Foresight in medicine: Current challenges with Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines

Abstract

Eskola J (National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki). Foresight in medicine: current challenges with Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines (Foresight). J Intern Med 2010; 267: 241-250. Abstract. An effective vaccine to prevent invasive infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria has been available for more than 20 years. Hib conjugate vaccine is safe, efficacious and easy to use, and its cost-benefit ratio is high both in industrialized as well as in developing countries. In spite of this, WHO estimates that every year approximately 8 million children contract life-threatening Haemophilus infections, especially meningitis or severe pneumonia. If we want to take seriously the Millenium Development Goal of reducing the mortality of under 5-year-old children by two-thirds before the year 2015, an effective means to contribute to this would be more efficient use of Hib vaccines [1]. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.