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Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1871-5265
ISSN (Online): 2212-3989

Pneumococcal Vaccine Uptake Among Australian Hajj Pilgrims in 2011-13

Author(s): Mohamed Tashani, Osamah Barasheed, Mohammad Azeem, Mohammad Alfelali, Al-Mamoon Badahdah, Hamid Bokhary, Nedal Almasri, Jassir Alshehri, Ghassan Matbouly, Nadeen Kalantan, Leon Heron, Iman Ridda, Elizabeth Haworth, Atif Asghar, Harunor Rashid and Robert Booy on behalf of the Hajj Research Team

Volume 14, Issue 2, 2014

Page: [117 - 124] Pages: 8

DOI: 10.2174/1871526514666140713154727

Price: $65

Abstract

The uptake of the pneumococcal vaccine is suboptimal in Australia and remains unknown among Australian Hajj pilgrims, many of whom are eligible because of age or underlying disease and at particular risk because of travel and activities at Hajj. Pneumococcal vaccination uptake was examined over three consecutive years (2011 to 2013) through anonymous self-administered cross sectional surveys among Australian pilgrims who assembled in Mina valley, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Respectively, 158, 513 and 219 pilgrims were recruited in 2011, 2012 and 2013; their mean ages were 43.8 (SD±13), 43 (SD±13.5) and 42.6 (SD±12.3) years; males accounted for 67 (42.4%), 325 (63.4%) and 172 (78.5%). Pneumococcal vaccine uptake rates were 28.5% (45/158), 28.7% (147/513) and 14.2% (31/219); among the pilgrims with ‘at risk’ conditions the pneumococcal vaccine uptake rates were 15 (30.6%), 43 (45.3%) and 9 (29%) respectively. According to our surveys, the pneumococcal vaccine uptake among Australian pilgrims is low. Further research is needed to explore the reasons through a validated study.

Keywords: Hajj, Mecca, Pneumococcal vaccine, vaccination coverage.


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