The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) today published research showing that, three years after introduction, routine vaccination of infants in Kenya against H. influenzae Type b (Hib) significantly reduced invasive Hib disease rates by 88%.
The paper, entitled: Effectiveness of Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib) Conjugate Vaccine Introduction into Routine Childhood Immunization in Kenya, was authored by a team led by Oxford University's Dr. Anthony Scott. According to the study, Hib vaccine:
- Reduced laboratory-confirmed invasive Hib disease by 88% below baseline
- Prevented an estimated 3,370 hospitalizations in Kenya in 2005
The Hib bacterium is a deadly cause of invasive disease such as meningitis and bloodstream infections, and an important cause of severe pneumonia in children under 5 years of age. Most deaths occur in the developing world, and Africa accounts for more deaths due to Hib than any other continent.
Commenting on the study, Karen Cowgill, lead author and, at the time of the study, Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, said: "These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the Hib vaccine in reducing severe childhood illness and associated deaths in Kenya, and lead us to conclude that many more deaths could be averted in Africa if more countries added the vaccine to their routine immunization programs."
This is the first published study in East Africa to document the significant benefit of routine Hib vaccination in protecting young children against the devastating effects of a leading cause of childhood meningitis and pneumonia in the developing world. The findings build on a considerable body of growing evidence from Africa and around the world: similar results have been observed in The Gambia, Chile, the US, and UK. The findings contained within the study can reasonably be expected to apply to other African settings too.
Recently, a number of developing countries have begun routinely vaccinating children against Hib disease. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence and support in favour of these vaccines, less than 40% of African countries have adopted the Hib vaccine. One major obstacle has been the lack of available data on Hib disease burden and vaccine effectiveness.
"It is vital to support public health interventions such as the introduction of Hib vaccine with hard evidence", said Dr. Sharif, Deputy Director of Medical Services within the Ministry of Health, Kenya. "The strength of our surveillance systems will also assist us with the evaluation of new vaccines to prevent other leading child killers such as pneumococcus and rotavirus", he added.