Accelerated rubella control and congenital rubella syndrome prevention strengthen measles eradication: the Costa Rican experience.

In 2000, Costa Rica set a goal for accelerated rubella control and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) prevention in conjunction with its established measles eradication goal. To achieve this goal, a National Plan of Action for the integration of a measles-rubella (MR) vaccination strategy was implemented. The components of the national plan included conducting a national vaccination campaign with a single dose of MR vaccine for men and women aged 15-39 years, establishing routine postpartum MR vaccination of all previously unvaccinated women, maintaining high coverage among children with two doses of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, strengthening the integrated measles and rubella surveillance system, and developing a CRS surveillance system. This report summarizes the results of a successful adult campaign. Targeting MR vaccination appropriately and using the opportunity to strengthen surveillance for rash illness has benefits beyond accelerated rubella control and CRS prevention, including strengthening of the measles eradication program.

Seguridad e inmunogenicidad de la vacuna oral anticólera de células enteras muertas y de la subunidad B recombinante de la toxina en Barranquilla, Colombia / Safety and immunogenicity of oral killed whole cell recombinant B subunit cholera vaccine in Barranquilla, Colombia

Publicado en inglés en el Bull. PAHO. Vol. 29(4), 1995

Safety and immunogenicity of oral killed whole cell recombinant B subunit cholera vaccine in Barranquilla, Colombia

In January and February 1992, an assessment was conducted of the safety and immunogenicity of two doses of a new oral cholera vaccine prepared from the recombinant B subunit of the toxin and from killed whole cells (rBS/WC) in 1 165 individuals between the ages of 12 months and 64 years in Barranquilla, Colombia. This was a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study. Participants received two doses of either the vaccine or a placebo (killed Escherichia coli K12) over a two-week interval. Few symptoms were detected during the three days following administration of the initial dose and even fewer following the second. Sera obtained upon administration of the first dose and two weeks after administration of the second were tested for Vibrio cholera 01 Inaba vibriocidal antibodies and antitoxins. Geometric mean titers (GMT) of vibriocidal antibodies were found to increase two-fold in subjects receiving the vaccine. In the paired samples taken from vaccinated subjects, two-fold or greater increases were observed in 44 percent and four-fold or greater increases were observed in 34 percent, as compared to similar increases in 9.2 percent and 2.2 percent of the sera taken from those receiving the placebo (P 0.05). The GMTs of IgG and IgA antitoxins, as determined by ELISA, increased by factors of 4 and 3.2, respectively, in those receiving the vaccine, as compared to factors of 1.1 and 1.1 in those given the placebo (P 0.001 for IgG, P 0.01 for IgA) (AU)

Safety and immunogenicity of oral killed whole cell recombinant B subunit cholera vaccine in Barranquilla, Colombia

In January and February 1992, an assessment was conducted of the safety and immunogenicity of two doses of a new oral cholera vaccine prepared from the recombinant B subunit of the toxin and from killed whole cells (rBS/WC) in 1 165 individuals between the ages of 12 months and 64 years in Barranquilla, Colombia. This was a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study. Participants received two doses of either the vaccine or a placebo (killed Escherichia coli K12) over a two-week interval. Few symptoms were detected during the three days following administration of the initial dose and even fewer following the second. Sera obtained upon administration of the first dose and two weeks after administration of the second were tested for Vibrio cholera 01 Inaba vibriocidal antibodies and antitoxins. Geometric mean titers (GMT) of vibriocidal antibodies were found to increase two-fold in subjects receiving the vaccine. In the paired samples taken from vaccinated subjects, two-fold or greater increases were observed in 44 percent and four-fold or greater increases were observed in 34 percent, as compared to similar increases in 9.2 percent and 2.2 percent of the sera taken from those receiving the placebo (P 0.05). The GMTs of IgG and IgA antitoxins, as determined by ELISA, increased by factors of 4 and 3.2, respectively, in those receiving the vaccine, as compared to factors of 1.1 and 1.1 in those given the placebo (P 0.001 for IgG, P 0.01 for IgA) (AU)

Published in Spanish in the BOSP. Vol. 119(2) August 1995

La tercera revolución epidemiologica y la promocion de la salud / The third epidemiological revolution and the health promotion

A la epidemiologia le preocupa el estudio de la salud en las poblaciones, sinembargo esta aproximacion conceptual general a su campo de aplicación ha sido interpretada de diversas maneras de acuerdo adistintos momentos historicos-sociales y el marco logico sanitario de los gobiernos y grupos de poder que impregnan los dos terminos claves de la definicion: salud y poblacion...