Foresight in medicine: current challenges with Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines.
An effective vaccine to prevent invasive infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria has been available for more than 20 years. Hib conjugate vaccine is safe, efficacious and easy to use, and its cost-benefit ratio is high both in industrialized as well as in developing countries. In spite of this, WHO estimates that every year approximately 8 million children contract life-threatening Haemophilus infections, especially meningitis or severe pneumonia. If we want to take seriously the Millenium Development Goal of reducing the mortality of under 5-year-old children by two-thirds before the year 2015, an effective means to contribute to this would be more efficient use of Hib vaccines.
Eskola
J
J
National Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland. juhani.eskola@thl.fi
D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D014943:Global Health; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000517:prevention & control; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use
D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate