Vaccination is the most efficient method for infectious disease prevention. Parenteral injections such as intramuscular, intradermal, and subcutaneous injections have several advantages in vaccine delivery, but there are many drawbacks. Thus, the development of a new vaccine delivery system has long been required. Recently, microneedles have been attracting attention as new vaccination tools. Microneedle is a highly effective transdermal vaccine delivery method due to its mechanism of action, painlessness, and ease of use. Here, we summarized the characteristics of microneedles and the possibilities as a new vaccine delivery route.
Communicable Diseases ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Methods* ; Vaccination ; Vaccines*

Vaccination is the most successful immunological practice that improves the quality of human life and health. Vaccine materials include antigens of pathogens and adjuvants potentiating the effectiveness of vaccination. Vaccines are categorized using various criteria, including the vaccination material used and the method of administration. Traditionally, vaccines have been injected via needles. However, given that most pathogens first infect mucosal surfaces, there is increasing interest in the establishment of protective mucosal immunity, achieved by vaccination via mucosal routes. This review summarizes recent developments in mucosal vaccines and their associated adjuvants.
Humans ; Immunity, Mucosal ; Methods ; Needles ; Vaccination ; Vaccines*

Background: In 24 years, Expanded Programe on Immunization\r\n', u'(EPI) at Thua Thien Hue province achieve high efficiency, reduce remarkably infection rate of children disease in EPI. Objectives: Assessment of instruments and cold chain at City, District Health Center and Commune Health station. Assessment of knowledge and practice EPI of medical officers in districts and communes. Subjects and method: Instrument, cold chain system and officers at City, District Health Center and Commune Health station. Method: Cross-section descriptive study; Observe instruments and cold chain at Health stations and fill in available forms. Interview medical officers, observe practical manipulation and fill in available forms. Results: The rate of good knowledge varied from 61,64% to 94,55% and the rate of appropriate practice was from 45,70% to 80,92%. On average, each commune health station had 0,421 refrigeration; 0,128 ice cabinet; 0,258 cold box; 2,259 thermoses; 6,623 ice packs; 2,826 thermometers and11,321 safe boxes. All commune health stations have vaccine containing thermos; one station has no thermometer; two have no safe box and five have no ice pack. Conclusion: All commune health stations have essential instruments, cold chain. Very few health station lack of one or some types. Medical officers almost have basic knowledge about expandedimmunization, the rate of answering right theoretical questions from 61,64% to 94,55%. Practical manipulation had still many errors, rate of manipulation right only 45,70% to 80,92%. District officers manipulated right higher than commune officers.\r\n', u'
Refrigeration/ instrumentation ; Vaccination/ instrumentation ; mortality ; methods ; Health Knowledge ; Attitudes ; Practice ;

PURPOSE: To evaluate a recently marketed commercial glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gpEIA) kit, the VaccZyme(TM) VZV gpEIA, for measuring the immunity of varicella-vaccinated children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the accuracy and reproducibility of the VaccZyme(TM) VZV gpEIA kit for the detection of antibodies to VZV. We also examined the sensitivity, specificity, and correlation between antibody titers calculated with gpEIA versus fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA) by using sera of 349 children, ranging from 1 to 6 years old. RESULTS: VaccZyme(TM) VZV gpEIA gave precise and reproducible intra- and inter-assay results. FAMA and gpEIA titers showed a linear correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.987). The sensitivity and specificity of the VaccZyme(TM) gpEIA was 31.4% and 100%, respectively, when the guidelines of the gpEIA (<100 mIU/mL) and FAMA 1:4 were adopted as cutoff values. However, the maximum sensitivity and specificity were 88.9% and 95.1%, respectively, with the highest correlation (kappa=0.840), if the cutoff values were set with gpEIA at 49.7 mIU/mL and FAMA 1:16. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the VaccZyme(TM) VZV gpEIA kit gave precise and reproducible data for measuring antibody titer after varicella vaccination. The results also showed that the antibody titer calculated with the VaccZyme(TM) gpEIA kit strongly correlated with the FAMA titer. However, cutoff values should be re-optimized for the evaluation of vaccine immunity.
Antibodies ; Chickenpox* ; Child ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Glycoproteins* ; Humans ; Membranes ; Methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Vaccination

Dendritic cells (DCs), the most prevalent antigen-presenting cell in vivo, had been widely characterized in the last three decades. DCs are present in almost all tissues of the body and play cardinal roles in recognition of microbial agents, autoantigens, allergens and alloantigen. DCs process the microbial agents or their antigens and migrate to lymphoid tissues to present the antigenic peptide to lymphocytes. This leads to activation of antigen-specific lymphocytes. Initially, it was assumed that DCs are principally involved in the induction and maintenance of adaptive immune responses, but now it is evident that DCs also have important roles in innate immunity. These features make DCs very good candidates for therapy against various pathological conditions including malignancies. Initially, DC-based therapy was used in animal models of cancers. Data from these studies inspired considerable optimism and DC-based therapies was started in human cancers 8 years ago. In general, DC-based therapy has been found to be safe in patients with cancers, although few controlled trials have been conducted in this regard. Because, the fundamentals principles of human cancers and animal models of cancers are different, the therapeutic efficacy of the ongoing regime of DC-based therapy in cancer patients is not satisfactory. In this review, we covered the various aspects that should be considered for developing better regime of DC-based therapy for human cancers.
Animals ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; transplantation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; immunology ; therapy ; Vaccination ; methods

Animals ; China ; Health Education ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; methods ; Rabies ; prevention & control ; Rabies Vaccines ; immunology ; Vaccination

Dengue fever is a kind of viral disease which infects people through mosquito bite. It is present in 100 countries and about 5 million to 10 million people are inflicted with this disease every year. Since the 1980s, it has seen a dramatic increase across the globe. One of the reasons for the spread of the disease is that rapid industrialization and urbanization have destroyed the natural habitat of mosquitos. Additionally, dengue fever occurs mostly in underdeveloped countries. These countries have not implemented systematic epidemiological investigation and are yet to come up with effective methods in terms of prevention of mosquito bites. Moreover, more and more people have traveled the areas at risk of this disease. Global the incidence of dengue fever has increased and has also seen a rise in cases among the travelers. One can easily find a case in a clinical setting. On top of that, due to global warming and north warding of dengue occurring latitude in the northern hemisphere, Aedes albopictus which is the vector of dengue fever, has been found in JeJu island. This makes it a major concern that the mosquitos have inhabited the country. Prevention of dengue fever is important since antiviral agents and vaccinations are not still commonly used.
Aedes ; Antiviral Agents ; Culicidae ; Dengue* ; Ecosystem ; Global Warming ; Incidence ; Methods ; Severe Dengue ; Urbanization ; Vaccination ; Virus Diseases

PURPOSE: Homeless patients usually live outside and are therefore frequently exposed to injury and tetanus infection. Thus, after visits to an emergency department (ED) due to injury, homeless patients need to be vaccinated for the prevention of tetanus infection with tetanus immunoglobulin regardless of tetanus antibody titer or previous vaccination history. Because the exact history of previous tetanus vaccination in homeless patients is unclear, the tetanus antibody titer between homeless patients and general patients was assessed. METHODS: Subjects who visited the ED after injury from October 2008 to February 2010 were enrolled. All participants answered questions on age, gender, previous vaccination or prophylaxis history, and military service. The Tetanus Immunoglobulin G ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method was used for the analysis of serum samples. Propensity score-matched analysis was used to control for age, gender, previous vaccination or prophylaxis history, and military service. RESULTS: A total of 1325 samples were analyzed. There was 83 samples from homeless patients and 1242 samples from general patients. After matched analysis using the propensity score, 56 subjects were matched. The geometric mean titer of tetanus antibody was 0.204+/-0.392 IU/mL in homeless patients and 0.105+/-0.143 IU/mL in general patients (p=0.078). The proportion of patients with a safe tetanus antibody titer was 66.1 percent of homeless patients and 23.2 percent of general patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Homeless patients had a higher mean titer and a statistically higher proportion had a safe titer compared to general patients.
Emergencies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins ; Methods ; Military Personnel ; Propensity Score ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: Homeless patients usually live outside and are therefore frequently exposed to injury and tetanus infection. Thus, after visits to an emergency department (ED) due to injury, homeless patients need to be vaccinated for the prevention of tetanus infection with tetanus immunoglobulin regardless of tetanus antibody titer or previous vaccination history. Because the exact history of previous tetanus vaccination in homeless patients is unclear, the tetanus antibody titer between homeless patients and general patients was assessed. METHODS: Subjects who visited the ED after injury from October 2008 to February 2010 were enrolled. All participants answered questions on age, gender, previous vaccination or prophylaxis history, and military service. The Tetanus Immunoglobulin G ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method was used for the analysis of serum samples. Propensity score-matched analysis was used to control for age, gender, previous vaccination or prophylaxis history, and military service. RESULTS: A total of 1325 samples were analyzed. There was 83 samples from homeless patients and 1242 samples from general patients. After matched analysis using the propensity score, 56 subjects were matched. The geometric mean titer of tetanus antibody was 0.204+/-0.392 IU/mL in homeless patients and 0.105+/-0.143 IU/mL in general patients (p=0.078). The proportion of patients with a safe tetanus antibody titer was 66.1 percent of homeless patients and 23.2 percent of general patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Homeless patients had a higher mean titer and a statistically higher proportion had a safe titer compared to general patients.
Emergencies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins ; Methods ; Military Personnel ; Propensity Score ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination

Primary care practitioners play an important role in administering and advocating vaccinations against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases and ensuring herd immunity in our population. This is a follow-up article to an earlier one which dealt with the principles of vaccine scheduling and administration. This article describes several false contraindications to vaccination that a primary care practitioner may encounter, including pregnancy, current breastfeeding, history of febrile seizures, and having immunosuppressed or pregnant household contacts. We aimed to provide a guide for safe and timely vaccine administration in the primary care setting.
Humans ; Primary Health Care ; standards ; Public Health ; Safety ; Vaccination ; methods ; standards