Rare adverse events associated with oral poliovirus vaccine in Brazil

Stability of Vaccines

Vaccines are considered the most economical and effective preventive measure against most deadly infectious diseases. Vaccines help protect around three million lives every year, but hundreds of thousands of lives are lost due to the instability of vaccines. This review discusses the various types of instability observed, while manufacturing, storing, and distributing vaccines. It describes the specific stability problems associated with each type of vaccine. This review also discusses the various measures adopted to overcome these instability problems. Vaccines are classified based on their components, and this review discusses how these preventive measures relate to each type of vaccine. This review also includes certain case studies that illustrate various approaches to improve vaccine stability. Last, this review provides insight on prospective methods for developing more stable vaccines.

Paralysie faciale périphérique et sérothérapie anti-tétanique. À propos d’une observation

INTRODUCTION

Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) is a frequent symptom, idiopathic forms predominate. Toxin-related PFP was not common pathology and apparently has not been documented in the literature.

OBSERVATION

We report a case of sudden-onset PFP which resolved rapidly in a patient given tetanic anti-serotherapy for a wound of the lower limb. Physical examination and search for a cause were unable to establish a specific etiology. The clinical course of this case of PFP (rapid regression from the fifth day and total resolution at the twentieth) was compatible with a toxic cause, although a frigorecannot be excluded.

CONCLUSION

Although generally idiopathic, peripheral facial paralysis can result from a toxic cause (drug, industrial toxic, narcotic). The direct causal mechanism is often difficult to establish. History taking and imaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging, are helpful in ruling out other causes (inflammation, tumor).

[Eradication of poliomyelitis in Brazil: the contribution of Fundação Oswaldo Cruz]

The eradication of wild polioviruses from the Americas represents a remarkable public health achievement. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) contributed to this result in many ways. Its National Reference Center for Enteroviruses in the Department of Virology of Oswaldo Cruz Institute developed laboratory activities, Bio-Manguinhos developed and delivered the oral vaccine, its National School of Public Health developed epidemiological and laboratory activities and its National Institute for Quality Control in Health controlled the vaccine. Fiocruz also carried out important research projects on enteroviruses. Since poliomyelitis still represents a serious problem in many countries in the world, it is important to emphasize the relevant contribution of Fiocruz to the eradication of the disease in Brazil and in the American continent.

Vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis: a case report of domiciliary transmission

Poliomyelitis associated with live strain vaccine is defined as the paralytic form of the acute anterior poliomyelitis related to the vaccine strain. Since these strains behave similarly to the wild-type virus, we can differentiate, epidemiologically, two types of vaccine-associated poliomyelitis: cases in which the patient was vaccinated and cases in which the patient had had contact with vaccinated individuals. We herein present the case of an unvaccinated child, with a clinical picture of an acute anterior poliomyelitis associated with the live strain vaccine, whose brother received the Sabin vaccine 20 days before the onset of the symptoms. Vaccine strain of the type 3 poliovirus was isolated in fecal culture and a presented mutation in nucleotide 472 (C-->U) in the 5' non-coding region, which is strongly related to the higher strain virulence.