[Vaccination updates for the elderly].

The number of elderly people is constantly increasing in Switzerland. This population is often at higher risk of infections and concomitant decompensation of underlying comorbidities, in particular cardiac or respiratory diseases. Vaccines are some of the most effective preventive measures for limiting morbidity and mortality related to some of those infections, such as influenza or shingles.

[Pregnancy and COVID-19: drugs and vaccine guidelines in 2021].

During this global health crisis, COVID-19 unfortunately did not spare pregnant women, who are at greater risk of becoming infected, developing severe forms and having obstetric complications. In this article we will talk about the risks associated with COVID-19 during pregnancy and in particular the existing data on the drugs to be administered in the event of illness and how to avoid infection and its complications through vaccination.

[Do we need a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine?].

Considerable efforts have been undertaken to quickly develop COVID-19 vaccines that protect vulnerable adults against severe disease and thus limit the socio-economic and public health impact of the current pandemic. To justify COVID-19 vaccination for the pediatric population, which rarely suffers from severe COVID-19, vaccines will need to have fully demonstrated safety and efficacy in preventing complications and viral transmission. This article summarizes the different vaccine platforms that are currently being tested and discusses practical and ethical aspects of childhood COVID-19 vaccination.

[Not Available].

What's new in infectious diseases in 2020 ? This year has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a review of the current knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 and its management in this article. The results of the Swiss project « PIRATE » indicate non-inferiority between CRP-guided antibiotic durations or fixed 7-day durations and 14-day durations for Gram-negative bacteremia. A Mongolian study did not show any benefit of vitamin D substitution in protecting children from tuberculosis.

Global vaccinology training: Report from an ADVAC workshop.

At a workshop on 7-8 November 2018 the leaders of 26 advanced vaccinology courses met to carry out an extensive review of the existing courses worldwide, in order to identify education gaps and future needs and discuss potential collaboration. The main conclusions of the workshop concerned: opportunities for strengthening and expanding the global coverage of vaccinology training; evaluation of vaccinology courses; updating knowledge after the course; how to facilitate post-course 'cascade' training; developing and sharing best practices; the application of online and innovative approaches in adult education; and how to reduce costs and facilitate wider access to vaccinology training. The importance of collaboration and information exchange through networks of alumni and between courses was stressed.

[The immunosuppressed traveler : vaccination guidelines].

The number of immunosuppressed travelers has exponentially increased in the past few years. This is a positive development as these patients, owing to much improved management, are now in a condition allowing them to plan activities abroad comparable to healthy persons. However, pre-travel consultation and vaccinations are particularly important to reduce the risks and/or the complications of travel-related diseases.

[Prevention of influenza in acute care settings : a multimodal intervention].

Preventing an influenza outbreak in an acute care requires a multimodal intervention, taking into account the actors involved (influenza virus, staff, patients, visitors), and the stage of the epidemic. Different means are used for this purpose : immunization, use of alcohol-based hand rub, identification of influenza cases, wearing of medical masks, social distance, and antiviral treatment. In addition, an epidemiological surveillance of influenza cases, in the general population and within the health facilities, must be associated.

[New Swiss recommendations for adult boosters against pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria].

Pertussis remains frequent in Switzerland (4000 yearly cases), where 80% of infants are infected by their family. To better protect parents and infants, a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) booster is thus recommended at 25 years (catch-up 26-29 years), and to adults of any age in personal or professional contacts with infants < or = 6 months. In contrast, diphtheria-tetanus boosters may be spaced every 20 years (dTpa at 25, dT at 45 and 65 years), avoiding useless immunizations.

[Swiss vaccinology update: new glycoconjugate vaccines against pneumococcal and meningococcal infections].

Two new glycoconjugate vaccines protecting against invasive diseases caused by 13 pneumococcal serotypes or 4 meningococcal serogroups will soon be available in Switzerland. They offer real new perspectives for young children, and for high-risk group adults. As their development is recent, the data one may wish to have is not yet fully available for each age and disease categories.

[Vaccine update 2009: questions around the safety of the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine].

This manuscript reviews the main vaccine safety concerns that have limited the confidence of the population vis-a-vis influenza A(H1N1) vaccines and disturbed health professionals: A hasty development process? Excessively strong adjuvants? Notoriously toxic substances such as squalene and mercury salts? High risks of Guillain-Barre syndrome or auto-immune diseases? Deaths and other severe problems following immunization? Providing the available information, this manuscript asks whether a high-quality scientific communication would have reassured health professionals, and thus the population. The huge number of questions sent by professionals to InfoVac experts (www.infovac.

[Vaccinology: which catch-up plans for patients with unknown or incomplete immunizations?].

For the first time, the 2009 Swiss immunization plan includes detailed recommendations for the catch-up of missing immunizations--an increasingly frequent and complex situation which requires following as clearly defined rules as possible. Whether the immunization history is unknown or incomplete, the numbers of missing vaccine doses and their administration schedules depend upon a large number of parameters that are briefly described, practical guidelines being summarized into four tables. Alternatively, health care professionals may contact InfoVac experts (www.

[Vaccinology update for 2008: what's new in Switzerland?].

Immunization against HPV is now both recommended and reimbursed within the base medical insurance. The epidemiological data and the behavior of adolescents indicate that HPV immunization should be completed by the 15th birthday, catch-up being transiently recommended until the 20th birthday. The immunization against chickenpox of healthy children < 11 years remains non recommended, 2 vaccine doses being however recommended for high-risks children and adults.

The public perception of the value of vaccines - the case of Switzerland.

Aim: In this original article, we seek to analyse the environment in which immunisation policies are adopted and, more specifically, the way the public perception of vaccines influences decision-making, by looking more closely at the case of Switzerland.

Subjects And Methods: Historical and present-day examples of attitudes towards immunisation and specific vaccines, both on the part of the public and of health-care workers, are reviewed.

Results: Decision-making with regard to vaccine policy implementation has been and is still most often driven by fear: fear of disease (when perceived as rampant and/or dangerous), but also fear of vaccine-associated adverse events (when the disease is less or no longer "visible").

[First glance at the 2007 national immunization plan].

The essential modifications of practices to be applied in 2007 concern the immunization of young children and adolescents against pneumococcus and group C meningococcus, the vaccine catch-up of young adults (including future mothers) and the protection of those likely to be exposed to tick-borne encephalitis. New fact-sheets on immunizations, duly validated, have been introduced to guarantee patients' right to information and support physicians in their daily activities. Recommendations about new vaccines, such as against cervical cancer, will be communicated in real time to all the physicians registered at InfoVac.

[Vaccinology update 2005: a new category of recommendations for optimal vaccine protection].

A new category of vaccination recommendation was introduced to increase the equity of the access to the information that relatively rare but severe diseases may be prevented by immunization. This decision was supported by the observation of a 2-level vaccination practice in Switzerland, reflected by the fact that children from paediatrician parents are better immunized than other children. The introduction of "additional recommended vaccinations" to the baseline immunizations should correct this inequity.

[Vaccinology update 2004].

In 2004, the most important changes have been the necessity of adapting our vaccine strategies to the persistent risk of measles in Switzerland (infant immunization, catch-up until 40 years of age) and a better identification of those at high risk of infectious disease complications. This includes a first definition of those at high risk of complications from chickenpox, to which adolescents and young adults without a positive history of chicken-pox will be added in 2005. Certain "old vaccines" have been replaced by novel formulations.

[Vaccine adjuvants and macrophagic myofasciitis].

Aluminium-based adjuvants have been used throughout the world since 1926, and their safety profile is such that they have long been the sole adjuvants registered for clinical use. Their safety has nevertheless been questioned in France over the last few years following the demonstration that aluminium could persist for prolonged periods at the injection site, within macrophages gathered around the muscular fibres and forming a microscopic histological lesion called "macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF)". This image has been observed in patients undergoing a deltoid muscular biopsy for diagnostic purposes of various symptoms essentially including muscular pain and fatigue, in association with a large panel of various symptoms and diseases, including those of an autoimmune nature.

[Why are boosters no longer necessary for protection against hepatitis B?].

Immunisation induces both antibody-producing-cells and memory cells. Although antibodies progressively decline over time, long-term follow-up studies of infants, children and adults vaccinated against hepatitis B have indicated that low or undetectable antibody responses years after vaccination are not associated to the development of chronic hepatitis. This is associated to the rapid development of anamnestic responses, reflecting persistence of hepatitis B memory cells.

[Vaccine adjuvants and macrophagic myofasciitis].

Aluminium-based adjuvants have been used throughout the world since 1926, and their safety profile is such that they have long been the sole adjuvants registered for clinical use. Their safety has nevertheless been questioned in France over the last few years following the demonstration that aluminium could persist for prolonged periods at the injection site, within macrophages gathered around the muscular fibers and forming a microscopic histological lesion called "macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF)". This image has been observed in patients undergoing a deltoid muscular biopsy for diagnostic purposes of various symptoms essentially including muscular pain and fatigue, in association with a large panel of various symptoms and diseases, including those of an autoimmune nature.

[The child with recurrent infections: which screening for immunoe deficiency?].

A child with recurrent infections represents a challenge to the pediatrician who must identify, among a large number of repeatedly infected but nevertheless healthy children whose parents need to be reassured, the rare cases of potentially severe immune deficiency. This can be most successfully achieved through the measurement of IgA, IgG, and antibody titers to vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae B) and exposure (pneumococcus) antigens. The presence of normal antibody responses makes it possible to rule out underlying immune deficiency in a sensitive and specific manner.