Haemophilus influenzae disease and immunization in developing countries.
Haemophilus influenzae is one of the leading causes of severe bacterial infection in children of developing regions, causing 30% of the cases of culture-positive pneumonia and 20%-60% of the cases of bacterial meningitis. In infants and children, the majority of isolates from cerebrospinal fluid and blood and 16%-38% of pulmonary isolates are H. influenzae type b. The availability of several new polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines for the prevention of invasive disease due to H. influenzae type b prompts this review of the epidemiology of H. influenzae disease in the developing world and of the characteristics of current H. influenzae type b vaccines. To develop a strategy for use of H. influenzae type b vaccines in developing countries, the following data are needed: the age-specific attack rates of H. influenzae type b disease and the immunogenicity and efficacy of these vaccines in young infants in developing countries. Should H. influenzae type b vaccines prove to be inadequate for the prevention of H. influenzae pneumonia, the use of non-type b H. influenzae vaccines may be necessary.
Funkhouser
A
A
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Steinhoff
M C
MC
Ward
J
J
D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial
D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial