We are NOT authorized by Govt of India for Yellow Fever Vaccination

Friday, February 28, 2014

Yellow Fever Vaccine available for travellers in NHS, UK

Sheffield doctors are advising patients travelling to Africa and South America - including to the World Cup in Brazil - to take advantage of a of vaccine against Yellow Fever.
Sheffield Travel Clinic, at the Royal Hallamshire, says there is a worldwide shortage, but estimates it will have supplies until the end of March. Yellow Fever is transmitted by mosquitoes.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Rare 'polio-like' disease reported from California, USA


US doctors are warning of an emerging polio-like disease in California where up to 20 people have been infected.
A meeting of the American Academy of Neurology heard that some patients had developed paralysis in all four limbs, which had not improved with treatment.
The US is polio-free, but related viruses can also attack the nervous system leading to paralysis.
Doctors say they do not expect an epidemic of the polio-like virus and that the infection remains rare.
Polio is a dangerous and feared childhood infection. The virus rapidly invades the nervous system and causes paralysis in one in 200 cases. It can be fatal if it stops the lungs from working.
Global vaccination programmes mean polio is endemic in just three countries - Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

There have been 20 suspected cases of the new infection, mostly in children, in the past 18 months,
A detailed analysis of five cases showed enterovirus-68 - which is related to poliovirus - could be to blame.
In those cases all the children had been vaccinated against polio.
Symptoms have ranged from restricted movement in one limb to severe weakness in both legs and arms.
Dr Emanuelle Waubant, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the BBC: "There has been no obvious increase in the pace of new cases so we don't think we're about to experience an epidemic, that's the good news.
"But it's bad news for individuals unlucky enough to develop symptoms which tend to be moderate to severe and don't appear to improve too much despite reasonably aggressive treatment."

The cases have been spread over a 100-mile diameter (160km) so the research team do not think the virus represents a single cluster or outbreak.
However, many more people could have been infected without developing serious symptoms - as was the case with polio.
Dr Waubant suspects similar cases in Asia could explain why California is affected, but not the rest of the US.
Fellow researcher Dr Keith Van Haren, from Stanford University, said the cases "highlight the possibility of an emerging infectious polio-like syndrome" in California.
He added: "We would like to stress that this syndrome appears to be very, very rare. Any time a parent sees symptoms of paralysis in a child, the child should be seen by a doctor right away."
Commenting on the findings, Jonathan Ball, a professor of virology at the University of Nottingham, told the BBC: "Since the near-eradication of poliovirus, other enteroviruses have been associated with paralysis, but these viruses usually cause a very mild cold-like illness and severe complications are very rare.
"Two children showed evidence of being infected by a strain of virus called enterovirus-68, which has become strongly associated with outbreaks of respiratory illness.

"Whether or not this strain of enterovirus has caused these or other cases of paralysis is possible but remains conjecture, further studies will be needed to determine this."

Monday, February 17, 2014

Latest WHO proposed updates for Yellow Fever Vaccine - Jan 2014







134th session                                                                                                             EB134.R10

Agenda item 10.1                                                                                             24 January 2014



Implementation of the International
Health Regulations (2005)


The Executive Board,

Having considered the report on Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005),1

RECOMMENDS to the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly the adoption of the following resolution:

The Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly,

Recalling the recent meeting and report of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization,2 which completed its scientific review and analysis of evidence on issues concerning vaccination against yellow fever and concluded that a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to confer sustained immunity and life-long protection against yellow fever disease, and that a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine is not needed;

Noting that in its report the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization recommended   that   WH shoul revisi th provisions   in   th Internationa Health Regulations (2005) relating to the period of validity for international certificates for vaccination against yellow fever,

1.       ADOPTS, in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 55 of the International Health Regulations  (2005)the  updateAnnex  of  the  International  HealtRegulations  (2005) attached to this resolution.

Proposed revisions to International Health Regulations (2005), Annex 7

ANNEX 7

REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING VACCINATION OR PROPHYLAXIS FOR SPECIFIC DISEASES

1.       In  addition  to  any  recommendation  concerning  vaccination  or  prophylaxisthe  following diseases are those specifically designated under these Regulations for which proof of vaccination or prophylaxis may be required for travellers as a condition of entry to a State Party:

Vaccination against yellow fever.


1 Document EB134/32.
2 Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization, April 2013 conclusions and recommendations. Weekly epidemiological record. 2013;88(20):201216 (http://www.who.int/wer/2013/wer8820.pdf, accessed 22 November 2013).


EB134.R10





2.      Recommendations and requirements for vaccination against yellow fever: (a)     For the purpose of this Annex:
(i)      the incubation period of yellow fever is six days;

(ii)     yellow  fever  vaccines  approved  by  WHO  provide  protection  against  infection starting 10 days following the administration of the vaccine;

(iii)    this protection continues for the life of the person vaccinated 10 years; and

(iv)    the validity of a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever shall extend for the life of the person vaccinated a period of 10 years, beginning 10 days after the date of vaccination or, in the case of a revaccination within such period of 10 years, from the date of that revaccination.

(b)     Vaccination against yellow fever may be required of any traveller leaving an area where the Organization has determined that a risk of yellow fever transmission is present.

(c)     If a traveller is in possession of a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever which is not yet valid, the traveller may be permitted to depart, but the provisions of paragraph 2(h) of this Annex may be applied on arrival.

(d)     A traveller in possession of a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever shall not be treated as suspect, even if coming from an area where the Organization has determined that a risk of yellow fever transmission is present.

(e)     In accordance with paragraph 1 of Annex 6 the yellow fever vaccine used must be approved by the Organization.

(f)      States  Parties  shall  designate  specific  yellow  fever  vaccination  centres  within  their territories in order to ensure the quality and safety of the procedures and materials employed.

(g)     Every  person  employed  at  a  point  of  entrin  an  area  wherthe  Organization  has determined that a risk of yellow fever transmission is present, and every member of the crew of a conveyance using any such point of entry, shall be in possession of a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.

(h)     A State Party, in whose territory vectors of yellow fever are present, may require a traveller from an area where the Organization has determined that a risk of yellow fever transmission is present, who is unable to produce a valid certificate of vaccination against yellow fever, to be quarantined until the certificate becomes valid, or until a period of not more than six days, reckoned from the date of last possible exposure to infection, has elapsed, whichever occurs first.

(i)      Travellers  who  possess  an  exemption  from  yellow  fever  vaccination,  signed  by  an authorized medical officer or an authorized health worker, may nevertheless be allowed entry, subject to the provisions of the foregoing paragraph of this Annex and to being provided with information regarding protection from yellow fever vectors. Should the travellers not be quarantined, they may be required to report any feverish or other symptoms to the competent authority and be placed under surveillance.





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Eleventh meeting, 24 January 2014
EB134/SR/11





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