Variables Associated With COVID-19 Vaccination Among Israeli Adolescents and the Need for Targeted Interventions.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to elucidate variables associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine compliance in adolescents and devise targeted interventions. Our secondary aim was to compare the rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, hospitalizations and deaths between vaccinated and unvaccinated adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was performed on all adolescents 12-17 years of age registered at Clalit Health District in Israel during January 1, 2021, to November 18, 2021, with characterization by vaccination status against COVID-19. Univariate and multivariable analyses were employed to identify predictors of vaccination. RESULTS: Of the 43,919 subjects included in the study, 28,207 (64.2%) were vaccinated. Non-ultraorthodox Jewish adolescents had a higher vaccination rate than the minorities Arabs or ultraorthodox Jews (72.5%, 66.2% and 40.5%, respectively, P < 0.001). Adolescents of high socioeconomic status had nearly 2-fold higher vaccination rates than those of low socioeconomic status (80.4% vs 42.3%; P < 0.0001). Adolescents 16-17 years old had a higher rate of COVID-19 vaccination than those 12-15 years old (72.5% vs 60.6%, P < 0.001), as were girls versus boys (64.7% vs 63.8%, P = 0.047). Multivariate analysis identified 3 independent variables that were significantly ( P < 0.001) associated with low vaccination: ultraorthodox sector, Arab population, and underlying obesity (hazard rations 0.42, 0.72 and 0.84, respectively). Vaccination was significantly associated with reduced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, hospitalization and death ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study highlights several pediatric populations with low COVID-19 vaccine compliance. Targeted interventions aimed at these populations are suggested with consideration of their special cultural, social and societal characteristics.

Isolated abdominal aortitis following administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF).

G-CSF is a myeloid growth factor produced by monocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. Clinical uses of G-CSF includes mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells from healthy donors before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, acceleration of neutrophil recovery following chemotherapy, and in the management of neutropenia due to other causes including AIDS and genetic disorders of granulocyte production. G-CSF is well tolerated and reports to be safe in healthy donors, although follow-up studies are limited in duration (D'Souza et al. in Transfus Med Rev 22(4):280-290, 2008).Isolated abdominal aortitis (IAA) is a rare disorder most commonly caused by the large-vessel vasculitides giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis, although it may also be associated with several other rheumatologic diseases and infections (Gornik and Creager in Circulation 117:3039-3051, 2008). To our knowledge, there only two cases have been published of IAA occurring in patients who had received G-CSF therapy (Dariea et al. in Rev Med Interne 25(3):225-229, 2004; Adiga et al. in Clin Drug Investig 29:821-825, 2009).We describe a case of a 55-year-old male, with peripheral vascular disease who after receiving Neupogen (G-CSF) developed a latent case of IAA. After further investigation and exclusion of other possible causative factors, we conclude that the most probable etiology is induction by G-CSF.