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Journal of Immunological Methods May 2022Next generation poliovirus vaccines are critical to reaching global poliovirus eradication goals. Recent efforts have focused on creating inactivated vaccines using...
Next generation poliovirus vaccines are critical to reaching global poliovirus eradication goals. Recent efforts have focused on creating inactivated vaccines using attenuated Sabin strains that maintain patient safety benefits and immunogenicity of conventional inactivated vaccines while increasing manufacturing safety and lowering production costs, and on developing novel oral vaccines using modified Sabin strains that provide critical mucosal immunity but are further attenuated to minimize risk of reversion to neurovirulence. In addition, there is a push to improve the analytical tools for poliovirus vaccine characterization. Conventional and Sabin inactivated poliovirus vaccines typically rely on standard plate-based ELISA as in vitro D-antigen potency assays in combination with WHO international standards as calibrants. While widely utilized, the current D-antigen ELISA assays have a long time to result (up to 72 h), can suffer from lab-to-lab inconsistency due to non-standardized protocols and reagents, and are inherently singleplex. For D-antigen quantitation, we have developed the VaxArray Polio Assay Kit, a multiplexed, microarray-based immunoassay that uses poliovirus-specific human monoclonal antibodies currently under consideration as standardized reagents for characterizing inactivated Sabin and Salk vaccines. The VaxArray assay can simultaneously quantify all 3 poliovirus serotypes with a time to result of less than 3 h. Here we demonstrate that the assay has limits of quantification suitable for both bioprocess samples and final vaccines, excellent reproducibility and precision, and improved accuracy over an analogous plate-based ELISA. The assay is suitable for adjuvanted combination vaccines, as common vaccine additives and crude matrices do not interfere with quantification, and is intended as a high throughput, standardized quantitation tool to aid inactivated poliovirus vaccine manufacturers in streamlining vaccine development and manufacturing, aiding the global polio eradication effort.
Topics: Antibodies, Viral; Antigens, Viral; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Poliomyelitis; Poliovirus; Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; Reproducibility of Results; Vaccines, Inactivated
PubMed: 35314144
DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2022.113259 -
BMJ Open May 2022To document lessons from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) by determining factors associated with successful surveillance programme globally as well as at...
OBJECTIVES
To document lessons from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) by determining factors associated with successful surveillance programme globally as well as at national and subnational levels. The process of conducting surveillance has been previously recognised in the literature as important for the success of polio surveillance activities.
DESIGN
A cross-sectional survey with closed and open-ended questions.
SETTINGS
Survey of persons involved in the implementation of surveillance activities under the GPEI at the global level and in seven low-income and middle-income countries.
PARTICIPANTS
Individuals (n=802) with ≥12 months of experience implementing surveillance objective of the GPEI between 1988 and 2019.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND METHODS
Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess factors associated with implementation process as a factor for successful surveillance programme. Horizontal analysis was used to analyse qualitative free-text responses on facilitators and barriers identified for conducting surveillance activities successfully.
RESULTS
Overall, participants who reported challenges relating to GPEI programme characteristics had 50% lower odds of reporting implementation process as a factor for successful surveillance (adjusted OR (AOR): 0.50, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.85). Challenges were mainly perceptions of external intervention source (ie, surveillance perceived as 'foreign' to local communities) and the complexity of surveillance processes (ie, surveillance required several intricate steps). Those who reported organisational challenges were almost two times more likely to report implementation process as a factor for successful surveillance (AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.07 to 3.31) overall, and over threefolds (AOR: 3.32, 95% CI: 1.14 to 9.66) at the national level.
CONCLUSIONS
Programme characteristics may have impeded the process of conducting surveillance under the GPEI, while organisational characteristics may have facilitated the process. Future surveillance programmes should be designed with inputs from local communities and frontline implementers.
Topics: Communicable Diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Eradication; Global Health; Humans; Immunization Programs; Poliomyelitis
PubMed: 35551082
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060885 -
International Health Mar 2023
Topics: Humans; Poliovirus; Poliomyelitis; Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; Global Health; Disease Eradication
PubMed: 36271900
DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihac068 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2023acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the gold standard of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) for detecting cases of poliomyelitis and tracking...
INTRODUCTION
acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the gold standard of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) for detecting cases of poliomyelitis and tracking poliovirus transmission. Nigeria's AFP surveillance performance indicators are among the highest in countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. The primary AFP surveillance performance indicators are the rate of non-polio AFP among children and the proportion of timely, adequate specimen collection. The surveillance working group of the National Emergency Operations Centre assessed the quality of AFP surveillance data in some reportedly high-performing states.
METHODS
we conducted a retrospective review of AFP surveillance performance indicators in Nigeria for 2010-2019. We also reviewed data in reports from four groups of surveillance peer reviews and validation visits (conducted by in-country GPEI partners) during August 2017-May 2019 in 16 states with high primary AFP surveillance indicators; the validation visits reviewed clinical information and the dates of specimen collection and onset of paralysis with caretakers.
RESULTS
there were consistently increasing AFP surveillance primary performance indicators during 2010-2016, followed by declines during 2017-2019. From the data for 16 states with peer reviews conducted from August 2017-May 2019, overall concordance of reported and "true" (validated) AFP indicator data in peer review investigations was highly variable. True AFP concordance ranged from 58%-100%, and stool timeliness concordance ranged from 56%-95%. The most common clinical causes of reported AFP cases that were not true AFP were spastic paralysis, malaria, sickle cell disease, and malnutrition. All the states that participated in peer reviews developed surveillance improvement plans based on the gaps identified.
CONCLUSION
Nigeria has highly sensitive AFP surveillance according to reported primary AFP performance indicators. The findings of peer reviews indicate that the AFP surveillance system needs to be strengthened and well-supervised to enhance data quality.
Topics: Child; Humans; Nigeria; alpha-Fetoproteins; Population Surveillance; Poliomyelitis; Poliovirus; Paralysis
PubMed: 38370096
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2023.45.2.39450 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Effective response to emerging pandemic threats is complicated by the need to develop specific vaccines and other medical products. The availability of broadly specific... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Effective response to emerging pandemic threats is complicated by the need to develop specific vaccines and other medical products. The availability of broadly specific countermeasures that could be deployed early in the pandemic could significantly alter its course and save countless lives. Live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) were shown to induce non-specific protection against a broad spectrum of off-target pathogens by stimulating innate immune responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of immunization with bivalent Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (bOPV) on the incidence of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections (ARIs).
METHODS AND FINDINGS
A randomized parallel-group comparative study was conducted in Kirov Medical University. 1115 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 65 were randomized into two equal groups, one of which was immunized orally with a single dose of bOPV "BiVac Polio" and another with placebo. The study participants were monitored for three months for respiratory illnesses including COVID-19. The endpoint was the incidence of acute respiratory infections and laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in both groups during 3 months after immunization. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 was significantly lower in the vaccinated group than in placebo (25 cases vs. 44, p=0.036). The difference between the overall number of clinically diagnosed respiratory illnesses in the two groups was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS
Immunization with bOPV reduced the number of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, consistent with the original hypothesis that LAVs induce non-specific protection against off-target infections. The findings are in line with previous observations of the protective effects of OPV against seasonal influenza and other viral and bacterial pathogens. The absence of a statistically significant effect on the total number of ARIs may be due to the insufficient number of participants and heterogeneous etiology of ARIs. OPV could be used to complement specific coronavirus vaccines, especially in regions of the world where the vaccines are unavailable, and as a stopgap measure for urgent response to future emerging infections. Clinical trial registration number NCT05083039 at clinicaltrals.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05083039?term=NCT05083039&draw=2&rank=1.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Incidence; Poliomyelitis; Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; Respiratory Tract Infections; Vaccination
PubMed: 35711442
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.907341 -
Journal of Global Health 2021
Review
Topics: Disease Eradication; Humans; Immunization; Pakistan; Poliomyelitis; Vaccination
PubMed: 34552719
DOI: 10.7189/jogh.11.03103 -
Medecine Tropicale Et Sante... Jun 2023It may seem surprising that the Editorial Board of would agree to publish the article "Increasing the efficiency of a mobile EPI strategy using injectable polio vaccine...
It may seem surprising that the Editorial Board of would agree to publish the article "Increasing the efficiency of a mobile EPI strategy using injectable polio vaccine in Africa" 35 years after the work was completed in 1988. I briefly outline the rationale for this decision here.
Topics: Humans; Vaccines, Inactivated; Vaccination; Poliomyelitis; Immunization Programs; Africa
PubMed: 37525674
DOI: 10.48327/mtsi.v3i2.2023.380 -
Revista de Saude Publica 2021This research aimed to quantitatively assess the general public's awareness, attitude and perception of polio and its vaccination in Peshawar KPK, Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE
This research aimed to quantitatively assess the general public's awareness, attitude and perception of polio and its vaccination in Peshawar KPK, Pakistan.
METHODS
We conducted a survey-based study to understand the surge in polio cases from 2015 to 2019 in the Peshawar city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. A pre-tested questionnaire-based study was conducted in 2019 to assess the attitude and general perception of residents of Peshawar KPK towards polio vaccination.
RESULTS
Out of 241 country-wide polio cases, 63 (26.1%) polio cases were reported in Peshawar city from 2015-2019. The questionnaire revealed that individuals between 18-30 years of age had sufficient knowledge (65.1%) about polio. Male and female participants had equal awareness (~ 43%). Participants with higher education (45.9%), those with better financial status (49.5%), individuals with children < 5 years of age (46.4%), and those who had experience of a polio patient (63.1%) had better knowledge. Participants inhabiting the central city were better aware (50.5%) of polio than individuals living in the outskirts.
CONCLUSION
The data indicated that poor knowledge and negative attitudes of people towards polio vaccination are the main causes of the polio eradication program's failure. Moreover, religious beliefs, unchecked migration between the Pak-Afghan border, and lack of knowledge about polio vaccination are identified as critical barriers to polio eradication.
Topics: Brazil; Child; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Pakistan; Perception; Poliomyelitis; Vaccination
PubMed: 34910031
DOI: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2021055003478 -
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly... Sep 2020Since 1988, when World Health Organization (WHO) Member States and partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the number of wild poliovirus (WPV) cases...
Since 1988, when World Health Organization (WHO) Member States and partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the number of wild poliovirus (WPV) cases has declined from 350,000 in 125 countries to 176 in only two countries in 2019 (1). The Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC) declared two of the three WPV types, type 2 (WPV2) and type 3 (WPV3), eradicated globally in 2015 and 2019, respectively (1). Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan (1). Containment under strict biorisk management measures is vital to prevent reintroduction of eradicated polioviruses into communities from poliovirus facilities. In 2015, Member States committed to contain type 2 polioviruses (PV2) in poliovirus-essential facilities (PEFs) certified in accordance with a global standard (2). Member states agreed to report national PV2 inventories annually, destroy unneeded PV2 materials, and, if retaining PV2 materials, establish national authorities for containment (NACs) and a PEF auditing process. Since declaration of WPV3 eradication in October 2019, these activities are also required with WPV3 materials. Despite challenges faced during 2019-2020, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the global poliovirus containment program continues to work toward important milestones. To maintain progress, all WHO Member States are urged to adhere to the agreed containment resolutions, including officially establishing legally empowered NACs and submission of PEF Certificates of Participation.
Topics: Disease Eradication; Global Health; Humans; Poliomyelitis; Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral
PubMed: 32941411
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6937a7 -
BMJ Global Health Apr 2021After more than 30 years of efforts to eliminate polio, India was certified polio free by WHO in 2014. The final years prior to polio elimination were characterised by... (Review)
Review
After more than 30 years of efforts to eliminate polio, India was certified polio free by WHO in 2014. The final years prior to polio elimination were characterised by concentrated efforts to vaccinate hard-to-reach groups in the state of Uttar Pradesh, including migrant workers, religious minority Muslims and impoverished communities with poor pre-existing social support systems. This article aims to describe the management strategies employed by India to improve the deployment and acceptance of vaccines among hard-to-reach groups in Uttar Pradesh in the final years prior to polio elimination.Three main management principles contributed to polio elimination among the hardest to reach in Uttar Pradesh: bundling of health services, local stakeholder engagement and accountability mechanisms for public health initiatives. In an effort to market the polio campaign as an authentic health-oriented programme, vaccine acceptance was improved by packaging other basic healthcare services such as routine check-ups and essential medications. India also prioritised local stakeholder engagement by using influential community leaders to reach vaccine hesitant groups. Lastly, the accountability mechanisms developed between non-profit organisations and decision-makers in the field ensured accurate reporting and identified deficiencies in healthcare worker training. The lessons learnt from India's polio vaccination programme have important implications for the implementation of future mass vaccination initiatives, particularly when trying to reach vulnerable communities.
Topics: Humans; Immunization Programs; India; Poliomyelitis; Vaccination; Vaccines
PubMed: 33906848
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005125