Vaccination and associated factors among tribal children of 1 year age in nine Indian districts: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To report on vaccination status by 12 months of age among tribal children from nine districts of India. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 2631 tribal women having a child aged 12 months or below from nine Indian districts with a considerable proportion of the tribal population. Socio-demographic details, reception of various vaccines by 12 months of age, mother's antenatal care utilisation and health system-related details were collected through a pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire from mothers. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with complete vaccination by 12 months of age. RESULTS: Only 52% of children were fully vaccinated by the age of 12 months among the tribal populations; 11% did not receive any vaccine, and 37% of the tribal children received some vaccines. The age-appropriate vaccination was unsatisfactory as only 75% of the infants received all birth dose vaccines, and only 60.5% received all doses by 14 weeks. Only 73% were vaccinated against measles. Illness of the child, home births and communication gaps concerning vaccination were the main reasons for an infant not being vaccinated appropriately. Frequency of health worker's visits to the village, hospital birth, reception of advice on vaccination and educational status of the head of the households were significantly associated with full vaccination status. CONCLUSION: A relatively low proportion of children were fully vaccinated among the tribal populations. Health systems factors, mainly the outreach services and advice by the health workers, were positively and significantly associated with a child being fully vaccinated by 12 months of age. Improving outreach services is crucial to improve vaccination coverage in tribal areas, and there is a need to address the social determinants in the long run.

Repurposing of FDA Approved Drugs Against SARS-CoV-2 Papain-Like Protease: Computational, Biochemical, and in vitro Studies.

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) has impacted the world in many ways and the virus continues to evolve and produce novel variants with the ability to cause frequent global outbreaks. Although the advent of the vaccines abated the global burden, they were not effective against all the variants of SCoV-2. This trend warrants shifting the focus on the development of small molecules targeting the crucial proteins of the viral replication machinery as effective therapeutic solutions. The PLpro is a crucial enzyme having multiple roles during the viral life cycle and is a well-established drug target. In this study, we identified 12 potential inhibitors of PLpro through virtual screening of the FDA-approved drug library. Docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies suggested that these molecules bind to the PLpro through multiple interactions. Further, IC50 values obtained from enzyme-inhibition assays affirm the stronger affinities of the identified molecules for the PLpro. Also, we demonstrated high structural conservation in the catalytic site of PLpro between SCoV-2 and Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) through molecular modelling studies. Based on these similarities in PLpro structures and the resemblance in various signalling pathways for the two viruses, we propose that HCoV-229E is a suitable surrogate for SCoV-2 in drug-discovery studies. Validating our hypothesis, Mefloquine, which was effective against HCoV-229E, was found to be effective against SCoV-2 as well in cell-based assays. Overall, the present study demonstrated Mefloquine as a potential inhibitor of SCoV-2 PLpro and its antiviral activity against SCoV-2. Corroborating our findings, based on the in vitro virus inhibition assays, a recent study reported a prophylactic role for Mefloquine against SCoV-2. Accordingly, Mefloquine may further be investigated for its potential as a drug candidate for the treatment of COVID.

Impact of Spirulina Chikki Supplementation on Nutritional Status of Children: An Intervention Study in Tumkur District of Karnataka, India.

Objective: To assess the impact of Spirulina Chikki supplementation on the nutritional status of children (6 months-6 years). Design: A cross-sectional study design was adopted to assess the changes in nutritional status among the children (after 12 months of intervention period). The bassline and endline assessment were carried out from September 2020 to August 2021, respectively. Setting: Total 106 villages (108 Anganwadi Centers in nine circles) from Tumkur District were covered. Methods: Children aged 6 months-6 years were the study subjects. Anthropometric measurements viz., height, weight, and mid-arm circumference were collected from total 971 and 838 children during baseline and endline assessments correspondingly. The information on children's health and nutrition status was gathered from the mothers of sampled children. WHO's Anthro and AnthroPlus software were utilized to estimate the anthropometric measurements (Stunting, wasting, and underweight) of study participants. Results: The study found apparent disparities in the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight among the male and female children. There was a significant decline viz., 4% (28.6%-baseline to 24.5%-end line) in the prevalence of severe wasting. Also, severe stunting dropped by 6% at end line (30%-end-line to 24%-baseline). Improvement in nutritional status was evident among both female male children in all three indicators stunting, wasting, and underweight. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement shows substantial improvements from baseline to end line: SAM (5.3-0.6%), MAM (23-9%), and normal (72-91%). The study discloses significant improvements in the nutritional status among those children who consumed spirulina chikkis/granules for a longer duration viz., 9-10 months as compared to those who consumed for lesser duration. Conclusions: Findings reveal improvement in nutritional status among the beneficiaries who consumed spirulina chikki/granules as per the recommended quantity (amount) during the intervention period. Post intervention, spirulina chikki supplementation for nutritional intervention is implied to address large scale malnutrition among young children.

Efficacy of the commercial plant products acting against influenza-a review.

BACKGROUND: Influenza infection always poses a threat to human and animal health. Vaccines and antiviral drugs are recommended to deal with the situation. The drawback of these remedial agents made the scientist change their focus on an alternative therapy. The anti-influenza effects of plants have been extensively studied, and many pharmaceutical companies have prepared their products on this basis. MAIN BODY: The present review documents the successfully launched anti-influenza commercial products. In specific, it exposes the scientifically validated and evidence-based supporting inhibitory action of influenza and its strains. CONCLUSION: This review highlighted the efficacy of the commercial products which effectively combat influenza. It provides a complementary strategy to deal with the worst-case scenario of flu. Meanwhile, to face the emerging strains, brand new products are in great necessity besides prevailing and available drugs.

Substantial effect of phytochemical constituents against the pandemic disease influenza-a review.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by the influenza virus. Vaccination and antiviral drugs are the two methods opted to control the disease. Besides their efficiency, they also cause adverse side effects. Hence, scientists turned their attention to powerful herbal medicines. This review put focus on various proven, scientifically validated anti-influenza compounds produced by the plants suggested for the production of newer drugs for the better treatment of influenza and its related antiviral diseases too. MAIN BODY: In this review, fifty medicinal herb phytochemical constituents and their anti-influenza activities have been documented. Specifically, this review brings out the accurate and substantiates mechanisms of action of these constituents. This study categorizes the phytochemical constituents into primary and secondary metabolites which provide a source for synthesizing and developing new drugs. CONCLUSION: This article provides a summary of the actions of the herbal constituents. Since the mechanisms of action of the components are elucidated, the pandemic situation arising due to influenza and similar antiviral diseases can be handled promisingly with greater efficiency. However, clinical trials are in great demand. The formulation of usage may be a single drug compound or multi-herbal combination. These, in turn, open up a new arena for the pharmaceutical industries to develop innovative drugs.