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J Fernández de Castro

Publications and source records attributed to J Fernández de Castro.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Equity and health].

This paper discusses the right to health in Mexico. The authors present some ideas regarding equity and data which shows the existence of a deep inequity in the field of health in the country. The efforts of the social security agencies and of the Ministry of Health aimed at diminishing inequity in health are also described. The authors conclude that it is time to avoid retorical positions and attitudes of administrative solidarity and start to implement actions to improve the health conditions of those living in extreme poverty. These actions should include providing comprehensive health services to all the population, reinforcing specific preventive programs, improving certain basic health indicators and prompting intersectoral collaboration.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1990

[Vaccination against measles. The situation in Mexico and America. Advances in the method of aerosol immunization].

We present general comments on the epidemiology of measles considering the pre-vaccine era as well as the post-vaccine period in which some changes can be observed: the decrease in morbidity and mortality, the extension of the inter-epidemic interval, the increase in the mean age of infection, etc. We make some estimations about the vaccine coverage and the ideal age of immunization for the goal of eradication (assuming a lifelong immunity for the vaccinees). The technical problems in measles immunization are also revised explaining why no continental country has been able to eliminate the disease. We describe the epidemiological situation in North America, Mexico and Latin American countries. Lastly we present the Mexican experience with the inhaled aerosolised vaccine: the studies in Monterrey (Sabin et al, 1982), other investigation in Mexico, D.F. and in the State of Jalisco, as well as the mass campaigns in Aguascalientes in 1988 and in Coahuila and Nuevo León in 1989. We propose it as an effective, harmless, simple, inexpensive and practical method.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Successful immunization of infants with and without maternal antibody by aerosolized measles vaccine. II. Vaccine comparisons and evidence for multiple antibody response.

In 4- and 5-month-old infants in whom the undiluted chick embryo fibroblast (CEF) Schwarz strain measles vaccine had a poor immunogenic effect, there was an increase in immunogenicity when the high sugar concentration was diminished without reference to added albumin. The human diploid cell (HDC) measles vaccine was still superior in this age group even in a lower concentration of the Ikić, Edmonston-Zagreb strain of virus. More aerosolized, HDC Ikić strain virus was required for high seroconversion rates in 4- and 5-month-old infants who had higher titers of prevaccination plaque-neutralizing (PN) antibodies. Some of these infants had a delayed immune response that was absent at six weeks but present at three months after vaccination. The data provided evidence that the PN and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques measured different antibodies that develop and persist in different ways in 4- to 5-month-old infants. The HDC lyophilized measles vaccine yielded unexpectedly high seroconversion rates after subcutaneous injection of 5,000 plaque-forming units (PFUs) in 4-, 5-, and 6-month-old infants: 69%, 89%, and 100% respectively, at 14 weeks. In 12- to 23-month-old infants there was seroconversion of 92% and 100% at six weeks after inhalation of an estimated 175 PFUs of the CEF vaccine and 375 PFUs of the HDC vaccine, respectively. Within six weeks after vaccination, the PN antibody titers were significantly higher with the CEF vaccine (geometric mean titer of 2,275) than with the HDC vaccine (geometric mean titer of 343).

Aerosols↗
PubMed1983

Successful immunization of children with and without maternal antibody by aerosolized measles vaccine. I. Different results with undiluted human diploid cell and chick embryo fibroblast vaccines.

Inhalation of undiluted, aerosolized measles vaccine was immunogenic in 100% of 4- to 6-month-old and older children with and without residual maternal antibody when the human diploid cell (HDC) vaccine containing the Ikić (Edmonston-Zagreb) strain and 1% human albumin was used but in a smaller percentage of infants given a chick embryo fibroblast (CEF) vaccine, which contained the Edmonston-Schwarz strain, ten times more virus, and hypertonic sugar solution but no added protein. Prevaccination residual placentally transmitted plaque-neutralizing antibody titers of 25 to 512 that can prevent an immune response after subcutaneous injection of measles vaccine did not prevent an immune response after inhalation of aerosolized vaccine. There were no immediate clinical reactions in the 160 children who inhaled the aerosolized vaccines, and no significant subsequent reactions among the 96 children who were successfully immunized. There were no contact infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Proteolysis and antiproteolysis associated with toxemia of pregnancy.

Ten pregnancy toxemia patients, 10 pregnant patients with essential arterial hypertension and 12 normal pregnant women were studied between the weeks 37 and 40 of gestation. From them blood samples were obtained 24 hours before and 24 hours and three months after the delivery. In these samples proteolytic (P) and antiproteolytic (AP) activities and alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1-AT) concentration were determined. The P and the AP were measured by hydrolysis of BAPNA, and the A1-AT by radial immunodiffusion. The most interesting results were observed 24 hours before the delivery. Toxemic patients presented increase of P and AP, and hypertensive patients diminution of A1-AT when compared with normal controls. These results demonstrated that in toxemia and essential hypertension during pregnancy maladjustments in mechanisms of serum proteolysis and antiproteolysis, perhaps related with the activation of complement, clotting and circulating immune complexes formation systems, exist.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mass vaccination against poliomyelitis in Mexico.

In 1959, oral poliovirus vaccine ( OPV ) was introduced as an antiepidemic measure in Mexico. As in many other developing countries, the vaccine was misused, coverages achieved were often poor, and an adequate cold chain was lacking. However, in 1972 a mass campaign reached 70% of children younger than five years of age, and consequently the reported cases declined sharply from 1.9 to 0.4 per 100,000 population. Due to economic restrictions, only single doses of monovalent type 1 OPV were administered to 80% of the target population in 1981, 1982, and 1983. The present incidence of poliomyelitis of 0.1 per 100,000 population represents a 96.7% reduction from the rate during the prevaccine era, when the annual average rate was 4.26 per 100,000. The present aim of poliomyelitis control is to maintain and decrease the present incidence of disease. Future plans are to continue mass vaccination in an attempt to reach small and isolated villages that have been without vaccination and limit possible rural foci of wild poliovirus.

Humans↗