Evolution between 2008 and 2018 of mothers' perception regarding vaccination and infant vaccine coverage in France.

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring of vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) is essential to assess the implementation of a country's vaccine policy and its effectiveness. Through the French Vaccinoscopy study, we measured the evolution of VCRs as well as mothers' opinion towards vaccination between 2008 and 2018, before and after implementation of infant mandatory vaccination extension. METHODS: This is a study based on an internet-standardised questionnaire. In 2018, a representative sample of 3000 mothers of infants 0 to 35 months of age answered on their opinion on vaccination and reported all vaccinations recorded in their child's health record. RESULTS: On the period considered, infant VCRs were stable and high for diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, pertussis and pneumococcus components and progressed for measles, mumps rubella, 2 doses at 24 months of age from 45.3% in 2008 to 81.0% in 2018, hepatitis B (HepB) complete primovaccination at 6 months of age from 45.9% in 2008 to 86.3% in 2017 and 95.5% in 2018, and meningococcus C (MenC) 1 dose at 6 months of age from 43.0% in 2017 to 74.2% in 2018. In 2018, 69.0% of mothers were in favour of vaccination while this rate dropped from 80.2% in 2012 to 64.0% in 2017, and 80.8 to 89.6% perceived HepB, MenC measles and pertussis vaccinations as useful/essential, percentages in progress versus 2017. CONCLUSION: Following the implementation of infant mandatory vaccination in 2018, proportion of mothers in favour of vaccination increased significantly. HepB and MenC VCRs significantly progressed between 2017 and 2018.

Maternity staff immunization coverage against pertussis and maternal vaccination practices: Results of a 2017 cross-sectional survey in five public maternity hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct an audit of vaccination practices against pertussis in maternity wards to assess immunization practices targeting women, knowledge and awareness among health professionals and their involvement in the vaccination process, and to estimate their vaccine coverage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2017 cross-sectional descriptive survey using a data collection sheet of immunization practices targeting women and an anonymous questionnaire for health professionals whose vaccine coverage had been documented by the occupational health service. RESULTS: Five public maternity wards participated: one had a vaccination policy for women; 426 of 822 health professionals completed the questionnaire, 76% (from 50% of all residents to 83% of nurses) declared their vaccination status as up to date. Staff files in occupational health services showed that 69% of 822 health professionals received at least one vaccine booster during adulthood (57% less than 10 years before the survey); documented vaccination coverage rates ranged from 75% for residents to 91% for senior physicians. Occupational physicians and family physicians respectively performed 41% and 34% of vaccinations. While knowledge regarding vaccines was good, only 47% of health professionals declared prescribing them and 18% declared administering the anti-pertussis vaccine "often" or "very often". CONCLUSIONS: Updated data is needed to confirm the reported increase as participating centers are not representative of all birth centers. The active role of health professionals in vaccination-based pertussis prevention needs to be reinforced.

Infant mandatory vaccinations: Confirmation of a positive impact.

OBJECTIVE: Infant vaccines protecting against 11 diseases have changed from recommended to mandatory status in France for all children born from first of January 2018. Through Vaccinoscopie survey, we measured for the second consecutive year the impact of this new policy on vaccine coverage rates (VCRs) and mothers' perception regarding vaccination. METHODS: Web-based survey on a representative sample of 1500 mothers of 0 to 17-month-old infants. RESULTS: Non-optimal VCRs continued to increase in 2019 versus 2017 (according to age, +7 to 8 points VCR for Hepatitis B and +36 to 68 points for Meningococcus C). After a progressive decrease between 2012 and 2017, the rate of favorable mothers' opinion towards vaccination continued to progress in 2018 and 2019. CONCLUSION: These results confirmed the positive impact of this new law on infant VCRs and mothers' favorable opinion regarding vaccination.

Meningococcal C vaccine coverage in France in infants, children, and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: Meningococcal C (MenC) vaccination was introduced in the French vaccination calendar in 2010 to reduce the incidence of invasive meningococcal C disease (IMDC), mainly through herd immunity. The Vaccinoscopie survey helps follow vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) of children. METHODS: This annual survey is based on a self-administered online questionnaire. In 2017, 4500 mothers of children completed the questionnaire and reported all vaccinations recorded in their child's health record. RESULTS: MenC vaccination was deemed indispensable or useful by 77% to 84% of mothers. The main barrier mentioned by mothers considering the vaccination useless/not very useful, was fear of adverse effects. VCR was estimated at 77% among 24-35-month-old infants, 79% among 6-year-old children, and 50% among 14-15-year-old adolescents. VCR strongly varied depending on the physician's advice for vaccination and on the type of follow-up. Six months after publication of the new French vaccine calendar in April 2017, with a MenC vaccine recommendation for all 5-month-old infants, 43% of infants had received a dose at 6 months of age. CONCLUSIONS: VCRs are insufficient to reach herd immunity. Between 2011 and 2017 more than 100 deaths could have been avoided in France if optimal VCRs had been achieved. Faced with this vaccine strategy failure, the new vaccine recommendation at 5 months of age seems well-accepted. This recommendation and the implementation of infant mandatory vaccination in 2018 should have a major impact on IMD C incidence in this age group.

Impact of mandatory vaccination extension on infant vaccine coverages: Promising preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: In France infant vaccines protecting against 11 diseases have changed from a recommended to a mandatory status for all children born on or after January 1, 2018. Using the Vaccinoscopie survey, we measured the impact of this new vaccination policy on vaccine coverage rates (VCRs) and on mothers' perception of vaccination. METHODS: Online survey with 1000 mothers of 0- to 11-month-old infants. RESULTS: VCRs for at least one dose at the age of 6 months strongly progressed for diseases that previously did not meet Public Health objectives (+8 points for Hepatitis B and +31 points for meningococcal C vaccines). Mothers were more favorable to mandatory vaccination and better informed in 2018 than in 2017. CONCLUSION: These first results showed a positive impact of the extension of mandatory vaccination on mothers' opinion regarding vaccination and on infant VCRs.

Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca meningitis in infants. Epidemiological and clinical features.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of meningitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) and Klebsiella oxytoca (Ko) in high-income countries is unknown, and no series have been published to date. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide multicenter observational study in France between 2006 and 2016. All children from the French national registry for paediatric bacterial meningitis under the age of 1 year and hospitalized for Kp or Ko meningitis were included. Virulence factors of four Klebsiella spp. strains were explored by whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: Of 1859 cases of meningitis in children under the age of 1 year, 13 cases (0.7%) of Klebsiella spp. meningitis (nine for Kp meningitis and four for Ko meningitis) were registered in the French national registry. Three of the patients died and 50% of the survivors had developmental delays. CONCLUSIONS: Prematurity, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies of the urinary tract appear to be risk factors for Klebsiella spp. meningitis as well as virulence factors of the strain.

[Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease mimicking malignant lymphoma in adolescents]. / La maladie de Kikuchi-Fujimoto ; un diagnostic différentiel méconnu du lymphome chez l'adolescent.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is a rare cause of lymphadenopathy in children. This benign disease can mimic lymphoma and misleads doctors. It was first described in Asia, where it occurred especially in young women. Recent publications show that it can also affect teenagers and young adults in Caucasian populations. The pathophysiology remains unknown. Three hypotheses have been raised for this disease: the role of viruses (in particular HHV-8), genetic predisposition (two alleles in HLA class II genes were found more frequently in patients with Kikuchi disease), and an autoimmune cause because of the correlation with lupus erythematosus. Few cases have been reported in Europe so far. In this article, we report three cases of Kikuchi disease observed in less than 2 months in a single hospital in France. All three patients were teenagers who presented with lymphadenopathy, either isolated or combined with fever, weakness, and weight loss. In all of them, the hypermetabolic activity of the lymph node on the PET scanner misled us to suspect lymphoma. The diagnosis of Kikuchi disease was finally made, for all patients, after 2 weeks in the hospital based on lymph node biopsy. Based on this report, we highlight that early biopsy in presence of lymphadenopathy can avoid unnecessary extensive investigations. Moreover, in this rare disease, it is very surprising to come across three cases that are not family-related, in such a short period of time. This strengthens the hypothesis of the possible implication of an environmental factor in the pathophysiology of Kikuchi disease.

Principles of curative antibiotic treatment.

Infectious diseases are constantly evolving for many reasons. New infectious agents are regularly discovered, mainly because of the development of identification methods, including the molecular tools and mass spectrometry. Changes in the epidemiology of infectious diseases are not always understood, but several factors undoubtedly play an important role, notably the impact of vaccination implementations, the ecological consequences of antibiotic treatments and their excessive use, and the secular epidemiological trends of pathogenic agents. Antibiotic resistance has been recognized as one of the major challenges for humanity and few new antibiotics with potent activity against resistant Gram-negative rods have been developed in recent years. The rationalization of antibiotic treatments is a key for reducing or limiting antimicrobial resistance. This guide takes into account the latest recommendations, the consensus conferences, and the guidelines of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Group of the French Society of Pediatric, the French Infectious Diseases Society, and French official agencies. For each clinical situation, the main bacterial target of the antibiotic treatment, the first-choice antibiotic and the alternative treatment, as well as the most important findings for the diagnosis and treatment of the infection are detailed.

[Is the simplification of the immunization schedule applied? Review 2 years after its implementation]. / La simplification du calendrier vaccinal est-elle appliquée ? Bilan 2ans après sa mise en place.

Repeating evaluations of vaccine coverage (VC) is essential to measure the implementation and effectiveness of vaccination policy. We report the results of VC in infants from the Vaccinoscopie® study in 2014 to assess the changes secondary to the new 2013 immunization schedule. METHOD: Study conducted on Internet among a representative sample of mothers reporting their child's vaccination record. RESULTS: The removal of the dose of DTPa-Hib at the age of 3 months was quickly adopted since only 1 % of children aged 6 months had received three doses of DTPa in 2014 compared to 96 % in 2012. The booster dose is administered earlier for the DTPa and hepatitis B components. The shift of MMR vaccination from 9 months of age for children participating in community structures to 12 months for all children was closely followed since only 2 % of 9- to 11-month-old children received a MMR vaccine in 2014 compared to 33 % in 2012. The second dose of MMR recommended at 16-18 months of age rather than between 13 and 24 months was actually followed by an earlier administration of this dose. At 18-20 months of age, 60 % received two doses of MMR in 2014 versus 41 % in 2012. Finally, for meningitis C vaccination, a significant increase of VC was observed in children 15-23 months of age (66 % in 2014 versus 44 % in 2012). CONCLUSION: The simplification of the infant immunization schedule was quickly applied and received excellent support from healthcare professionals. However, this measure alone is still not sufficient to meet the CV objectives defined by the HCSP.

Vaccination of pregnant women in France.

OBJECTIVE: Vaccination of pregnant women against seasonal influenza is recommended in France since 2010. We currently do not have any vaccination coverage (VC) data to assess the implementation of this recommendation. METHODS: Vaccinoscopie® is an annual study conducted online using a self-administered questionnaire. A section dedicated to parents' vaccination was included in 2014 and aimed at interviewing 300 mothers of infants aged<12 months to assess their opinion of vaccination with regard to their last and future pregnancies. The study also aimed to measure the influenza VC of these mothers during their last pregnancy. RESULTS: While 56% of mothers reported to have been informed of the importance of vaccination by a healthcare professional (HCP) during their last pregnancy, only 11% reported having been informed of the importance of influenza vaccination. Overall, 49% of mothers reported willing to be vaccinated during their next pregnancy to protect their baby, if the vaccination were to be recommended by a HCP. However, this rate was only 32% for influenza vaccination. In contrast, 52% of mothers reported willing to be vaccinated against pertussis during pregnancy if the vaccination were to be recommended by a HCP. The influenza VC estimates in pregnant women was 7%. CONCLUSION: Although influenza vaccination has been recommended for all French pregnant women for the past five years, HCPs rarely recommend this vaccination - hence, the low VC. Informing and raising awareness among HCPs seems to be crucial to improve this coverage.

Pertussis vaccination coverage among French parents of infants after 10years of cocoon strategy.

OBJECTIVES: The cocoon strategy against pertussis has been recommended in France since 2004 to indirectly protect young infants who are not yet vaccinated. We aimed to measure vaccination coverage among French parents of infants. METHODS: A representative sample of 300 mothers and 200 fathers of infants aged <12 months completed a self-administered online questionnaire. They all provided their own vaccination records. RESULTS: Overall, 87% of mothers believed vaccination against pertussis to be important; 83% reported being immunized against pertussis but their vaccination records showed that a third of them was wrong (34%). On the basis of our sample, the 2009-2014 vaccination coverage against pertussis among mothers increased from 22 to 61% (P<0.005); over the same period of time, vaccination coverage against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio remained stable (80%). Vaccination coverage against pertussis among fathers increased from 21 to 42% between 2010 and 2013 (P=0.009). In 2013, one couple out of four (26%) was adequately immunized against pertussis. CONCLUSION: The cocoon strategy was implemented 10years ago in France but vaccination coverage remains suboptimal among parents of young infants. Healthcare professionals must recommend vaccination against pertussis to young adults and check that their vaccination status is up to date.

Public health impact of Infanrix hexa™ (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) reimbursement: A study programme in France. Part 2: Evolution of the acceptability of infants' vaccination against hepatitis B in general and pediatric practices - the PRALINE study.

BACKGROUND: The reimbursement of the hexavalent vaccine (Infanrix hexa™), comprising the DTPa-IPV-Hib components and the hepatitis B recombinant in a single vaccine, was approved in France in March of 2008. The impact of its reimbursement on physicians' decisions to vaccinate infants against hepatitis B was assessed in a study conducted with general practitioners and pediatricians. METHODS: The PRALINE study (NCT01777074) was a national, cross-sectional, repeated study with two measurement periods (T1 and T2) that measured the changes in physicians' acceptance of hepatitis B vaccination of infants before and for the 3 years after the approval of the hexavalent vaccine reimbursement. Two patient registers were created for each measurement period to enroll the first 15 12- to 15-month-old infants and the first 15 24- to 27-month-old children seen by the practitioners. The proportion of eligible children receiving a hepatitis B vaccine for each physician's practice was calculated. Practitioners also answered a vaccination practice questionnaire via telephone interviews. RESULTS: Across the two study periods, 418 general practitioners and 463 pediatricians were recruited and responded to the telephone interview on their vaccination practices. The overall number of children included in the study in both study periods reached almost 20,000. In the general practitioners group, there was a significant increase in the proportion of physicians "practicing hepatitis B vaccination" (i.e., at least 50% of eligible children receiving the initial hepatitis B vaccination) in children 24-27 months old (79% T2 versus 47% T1, P-value [P]<0.001). Similarly, the proportion of pediatricians initiating hepatitis B vaccination increased from 51% (T1) to 94% (T2) (P<0.0001). General practitioners offered hepatitis B vaccination to infants more systematically in the second study period (87% T2 versus 73% T1, P<0.001) and also suggested the use of the hexavalent vaccine to more patients after reimbursement (92% T2 versus 78% T1, P<0.0001). The proportion of pediatricians offering vaccination to every infant was high at T1 (94%) and remained steady (97%) with a high use of the hexavalent vaccine (94% T1 and 96% T2). CONCLUSION: The PRALINE study shows a significant and immediate change in the hepatitis B vaccination practices of general practitioners and pediatricians following hexavalent vaccine reimbursement with a significant increase in hepatitis B vaccine coverage in infants.

Outcomes of bacterial meningitis in children.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatricians are well aware of the immediate risks of bacterial meningitis in children. However, the long-term outcome of the disease has not been extensively studied. We aimed: (i) to evaluate the duration and quality of the long-term follow-up of children diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in a general pediatric department, (ii) to estimate the incidence of sequelae at the various stages of follow-up, and (iii) to compare our data with that of other studies. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study and included 34 children (3 months-15 years) who had been hospitalized for bacterial meningitis in the pediatric department of a University Hospital between January 1st, 2001 and December 31st, 2013. RESULTS: Overall, 32% of patients presented with sequelae and 15% with seizures. Only one patient presented with hearing loss, but 23.5% of patients did not have any hearing test performed. Seven patients had a neuropsychological assessment performed and no severe neuropsychological sequela was observed in this group. The average follow-up duration increased during the study period (from 23 to 49months). The long-term follow-up modalities observed in other studies were highly variable. Assessing the incidence and severity of sequelae was therefore difficult. CONCLUSION: A standardized follow-up should be implemented by way of a national surveillance network of children presenting with bacterial meningitis.

The impact of the web and social networks on vaccination. New challenges and opportunities offered to fight against vaccine hesitancy.

OBJECTIVE: Vaccine hesitancy is a growing and threatening trend, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and potentially defeating health authorities' strategies. We aimed to describe the significant role of social networks and the Internet on vaccine hesitancy, and more generally on vaccine attitudes and behaviors. METHODS: Presentation and discussion of lessons learnt from: (i) the monitoring and analysis of web and social network contents on vaccination; (ii) the tracking of Google search terms used by web users; (iii) the analysis of Google search suggestions related to vaccination; (iv) results from the Vaccinoscopie(©) study, online annual surveys of representative samples of 6500 to 10,000 French mothers, monitoring vaccine behaviors and attitude of French parents as well as vaccination coverage of their children, since 2008; and (v) various studies published in the scientific literature. RESULTS: Social networks and the web play a major role in disseminating information about vaccination. They have modified the vaccination decision-making process and, more generally, the doctor/patient relationship. The Internet may fuel controversial issues related to vaccination and durably impact public opinion, but it may also provide new tools to fight against vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSION: Vaccine hesitancy should be fought on the Internet battlefield, and for this purpose, communication strategies should take into account new threats and opportunities offered by the web and social networks.

[Visceral leishmaniasis without splenomegaly. A pediatric case report]. / Leishmaniose viscérale sans splénomégalie. À propos d'un cas chez un nourrisson.

Pediatric visceral leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania infantum, a dog parasite transmitted to humans by the bite of the female phlebotomine sand fly. The well-known clinical triad is fever, pallor, and splenomegaly. A secondary macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) can complicate this infection, which is lethal when not treated. When MAS is observed without any explanation, a visceral leishmaniasis is highly recommended. We report a case of visceral leishmaniasis in a 21-month-old child complicated by a macrophage activation syndrome without splenomegaly. No immunodeficiency was diagnosed that could explain this unusual clinical condition. To our knowledge, this is the first case of visceral leishmaniasis without splenomegaly reported to date.

Public health impact of Infanrix hexa (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) reimbursement: A study programme in France. Part 1: Evolution of hepatitis B vaccine coverage rates in infants aged less than 27 months, in the general population - the PopCorn study.

BACKGROUND: Reimbursement of the hexavalent vaccine (Infanrix hexa) comprising the DTPa-IPV-Hib components and the hepatitis B valence in a single vaccine was decided in March 2008 in France. The impact of its reimbursement on the hepatitis B vaccine coverage rate was assessed in a study conducted in the general population prior to and after implementation of the reimbursement policy. METHODS: The PopCorn study (NCT01782794) was a national, cross-sectional and repeated study, with four assessment periods over 3 years, from 2009 to 2012, to assess the hepatitis B vaccine coverage in 12- to 15- and 24- to 27-month-old children, vaccinated between 2007 and 2011 and selected by the quota sampling method. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at their homes and vaccination status was collected using their child's health record. Parents were also interviewed on their perceptions and acceptance of hepatitis B vaccination. Three indicators were calculated to assess hepatitis B vaccination coverage: proportions of infants with at least one dose before 6 months of age, with at least two doses before 6 months of age and with a complete schedule at 24 months of age. RESULTS: A total of 4903 children were enrolled in the study. An overall significant increase (P-value [P<0.05]) of the three indicators of interest over the four periods of time was observed for both age groups. The proportion of children receiving hepatitis B vaccination before 6 months increased from 21% at baseline (before vaccine reimbursement) to almost 75% at the last assessment period in 2012. More than 60% of 24- to 27-month-old children received a complete schedule in 2012 compared to 33% at baseline. No significant increases in the proportions of parents "favourable" and "moderately in favour" of hepatitis B vaccination were observed across the four evaluation periods (respectively, 17-22% and 48-50%, P=0.09). CONCLUSION: The rapid increase of hepatitis B vaccination coverage suggests a significant change in hepatitis B vaccination practice related to the hexavalent vaccine's reimbursement. This change was observed in a context of stability regarding parents' perceptions and acceptance of hepatitis B vaccination and of coverage rates for other infant vaccinations.

[Nasally delivered drugs (corticosteroids and vaccines), ultra long-acting bronchodilators and inhaled therapies in an animal model]. / Médicaments administrés par voie nasale (corticoïdes et vaccins), bronchodilatateurs de très longue durée d'action et aérosolthérapie dans un modèle animal.

Inhaled therapies are widely prescribed. Several aspects of these treatments were considered during the 4th meeting of the aerosol therapy workgroup (GAT) of the French-speaking respiratory society (Société de pneumologie de langue française [SPLF]). In this report, will be detailed the medications delivered by the nasal route, particularly corticosteroids and vaccines as well as the ultra long-acting beta2-agonists, and inhaled therapies for asthma due to allergy to cat dander.

[Complement terminal fraction deficiency revealed at first invasive meningococcal infection]. / Déficit en fraction terminale du complément révélé dès le premier épisode d'infection invasive à méningocoque.

Prevalence of complement protein deficiency in the general population is rare and its association with an increased risk of meningococcal infection is well established. However, management of these patients with potentially serious infections and indications warranting a search for such a deficiency have not met with consensus. We report the case of a 3-year-old child with no significant medical history who consulted in an emergency department for a fever after a stay in Senegal. Medical explorations concluded in septicemia and meningococcal W meningitis with a favorable outcome. Secondarily, we highlighted a complete deficiency of complement component C6. We diagnosed the same deficit in his twin sister who presented no infection. A long-term prophylactic antibiotic therapy and a meningococcal conjugate vaccine A,C,Y,W were set up for the twins. Recurrent invasive meningococcal infections and highlighting certain meningococcal serogroups are currently indications for complement protein exploration. We suggest expanding the search criteria for a complement protein deficiency after a single event of invasive meningococcal infection. This is an easy, rapid, and cost-effective screening system by dosage of CH50, C3, C4, and AP50. The arrival of the new meningococcal B vaccine will contribute to improving these patients' care. Family screening is necessary for prophylactic therapy.