Accelerating decisions to adopt routine vaccination; COPD a growing problem

Jessica Shearer and colleagues analyse data from 147 countries to identify factors that influence the time taken to introduce routine vaccination, using vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) as a case study. By analysing data from 1990 and 2007 they found that vaccine price and GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) eligibility were both associated with quicker decisions to adopt the Hib vaccine. The receipt of GAVI support speeded the decision to adopt vaccination by 63%, for example, and sharing borders with two or more countries that had adopted the vaccine speeded the decision by 50%. Citation: Shearer JC, Stack ML, Richmond MR, Bear AP, Hajjeh RA, et al. (2010) Accelerating Policy Decisions to Adopt Haemophilus influenzae Type b Vaccine: A Global, Multivariable Analysis. PLoS Med 7(3): e1000249. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000249.

Funding: The authors JCS, MLS, MRR, APB, and RAH were staff members of the Hib Initiative at the time of the study. The Hib Initiative was funded by the GAVI Alliance. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or decisions of the Hib Initiative or the GAVI Alliance.

Competing Interests: JCS, MLS, MRR, APB, and RAH were employed by the Hib Initiative, which was funded by the GAVI Alliance. DMB declares no conflict of interest.

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CONTACT:
Jessica Shearer
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
International Health
615 N. Wolfe Street, E8622
Baltimore, MD 21205
United States of America
1-647-388-4280
jess.shearer@gmail.com

FROM THE PLOS MEDICINE MAGAZINE SECTION:

COPD a growing problem for non-smokers and in the developing world

In this week's PLoS Medicine, Peter Barnes from the National Heart & Lung Institute at Imperial College in London, United Kingdom discusses the growing epidemic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially in developing countries and among nonsmokers. "Whereas cigarette smoking is the commonest cause of COPD in developed countries, COPD is also seen in nonsmokers, particularly in developing countries, yet very little is know about this form of COPD," argues Dr. Barnes. He says that COPD is associated with many other illnesses like cardiovascular, metabolic, and bone diseases, and more research is needed to understand the links between these diseases and to search for common treatable components.

Source: Public Library of Science