Current childhood vaccination schedules are the result of historical tradition, compliance with provision of health services and national vaccine registration. They have been designed on the basis of different needs related to how the healthcare system – but also the education system – is organised at national level.
In the closed cabin environment of modern airplanes, passengers are frequently exposed to various infectious diseases. This report looks at 12 infectious diseases and, by systematically evaluating literature on on-board transmission, attempts to assess the risk of infection via air circulation in airplanes.
These guidelines are complemented by operational guidelines in relation to tuberculosis, new emerging airborne diseases (e.g. SARS) and meningococcal infections.
This is an abridged version of the Surveillance of Bacterial Meningitis in Europe report 1999/2000. The following facts and figures were the most up to date available at the time of compiling this report.
EU-IBIS, a surveillance network for invasive meningococcal disease, continues to fulfil its aims to gather and improve epidemiological information about the disease, to integrate and analyse molecular data, and to form the focus for a wider collaboration.
Findings in this study confirmed the herd immunity effect of immunizing young children, since invasive meningococcal disease was not only reduced among vaccinees, but in all age groups.