Making a case for universal Hib immunization in India: over interpreting the data.
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: This issue of the Journal features the results of a prospective sentinel surveillance for Haemophilus influenzae B (Hib) meningitis1. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) in its meeting of August 26, 2010 recommended that pentavalent vaccine containing Hib be introduced in the States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu2. Since there was concern about its adverse effects (AEFI), this was to be monitored in the two States. Further roll-out to other States was to be based on the impact assessment after one year. The NTAGI suggested the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, to prepare a protocol for the surveillance of Hib meningitis in selected hospitals to understand the trends over time2. The data in the issue represent the first of these surveillance reports1.
Four centres, two in Tamil Nadu (ICH&HC, Chennai and CMC, Vellore), one from Uttar Pradesh (CSMMU, Lucknow) and one in Delhi (KSCH) participated. The four centres followed different protocols. The latex agglutination test (LAT) was employed to detect antigens and identify the causative organism. During the surveillance period 2912 children under 2 yr of age with suspected meningitis, were enrolled in the four centres and 62 were found to have Hib meningitis. The break-up of incidence at each centre (not reported in the paper) was provided by the authors (Table I). They do not total up accurately but is useful to get the overall picture.
Table I
Break-up of patients enrolled in the study and with Hib meningitis
Source: Europe PMC (PubMed Central)
Author: J M Puliyel
Institution: St. Stephen’s Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2286426874