Surveillance Snapshot: Respiratory Infections Resulting in Hospitalization, U.S. Air Force Recruits, October 2009 - February 2017
Abstract
A number of vaccine and non-vaccine interventions have been used to reduce the historically high burden of respiratory infections during military training. This snapshot displays the trend in hospitalizations for respiratory infections, stratified by major pathogens, and the associated hospital days, for all recruits in U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX. Several preventive measures were employed throughout the surveillance period, to include an emphasis on hand hygiene, "head-to-toe" sleeping arrangements, liberal use of respiratory facemasks, and universal provision of seasonal influenza during non-summer months. Additional interventions were instituted during the period, to include a gasmask cleaning protocol (October 2009), provision of novel H1 N1 influenza vaccine (December 2009), provision of year-round adenovirus (Ad4 and Ad7) vaccine (November 2011 ), and a switch in chemoprophylaxis against group A streptococcus from oral penicillin to intramuscular bicillin (January 2012). Although causality should not be assumed, these interventions appear to be inversely related with hospitalization rates, are largely evidence-based and should continue at military training sites.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1037567
Entities
People
- Bryant Webber
Organizations
- 59th Medical Wing