加拿大多伦多消息:要求批准年龄小于18月的儿童接种流感嗜血杆菌(Haemophilus influenzae)b型(Hib)结合疫苗的压力,在美国和加拿大在增加着。新的结合型疫苗似乎对18个月的婴儿就有致免疫原性,比过去不结合型PRP疫苗批准在24～60个月对婴儿接种是一进步。在美国每年约有近20000例Hib脑膜炎发生,在加拿大每年可能有多至1000例发生,80％病例发生在2岁以下儿童。洛杉矶加利福尼亚大学(UCLA)医学中心流行病学主任Joel Ward博士说:“若要预 Toronto, Canada: The pressure to approve vaccination of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines in children younger than 18 months is increasing in the United States and Canada. The new combination vaccine appears to be immunogenic for infants aged 18 months, an improvement over infants vaccinated at 24 to 60 months earlier than the non-conjugated PRP vaccine approved in the past. Approximately 20,000 Hib meningitis occur each year in the United States, up to 1,000 in Canada annually and 80% in children under 2 years of age. Dr. Joel Ward, director of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, said: "If you want to pre-