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open access

Vol 69, No 4 (2018)
Original article
Submitted: 2018-09-29
Accepted: 2018-10-19
Published online: 2018-12-20
View PDF Download PDF file Supp./Additional Files [1]
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Acute respiratory tract infection symptoms and the uptake of dual influenza and pneumococcal vaccines among Hajj pilgrims

Najim Zafer1, Camille Dulong2, Adib Rahman34, Mohamed Tashani356, Mohammad Alfelali37, Amani Salem Alqahtani83, Osamah Barasheed39, Mohammad Hassan Emamian10, Harunor Rashid351112
DOI: 10.5603/IMH.2018.0044
·
Pubmed: 30589068
·
IMH 2018;69(4):278-284.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah
  2. Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada
  3. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
  4. The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, Queensland, Australia
  5. Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
  6. Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Ain Zara, Tripoli, Libya
  7. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  8. Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  9. Research Centre, King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia
  10. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
  11. Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
  12. WHO Collaborating Centre for Mass Gatherings and High Consequence/High Visibility Events, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

open access

Vol 69, No 4 (2018)
TROPICAL MEDICINE Original article
Submitted: 2018-09-29
Accepted: 2018-10-19
Published online: 2018-12-20

Abstract

Background: Hajj pilgrims are encouraged to take influenza and pneumococcal vaccines prior to their travel
to safeguard against acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). It is unclear whether dual immunisation
with influenza and pneumococcal vaccines have had any impact on ARTI symptoms. To this end, we have
examined the data of the last several years to assess whether combined influenza and pneumococcal
vaccination has affected the rate of ARTI symptoms among Hajj pilgrims.
Materials and methods: Hajj pilgrims from United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar who attended
the congregation between 2005 and 2015 were included in this study. Data from surveillance studies
or clinical trials involving Hajj pilgrims were used. In this analysis we have made use of the raw data to
construct a trend line graph with the prevalence of combined cough and fever (as a proxy for ARTI) against
the uptake of combined influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, and to estimate the relative risk (RR) of
ARTI with 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
Results: Data of a pooled sample of 9350 pilgrims, aged 0.5–90 years with a male to female ratio of 1.1, were
analysed. Although vaccination uptake did not rise significantly over the years, there was also no observed meaningful
benefit of combined vaccination (RR = 1.1; 95% CI 0.8–1.4), the rates of ARTI symptoms demonstrated
a decline over the last several years. The findings of this analysis highlight that the prevalence of ‘cough and fever’
among Hajj pilgrims is on decline but the uptake of combined influenza and pneumococcal vaccines remains
unchanged over years, and the decline can not be attributed to dual influenza and pneumococcal vaccination.
Conclusions: Acute respiratory tract infections among Hajj pilgrims are decreasing, it is unclear if the
reduction is due to vaccine uptake, but the data and analysis have some limitations.

Abstract

Background: Hajj pilgrims are encouraged to take influenza and pneumococcal vaccines prior to their travel
to safeguard against acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). It is unclear whether dual immunisation
with influenza and pneumococcal vaccines have had any impact on ARTI symptoms. To this end, we have
examined the data of the last several years to assess whether combined influenza and pneumococcal
vaccination has affected the rate of ARTI symptoms among Hajj pilgrims.
Materials and methods: Hajj pilgrims from United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar who attended
the congregation between 2005 and 2015 were included in this study. Data from surveillance studies
or clinical trials involving Hajj pilgrims were used. In this analysis we have made use of the raw data to
construct a trend line graph with the prevalence of combined cough and fever (as a proxy for ARTI) against
the uptake of combined influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, and to estimate the relative risk (RR) of
ARTI with 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
Results: Data of a pooled sample of 9350 pilgrims, aged 0.5–90 years with a male to female ratio of 1.1, were
analysed. Although vaccination uptake did not rise significantly over the years, there was also no observed meaningful
benefit of combined vaccination (RR = 1.1; 95% CI 0.8–1.4), the rates of ARTI symptoms demonstrated
a decline over the last several years. The findings of this analysis highlight that the prevalence of ‘cough and fever’
among Hajj pilgrims is on decline but the uptake of combined influenza and pneumococcal vaccines remains
unchanged over years, and the decline can not be attributed to dual influenza and pneumococcal vaccination.
Conclusions: Acute respiratory tract infections among Hajj pilgrims are decreasing, it is unclear if the
reduction is due to vaccine uptake, but the data and analysis have some limitations.

Full Text:

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Keywords

acute respiratory tract infection; Hajj; influenza vaccine; mass gathering; pneumococcal vaccine

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About this article
Title

Acute respiratory tract infection symptoms and the uptake of dual influenza and pneumococcal vaccines among Hajj pilgrims

Journal

International Maritime Health

Issue

Vol 69, No 4 (2018)

Article type

Original article

Pages

278-284

Published online

2018-12-20

Page views

1763

Article views/downloads

1292

DOI

10.5603/IMH.2018.0044

Pubmed

30589068

Bibliographic record

IMH 2018;69(4):278-284.

Keywords

acute respiratory tract infection
Hajj
influenza vaccine
mass gathering
pneumococcal vaccine

Authors

Najim Zafer
Camille Dulong
Adib Rahman
Mohamed Tashani
Mohammad Alfelali
Amani Salem Alqahtani
Osamah Barasheed
Mohammad Hassan Emamian
Harunor Rashid

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