The proposal of Paediatric Virology and its perspectives: An interview with Professor of Paediatrics Maria Theodoridou

Suboptimal Serologic Immunity Against Poliomyelitis Among New Migrant Children in Greece Calls for Organized Action

BACKGROUND

Migration-flows pose the risk of poliovirus reintroduction from endemic countries to Greece. This study aims to evaluate serologic-immunity/vaccination against poliomyelitis in newly-arriving migrant children.

METHODS

Demographic-immunisation data and blood-serum were obtained from migrants 1-14years-old, referred to a hospital-clinic in Athens-Greece within three months from arrival. Immunity to polioviruses-1-3 was determined by serum-neutralizing-antibodies(WHO guidelines). Titers ≥ 1:8 were considered positive.

RESULTS

From 9/2010 to 9/2013, 274 children(150 refugees/124 immigrants), mean age 7.1years-old, were enrolled. Only 57(20.8%) of them presented with vaccination-records. Children originated mainly from Asia(n = 198), Eastern Europe(n = 28), Middle East(n = 24) and Africa(n = 24) with 160(58.4%) from polio-endemic-countries(Afghanistan-112(40.8%), Pakistan-24(8.8%) and India-24(8.8%)). Seropositivity against polio-1-2&3 was 84.3%, 86.1% and 74.5%, respectively. Immigrants, had higher seroprotective rates against polioviruses-1-2&3 than refugees(polio-1:p = 0.002;polio-2:p = 0.004,polio-3:p < 0.001). Seronegativity to 1PVs-2PVs and all three polio serotypes was found in 37(13.5%),12 (4.4%), and 30 children(10.9%) respectively. Increasing number of vaccine-doses, and younger-age, were positively-associated with seropositivity.

DISCUSSION

A remarkable fraction of newly-arrived migrant-children were seronegative to one or more polioviruses.

Paediatric Virology and innovation in medical education: An interview with Dr Ioannis N. Mammas, Consultant Paediatrician on the island of Euboea (Greece) and Coordinator of the Paediatric Virology Study Group

Born in Chalkida in Greece, Dr Ioannis N. Mammas, Consultant Paediatrician on the island of Euboea, studied Medicine at the University of Crete School of Medicine, where he received his MD in 2002 and his PhD in Clinical Virology in 2006. He was trained in Paediatrics and Neonatology in Merseyside (UK), attending the 'Alder Hey' Children's Hospital's specialty training (ST) rotation programme and in Athens (Greece) at the 'Penteli' Children's Hospital and the 'MAKKA' Paediatric Infectious Diseases (PID) Unit of the 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital. On October 10th, 2015, he presented the Paediatric Virology subspecialty's proposal, which up-to-date has attracted the critical interest of several international experts in the scientific fields of Neonatology, Paediatrics, PID and Virology and has been evaluated as a unique project of innovation in medical education. According to Dr Mammas, Paediatrics is the specialty, which daily provides the opportunity to support with responsibility the children's smile, the hope of life and future. He highlights the significant role of the Paediatric Virology Study Group (PVSG), a paediatric think tank, which was established by a group of paediatric trainees and young paediatricians in 2007 and since then has been involved with enthusiasm in the perspectives of Paediatric Virology in medical education. Dr Mammas strongly believes that in the future, Paediatric Virology subspecialists will have a strategically principal role, both clinical and academic, at the fight against viral infections in childhood. This aim will be supported by the newly founded Institute of Paediatric Virology (IPV), the first scientific initiative in the world committed to medical education on neonatal and paediatric viral infections.