Adverse Events Following Immunization With Combined vs Concurrent Monovalent Hepatitis A and Typhoid Vaccines in Children.

Combined hepatitis A and typhoid vaccine is available in Australia, but licensed for use from age 16 years; however it is used "off-label" in children. The combined vaccine is well tolerated in children aged 2-16 years and the risk of adverse events is similar to those receiving concurrent monovalent vaccines.

Impact of pre-departure preparation on the health and wellbeing of Australian gap year travellers.

Background: Medical problems are prevalent among young travellers. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the impact of country-specific pre-departure preparation in the occurrence of medical and psychological problems among Australian gap year.

Methods: Participants were recruited during two periods, 2013-14 and 2017-18 from an organisation that specialises in gap year placements.

Risk factors for acquisition of multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales among international travellers: a synthesis of cumulative evidence.

Background: Recent studies have shown that over 50% of people travelling to Southeast Asia return colonized with multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales (MRE) including carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales. Importation of MRE by travellers and subsequent spread to family members, communities and healthcare facilities poses real risks that have not yet been adequately assessed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to quantify the risk factors and interventions for reducing the risk of MRE acquisition among international travellers.

Q fever vaccination of children in Australia: Limited experience to date.

Aim: Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in both adults and children. Australia is the only country that has produced and registered a Q fever vaccine for human use, but this vaccine is licenced only for people aged over 15 years as data and experience in children are limited. This review describes the experience of Q fever vaccination of known paediatric cases in Australia to date.

Leptospirosis: An important zoonosis acquired through work, play and travel.

Background: Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide. Infection occurs through contact with infected animals, or soil or water that has been contaminated by the urine of infected animals. Risk factors include occupational and recreational exposures, contact with floodwaters, and travel to areas with a high risk of leptospirosis, particularly tropical, developing countries.

Medical and psychological problems faced by young Australian gap year travellers.

Background: Gap year travellers can potentially be exposed to many infectious diseases and other travel-related health problems including injuries and psychological problems. Currently, there is little information on health and wellbeing of this particular group of travellers.

Methods: Participants were recruited from an organization that specialized in organising international gap year placements.

A stitch in time: unrecognized retained foreign bodies after a needlefish injury.

We present a case report of a traveller injured by a needlefish in the Caribbean. The needlefish leapt from the ocean and struck the traveller's face at high speed, causing a seemingly superficial puncture wound on his nose. Later, it became apparent that multiple fish bones had broken off and lodged in his nasal cavity, very narrowly missing his cribriform plate.

Twitter for travel medicine providers.

Travel medicine practitioners, perhaps more so than medical practitioners working in other areas of medicine, require a constant flow of information to stay up-to-date, and provide best practice information and care to their patients. Many travel medicine providers are unaware of the popularity and potential of the Twitter platform. Twitter use among our travellers, as well as by physicians and health providers, is growing exponentially.

The tolerability of a combined hepatitis A and typhoid vaccine in children aged 2-16 years: an observational study.

Background: Combined hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines have been widely used globally and proven to be safe, well tolerated and efficacious in adults. The combined hepatitis A and typhoid vaccine (Vivaxim) available in Australia is licenced for use from age 16 years but the monovalent components are approved for use from age 2 years. Advantages of a single injection have led to widespread 'off-label' use of Vivaxim in children.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of management options for adults who respond poorly to hepatitis B vaccination.

An estimated 5-10% of adults do not seroconvert after a three-dose primary course of hepatitis B vaccines, and are considered non-responders. Many approaches have been used to induce immunity in healthy adult non-responders, but few studies have compared their relative effectiveness. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of seroconversion rates after additional doses of four approaches: 20 mcg or 40 mcg intramuscular (IM), and 5 mcg or 20 mcg intradermal (ID).

Immunogenicity of a modified intradermal pre-exposure rabies vaccination schedule using a purified chick embryo cell vaccine: an observational study.

Background: In Australia, recommendations for pre-exposure rabies vaccination involve 3 doses of vaccines on days 0, 7, and 28 using either 1.0 mL intramuscular (IM) vaccines, or 0.1 mL intradermal (ID) vaccines.