of guidance and consistency regarding CP programs and scope of practice. Further studies are needed to understand best practices around regulation and oversight of CP.

A cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey of typhoid fever in Fiji.

Fiji, an upper-middle income state in the Pacific Ocean, has experienced an increase in confirmed case notifications of enteric fever caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). To characterize the epidemiology of typhoid exposure, we conducted a cross-sectional sero-epidemiological survey measuring IgG against the Vi antigen of S. Typhi to estimate the effect of age, ethnicity, and other variables on seroprevalence. Epidemiologically relevant cut-off titres were established using a mixed model analysis of data from recovering culture-confirmed typhoid cases. We enrolled and assayed plasma of 1787 participants for anti-Vi IgG; 1,531 of these were resident in mainland areas that had not been previously vaccinated against S. Typhi (seropositivity 32.3% (95%CI 28.2 to 36.3%)), 256 were resident on Taveuni island, which had been previously vaccinated (seropositivity 71.5% (95%CI 62.1 to 80.9%)). The seroprevalence on the Fijian mainland is one to two orders of magnitude higher than expected from confirmed case surveillance incidence, suggesting substantial subclinical or otherwise unreported typhoid. We found no significant differences in seropositivity prevalences by ethnicity, which is in contrast to disease surveillance data in which the indigenous iTaukei Fijian population are disproportionately affected. Using multivariable logistic regression, seropositivity was associated with increased age (odds ratio 1.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 1.4) per 10 years), the presence of a pit latrine (OR 1.6, 95%CI 1.1 to 2.3) as opposed to a septic tank or piped sewer, and residence in settlements rather than residential housing or villages (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.7). Increasing seropositivity with age is suggestive of low-level endemic transmission in Fiji. Improved sanitation where pit latrines are used and addressing potential transmission routes in settlements may reduce exposure to S. Typhi. Widespread unreported infection suggests there may be a role for typhoid vaccination in Fiji, in addition to public health management of cases and outbreaks.

Real-time qPCR improves meningitis pathogen detection in invasive bacterial-vaccine preventable disease surveillance in Fiji.

As part of the World Health Organization Invasive Bacterial-Vaccine Preventable Diseases (IB-VPD) surveillance in Suva, Fiji, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from suspected meningitis patients of all ages were examined by traditional methods (culture, Gram stain, and latex agglutination for bacterial antigen) and qPCR for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae. Of 266 samples tested, pathogens were identified in 47 (17.7%). S. pneumoniae was the most common pathogen detected (n = 17) followed by N. meningitidis (n = 13). The use of qPCR significantly increased detection of IB-VPD pathogens (P = 0.0001): of 35 samples that were qPCR positive for S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, and H. influenzae, only 10 were culture positive. This was particularly relevant for N. meningitidis, as only 1/13 cases was culture positive. Molecular serotyping by microarray was used to determine pneumococcal serotypes from 9 of 16 (56%) of samples using DNA directly extracted from CSF specimens. Results indicate that qPCR significantly increases detection of S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, and H. influenzae in CSF, and that application of molecular diagnostics is a feasible way to enhance local and global surveillance for IB-VPD.

Phylogeographical analysis of the dominant multidrug-resistant H58 clade of Salmonella Typhi identifies inter- and intracontinental transmission events.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) typhoid is a major global health threat affecting many countries where the disease is endemic. Here whole-genome sequence analysis of 1,832 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) identifies a single dominant MDR lineage, H58, that has emerged and spread throughout Asia and Africa over the last 30 years. Our analysis identifies numerous transmissions of H58, including multiple transfers from Asia to Africa and an ongoing, unrecognized MDR epidemic within Africa itself. Notably, our analysis indicates that H58 lineages are displacing antibiotic-sensitive isolates, transforming the global population structure of this pathogen. H58 isolates can harbor a complex MDR element residing either on transmissible IncHI1 plasmids or within multiple chromosomal integration sites. We also identify new mutations that define the H58 lineage. This phylogeographical analysis provides a framework to facilitate global management of MDR typhoid and is applicable to similar MDR lineages emerging in other bacterial species.

Typhoid fever in Fiji: a reversible plague?

The country of Fiji, with a population of approximately 870 000 people, faces a growing burden of several communicable diseases including the bacterial infection typhoid fever. Surveillance data suggest that typhoid has become increasingly common in rural areas of Fiji and is more frequent amongst young adults. Transmission of the organisms that cause typhoid is facilitated by faecal contamination of food or water and may be influenced by local behavioural practices in Fiji. The Fijian Ministry of Health, with support from Australian Aid, hosted a meeting in August 2012 to develop comprehensive control and prevention strategies for typhoid fever in Fiji. International and local specialists were invited to share relevant data and discuss typhoid control options. The resultant recommendations focused on generating a clearer sense of the epidemiology of typhoid in Fiji and exploring the contribution of potential transmission pathways. Additionally, the panel suggested steps such as ensuring that recommended ciprofloxacin doses are appropriate to reduce the potential for relapse and reinfection in clinical cases, encouraging proper hand hygiene of food and drink handlers, working with water and sanitation agencies to review current sanitation practices and considering a vaccination policy targeting epidemiologically relevant populations.

Impact of a targeted typhoid vaccination campaign following cyclone Tomas, Republic of Fiji, 2010.

After a category 4 cyclone that caused extensive population displacement and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure in Fiji in March 2010, a typhoid vaccination campaign was conducted as part of the post-disaster response. During June-December 2010, 64,015 doses of typhoid Vi polysaccharide vaccine were administered to persons ≥ 2 years of age, primarily in cyclone-affected areas that were typhoid endemic. Annual typhoid fever incidence decreased during the post-campaign year (2011) relative to preceding years (2008-2009) in three subdivisions where a large proportion of the population was vaccinated (incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals: 0.23, 0.13-0.41; 0.24, 0.14-0.41; 0.58, 0.40-0.86), and increased or remained unchanged in 12 subdivisions where little to no vaccination occurred. Vaccination played a role in reducing typhoid fever incidence in high-incidence areas after a disaster and should be considered in endemic settings, along with comprehensive control measures, as recommended by the World Health Organization.