ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN

During the past year important studies on the incidence and aetiology of acute respiratory infections have been published emphasizing the hi gh incidence and diverse aetiology in children. Probabilities of diagn osing these infections are increasing, especially with the use of the polymerase chain reaction, which can, for example, be used for diagnos is of pertussis. Several vaccines against respiratory pathogens, notab ly pertussis, pneumococci, non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae, respir atory syncytial virus, influenza and parainfluenza have entered, or ar e close to entering, safety and immunogenicity studies in children.