TY - JOUR
T1 - The potential for pneumococcal vaccination in Hajj pilgrims
T2 - Expert opinion
AU - Rashid, Harunor
AU - Abdul Muttalif, Abdul Razak
AU - Mohamed Dahlan, Zuraimi Bin
AU - Djauzi, Samsuridjal
AU - Iqbal, Zafar
AU - Karim, Hj Matnoh
AU - Naeem, Syed Muhammad
AU - Tantawichien, Terapong
AU - Zotomayor, Ricardo
AU - Patil, Shilpa
AU - Schmitt, Heinz Josef
N1 - Funding Information:
This Advisory Board was sponsored by Pfizer Inc. All authors received honoraria for participation in the advisory board, but received no compensation for their authorship of the article.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and is one of the largest mass gathering events in the world. Acute respiratory tract infections are very common during Hajj, primarily as a result of close contact among pilgrims, intense congestion, shared accommodation and air pollution. A number of vaccines are (or have been) recommended for Hajj pilgrims in recent years. Several additional vaccines could significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality at Hajj and should be considered in health recommendations for pilgrims. Pneumococcal vaccines (particularly for those aged >65 years) are widely available, and have been shown to reduce the burden of disease associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Importantly, a considerable percentage of Hajj pilgrims have pre-existing illnesses or are elderly, both important risk factors for pneumococcal infection. While there are substantial gaps that need to be addressed regarding our knowledge of the exact burden of disease in Hajj pilgrims and the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in this population, S. pneumoniae may be an important cause of illness among this group of travelers. It can be assumed that the majority of pneumococcal serotypes circulating during Hajj are included in the existing pneumococcal vaccines.
AB - Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and is one of the largest mass gathering events in the world. Acute respiratory tract infections are very common during Hajj, primarily as a result of close contact among pilgrims, intense congestion, shared accommodation and air pollution. A number of vaccines are (or have been) recommended for Hajj pilgrims in recent years. Several additional vaccines could significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality at Hajj and should be considered in health recommendations for pilgrims. Pneumococcal vaccines (particularly for those aged >65 years) are widely available, and have been shown to reduce the burden of disease associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Importantly, a considerable percentage of Hajj pilgrims have pre-existing illnesses or are elderly, both important risk factors for pneumococcal infection. While there are substantial gaps that need to be addressed regarding our knowledge of the exact burden of disease in Hajj pilgrims and the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in this population, S. pneumoniae may be an important cause of illness among this group of travelers. It can be assumed that the majority of pneumococcal serotypes circulating during Hajj are included in the existing pneumococcal vaccines.
KW - Conjugate vaccine
KW - Hajj
KW - Pneumococcal
KW - Polysaccharide vaccine
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84885572933&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.06.001
DO - 10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.06.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 23810307
AN - SCOPUS:84885572933
VL - 11
SP - 288
EP - 294
JO - Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
JF - Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
SN - 1477-8939
IS - 5
ER -