The effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination for protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants against infection, 2012-2017: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination for preventing pertussis infections in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants under seven months of age. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study; analysis of linked administrative health data. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Mother-infant cohort (Links2HealthierBubs) including all pregnant women who gave birth to live infants (gestational age ≥ 20 weeks, birthweight ≥ 400 g) in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia during 1 January 2012 - 31 December 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions of women vaccinated against pertussis during pregnancy, rates of pertussis infections among infants under seven months of age, and estimated effectiveness of maternal vaccination for protecting infants against pertussis infection, each by Indigenous status. RESULTS: Of the 19 892 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who gave birth to live infants during 2012-2017, 7398 (37.2%) received pertussis vaccine doses during their pregnancy, as had 137 034 of 259 526 non-Indigenous women (52.8%; Indigenous v non-Indigenous: adjusted odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.70). The annual incidence of notified pertussis infections in non-Indigenous infants declined from 16.8 (95% CI, 9.9-29) in 2012 to 1.4 (95% CI, 0.3-8.0) cases per 10 000 births in 2017; among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants, it declined from 47.6 (95% CI, 16.2-139) to 38.6 (95% CI, 10.6-140) cases per 10 000 births. The effectiveness of maternal vaccination for protecting non-Indigenous infants under seven months of age against pertussis infection during 2014-17 was 68.2% (95% CI, 51.8-79.0%); protection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants was not statistically significant (36.1%; 95% CI, -41.3% to 71.1%). CONCLUSIONS: During 2015-17, maternal pertussis vaccination did not protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants in the NT, Queensland, and WA against infection. Increasing the pertussis vaccination rate among pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women requires culturally appropriate, innovative strategies co-designed in partnership with Indigenous organisations and communities.

Maternal Pertussis Vaccination, Infant Immunization, and Risk of Pertussis.

OBJECTIVES: Following the introduction of jurisdictional maternal pertussis vaccination programs in Australia, we estimated maternal vaccine effectiveness (VE) and whether maternal pertussis vaccination modified the effectiveness of the first 3 primary doses of pertussis-containing vaccines. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of 279 418 mother-infant pairs using probabilistic linkage of administrative health records in 3 Australian jurisdictions. Infants were maternally vaccinated if their mother had a documented pertussis vaccination ≥14 days before birth. Jurisdictional immunization records were used to identify receipt of the first 3 infant doses of pertussis-containing vaccines. Infant pertussis infections were identified using notifiable disease records. VE was estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Pertussis was administered during 51.7% (n = 144 429/279 418) of pregnancies, predominantly at 28-31 weeks' gestation. VE of maternal pertussis vaccination declined from 70.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 50.5-82.3) among infants <2 months old to 43.3% (95% CI, 6.8-65.6) among infants 7-8 months old and was not significant after 8 months of age. Although we observed slightly lower VE point estimates for the third dose of infant pertussis vaccine among maternally vaccinated compared with unvaccinated infants (76.5% vs 92.9%, P = .002), we did not observe higher rates of pertussis infection (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.61-3.39). CONCLUSIONS: Pertussis vaccination near 28 weeks' gestation was associated with lower risk of infection among infants through 8 months of age. Although there was some evidence of lower effectiveness of infant vaccination among maternally vaccinated infants, this did not appear to translate to greater risk of disease.

Area-level geographic and socioeconomic factors and the local incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Queensland between 2020 and 2022.

OBJECTIVE: Calculate the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection notifications and the influence of area-level geographic and socioeconomic factors in Queensland using real-time data from the COVID-19 Real-time Information System for Preparedness and Epidemic Response (CRISPER) project. DESIGN AND SETTING: Population-level ecological study and spatial mapping of the incidence of COVID-19 infection notifications in Queensland, by postcode, 2020-2022. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions and distribution of COVID-19 infection notifications by year, age-group, socioeconomic disadvantage, and geospatial mapping. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated. RESULTS: Between 28 January 2020 and 30 June 2022, a total of 609,569 cases of COVID-19 associated with a Queensland postcode were recorded. The highest proportion of cases occurred in 2022 (96.5%), and in the 20- to 24-year age category (IRR = 1.787). In non-Major City areas, there was also a higher incidence of COVID-19 cases in lower socioeconomic areas (IRR = 0.84) than in higher socioeconomic areas (IRR = 0.66). CONCLUSIONS: Queensland experienced its highest proportion of COVID-19 cases once domestic and international borders opened. However, geographic and socioeconomic factors may have still contributed to a higher incidence of COVID-19 cases across some Queensland areas. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Although Australia has moved from the emergency response phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to ensure ongoing prevention strategies target groups and areas that we have identified with the highest incidence.

Possible Exposures Among Mpox Patients Without Reported Male-to-Male Sexual Contact - Six U.S. Jurisdictions, November 1-December 14, 2022.

The extent to which the 2022 mpox outbreak has affected persons without a recent history of male-to-male sexual contact (MMSC) is not well understood. During November 1-December 14, 2022, CDC partnered with six jurisdictional health departments to characterize possible exposures among mpox patients aged ≥18 years who did not report MMSC during the 3 weeks preceding symptom onset. Among 52 patients included in the analysis, 14 (27%) had a known exposure to a person with mpox, including sexual activity and other close intimate contact (eight) and household contact (six). Among 38 (73%) patients with no known exposure to a person with mpox, self-reported activities before illness onset included sexual activity and other close intimate contact (17; 45%), close face-to-face contact (14; 37%), attending large social gatherings (11; 29%), and being in occupational settings involving close skin-to-skin contact (10; 26%). These findings suggest that sexual activity remains an important route of mpox exposure among patients who do not report MMSC.

Influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage in pregnancy in Australia, 2016-2021.

Vaccination in pregnancy is the best strategy to reduce complications from influenza or pertussis infection in infants who are too young to be protected directly from vaccination. Pregnant women are also at risk of influenza complications preventable through antenatal vaccination. Both vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant women in Australia, but coverage is not routinely reported nationally. We reviewed all reported Australian maternal influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage data for the period 2016-2021, to identify gaps and information needs. Maternal influenza vaccine coverage was suboptimal at < 58% for 2016-2018, with higher coverage of 62-75% reported in two states (Victoria and Western Australia) for 2019-2021. Maternal pertussis vaccine coverage from 2016 was generally higher than for influenza at > 70%, with the highest jurisdictional coverage of 89% reported in Western Australia in 2020. Vaccination rates were often suboptimal among First Nations pregnant women and up to 20% lower than among non-First Nations Australian women; while data were limited, coverage was low among culturally and linguistically diverse women and among women of lower socio-economic status. Jurisdictional perinatal data collections were the best source of information on antenatal vaccine coverage but were only available for a minority of the population; a nationally consistent systematic approach is lacking. Timely and comprehensive data are needed to provide feedback to improve maternal vaccination coverage, particularly among groups with higher risk and/or low uptake, and as new vaccines are recommended, including COVID-19 vaccination.

Inequity of antenatal influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage in Australia: the Links2HealthierBubs record linkage cohort study, 2012-2017.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy and early infancy are increased risk periods for severe adverse effects of respiratory infections. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (respectfully referred to as First Nations) women and children in Australia bear a disproportionately higher burden of respiratory diseases compared to non-Indigenous women and infants. Influenza vaccines and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccines are recommended and free in every Australian pregnancy to combat these infections. We aimed to assess the equity of influenza and/or pertussis vaccination in pregnancy for three priority groups in Australia: First Nations women; women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds; and women living in remote areas or socio-economic disadvantage. METHODS: We conducted individual record linkage of Perinatal Data Collections with immunisation registers/databases between 2012 and 2017. Analysis included generalised linear mixed model, log-binomial regression with a random intercept for the unique maternal identifier to account for clustering, presented as prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% compatibility intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: There were 445,590 individual women in the final cohort. Compared with other Australian women (n = 322,848), First Nations women (n = 29,181) were less likely to have received both recommended antenatal vaccines (PR 0.69, 95% CI 0.67-0.71) whereas women from CALD backgrounds (n = 93,561) were more likely to have (PR 1.16, 95% CI 1.10-1.13). Women living in remote areas were less likely to have received both vaccines (PR 0.75, 95% CI 0.72-0.78), and women living in the highest areas of advantage were more likely to have received both vaccines (PR 1.44, 95% CI 1.40-1.48). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to other groups, First Nations Australian families, those living in remote areas and/or families from lower socio-economic backgrounds did not receive recommended vaccinations during pregnancy that are the benchmark of equitable healthcare. Addressing these barriers must remain a core priority for Australian health care systems and vaccine providers. An extension of this cohort is necessary to reassess these study findings.

The changing epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae genogroups and antimicrobial resistance in Queensland, Australia, 2010-15: a case series analysis of unique Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) can lead to serious reproductive and sexual health outcomes, and the annual number of NG notifications in Australia increased steadily from 10329 in 2010 to 29549 by 2020. Australian populations most affected are urban men who have sex with men and First Nations peoples living in remote areas, and a resurgence in urban heterosexuals has been observed since 2012. METHODS: A case series analysis of Queensland NG isolates (2010-15) exploring temporal trends and antimicrobial resistance by demographic and geographic distribution and genotype was performed. Proportions describe age, sex, strain, genogroup (NG multi-antigen sequence typing), region, swab site, antimicrobial sensitivity and isolate rates per 100000 population. Dominant genogroups were identified. RESULTS: Among 3953 isolates, the median age was 25years (IQR 20-34years) and most (n =2871/3915, 73%) were men. Brisbane city (68.8) and Far North Queensland (54.1) excluding Cairns showed the highest rates. Forty-six genogroups were documented, seven (G2992, G6876, G1415, G4186, G5, G1407 and G6937) comprised half of all isolates. The predominant male genogroup was G2992 (16%), and G6876 (20%) for females; G5 was predominantly male from 2010 to 2011, but equal in both sexes from 2012 to 2015. CONCLUSION: Considerable temporal, geographical and demographical diversity was observed in Queensland NG isolates, which has public health implications. Certain genogroups are more transient than others, and evidence suggests bridging from male-dominant networks to heterosexual networks. Molecular surveillance can enhance tracking the epidemiology and movement of NG in Australia, highlighting the necessity of genotyping to expose potentially prevalent strains circulating in undetected or underrepresented networks by current screening methods.

Timing and temporal trends of influenza and pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy in three Australian jurisdictions: The Links2HealthierBubs population-based linked cohort study, 2012-2017.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal inactivated influenza (IIV) and pertussis-containing vaccines (dTpa) offer protection against severe respiratory infections for pregnant women and infants <6 months of age. Both vaccines are recommended in pregnancy; however, little is known about temporal or jurisdictional trends and predictors of uptake. AIMS: To identify gaps and predictors of IIV and/or dTpa vaccinations in Australian pregnancies from 2012 to 2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a probabilistically linked, multi-jurisdictional population-based cohort study, drawing from perinatal data collections and immunisation databases. We used a generalised linear mixed model with a random effect term to account for clustering of multiple pregnancies within mothers, to calculate vaccination uptake, and identify predictors of uptake by maternal demographic, pregnancy, and health characteristics. RESULTS: Of 591 868 unique pregnancies, IIV uptake was 15%, dTpa 27% and 12% received both vaccines. Pertussis vaccinations in First Nations pregnancies were 20% lower than non-Indigenous pregnancies; dTpa was strongly associated with IIV uptake (risk ratio (RR): 8.60, 95% CI 8.48-8.73). This trend was temporally and jurisdictionally consistent. First Nations women were more likely to have had IIV in pregnancy before the introduction of dTpa in the pregnancy program: (RR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.40-1.57), but less likely after dTpa implementation (RR: 0.78, 95% CI 0.76-0.80). CONCLUSIONS: Inequity in vaccine uptake between First Nations and non-Indigenous pregnancies, and dismal rates of vaccination in pregnancy overall need urgent review, particularly before the next influenza pandemic or pertussis outbreak. If antenatal dTpa is driving IIV uptake, changes in antenatal healthcare practices are needed to ensure vaccines are offered equitably and optimally to protect against infection.

Defining the peak: Point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 using randomised sampling.

Since Queensland eased border restrictions to the rest of Australia on 13 December 2021, notified cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) dramatically increased, with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant now the most widespread variant of concern: 145,881 cases and 13 deaths were recorded in Queensland in the month following the opening of the border. For an effective public health response to a highly transmissible disease, it is important to know the prevalence in the community, but the exponential increase in cases meant that many with symptoms had difficulty getting tested. We implemented a surveillance program on the Gold Coast that used a modified randomised household cluster survey method to estimate the point prevalence of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The estimated point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 detected by PCR on self-collected swabs was 17.2% on the first visit to households (22 January 2022). This subsequently decreased to 5.2% (5 February 2022) and finally to 1.1% (19 February 2022). Out of 1,379 specimens tested over five weeks, 63 had detected SARS-CoV-2 and 35 (55.6%) were sequenced. All were SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529 (i.e. Omicron). This surveillance program could be scaled up or reproduced in other jurisdictions to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.Since Queensland eased border restrictions to the rest of Australia on 13 December 2021, notified cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) dramatically increased, with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant now the most widespread variant of concern: 145,881 cases and 13 deaths were recorded in Queensland in the month following the opening of the border. For an effective public health response to a highly transmissible disease, it is important to know the prevalence in the community, but the exponential increase in cases meant that many with symptoms had difficulty getting tested. We implemented a surveillance program on the Gold Coast that used a modified randomised household cluster survey method to estimate the point prevalence of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The estimated point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 detected by PCR on self-collected swabs was 17.2% on the first visit to households (22 January 2022). This subsequently decreased to 5.2% (5 February 2022) and finally to 1.1% (19 February 2022). Out of 1,379 specimens tested over five weeks, 63 had detected SARS-CoV-2 and 35 (55.6%) were sequenced. All were SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529 (i.e. Omicron). This surveillance program could be scaled up or reproduced in other jurisdictions to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.

Transplacental transfer of RSV antibody in Australian First Nations infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection hospitalisations in Aboriginal infants specifically those aged <6 months. Maternally derived RSV antibody (Ab) can protect against severe RSV disease in infancy. However, the efficiency of transplacental transfer of maternal anti-RSV Ab remains unknown in Aboriginal infants. We characterised RSV Ab in Australian First Nations mother-infant pairs (n = 78). We investigated impact of covariates including low birthweight, gestational age (GA), sex of the baby, maternal age and multiparity of the mother on cord to maternal anti-RSV Ab titre ratio (CMTR) using multivariable logistic regression model. All (n = 78) but one infant was born full term (median GA: 39 weeks, interquartile range: 38-40 weeks) and 56% were males. The mean log2 RSV Ab titre was 10.7 (SD± 1.3) in maternal serum and 11.0 (SD ± 1.3) in cord serum at birth; a ratio of 1.02 (SD ± 0.06). One-third of the pairs had a CMTR of <1 indicating impaired transfer. Almost 9% (7/78) of the term infants had cord RSV Ab levels below

Development of the COVID-19 Real-Time Information System for Preparedness and Epidemic Response (CRISPER), Australia.

Accurate and current information has been highlighted across the globe as a critical requirement for the COVID-19 pandemic response. To address this need, many interactive dashboards providing a range of different information about COVID-19 have been developed. A similar tool in Australia containing current information about COVID-19 could assist general practitioners and public health responders in their pandemic response efforts. The COVID-19 Real-time Information System for Preparedness and Epidemic Response (CRISPER) has been developed to provide accurate and spatially explicit real-time information for COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing and contact tracing locations in Australia. Developed based on feedback from key users and stakeholders, the system comprises three main components: (1) a data engine; (2) data visualization and interactive mapping tools; and (3) an automated alert system. This system provides integrated data from multiple sources in one platform which optimizes information sharing with public health responders, primary health care practitioners and the general public.

National predictors of influenza vaccine uptake in pregnancy: the FluMum prospective cohort study, Australia, 2012-2015.

OBJECTIVE: Ascertain predictors of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) uptake in pregnancy in mother-infant pairs from six Australian sites over four consecutive influenza seasons (2012-2015). METHODS: Prospective observational cohort study calculating proportions of unvaccinated and vaccinated pregnancies. Multivariable logistic regression calculating adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) to determine demographic, pregnancy and birth characteristics as predictors of IIV uptake in pregnancy. RESULTS: Uptake of IIV was 36% (n=3,651/9,878) with only 3-4% during the first trimester. Validation of IIV receipt was obtained for 77% of vaccinated participants. Predictors of IIV uptake in pregnancy were: healthcare provider recommendation to have IIV during pregnancy (aOR 7.04 [95%CI 5.83-8.50]): GP (aOR 4.12 [95%CI 3.43-4.98]), obstetrician (aOR 4.41 [95%CI 3.45-5.64]), midwife (aOR 1.88 [95%CI 1.51-2.36]); previous IIV within 12 months of their current pregnancy (aOR 2.87 [95%CI 2.36-3.50]); and pertussis vaccination during the current pregnancy (aOR 4.88 [95%CI 4.08-5.83]). Conclusions and implications for public health: Healthcare provider discussions with pregnant women about the risks associated with influenza infection during pregnancy and early infancy and evidence about the safety and effectiveness of IIV are required. Recommending and offering IIV in pregnancy needs to be included in these discussions to improve uptake.

Update: Characteristics of Health Care Personnel with COVID-19 - United States, February 12-July 16, 2020.

As of September 21, 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had resulted in 6,786,352 cases and 199,024 deaths in the United States.* Health care personnel (HCP) are essential workers at risk for exposure to patients or infectious materials (1). The impact of COVID-19 on U.S. HCP was first described using national case surveillance data in April 2020 (2). Since then, the number of reported HCP with COVID-19 has increased tenfold. This update describes demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, hospitalizations, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, stratified by vital status, among 100,570 HCP with COVID-19 reported to CDC during February 12-July 16, 2020. HCP occupation type and job setting are newly reported. HCP status was available for 571,708 (22%) of 2,633,585 cases reported to CDC. Most HCP with COVID-19 were female (79%), aged 16-44 years (57%), not hospitalized (92%), and lacked all 10 underlying medical conditions specified on the case report form† (56%). Of HCP with COVID-19, 641 died. Compared with nonfatal COVID-19 HCP cases, a higher percentage of fatal cases occurred in males (38% versus 22%), persons aged ≥65 years (44% versus 4%), non-Hispanic Asians (Asians) (20% versus 9%), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks) (32% versus 25%), and persons with any of the 10 underlying medical conditions specified on the case report form (92% versus 41%). From a subset of jurisdictions reporting occupation type or job setting for HCP with COVID-19, nurses were the most frequently identified single occupation type (30%), and nursing and residential care facilities were the most common job setting (67%). Ensuring access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and training, and practices such as universal use of face masks at work, wearing masks in the community, and observing social distancing remain critical strategies to protect HCP and those they serve.

Characteristics of Persons Who Died with COVID-19 - United States, February 12-May 18, 2020.

During January 1, 2020-May 18, 2020, approximately 1.3 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 83,000 COVID-19-associated deaths were reported in the United States (1). Understanding the demographic and clinical characteristics of decedents could inform medical and public health interventions focused on preventing COVID-19-associated mortality. This report describes decedents with laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, using data from 1) the standardized CDC case-report form (case-based surveillance) (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/reporting-pui.html) and 2) supplementary data (supplemental surveillance), such as underlying medical conditions and location of death, obtained through collaboration between CDC and 16 public health jurisdictions (15 states and New York City).

Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in Australia's Northern Territory across three eras of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use (2006-15): a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The burden of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in Indigenous children of Australia's Northern Territory is among the highest globally. No published data exists on the effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction on ALRIs in this population beyond 2005. The aim of this study was to describe the rates of ALRI admissions to hospital in Indigenous infants in the Northern Territory from 2006 to 2015, across three periods of different PCV use. We hypothesised that broader valency PCVs would be more effective against hospitalisations for pneumonia. METHODS: We did a retrospective population-based cohort study of Indigenous infants born in the Northern Territory followed up until age 12 months. Data were from administrative hospital and perinatal datasets. International classification of diseases codes (tenth revision, Australian modification; ICD-10AM) were used to identify respiratory hospitalisations of interest: all-cause ALRI, all-cause pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, viral pneumonia, influenza-like illness (ILI), respiratory syncytial virus ALRI (RSV-ALRI), and pneumococcal ALRI. Incidence rates were compared between PCV eras (7-valent PCV [PCV7], 2006-09; 10-valent PCV [PCV10], 2009-11; and 13-valent PCV [PCV13], 2011-15) using interrupted time trend analysis and negative binomial regression. FINDINGS: For children born between Jan 1, 2006, and Dec 31, 2015, 4138 ALRI episodes (31% of all hospitalisations) occurred among 2888 (20%) of the 14 594 infants. The overall ALRI hospitalisation rate was 29·7 episodes per 100 child-years. Prominent risk factors associated with ALRI hospitalisation were living in a remote community or the Central desert region, being born preterm or with low birthweight. ALRI rates were lowest in the PCV13 era, in association with a significant reduction in bacterial pneumonia hospitalisations in the PCV13 era compared with the PCV10 (incidence rate ratio 0·68, 95% CI 0·57-0·81) and PCV7 (0·70, 0·60-0·81) eras. In contrast, RSV-ALRI rates were 4·9 episodes per 100 child-years in each era. INTERPRETATION: A 30% reduction in bacterial-coded pneumonia hospitalisations in the Northern Territory during the era of PCV13 immunisation supports its ongoing use in the region. Despite the reduction, one in five Indigenous infants born in the region continue to be hospitalised with an ALRI in their first year of life. Future gains require multifaceted environmental and biomedical approaches. FUNDING: National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Birth outcomes in Aboriginal mother-infant pairs from the Northern Territory, Australia, who received 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccination during pregnancy, 2006-2011: The PneuMum randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women and infants <6 months old have a high baseline risk for pneumococcal disease compared to the general population, particularly among Indigenous populations living in poverty and low-resource settings. Efficacy trials of pneumococcal vaccination in pregnancy examining adverse birth outcomes are lacking. AIMS: We report adverse birth events as secondary outcomes from the 'PneuMum' randomised controlled trial of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination (23vPPV) in pregnancy (August 2006-January 2011). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Australian Aboriginal women aged 17-39 years with singleton uncomplicated pregnancies were randomised (1:2 ratio) to receive 23vPPV or no 23vPPV in pregnancy at 30-36 weeks gestation. We compared risks of stillbirth, preterm birth, low birthweight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA) between vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated on an intention-to-treat basis. RESULTS: Among 227 enrolled participants, 75 (33%) received 23vPPV in pregnancy. Risk differences in adverse birth outcomes between 23vPPV vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women were; preterm birth 9% vs 4% (HR 2.79; 95% CI 0.94-8.32) P = 0.07; LBW 9% vs 5% (HR 2.09; 95% CI 0.76-5.78) P = 0.15; and SGA 15% vs 17% (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.50-2.06) P = 0.96. There were no stillbirths. CONCLUSIONS: We found a numerically higher rate of preterm births among women who received 23vPPV in pregnancy compared to unvaccinated pregnant women. Although further investigation with larger participant numbers is needed to better evaluate this safety signal, the contribution of safety results from smaller studies using appropriate data analysis methodologies is critical, particularly as more clinical trials in pneumococcal vaccination in pregnancy are progressing.

Safety, equity and monitoring: a review of the gaps in maternal vaccination strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Influenza and pertussis infections are disproportionately higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their infants compared to other Australians. These infections are potentially preventable through vaccination in pregnancy; however, there is a lack of systematic monitoring and therefore knowledge of vaccine uptake, safety and effectiveness in Australia, and specifically among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. The limited data available suggest there is a lower uptake of maternal vaccination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women compared to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and this review seeks to explore potential reasons and the knowledge gaps in this regard. Other key gaps include the equitable access to quality antenatal care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women; and pregnancy loss <20 weeks gestation. Furthermore, our review highlights the importance of addressing these gaps in maternal vaccination strategies in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Applying infectious disease forecasting to public health: a path forward using influenza forecasting examples.

BACKGROUND: Infectious disease forecasting aims to predict characteristics of both seasonal epidemics and future pandemics. Accurate and timely infectious disease forecasts could aid public health responses by informing key preparation and mitigation efforts. MAIN BODY: For forecasts to be fully integrated into public health decision-making, federal, state, and local officials must understand how forecasts were made, how to interpret forecasts, and how well the forecasts have performed in the past. Since the 2013-14 influenza season, the Influenza Division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has hosted collaborative challenges to forecast the timing, intensity, and short-term trajectory of influenza-like illness in the United States. Additional efforts to advance forecasting science have included influenza initiatives focused on state-level and hospitalization forecasts, as well as other infectious diseases. Using CDC influenza forecasting challenges as an example, this paper provides an overview of infectious disease forecasting; applications of forecasting to public health; and current work to develop best practices for forecast methodology, applications, and communication. CONCLUSIONS: These efforts, along with other infectious disease forecasting initiatives, can foster the continued advancement of forecasting science.

Influenza vaccination in pregnancy among a group of remote dwelling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers in the Northern Territory: The 1+1 Healthy Start to Life study.

Remote-living Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience a higher burden of influenza infection during pregnancy than any other Australian women. Despite recommendations of inactivated influenza vaccination (IIV) in pregnancy, uptake and safety data are scarce for this population. We examined uptake of IIV in pregnancy and report adverse birth outcomes amongst a predominantly unvaccinated group of remote-living Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women from the Northern Territory (NT), using data from the 1+1 Healthy Start to Life study. Data were deterministically linked with the NT Immunisation Register to ascertain IIV exposure in pregnant women during 2003-2006 and 2009-2011 inclusive. Overall, IIV uptake in pregnancy was 3% (n=20/697 pregnancies); 0% (0/414) pre-influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 7% (20/293) post-influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (2009-2011). Vaccine uptake was poor in this cohort and it is unclear at what stage this policy failure occurred. Women with known comorbidities and/or high risk factors were not targeted for vaccination. Much larger study participant numbers are required to validate between group comparisons but there was no clinically nor statistically significant difference in median gestational ages (38 weeks for both groups), mean infant birthweights (3,001 g unvaccinated vs 3,175 g IIV vaccinated), nor birth outcomes between the few women who received IIV in pregnancy and those who did not. There were no stillbirths in women who received an IIV in pregnancy.

Bacterial septic arthritis infections associated with intra-articular injection practices for osteoarthritis knee pain-New Jersey, 2017.

BACKGROUND: In March 2017, the New Jersey Department of Health received reports of 3 patients who developed septic arthritis after receiving intra-articular injections for osteoarthritis knee pain at the same private outpatient facility in New Jersey. The risk of septic arthritis resulting from intra-articular injection is low. However, outbreaks of septic arthritis associated with unsafe injection practices in outpatient settings have been reported. METHODS: An infection prevention assessment of the implicated facility's practices was conducted because of the ongoing risk to public health. The assessment included an environmental inspection of the facility, staff interviews, infection prevention practice observations, and a medical record and office document review. A call for cases was disseminated to healthcare providers in New Jersey to identify patients treated at the facility who developed septic arthritis after receiving intra-articular injections. RESULTS: We identified 41 patients with septic arthritis associated with intra-articular injections. Cultures of synovial fluid or tissue from 15 of these 41 case patients (37%) recovered bacteria consistent with oral flora. The infection prevention assessment of facility practices identified multiple breaches of recommended infection prevention practices, including inadequate hand hygiene, unsafe injection practices, and poor cleaning and disinfection practices. No additional cases were identified after infection prevention recommendations were implemented by the facility. DISCUSSION: Aseptic technique is imperative when handling, preparing, and administering injectable medications to prevent microbial contamination. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation highlights the importance of adhering to infection prevention recommendations. All healthcare personnel who prepare, handle, and administer injectable medications should be trained in infection prevention and safe injection practices.