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pubmed:otherAbstract |
PIP: An estimated 8 million infants and 2 million children and adults may die from tetanus during the 1990s despite efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate it by 1995. Vaccination to prevent postabortal and maternal tetanus has been neglected. The immunization of preschool children and of pregnant women has omitted adolescent girls, who are therefore at risk. Data collected on 1101 cases of maternal tetanus in developing countries between 1958 and 1990 indicated that 27% were attributed to postabortal and 67% to postpartum sepsis. In southeastern Nigeria where abortion rates are high, a high proportion of girls were also seronegative for tetanus antibodies. Many unvaccinated pregnant women cite the lack of money for obtaining vaccination when obtaining prenatal services. The WHO is promoting vaccination of women of reproductive age by screening their tetanus toxoid status, but adolescents are poorly covered because they are not regular attenders. Expressly targeting girls would be feasible, as it would require 5 injections providing protection for life. Even 4 injections may protect for 20 years if delivered at the end of primary school. Thus a school health service delivering tetanus vaccination may improve the vaccination of adolescent girls. This could be combined with distribution of vitamin A and antihelminthics whereby the response to the vaccine could be improved significantly. In addition, it has also been suggested that a late dose of an acellular pertussis vaccine and a second dose of measles vaccine given in adolescence would reduce the pool of susceptible girls, just as girls have been targeted for rubella vaccination. Implementation of tetanus vaccination would require local schools vaccination days, immunization cards, high potency primary vaccination, and tetanus boosters free of charge with a system to monitor antibody responses.
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