Diphtheria epidemic - New Independent States of the former Soviet Union
Article Abstract:
A diphtheria epidemic that is sweeping through the former Soviet Union in the 1990s illustrates the consequences of low vaccination rates and inadequate immunity. The epidemic began in the Russian Federation in 1990, spread to Ukraine in 1991, and reached 12 of the 13 other New Independent States (NIS) between 1993 and 1994. A total of 839 diphtheria cases were reported in the NIS in 1989. This increased to 47,802 cases in 1994. The death rate ranged from 2.8% in the Russian Federation to 23% in both Lithuania and Turkmenistan. Most cases occurred in children aged 15 and younger. Although the rate of diphtheria-toxoid vaccination increased in children younger than two years of age from 72.6% in 1992 to 79.2% in 1993, immunization rates remain low in some areas. High susceptibility to diphtheria, crowding, population shifts during the break-up of the Soviet Union, and delayed disease control measures led to the epidemic. Health officials have planned a mass vaccination program to control the diphtheria outbreak.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1995
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To "E" or not to "E", vitamin E's role in health and disease is the question
Article Abstract:
Vitamin E is used as an antioxidant that helps to clear the body from damaging free radicals, which can wreak havoc on cells and DNA by increasing the oxidative stress associated with many diseases. Vitamin E could treat maladies ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2004
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