The authors retrospectively analyzed hepatitis A virus (HAV) seroprevalence in travellers who had been born and lived at least 1 year in a developing country, wanted to travel to a hepatitis A endemic area, and consulted at the vaccination centre of the Institut Pasteur of Paris between September 1, 2008 and February 28, 2010. HAV seroprevalence was 82.4 % for a population of 646 immigrants for whom data were available
The heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) targets seven of the more than 92 pneumococcal serotypes. Concerns have been raised that non-vaccine serotypes (NVTs) could increase in prevalence and reduce the benefits of vaccination. Indeed, among asymptomatic carriers, the prevalence of NVTs has increased substantially, and consequently, there has been little or no net change in the bacterial carriage prevalence.
The European network for arthropod vector surveillance for human public health (VBORNET), funded by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, holds its second annual general meeting at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, on 18-20 April 2011
An event that brings together expertise from such areas as social marketing, the behavioural sciences, strategic communications, health promotion, community engagement, policy development and advocacy.
This study establishes whether the immunisation with hexavalent vaccines increased the short term risk of sudden unexpected deaths (SUD) in infants in Italy, following the signal of an association between vaccination in the second year of life with a hexavalent vaccine and SUD in the two days following vaccination reported in Germany in 2003.
Current trends show both progress and challenges in fighting the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in Europe according to ECDC’s analysis on the state of antibiotic resistance in Europe. Since 2008, ECDC has been coordinating the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) – a European health initiative that promotes prudent use of antibiotics. On the occasion of the World Health Day 2011, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger presented the ‘Situation update on antibiotic resistance’ to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
In his speech today at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for health, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger highlighted these challenges and encouraged countries to maintain investment in public health and to work toward smarter and better cooperation.
From 1 April 2011, nearly six years after it became operational, ECDC changes its organisational structure. The reorganisation aims at a greater flexibility towards newly arising priorities and further strengthening the disease-specific work at ECDC.
ECDC has been honoured to receive the 2011 Anders Gustâv Minnesfond Award. The award of SEK 50 000 kr was received by ECDC Director Marc Sprenger in a ceremony at ECDC’s premises in Solna on 30 March.