UK Typhoid Cases on the Ascent
Doctors are currently warning that the number of exotic holidays being taking abroad is increasing the risk of contracting typhoid, in the absence of appropriate vaccination. The situation, they add, is exacerbated by cheap air fares - encouraging us to visit locations previously outside our financial reach. According to information gathered by the Health Protection Agency, in recent years, a 69 per cent increase in cases of typhoid has been recorded - the majority of which were picked up on foreign shores.
Consequently, experts in the Health Industry are now kick-starting a campaign, under the title "Valuing Vaccines". Its aim is to raise public awareness of the need to get properly immunised against typhoid and other diseases. One of the campaigners is the Centre for Travel Medicine's Dr Jane Zuckerman, who emphasised: "The level of public ignorance exposed by these results is extremely worrying."
She continued: "We have seen vaccine-preventable diseases like typhoid on the increase because people travel abroad to endemic areas without being vaccinated and return sick to the UK."
Each year, 600,000 people are lost to typhoid across the world. Five years ago, the UK's share of this was 147 fatalities, of which 101 developed after those involved had visited a foreign country. By way of contrast, last year, 248 cases were noted, with 122 emanating from overseas.
In a recent survey, to which 1,000 people contributed, more than a third were unaware of the extent of diseases which vaccination can protect against. Furthermore, almost 2 out of 3 displayed no knowledge that vaccination was even available against typhoid, while around 40 per cent thought, in error, that a vaccine existed against malaria.
The Health Protection Agency advocates the acquisition of all vaccines recommended. To this, a spokeswoman from the agency added: "Although typhoid has increased, the figures are still quite low and tend to show some yearly fluctuation."
The public face of Valuing Vaccines is the actor Tony Robinson - best known for his role as hapless 'Baldrick' in the comedy series Blackadder. His connection is a personal one; a family member died from a disease which could have been vaccinated against. Promotional material is set to be distributed in locations including schools and doctors surgeries.
Worldwide, vaccination prevents two million deaths that would otherwise occur. The World Health Organisation anticipates that this could grow to as many as five million in the next eight years.
Source - Pharmaceutical International's Health Expert
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