During the COVID-19 crisis, we have been able to witness, in many countries, a substantive resistance to the science-based arguments of politicians and to the calls from the medical field to implement safety measures (masks, distancing) and to get vaccinated. In this text, some reflections are provided on what this resistance might tell the…

The authors of this article identify the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and propose the use of a classic strategic planning paradigm to mitigate its spread until it may be completely arrested. Vaccines have been developed to combat the disease which current evidence suggests is spread by respiratory droplets among people who are in…

Infection by pathogenic microbes initiates a set of complex interactions between the pathogen and the host mediated by pattern recognition receptors. Innate immune responses play direct roles in host defense during the early stages of infection, and they also exert a profound influence on the generation of the adaptive immune responses that ensue.…

Background: The purpose of this study was to review documented outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in schools, published in the last 10 years, to identify etiology, mode of transmission, the number of children affected, morbidity and mortality patterns, and interventions for control and prevention. Methods: Searches of electronic databases,…

While morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases have declined, some college students remain susceptible to measles, rubella, diptheria, tetanus, or polio. Colleges and universities have the opportunity to ensure protection of students, faculty, and employees by establishing and enforcing immunization requirements. (Author/DF)

The current effort to eliminate measles in the United States has caused record low levels of the disease. This strategy must continue to be applied in order to break the transmission of measles on college campuses through high immunization levels, promotion of rapid reporting of cases, and quick responses to outbreaks. (Author/DF)

Widespread rubella vaccination of young children with a secondary emphasis on vaccinating susceptible adolescents and young adults has prevented epidemics of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome. Benefits of ensuring high immunity levels in college students, quick response to disease outbreak, and safety and efficacy of rubella vaccine in this…

The authors measured the impact of educational efforts on the number of college students who received meningococcal vaccine. First-year Brown University students from the classes of 2004 (n = 1,562) and 2005 (n = 1,518) received educational vaccine materials before they arrived on campus, whereas students from the class of 2003 (n = 1,441) did…

This paper discusses the success of methods used in the community to increase immunization levels among children. Using a population-wide model, data were obtained from a combined, city-county health department in Missouri. While the methods used by free school clinics and public clinics were found to be effective methods in promoting…

This report presents: (1) a review of the evidence that vaccine cost has prevented children from being immunized on time; (2) an evaluation of the implementation of the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program, including whether this program, as implemented, is likely to meet the needs of the under-immunized children; and (3) some options for improving…

A nationwide campaign to improve and maintain immunization levels for selected preventable childhood diseases was instituted in 1977, and another program, whose goal was to eliminate indigenous measles by 1982, was instituted in 1978. Immunization levels have improved so much that attention is now focused on ways to maintain these high levels.…

In many low-income communities, children are not properly immunized and are left vulnerable to completely preventable illnesses. This report provides information gained as a result of a 1-year funding project in the Chicago area to determine why so many children were not being immunized and how to increase immunization rates. The project tested 5…

Focuses on the immunization status of children aged 19 to 35 months. Recommended immunizations are described and contrasted with the actual status of immunization. In response to unacceptably low levels of immunization among very young children, the government is aiming at 90% immunization by the year 2000. (SLD)

Biomedical, logistic, economic, social, and psychosocial issues related to the successful distribution and use of a vaccine for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are reviewed. A mathematical model is introduced as an aid in conceptualizing these issues. The HIV vaccine should be seen as an adjunct to behavioral modification. (SLD)