Adolescent immunization.

During the last century National Immunization Program (NIP) were implemented worldwide. The program started with a small number of vaccines for universal administration to infants and young children. In the second half of the century an evolution (slow in the start and rapid later) occurred in the structure of NIPs especially in developed countries.

International network on endocrine complications in thalassaemia (I-CET): an opportunity to grow.

Most of the endocrine complications in thalassaemia are attributable to iron overload which may be the result of economic circumstances (expense of the chelation therapy), late onset of chelation therapy or poor compliance with the iron chelation therapy. The major difficulties reported by hematologists or pediatric endocrinologists experienced in thalassaemias or thalassaemia syndromes in following growth disorders and endocrine complications were: lack of familiarity with medical treatment of endocrine complications (40%), interpretation of endocrine tests (30%), costs (65%), absence of paediatric endocrinologist for consultation on growth disorders and endocrine complications (27%), facilities (27%), other (e.g.

Hepatitis in children hospitalized with measles: the experience acquired after a Greek epidemic.

Objective: In childhood, hepatitis is an uncommon and ill-defined complication of measles. We studied prospectively the prevalence of hepatitis in 189 children with measles, admitted to hospital during a measles epidemic in Greece.

Methodology: Diagnosis of measles was based on clinical features and a fourfold rise of the haemagglutination inhibiting antibody titre, while liver impairment was based on a twofold or greater increase in liver enzymes.