Letters To The Editor
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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2013; 19(41): 7217-7218
Published online Nov 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i41.7217
Efficacy, effectiveness, immunogenicity - are not the same in vaccinology
Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz, Andrzej Radzikowski
Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz, Andrzej Radzikowski, Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, the Medical University of Warsaw, 01-184 Warsaw, Poland
Author contributions: Banaszkiewicz A and Radzikowski A designed and wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz, MD, PhD, Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, the Medical University of Warsaw, Dzialdowska 1, 01-184 Warsaw, Poland. aleksandra.banaszkiewicz@gmail.com
Telephone: +48-22-4523310 Fax: +48-22-4523310
Received: July 21, 2013
Revised: August 31, 2013
Accepted: September 15, 2013
Published online: November 7, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: The Carrera et al’s article presents some important issues regarding immunisation in inflammatory bowel disease patients. However, in our opinion, definition of vaccine efficacy is misused. In fact this article is on vaccine immunogenicity. Here, we emphasise the differences between the definitions of efficacy, effectiveness and immunogenicity, differences that are fundamental in vaccinology.