The Use of Typhoid Vaccines in Asia: The DOMI Experience
1International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea; 2National Institute of Health Research and Development, Jakarta, Indonesia; 3National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, India; 4Department of Paediatrics, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan; 5National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam; 6Guangxi Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangxi, China; 7Prevention Research Center, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit; and 8Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Background.
Two currently licensed typhoid vaccines have been evaluated in Asia, yet few Asian countries have considered including typhoid vaccines in their vaccination programs. The Diseases of the Most Impoverished (DOMI) Program was initiated to provide evidence to decide on the introduction of typhoid vaccines in Asian countries.
Methods.The centerpiece of the program is a multidisciplinary demonstration project with Vi vaccine in 5 Asian countries. The project includes epidemiologic, economic, sociobehavioral, and policy studies.
Results.Policy makers want evidence on which to base their vaccine‐related decisions. The DOMI Program has provided updated information on the typhoid fever burden at several Asian sites. Cost‐of‐illness studies found high costs to governments and individuals. Sociobehavioral studies indicated a positive attitude toward typhoid vaccines. The results of the demonstration projects indicate that mass‐immunization campaigns are feasible and acceptable.
Conclusions.The DOMI Program has begun to provide momentum for the evidence‐based, rational introduction of typhoid vaccines into the public health programs of several Asian countries.