Retrospective Analysis of Six Years of Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance and Polio Vaccine Coverage Reported by Italy, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Malta, and Greece.

Here we analyzed six years of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, from 2015 to 2020, of 10 countries linked to the WHO Regional Reference Laboratory, at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy. The analysis also comprises the polio vaccine coverage available (2015-2019) and enterovirus (EV) identification and typing data. Centralized Information System for Infectious Diseases and Laboratory Data Management System databases were used to obtain data on AFP indicators and laboratory performance and countries' vaccine coverage from 2015 to 2019.

Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in bosnia and herzegovina: Recent isolation of two sabin like type 2 poliovirus.

The WHO Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication has recently indicated Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) as a high risk country for transmission, following importation, of wild poliovirus (WPV) or circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). We analyzed data on Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance between 2007 to 2016, and the trend of polio immunization coverage in B&H. The majority of AFP cases was recorded in 2016 suggesting an enhancement of the AFP surveillance activities.

Epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance of the measles outbreak in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, February 2014-April 2015.

A measles outbreak with two epidemic waves involving 4649 probable and laboratory-confirmed cases was recorded in six out of ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina between February 2014 and April 2015. The majority of the patients had never received measles vaccination (3115/4649, 67.00%), and the vaccination status of another 23% was unknown (1066/4649).

An outbreak of rubella in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina between December 2009 and May 2010 indicates failure to vaccinate during wartime (1992-1995).

A rubella outbreak involving 1900 cases was recorded in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina between mid-December 2009 and the end of May 2010. Sera from 389 suspected rubella cases were examined for the presence of rubella-specific IgM and IgG antibodies. A total of 32 throat swabs from suspected rubella cases were tested by RT-PCR and were used to attempt virus isolation.

Protective effect of neonatal BCG vaccines against tuberculous meningitis.

Neonatal BCG vaccination reduces the risk of tuberculosis and provides protection higher than 80% against the development of meningeal and miliary tuberculosis in newborns. Tuberculosis meningitis remains a major problem and also an important cause of death in some countries. In countries with high and moderate incidence of tuberculosis, prevention from the most severe complications of tuberculosis can be achieved only with a high coverage of the universal BCG neonatal immunization, being higher than 98% in the cohort of newborns.

[Strategy for administering hepatitis B vaccine to newborns in Bosnia-Herzegovina].

Background: Neonatal hepatitis B vaccination is the best effective measure for prevention hepatitis B infection in the countries with intermediate to high levels of HB endemicity.

Methods: Epidemiological methods of research had the aim to follow the incidence rates of viral hepatitis B and HBsAg carriers and to determine influence on the risks of transmission hepatitis B infection in new-borns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serologic immunogenic quality of hepatitis B vaccine is researched.

[Expected incidence of post-vaccination complications in vaccination programs].

Incidence rate of the harder adverse immunization reactions in the Program of the vaccination children in Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina is similar in the terms of kind and frequency as in the countries with high quality programme of the vaccination. In the period from 2002-2003 year cases of the adverse reactions were not registered, as vaccinal form of polyomyelitis, toxic syndrome or sudden acute deaths. The adverse events following immunization were classified in relation to 100,000 applicated vaccines, the incidence rate of supurative lymphadenitis at BCG vaccination reported are 32@100000, anaphylaxia at MMR vaccination 0.