Timeliness for vaccination according to the expanded immunization program in children under 6 years of age in Colombia between 2014 and 2019.

The aim was to estimate the vaccination timeliness defined as the proportion of children under 6 years of age who received their immunization in the time range established by the Colombian Expanded Immunization Program (EIP). A retrospective cohort study that collected reports of vaccination opportunities between 2014 and 2019 provided by the Ministry of Health. Age, sex, city, ethnicity, health system affiliation regimen, vaccine applied, and timing of vaccination were considered for the time range under study. A total of 3,370,853 immunized children were included from all regions of the country. More than 80% of children had a timeliness to get most vaccines. The exceptions were yellow fever (17%) and seasonal influenza (42%). No differences in timeliness were found according to geographic region or by health system affiliation regime, but the average timeliness for all vaccines of children of the indigenous population (65.8% ±18.4%) was lower than that of the rest of the population (78·6% ± 19·3%) (p = 0·021). The timeliness for vaccination under the EIP of Colombia is high, with proportions of 72-96%, but intergroup differences were identified, mainly lower timeliness among indigenous people. These findings warrant improvement strategies that would guarantee the immunization of the entire child population.

The contributions of T cell-mediated immunity to protection from vaccine-preventable diseases: A primer.

In the face of the ever-present burden of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, there is a growing need to comprehensively assess individual- and population-level immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Many of these efforts, however, focus exclusively on antibody-mediated immunity, ignoring the role of T cells. Aimed at clinicians, public health practioners, and others who play central roles in human vaccine research but do not have formal training in immunology, we review how vaccines against infectious diseases elicit T cell responses, what types of vaccines elicit T cell responses, and how T cell responses are measured. We then use examples to demonstrate six ways that T cells contribute to protection from VPD, including directly mediating protection, enabling antibody responses, reducing disease severity, increasing cross-reactivity, improving durability, and protecting special populations. We conclude with a discussion of challenges and solutions to more widespread consideration of T cell responses in clinical vaccinology.

Fatal case of meningococcal meningitis in a child from rural Bhutan: A case report.

N meningiditis remains an important cause of central nervous system infection. A high index of suspicion is required especially in infants. While empirical antibiotics may be initiated, diagnostic measures must be adopted for guided therapy. Notification of such cases contributes to surveillance data and deciding on providing vaccines to the population.

Onward Virus Transmission after Measles Secondary Vaccination Failure.

Measles in persons with secondary vaccination failure (SVF) may be less infectious than cases in unvaccinated persons. Our systematic review aimed to assess transmission risk for measles after SVF. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from their inception dates. Inclusion criteria were articles describing persons who were exposed to measles-infected persons who had experienced SVF. Across the included 14 studies, >3,030 persons were exposed to measles virus from SVF cases, of whom 180 were susceptible, indicating secondary attack rates of 0%-6.25%. We identified 109 cases of SVF from the studies; 10.09% (n = 11) of case-patients transmitted the virus, resulting in 23 further cases and yielding an effective reproduction number of 0.063 (95% CI 0.0-0.5). These findings suggest a remarkably low attack rate for SVF measles cases, suggesting that, In outbreak situations, public health management of unvaccinated persons could be prioritized over persons with SVF.

Association between Glycosylated Hemoglobin Levels and Vaccine Preventable Diseases: A Systematic Review.

People with diabetes are at higher risk of serious complications from many vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Some studies have highlighted the potential impact of glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), but no systematic review has synthesized these findings. Of the 823 identified studies, 3 were included, for a total of 705,349 participants. Regarding the incidence of herpes zoster (HZ), one study found that higher HbA1c levels at the baseline (>10.3%) were associated with a significantly higher risk of HZ of 44%, compared to those with a good HbA1c control (6.7%). On the contrary, the second one reported that when compared to the reference group (HbA1c of 5.0-6.4%), participants with a HbA1c less than 5.0% were at higher risk of HZ of 63%, whilst participants with a HBA1c more than 9.5% had a similar risk. Finally, the third study observed that diabetes, defined using a value of HbA1c more than 7.5%, was associated with an increased risk of mortality in men with COVID-19. In conclusion, both high and low HBA1c levels appear to be associated with a higher risk of HZ. Regarding COVID-19, a value of HbA1c more than 7.5% was associated with a higher risk of death in COVID-19, but only in men.

Exploring Parental Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Childhood Vaccinations in Greece: A Study Within the Framework of the National Health Examination Survey (EMENO).

AIM: Vaccinations have reduced illnesses and mortality rates globally, yet negative attitudes and uncertainty about them hinder their acceptability and efficacy. The study aims to document Greek parents' immunization perceptions and risk factors. METHODS: Spanning 2014-2017, 447 parents (68% mothers) who participated in the Greek Health Examination Survey EMENO (National Survey of Morbidity and Risk Factors) completed an interview-delivered questionnaire. Attitudes were categorized into three groups: absolutely positive, positive, and negative. Absolutely positive attitudes included positive responses to all five statements in favor of vaccination and negative responses to the two statements against vaccination. Negative attitudes included positive responses to either one or both statements against vaccination and negative responses to all five statements in favor of vaccination.. All other participants were categorized as having a positive attitude. Skepticism towards vaccinations was classified into skeptical and non-skeptical groups based on responses to five statements implying uncertainty or skepticism. Participants were considered skeptical if they provided positive responses to at least three of these statements, and non-skeptical if they had none or up to two positive responses. The statistical analysis accounted for the study design whereas inverse probability weighting was used to adjust for non-response and multiple imputations were employed to impute missing values. The components of parental attitude and vaccine skepticism were identified using weighted multinomial logistic regression and logistic regression, respectively. RESULTS: In total, 16.6% were classified as having absolutely positive attitudes towards vaccinations whereas 42.1% were skeptical of vaccines. Of all participants, 96.0% agreed that vaccinations are essential for their child's well-being and adhere to scientific recommendations. However, concerns were also mentioned, with 26.2% worrying about potential adverse effects, and 21.6% believing it is better to acquire immunity through illness rather than vaccination. Positive participants, compared to absolutely positive ones, were more likely to be of Greek origin (adjusted relative rate ratio (aRRR): 3.35; 95% CI: 1.53-7.30) and living in semi-urban areas (aRRR: 4.84; 95% CI: 1.77-13.29). Negative participants, in contrast, were more likely to have higher education (aRRR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.05-8.44) but also to live in semi-urban areas (aRRR: 6.43; 95% CI: 1.69-24.56). Furthermore, parents of Greek origin had significantly higher odds of being skeptical towards vaccination (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 2.86; 95% CI: 1.36-5.98), while married or cohabiting parents had lower odds of being skeptical compared to single parents (aOR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.35-1.06). CONCLUSIONS: While parents in this study recognize the importance of childhood immunizations, there is a widespread presence of negative attitudes and skepticism that can have a detrimental impact on vaccination rates.

Addressing the re-emergence and resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Africa: A health equity perspective.

Vaccination is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, with a tremendous impact in the prevention and control of diseases. However, the recent reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases calls for a need to evaluate current vaccination practices and disparities in vaccination between high-income countries and low-and-middle-income countries. There are massive deficits in vaccine availability and coverage in resource-constrained settings. Therefore, this perspective seeks to highlight the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Africa within the lens of health equity and offer recommendations on how the continent should be prepared to deal with the myriad of its health systems challenges. Among the notable factors contributing to the reemergence, stand health inequities affecting vaccine availability and the dynamic vaccine hesitancy. Strengthening health systems and addressing health inequities could prove useful in halting the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

A Pilot Study on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Mothers About Their Children's Vaccination in a Medical Institute in Jharkhand, India.

Introduction Immunisation is one of the key public health instruments to combat childhood morbidity and mortality. However, the lack of mothers' knowledge and motivation to vaccinate their children has affected vaccination programs and vaccination coverage rate in the state of Jharkhand. Therefore, addressing this knowledge gap, our study aims to evaluate the extent of mothers' understanding of the effects and aspects of vaccination for their children. Materials and method This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the paediatric vaccination clinic of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi between October 2022 and September 2023. The sample population included 200 mothers as participants (18 years and above). The survey was done with a self-administered questionnaire of questions about socio-demographic factors, mothers' knowledge, and mothers' practices, and answers were consolidated in the form of a table. Results The majority of participants in this study were below 25 years of age and were literate. The missed vaccination percentage was also significantly higher among illiterates, mothers below 30 years of age, and unemployed ones. Among the respondents, 73.3% of illiterate mothers, 56% of those below 30 years of age, and 64% of unemployed mothers missed their children's vaccination schedule. Among the mothers, 75% did not know the names of vaccine-preventable diseases. Of the respondents, 50% believed intercurrent illnesses like fever and the common cold to be side effects and contraindications of vaccines. Among the mothers, 65% never posed any questions to the paediatrician. Of the mothers, 97% safely kept the vaccination card and 82% relied on government or public health centres for vaccination purposes. Conclusion The majority of our population was in favour of vaccinating their children but there existed a huge lacuna in their knowledge about vaccination. This study concludes that firmer measures have to be exercised to bridge this knowledge gap. Only this can improve the vaccination coverage rate.

Burden of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in People Living with HIV.

Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) pose a serious public health concern for people living with HIV (PLH). PLH experience a delayed and weakened response to many vaccines available, compared to the general population. Lower seroconversion rates, along with a decreased efficacy and durability of vaccines, increases the susceptibility of PLH to VPDs. Vaccination guidelines specifically targeting this population have been modified to overcome these challenges. However, vaccine uptake remains suboptimal due to multiple barriers, highlighting the need for further studies and the additional implementation of public health measures specifically tailored to PLH.

Challenges for Sustaining Measles Elimination: Post-Verification Large-Scale Import-Related Measles Outbreaks in Mongolia and Cambodia, Resulting in the Loss of Measles Elimination Status.

The Western Pacific Region's pursuit of measles elimination has seen significant progress and setbacks. Mongolia and Cambodia were the first two middle-income countries in the Western Pacific to be verified as having eliminated measles by the Western Pacific Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, in March 2014 and 2015, respectively. However, both countries experienced large-scale or prolonged importation-related measles outbreaks shortly afterwards, leading to the re-establishment of endemic transmission. We describe the path to initial elimination in both countries and explore these outbreaks' characteristics, factors contributing to the loss of elimination status, and implications for broader elimination efforts. Data sources include case-based epidemiological and laboratory surveillance reports, historical immunization coverage, genotype data, and published reports of in-depth outbreak investigations. In Mongolia, a single prolonged and large-scale outbreak revealed a hidden immunity gap among young adults and was driven in part by nosocomial transmission, leading to significant morbidity and mortality and loss of elimination status. Cambodia suffered multiple importations from neighboring endemic countries during the global measles resurgence in 2018-2019, complicated by cross-border mobility and significant nosocomial amplification, and the country was ultimately unable to sufficiently distinguish independent chains of transmission, leading to loss of elimination status. Our findings highlight the importance of broadening population immunity assessments beyond children to include adults and specific high-risk groups. Robust routine immunization programs, supplemented by tailored SIAs, are crucial for preventing and managing outbreaks. Additionally, strong outbreak preparedness plans, rapid response strategies, and cross-border collaboration and the global effort to prevent multiple resurgences and large-scale importation-induced outbreaks are vital for maintaining elimination status. The experiences of Mongolia and Cambodia underscore the challenges of sustaining measles elimination in the face of importation risks, shared borders with endemic countries, healthcare system gaps, and population movements. Strengthening the global coordination and synchronization of measles elimination activities is imperative to protect the gains achieved and prevent future setbacks.

Detection of Nucleocapsid Antibodies Associated with Primary SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Blood Donors.

Nucleocapsid antibody assays can be used to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in regions implementing spike-based COVID-19 vaccines. However, poor sensitivity of nucleocapsid antibody assays in detecting infection after vaccination has been reported. We derived a lower cutoff for identifying previous infections in a large blood donor cohort (N = 142,599) by using the Ortho VITROS Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total-N Antibody assay, improving sensitivity while maintaining specificity >98%. We validated sensitivity in samples donated after self-reported swab-confirmed infections diagnoses. Sensitivity for first infections in unvaccinated donors was 98.1% (95% CI 98.0-98.2) and for infection after vaccination was 95.6% (95% CI 95.6-95.7) based on the standard cutoff. Regression analysis showed sensitivity was reduced in the Delta compared with Omicron period, in older donors, in asymptomatic infections, <30 days after infection, and for infection after vaccination. The standard Ortho N antibody threshold demonstrated good sensitivity, which was modestly improved with the revised cutoff.

The Opportunity Provided by Vaccination Offer to Refugees from Ukraine in European Countries.

(1) The Russian invasion of Ukraine forced many people to leave their country and seek asylum in various European countries, with serious consequences from a health perspective. In this context, we describe the health measures undertaken by AcToVax4NAM Consortium Countries (Cyprus-Germany-Greece-Italy-Malta-Poland-Romania-Spain) to prevent Vaccine-Preventable Disease (VPD) outbreaks in the context of mass movements of populations that resulted from the crisis in Ukraine. (2) We collected information on the vaccinations offered to Ukrainians in the Consortium Countries. (3) All these countries have provided Temporary Protection (TP) status to refugees from Ukraine and have followed the recommendations of European and International Agencies to offer them vaccinations according to the National Immunisation Programmes. The COVID-19 vaccination is offered in all countries with regard to the general population. Most countries provide information on TP and access to health/vaccination services in the Ukrainian language. (4) The information collected shows a common effort to ensure the adequate planning of health and vaccination services for refugees from Ukraine and, very often, to include them in the national vaccination offer. It is important that this initial response towards people who have fled Ukraine will be continued following the emergency but, more importantly, that it serves as a best practice towards all migrants and refugees entering the EU.

Strategies to Enhance COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Prioritized Groups, Uganda-Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Future Pandemics.

COVID-19 vaccination was launched in March 2021 in Uganda and initially prioritized persons >50 years of age, persons with underlying conditions, healthcare workers, teachers, and security forces. However, uptake remained low 5 months after the program launch. Makerere University's Infectious Diseases Institute supported Uganda's Ministry of Health in optimizing COVID-19 vaccination uptake models by using point-of-care, place of worship, and place of work engagement and the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment model in 47 of 135 districts in Uganda, where we trained influencers to support mobilization for vaccination outreach under each model. During July-December, vaccination rates increased significantly in targeted regions, from 92% to 130% for healthcare workers, 40% to 90% for teachers, 25% to 33% for security personnel, 6% to 15% for persons >50 years of age, and 6% to 11% for persons with underlying conditions. Our approach could be adopted in other targeted vaccination campaigns for future pandemics.

Childhood vaccination hesitancy in Saudi Arabia: are we still facing a problem? A narrative review.

Vaccination is a crucial public health intervention for infection prevention. Yet, vaccine hesitation has emerged as a pressing public health concern. The objective of this review is to identify the widespread and causes of vaccine hesitancy prevalance among parents of children in Saudi Arabia. A narrative review, surveying several databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, Google Scholar, and relevant regional journals. We selected studies related to vaccine hesitancy prevalence and causes after removing duplicates and screening for relevance and access to full text. A total of 18 articles met the final selection criteria.The prevalence of parental vaccination reluctance in Saudi Arabia shown significant variability; ranging from 3.1-72.2%. Concerns regarding vaccine side effects appeared as the foremost reason for vaccine hesitancy. The review concluded that numerous Saudi Arabian parents still hesitate to vaccinate their children. They believe the potential adverse effects of vaccination outweigh the protective benefits against diseases.

Estimates of SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalization and Fatality Rates in the Prevaccination Period, United States.

Few precise estimates of hospitalization and fatality rates from COVID-19 exist for naive populations, especially within demographic subgroups. We estimated rates among persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States during May 1-December 1, 2020, before vaccines became available. Both rates generally increased with age; fatality rates were highest for persons >85 years of age (24%) and lowest for children 1-14 years of age (0.01%). Age-adjusted case hospitalization rates were highest for African American or Black, not Hispanic persons (14%), and case-fatality rates were highest for Asian or Pacific Islander, not Hispanic persons (4.4%). Eighteen percent of hospitalized patients and 44.2% of those admitted to an intensive care unit died. Male patients had higher hospitalization (6.2% vs. 5.2%) and fatality rates (1.9% vs. 1.5%) than female patients. These findings highlight the importance of collecting surveillance data to devise appropriate control measures for persons in underserved racial/ethnic groups and older adults.

Driving delivery and uptake of catch-up vaccination among adolescent and adult migrants in UK general practice: a mixed methods pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Migrants in the UK and Europe face vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) due to missed childhood vaccines and doses and marginalisation from health systems. Ensuring migrants receive catch-up vaccinations, including MMR, Td/IPV, MenACWY, and HPV, is essential to align them with UK and European vaccination schedules and ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality. However, recent evidence highlights poor awareness and implementation of catch-up vaccination guidelines by UK primary care staff, requiring novel approaches to strengthen the primary care pathway. METHODS: The 'Vacc on Track' study (May 2021-September 2022) aimed to measure under-vaccination rates among migrants in UK primary care and establish new referral pathways for catch-up vaccination. Participants included migrants aged 16 or older, born outside of Western Europe, North America, Australia, or New Zealand, in two London boroughs. Quantitative data on vaccination history, referral, uptake, and sociodemographic factors were collected, with practice nurses prompted to deliver catch-up vaccinations following UK guidelines. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with staff and migrants explored views on delivering catch-up vaccination, including barriers, facilitators, and opportunities. Data were analysed using STATA12 and NVivo 12. RESULTS: Results from 57 migrants presenting to study sites from 18 countries (mean age 41 [SD 7.2] years; 62% female; mean 11.3 [SD 9.1] years in UK) over a minimum of 6 months of follow-up revealed significant catch-up vaccination needs, particularly for MMR (49 [86%] required catch-up vaccination) and Td/IPV (50 [88%]). Fifty-three (93%) participants were referred for any catch-up vaccination, but completion of courses was low (6 [12%] for Td/IPV and 33 [64%] for MMR), suggesting individual and systemic barriers. Qualitative in-depth interviews (n = 39) with adult migrants highlighted the lack of systems currently in place in the UK to offer catch-up vaccination to migrants on arrival and the need for health-care provider skills and knowledge of catch-up vaccination to be improved. Focus group discussions and interviews with practice staff (n = 32) identified limited appointment/follow-up time, staff knowledge gaps, inadequate engagement routes, and low incentivisation as challenges that will need to be addressed. However, they underscored the potential of staff champions, trust-building mechanisms, and community-based approaches to strengthen catch-up vaccination uptake among migrants. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant catch-up vaccination needs of migrants in our sample, and the current barriers to driving uptake identified, our findings suggest it will be important to explore this public health issue further, potentially through a larger study or trial. Strengthening existing pathways, staff capacity and knowledge in primary care, alongside implementing new strategies centred on cultural competence and building trust with migrant communities will be important focus areas.

Impact of National Immunization Strategies on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases - China, 1950-2021.

What is already known about this topic?: The incidences of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) included in the Expanded Program on Immunization in China have decreased significantly in recent decades. What is added by this report?: This study summarizes the national incidences of nine VPDs and the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) under different immunization strategies from 1950 through 2021 in China. The sharpest decreases in VPD incidence and under-5-year HBsAg seroprevalence occurred during the latest stage of the National Immunization Program. The decreases in VPD incidence were most prominent among children under five years of age. What are the implications for public health practice?: These findings provide valuable insights for vaccine value assessment and emphasize the importance of implementing immunization strategies in targeted populations.

Trends in Nationally Notifiable Infectious Diseases in Humans and Animals during COVID-19 Pandemic, South Korea.

We investigated trends in notifiable infectious diseases in both humans and animals during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea and compared those data against expected trends had nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) not been implemented. We found that human respiratory infectious diseases other than COVID-19 decreased by an average of 54.7% after NPIs were introduced. On the basis of that trend, we estimated that annual medical expenses associated with respiratory infections other than COVID-19 also decreased by 3.8% in 2020 and 18.9% in 2021. However, human gastrointestinal infectious diseases and livestock diseases exhibited similar or even higher incidence rates after NPIs were instituted. Our investigation revealed that the preventive effect of NPIs varied among diseases and that NPIs might have had limited effectiveness in reducing the spread of certain types of infectious diseases. These findings suggest the need for future, novel public health interventions to compensate for such limitations.

Infection- and Vaccine-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence, Japan, 2023.

We assessed SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Japan during July-August 2023, with a focus on 2 key age groups, 0-15 and >80 years. We estimated overall seroprevalence of 45.3% for nucleocapsid antibodies and 95.4% for spike antibodies and found notable maternally derived spike antibodies in infants 6-11 months of age (90.0%).