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(1e) SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES ?SEASONAL INFLUENZA - VACCINE - Influenza vaccine: a travelers' vaccine?
Marti F, Steffen R, Mutsch M. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2008;7:679-87.
Description:
This review article tackles the issue of preventing influenza through vaccination in travelers to areas of the world experiencing the Influenza peak season.
The authors points out that, despite influenza being among the second most frequent vaccine-preventable infection in travelers and despite the increasing travel volume worldwide, guidelines on influenza vaccination for international travel are scarce.
Therefore they recommend that influenza vaccination is considered for travelers crossing to the opposite hemisphere in influenza-peak season if they belong to one of the risk groups associated with more severe influenza disease.
Other factors might influence the decision to immunize travelers and these include environmental and behavioral factors. For example close contact with high transmission has been documented in cruise ships and during mass gatherings.
Those visiting the tropics are at moderate risk of infection and illness during the entire year. A summary on existing traveler recommendations relating to avian influenza is included.
ECDC comment (27/07/2008):
ECDC agrees with the authors? advice that travellers at risk of severe disease visiting areas where there is risk of influenza transmission should be protected.
EU citizens who fall into one of the risk groups recommended for annual immunisation and who are planning travel to the tropics at any time of year or to the southern hemisphere in the European summer should consider obtaining the commonly available influenza (?northern hemisphere?) vaccine within 6 months of travel.(1,2) When travelling, they also should follow the personal measures recommended by ECDC to reduce the risk of acquiring influenza infection.
In addition, in order to obtain optimal protection from influenza virus, those travelling to the southern hemisphere (Australasia and Southern South America) between May and October should consider being immunised with the most recent vaccine from the southern hemisphere either before travel or immediately on arrival in the country of destination.
If only the Northern Hemisphere vaccine is available that may be used as well as the two are usually very similar. Information on where influenza is circulating is available on regular WHO updates. However influenza surveillance is weak in many tropical countries and therefore even in the absence of signals from surveillance data, the risk of influenza transmission cannot be ruled out in some areas of the world.
1. Mutsch M, Tavernini M, Marx A, Gregory V, Lin YP, Hay AJ, Tschopp A, Steffen R. Influenza virus infection in travellers to tropical and subtropical countries. Clin Infect Dis 2005;40:1282-7.
2. WHO International Travel and Health 2007 page 104 http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2007/9789241580397_6_eng.pdf
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Marti F, Steffen R, Mutsch M. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2008;7:679-87.
Description:
This review article tackles the issue of preventing influenza through vaccination in travelers to areas of the world experiencing the Influenza peak season.
The authors points out that, despite influenza being among the second most frequent vaccine-preventable infection in travelers and despite the increasing travel volume worldwide, guidelines on influenza vaccination for international travel are scarce.
Therefore they recommend that influenza vaccination is considered for travelers crossing to the opposite hemisphere in influenza-peak season if they belong to one of the risk groups associated with more severe influenza disease.
Other factors might influence the decision to immunize travelers and these include environmental and behavioral factors. For example close contact with high transmission has been documented in cruise ships and during mass gatherings.
Those visiting the tropics are at moderate risk of infection and illness during the entire year. A summary on existing traveler recommendations relating to avian influenza is included.
ECDC comment (27/07/2008):
ECDC agrees with the authors? advice that travellers at risk of severe disease visiting areas where there is risk of influenza transmission should be protected.
EU citizens who fall into one of the risk groups recommended for annual immunisation and who are planning travel to the tropics at any time of year or to the southern hemisphere in the European summer should consider obtaining the commonly available influenza (?northern hemisphere?) vaccine within 6 months of travel.(1,2) When travelling, they also should follow the personal measures recommended by ECDC to reduce the risk of acquiring influenza infection.
In addition, in order to obtain optimal protection from influenza virus, those travelling to the southern hemisphere (Australasia and Southern South America) between May and October should consider being immunised with the most recent vaccine from the southern hemisphere either before travel or immediately on arrival in the country of destination.
If only the Northern Hemisphere vaccine is available that may be used as well as the two are usually very similar. Information on where influenza is circulating is available on regular WHO updates. However influenza surveillance is weak in many tropical countries and therefore even in the absence of signals from surveillance data, the risk of influenza transmission cannot be ruled out in some areas of the world.
1. Mutsch M, Tavernini M, Marx A, Gregory V, Lin YP, Hay AJ, Tschopp A, Steffen R. Influenza virus infection in travellers to tropical and subtropical countries. Clin Infect Dis 2005;40:1282-7.
2. WHO International Travel and Health 2007 page 104 http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2007/9789241580397_6_eng.pdf
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