The composition of demand for newly launched vaccines: results from the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccine introductions in Ethiopia and Malawi.

Understanding post-launch demand for new vaccines can help countries maximize the benefits of immunization programmes. In particular, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) should ensure adequate resource planning with regards to stock consumption and service delivery for new vaccines, whereas global suppliers must produce enough vaccines to meet demand. If a country underestimates the number of children seeking vaccination, a stock-out of commodities will create missed opportunities for saving lives.

Children who received PCV-10 vaccine from a two-dose vial without preservative are not more likely to develop injection site abscess compared with those who received pentavalent (DPT-HepB-Hib) vaccine: a longitudinal multi-site study.

Background: The single dose pneumonia ten-valent vaccine has been widely used and is highly efficacious against selected strains Streptococcus pneumonia. A two-dose vial without preservative is being introduced in developing countries to reduce the cost of the vaccine. In routine settings improper immunization practice could result in microbial contamination leading to adverse events following immunization.

'Helping babies breathe' training in sub-saharan Africa: educational impact and learner impressions.

Background: Poor resuscitation contributes significantly to neonatal deaths globally. Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) is a new evidence-based neonatal resuscitation curriculum for low-resource settings.

Objective: We sought to characterize knowledge changes after national-level HBB training in Ethiopia, factors correlated with successful training, resuscitation skills and trainees' perceptions.

Assessing the health system's capacity to conduct neonatal resuscitation in Ethiopia.

Background: Globally and nationally approximately a quarter of neonatal deaths and an unknown number of intrapartum stillbirths are attributed to intrapartum complications known as birth asphyxia. Simple stimulation and resuscitation can save many of these lives.

Objective: To describe the capacity of the Ethiopian health system to provide neonatal resuscitation with bag and musk.

The epidemiology of rubella disease in Ethiopia: data from the measles case-based surveillance system.

Background: Rubella is usually a mild rash illness. However, when a woman contracts rubella early in pregnancy, serious consequences may occur, including birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Information is limited on the epidemiology of rubella and CRS in Ethiopia.

Progress in measles mortality reduction in Ethiopia, 2002-2009.

Background: In 2002, Ethiopia adopted the African regional accelerated measles control strategies to reduce measles mortality. Routine measles vaccination is provided for infants at 9 months of age. A second opportunity for measles vaccination through supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) started in 2002, targeting children aged 6 months-14 years; periodic follow-up SIAs were conducted, targeting children aged 6-59 months from 2005 through 2009.