Peter Aaby
Peter Aaby (Danish, born 1944 in Lund, Sweden) is trained as an anthropologist but also holds a doctoral degree in medicine.[1] In 1978, Peter Aaby established the Bandim Health Project, a Health and Demographic Surveillance System site in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, which he has run ever since.[2] In 2000, Peter Aaby was awarded the Novo Nordisk Prize, the most important Danish award within health research.
Peter Aaby | |
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Born | |
Citizenship | Danish |
Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
Known for | Non-specific effects of vaccines |
Awards | Novo Nordisk Prize (2000) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Health, epidemiology |
Institutions | Bandim Health Project |
Aaby is credited for the discovery of non-specific effects of vaccines – i.e. effects of vaccines, which go beyond the specific protective effects against the targeted diseases.[3] The theory of non-specific effects of vaccines was established in 1991 and later documented in several trials on measles vaccine, BCG, oral polio vaccine, DTP vaccine and smallpox vaccine.[4] As a consequence of Aaby's work on non-specific effects of vaccines it has been recommended the WHO vaccination program in low income countries should be changed.[5] WHO recently reviewed the evidence for non-specific effects of BCG vaccine, measles vaccine and DTP vaccine, and concluded that it would "keep a watch on the evidence of nonspecific effects of vaccination".[6]
References
- Winkel, Klaus (2011). Danskere i tropisk Afrika : fra slavehandler til bistandsarbejder (1. udgave. ed.). Århus: Klim. ISBN 978-8779559271.
- "Background". Bandim Health Project. SSI. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- Prentice, AM; Savy, M; Darboe, MK; Moore, SE (April 2009). "Commentary: Challenging public health orthodoxies--prophesy or heresy?". International Journal of Epidemiology. 38 (2): 591–3. doi:10.1093/ije/dyn363. PMC 2663722. PMID 19174540.
- Benn, CS; Netea, MG; Selin, LK; Aaby, P (September 2013). "A small jab - a big effect: nonspecific immunomodulation by vaccines". Trends in Immunology. 34 (9): 431–9. doi:10.1016/j.it.2013.04.004. PMID 23680130.
- Shann, F (February 2013). "Nonspecific effects of vaccines and the reduction of mortality in children". Clinical Therapeutics. 35 (2): 109–14. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2013.01.007. PMID 23375475.
- "Meeting of Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, 18-19 June 2008". Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 83 (32): 287–92. Aug 2008. PMID 18689006.