Effective vaccine against Tifus for young children

2001/04/27 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Farmakologia

Typhus is transmitted through contaminated water and food and drink in the hands of someone contaminated. It is a very common disease in India, also in Asia, South America and Africa. The new vaccine will deal with two problems, since the traditional vaccine is not recommended for children under 6 years of age and in many countries the pathogen has become resistant to these vaccines.

The research has been carried out in Vietnam, in the province of Dong Thap, in the delta of the Mekong River. There, 413 out of 100,000 children learn typhus (the Asian average is 500). The new vaccine was given to 5,525 children and only four were infected with typhus. It manages to protect 70% of conventional vaccinations. This, on the other hand, has a 90% efficacy and is also valid for young children, with fewer side effects.

The research team invented 5 years ago the vaccine against the bacteria Haemophilus influenza, type B, which causes meningitis, and this time the same technique has been applied. The external capsule of the bacteria is adhered to a protein easily recognizable by the children's immune system to prevent the bacteria from escaping the immune system that is still developing. The vaccine against meningitis has been very effective and currently the cases of meningitis originated by the influenza Haemophilus B are very few among the vaccinated.