Hepatitis B virus (HBV) testing of blood donors in India is focused on the presence of HBsAg. However, the absence of HBsAg in the blood of the healthy individual may not be sufficient to ensure lack of circulating HBV.The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of anti HBc and anti HBs pattern in anti HBc reactive but HBsAg negative blood donors.6134 Blood donor samples were tested prospectively from 16th April to 7th July, 2007 for HbsAg and anti HBc (IgM + IgG) antibodies using BIORAD MONOLISA HbsAg ULTRA and BIO-RAD MONOLISA anti-HBc PLUS test kits. All the samples, which were negative for HbsAg but reactive for anti HBc, were tested for anti-HBs antibodies Using BIO-RAD MONOLISA ANTI HBs 3.0 test kits.Out of 6134 donor samples tested, 63 samples were HbsAg positive (1.02 %) and 499 samples (8.13%) showed anti HBc reactivity but HbsAg negative.195 (39.07%) out of 499 anti HBc positive samples showed levels of anti HBs above 15 IU/ml and 304 (60.92 %) showed levels of anti HBs below 15 IU/mL. The samples showing values above 15 IU/mL are considered positive and samples below 15 IU/mL are considered negative as per BIO-RAD MONOLISA anti HBs 3.0 instruction manual.The data indicates that high percentage of blood donors (60.92%) were anti-HBc reactive and have low levels of preventive anti HBs antibodies. Accordingly all blood donor samples should be tested routinely for anti HBc and if the sera are reactive, regardless of anti-HBs titer, the blood should be discarded. Further testing for HBV-DNA is appropriate to follow up the blood donor for HBV infection.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit-cost ratio of influenza vaccination in the elderly. Secondary aims were to evaluate the proportion of elderly subjects being vaccinated and to identify the responsible viruses.

Influenza causes considerable morbidity and mortality and the damage to public health can be considerable. The most effective measures available for the prevention of influenza is vaccination. In most industrialised countries the objective of vaccination is to limit the disease among individuals at risk, especially the elderly. During the winter of 2000/2001, General Practitioners (GPs) monitored 14,818 elderly individuals. The objective was to evaluate the weekly incidence of the disease. Furthermore, we carried out a prospective study on 512 elderly individuals, arranged according to vaccination (304 vaccinated and 208 non-vaccinated), with the main objective of assessing the costs of the disease and the efficacy of vaccination. Finally, in order to assess the percentage of vaccinated elderly individuals, we carried out a telephone survey on 500 subjects. Our clinical surveillance study enabled us to establish that morbidity was particularly low in elderly individuals.The results of the prospective study allowed us to estimate the cost-benefit ratio at 8.22, with a net saving of 110.20 Euros for each vaccinated subject. We were also able to establish that the vaccine coverage among elderly individuals was 63%. Our study, though carried out during a low epidemic year, confirms the economic advantage of vaccination in the elderly.