Meningococcal carriage in adolescents in the United Kingdom to inform timing of an adolescent vaccination strategy.

Objectives: Recent development of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccines highlights the importance of pharyngeal carriage data, particularly in adolescents and young adults, to inform implementation strategies. We describe current UK carriage prevalence in this high risk population and compare methods of carriage detection.

Methods: In this multisite study, pharyngeal swabs were collected on 3-4 occasions over 6-12 months, from 1040 school and university students, aged 10-25 years.

Review of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines in clinical development.

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines have formed the cornerstone of childhood immunization programs for decades. Historically, these have comprised diphtheria and tetanus toxoids combined with inactivated whole-cell pertussis. More recently, advances have been made with the development of purified acellular pertussis vaccines, with improved reactogenicity profiles, and formulation with additional vaccines such as Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B virus and inactivated poliovirus.

Comparison of two combined vaccines against typhoid fever and hepatitis A in healthy adults.

A prospective, randomised, observer-blind, comparative study was performed in healthy adults with a new hepatitis A/typhoid combined vaccine, Viatim, and the marketed Hepatyrix vaccine. Both vaccines induced high levels of protective antibodies, but typhoid responses were higher and hepatitis A responses more rapid with Viatim compared with Hepatyrix. Both vaccines were well tolerated, no serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred, but more Viatim vaccinees had more mild or moderate local reactions (82.

Occurrence of adverse events following inadvertent administration of childhood vaccines.

As a service to healthcare professionals, Aventis Pasteur MSD UK Ltd. operates a telephone-based Vaccine Information Service, providing information on all aspects of vaccination. In the UK it is the primary means by which spontaneous adverse drug reaction reports are received by the company.