Medicine use and recurrent complaints among 15-years-old adolescents in Tuscany.

BACKGROUND: The use of medicines to treat common complaints, such as headache, stomachache, difficulty in getting to sleep and nervousness, is widespread among adolescents, and is increasing. The aim of this survey was to estimate the prevalence of recurrent specific complaints among 15-year-old adolescents in Tuscany over three years (2006, 2010 and 2014) and that of medicine use to treat these complaints among boys and girls. METHODS: The present study is based on data from the Tuscan HBSC studies at three time points (2006, 2010 and 2014), which involved 2830 adolescents, aged 15 years old (1395 boys and 1435 girls). RESULTS: Overall, the data confirm that adolescents who suffer from recurrent complaints are more likely to use medicines. The prevalence rates of all complaints were higher in girls than in boys in the three years considered. Over the whole period, headache, stomachache and difficulty in getting to sleep increased in girls, while boys displayed significant decrease in nervousness and stomachache. CONCLUSION: Our findings underline the fact that the use of medicines in adolescence is a public health concern and constitutes an emerging issue that needs greater attention and investigation on the part of scientific research.

Egg-Independent Influenza Vaccines and Vaccine Candidates.

Vaccination remains the principal way to control seasonal infections and is the most effective method of reducing influenza-associated morbidity and mortality. Since the 1940s, the main method of producing influenza vaccines has been an egg-based production process. However, in the event of a pandemic, this method has a significant limitation, as the time lag from strain isolation to final dose formulation and validation is six months. Indeed, production in eggs is a relatively slow process and production yields are both unpredictable and highly variable from strain to strain. In particular, if the next influenza pandemic were to arise from an avian influenza virus, and thus reduce the egg-laying hen population, there would be a shortage of embryonated eggs available for vaccine manufacturing. Although the production of egg-derived vaccines will continue, new technological developments have generated a cell-culture-based influenza vaccine and other more recent platforms, such as synthetic influenza vaccines.

Flucelvax (Optaflu) for seasonal influenza.

Conventional egg-based manufacturing technology for seasonal influenza vaccines has several drawbacks, including its inflexibility, reliance on egg supplies, risk of contamination, absence of growth of some isolates and egg-adaptive viral mutations that threaten vaccine matching. To overcome these limitations, cell culture-derived vaccines have been designed, including the trivalent inactivated vaccine Flucelvax®/Optaflu® (brand names in the US/EU, respectively). Flucelvax®/Optaflu® has gained wide regulatory approval and is currently implemented in several countries. Non-clinical studies have assuaged hypothetical concerns regarding oncogenicity and use in persons allergic to dogs. Ample clinical data suggest the non-inferiority of Flucelvax®/Optaflu® to egg-based vaccines in terms of immunogenicity, safety and tolerability, and it has fulfilled American and European mandatory requirements. Although Flucelvax®/Optaflu® is currently indicated only for adults and the elderly, pediatric data indicate its good immunogenicity and safety. This paper provides an update on the clinical development of Flucelvax®/Optaflu®, its seasonal trials and available post-marketing surveillance data.