COVID -19: On the threshold of the fifth year. The situation in Spain / COVID-19: A las puertas del quinto año

Despite having emerged from pandemic status, the incidence of COVID-19 episodes has recently increased in Spain, including pediatric cases and admissions to Intensive Care Units. Several recombinant variants are circulating among us, particularly XBB arising from two Omicron BA.2 sublineages with mutations in the genes encoding the spicule proteins that could increase binding to the ACE2 receptor and be more prone to immune escape. Faced with these, 3 pharmaceutical companies have developed vaccines adapted to the XBB.1.5 sublineage that are already available for administration in our setting with risks that should not be different from those of previous mRNA vaccines and with clearly favorable benefit/risk ratios. They should be applied to patients with potential for poor COVID-19 evolution and to collectives that have a particular relationship of proximity with them. Their application should be understood not only from a perspective of individual convenience but also from that of collective responsibility. The most convenient seems to be a simultaneous immunization of COVID-19 and influenza in our environment. In the therapeutic aspect, there is little to expect right now from antisera, but the already known antiviral drugs are still available and indicated, although their efficacy will have to be reevaluated due to their impact on populations that are mostly immunized and with a better prognosis than in the past. In our opinion, it is necessary to continue to make a reasonable and timely use of masks and other non-pharmacological means of protection. (AU)

Pese a haber salido de la situación de pandemia, la incidencia de episodios de COVID-19 ha aumentado recientemente en España, incluidos los casos pediátricos y los ingresos en Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos. Circulan entre nosotros diversas variantes recombinantes, particularmente la XBB surgidas de dos sublinajes Omicron BA.2 con mutaciones en los genes que codifican las proteínas de la espícula y que pudieran aumentar la unión al receptor ACE2 y ser más propensas al escape inmune. Frente a ellas, 3 empresas farmacéuticas han elaborado vacunas adaptadas al sublinaje XBB.1.5 que ya se encuentran disponibles para su administración en nuestro medio con riesgos que no deben ser diferentes a los de las vacunas mRNA previas y con relaciones beneficio/riesgos claramente favorables. Deben aplicarse a pacientes con potencial de mala evolución de COVID-19 y a los colectivos que tienen una particular relación de proximidad con ellos. Su aplicación debe ser entendida no sólo desde una perspectiva de conveniencia individual sino desde la de la responsabilidad colectiva. Lo más conveniente parece hacer una inmunización simultánea de COVID-19 y gripe en nuestro medio. En el aspecto terapéutico hay poco que esperar ahora mismo de los antisueros pero siguen estando disponibles e indicados los fármacos antivirales ya conocidos aunque su eficacia tendrá que reevaluarse por su impacto en poblaciones mayoritariamente inmunizadas y con pronóstico mejor que las de tiempos pasados. A nuestro juicio, es necesario seguir haciendo un uso razonable y puntual de mascarillas y otros medios no farmacológicos de protección. (AU)

Capacitación para Campaña de Vacunación Encuentro 3

Refuerzos de las vacunas Triple Viral para el Sarampión, Rubeola, Paperas y Poliomielitis.

Cadena de frío Conservación y traslado de vacunas Eventos adversos asociados a vacunación. Anafilaxia. Modulo 10

Definición. Niveles de la cadena de frío. Elementos de un sistema de cadena de frío a nivel local. Conservación y traslado de las vacunas. Preparación de los termos diarios. Estabilidad de las vacunas. Política de frascos abiertos. Eventos adversos asociados a vacunación e inmunizaciones. Clasificación, Registro, Notificación. Anafilaxia. Cadena de frío Conservación y traslado de vacunas. Desvíos. Incidentes. Responsabilidad de les vacunadores Cómo programamos los pedidos de vacunas Vacunación Huéspedes Especiales

Prospects for liver fluke vaccines.

Fasciola spp., Opisthorchis spp. and Clonorchis sinensis are common liver flukes that can cause a variety of diseases, mainly cholangiocarcinoma induced by clonorchiasis and liver damage and associated pathology induced by fascioliasis. Because these trematodes are parasites of humans and domestic animals, they have greatly affected the economy of agricultural industries and public health worldwide. Due to the emergence of drug resistance and the living habits of flukes, among other reasons, a possibility of reinfection remains even when antiparasitic drugs are used. Therefore, developing a safe, efficient and cost-effective vaccine against trematodes is an important goal. Here, we briefly describe the progress in the development of vaccines against liver flukes. Related innovations may provide effective protection against these helminths and the diseases that they cause.

AFN Acessibilidade - Semana de 17/05 a 21/05

Com o objetivo de ampliar a divulgação de notícias sobre Covid-19 para pessoas com deficiências auditivas, a Coordenação de Comunicação Social (CCS/Fiocruz) lançou um programa semanal que reúne as principais notícias publicadas na Agência Fiocruz de Notícias (AFN) traduzidas para a Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras) e com áudio em português.

Equitable and Feasible Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines for All in Africa.

As the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, the necessity for wide-scale, global vaccine rollout to reduce the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and slow its mutation rate remains unassailable. The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative's campaign involves a proportional framework to finance and distribute SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. However, the COVAX framework has critical limitations, including limited funding and the failure to account for the special epidemic risks and needs of its participating nations, as recommended by the World Health Organization's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization framework. These drawbacks disproportionately impact Africa, where many nations rely on COVAX as their main source of vaccines. The current plan to vaccinate only up to 20% of participating nations' populations is short-sighted from both epidemiologic and moral perspectives. COVAX must commit to vaccinating all of Africa and its initiative must be modified to account for the health and economic infrastructures in these countries. Lessons learned from successful vaccination campaigns, including the West African Ebola outbreak, have shown that vaccinating all of Africa is possible and feasible, and that infrastructure and human resources can support mass vaccination. To halt this global pandemic, global responsibility must be accepted to finance and equitably distribute SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to African nations. We urge COVAX to act swiftly to prevent Africa from becoming the new face of a persisting pandemic.

Fonaments bàsics de les vacunes contra la covid-19 / Fundamentos básicos de las vacunas contra la covid-19 / Basics of covid-19 vaccines

A començaments de l’any 2020 s’estén arreu del món unapandèmia provocada pel SARS-CoV-2, un virus respiratoriemergent procedent de la Xina i causant de la malaltiaconeguda com a covid-19. D’aleshores ençà, l’obtenciód’una vacuna ha esdevingut una cursa contrarellotge arreudel món. Equips d’investigació d’universitats i farmacèuti-ques assagen vacunes basades en diferents tecnologies,algunes ja utilitzades històricament i altres de nova gene-ració. Actualment n’hi ha centenars en diferents fasesd’investigació. Això, juntament amb el gran impacte quegenera la malaltia a la societat, fa que estiguem sotmesosa una allau constant d’informació sobre les vacunes contrala covid-19. Aquest treball de revisió pretén aclarir algunsconceptes que ens permetin ser crítics amb la informaciórebuda i, al mateix temps, aclarir termes i generalitats so-bre els diferents tipus de vacunes, la seva regularització,producció i efectes secundaris.(AU)

A comienzos de 2020 se extiende por el mundo una pandemiaprovocada por el virus SARS-CoV-2, un virus respiratorio emer-gente procedente de China y causante de la enfermedad conocidacomo covid-19. A partir de entonces, la obtención de una vacunase ha convertido en una carrera contrarreloj alrededor del mundo.Equipos de investigación de universidades y farmacéuticas ensa-yan vacunas basadas en diferentes tecnologías, algunas ya utiliza-das históricamente y otras de nueva generación. Actualmente haycentenares en diferentes fases de investigación. Esto, junto con elgran impacto que genera la enfermedad en la sociedad, hace queestemos sometidos a un alud constante de información sobre lasvacunas contra la covid-19. Este trabajo de revisión pretende acla-rar algunos conceptos que nos permitan una lectura crítica de lainformación y aclarar simultáneamente términos y generalidadessobre los diferentes tipos de vacunas, su regularización, produc-ción y efectos secundarios.(AU)

Early in 2020, a pandemic caused by a new respiratory virus na-med SARS-CoV-2 -causing the COVID-19 disease- extended aroundthe world from China. From that moment on a global race for thevaccine commenced at universities and the pharmaceutical indus-try using different methods and technologies, including both tradi-tional and new generation strategies. Nowadays, hundreds of themare under different phases of development. This, along with thestrong social impact of the disease, floods social media with infor-mation about the progresses of the different working groups. Thispaper sheds light on concepts that allow one to scrutinize suchinformation critically and clarify terms and generalities about diffe-rent vaccines, their regularization, production and side effects.(AU)

Immunisation program reviews in East and Southern Africa (2012-2018): key lessons.

INTRODUCTION: the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that countries conduct comprehensive national immunisation program reviews regularly to help them identify systems wide-barriers or gaps and monitor performance against the set targets. METHODS: we reviewed reports from the latest national immunisation program reviews conducted in the 20 countries in the sub-region in the course of 2012-2018. We generated descriptive analysis of the findings across the sub-region. RESULTS: the 20 program reviews included field observations to the subnational levels as well as interviews with program staff and stakeholders. At the time of the reviews, only 11 countries had functional National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups. Operational funding was inadequate in half of the countries. The reviews documented the cancellation of outreach services, supportive supervision visits and maintenance of cold chain equipment due to the lack of fuel or operational funding. Immunisation programs in 10 countries had major human resource gaps. Vaccine stock management tools were not effectively used in 10 countries, and stock out of vaccines and supplies was documented in 9 countries during the review. The full components of the RED strategy were implemented in only 3 of the 20 countries. Twelve countries reported challenges with the availability and accuracy of target populations. Four countries had documented the presence of vaccine hesitant groups at the time of the reviews. CONCLUSION: the reviews demonstrated challenges in various aspects of the programs in different countries. The implementation of the review recommendations should be built into the annual program plans, as well as into coasted multi-year plans, in order to address the gaps and helps the program to attain the set targets. With the rapid evolution of the scope and complexity of the immunisation programs in recent years, countries should invest their efforts in building the capacity of their human resources as well as updating their logistics and data systems.