Practical evaluation of a pilot immunization campaign against typhoid fever in a Cambodian refugee camp.

An outbreak of typhoid fever in the largest refugee camp of the besieged capital of Phnom-Penh, Cambodia, and availability of a locally manufactured Anti-Tetanus-Typhoid-Paratyphoid vaccine prompted us to test the practicability of a mass immunization campaign by carrying out a trial in the smaller, well delineated refugee camp of Pochentong. Initial acceptance was good, due to a comprehensive service (information, health education and individual care of patients). Attendances by adults and children showed a steady decline with only 20% completing the course. It is concluded that multiinjection immunization campaigns against typhoid-paratyphoid are a waste of money in a war-torn situation with an unstable population.