Maternal pertussis and influenza immunization coverage and attitude of health care workers towards these recommendations in Flanders, Belgium.

In Belgium, pertussis vaccination is recommended for all pregnant women in every pregnancy. Adults in close contact with young infants are equally advised to receive a pertussis containing booster dose. Maternal influenza vaccination is likewise recommended in Belgium in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, within the influenza season.

From non school-based, co-payment to school-based, free Human Papillomavirus vaccination in Flanders (Belgium): a retrospective cohort study describing vaccination coverage, age-specific coverage and socio-economic inequalities.

School-based, free HPV vaccination for girls in the first year of secondary school was introduced in Flanders (Belgium) in 2010. Before that, non school-based, co-payment vaccination for girls aged 12-18 was in place. We compared vaccination coverage, age-specific coverage and socio-economic inequalities in coverage - 3 important parameters contributing to the effectiveness of the vaccination programs - under both vaccination systems.

Assessing vaccination coverage in infants, survey studies versus the Flemish immunisation register: achieving the best of both worlds.

Infant immunisation coverage in Flanders, Belgium, is monitored through repeated coverage surveys. With the increased use of Vaccinnet, the web-based ordering system for vaccines in Flanders set up in 2004 and linked to an immunisation register, this database could become an alternative to quickly estimate vaccination coverage. To evaluate its current accuracy, coverage estimates generated from Vaccinnet alone were compared with estimates from the most recent survey (2012) that combined interview data with data from Vaccinnet and medical files.

Obstacles in measles elimination: an in-depth description of a measles outbreak in Ghent, Belgium, spring 2011.

Background: From Mid-February to April 2011 one of the largest measles-outbreak in Flanders, since the start of the 2-dose vaccination scheme in 1995, took place in Ghent, Belgium. The outbreak started in a day care center, infecting children too young to be vaccinated, after which it spread to anthroposophic schools with a low measles, mumps and rubella vaccination coverage. This report describes the outbreak and evaluates the control measures and interventions.

An outbreak of hepatitis A associated with the consumption of raw beef.

Background: In July 2004, a sharp increase of hepatitis A, a notifiable disease in Belgium, was detected.

Objectives: We investigated the outbreak in order to identify the source and take appropriate action.

Study Design: We conducted an outbreak investigation which included a matched case-control study to analyse the association with a range of food items and food providers.

Cholera among Belgian travellers in Turkey in 2005.

Background: Two elderly people among a group of eight Belgian travellers who had stayed in Turkey for 2 weeks, developed a severe enteritis shortly after their return to Belgium. They had travelled by private bus, and had visited different places during their stay in Turkey from 6 to 17 September 2005.

Methods: After notification an epidemiological study was conducted by the Public Health authorities in Antwerp to identify the cause of the infection, to detect other cases, and to trace the source in Turkey.

A population-based prevalence study of hepatitis A, B and C virus using oral fluid in Flanders, Belgium.

Ten years after the first seroprevalence study performed in Flanders, the aim of this cross sectional study was to follow the evolution of hepatitis A, B and C prevalence. The prevalence of hepatitis A antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C antibodies was measured in oral fluid samples collected by postal survey. Using the National Population Register, an incremental sampling plan was developed to obtain a representative sampling of the general population.