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Journal of Medical Internet Research Dec 2023Vaccination programs are instrumental in prolonging and improving people's lives by preventing diseases such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and influenza... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Vaccination programs are instrumental in prolonging and improving people's lives by preventing diseases such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and influenza from escalating into fatal epidemics. Despite the significant impact of these programs, a substantial number of individuals, including 20 million infants annually, lack sufficient access to vaccines. Therefore, it is imperative to raise awareness about vaccination programs.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate the potential utilization of social media, assessing its scalability and robustness in delivering accurate and reliable information to individuals who are contemplating vaccination decisions for themselves or on behalf of their children.
METHODS
The protocol for this review is registered in PROSPERO (identifier CRD42022304229) and is being carried out in compliance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Comprehensive searches have been conducted in databases including MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health), CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and Google Scholar. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were deemed eligible for inclusion in this study. The target population encompasses the general public, including adults, children, and adolescents. The defined interventions comprise platforms facilitating 2-way communication for sharing information. These interventions were compared against traditional interventions and teaching methods, referred to as the control group. The outcomes assessed in the included studies encompassed days unvaccinated, vaccine acceptance, and the uptake of vaccines compared with baseline. The studies underwent a risk-of-bias assessment utilizing the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for RCTs, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) assessment.
RESULTS
This review included 10 studies, detailed in 12 articles published between 2012 and 2022, conducted in the United States, China, Jordan, Australia, and Israel. The studies involved platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and non-general-purpose social media. The outcomes examined in these studies focused on the uptake of vaccines compared with baseline, vaccine acceptance, and the number of days individuals remained unvaccinated. The overall sample size for this review was 26,286, with individual studies ranging from 58 to 21,592 participants. The effect direction plot derived from articles of good and fair quality indicated a nonsignificant outcome (P=.12).
CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that, in a real-world scenario, an equal number of positive and negative results may be expected due to the interventions' impact on the acceptance and uptake of vaccines. Nevertheless, there is a rationale for accumulating experience to optimize the use of social media with the aim of enhancing vaccination rates. Social media can serve as a tool with the potential to disseminate information and boost vaccination rates within a population. However, relying solely on social media is not sufficient, given the complex structures at play in vaccine acceptance. Effectiveness hinges on various factors working in tandem. It is crucial that authorized personnel closely monitor and moderate discussions on social media to ensure responsible and accurate information dissemination.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Humans; Infant; Australia; Influenza Vaccines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Social Media; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Vaccination
PubMed: 38147375
DOI: 10.2196/50276 -
Journal of Travel Medicine Dec 2023Pregnant women and their babies face significant risks from three vaccine-preventable diseases: COVID-19, influenza and pertussis. However, despite these vaccines'... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Pregnant women and their babies face significant risks from three vaccine-preventable diseases: COVID-19, influenza and pertussis. However, despite these vaccines' proven safety and effectiveness, uptake during pregnancy remains low.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42023399488; January 2012-December 2022 following PRISMA guidelines) of interventions to increase COVID-19/influenza/pertussis vaccination in pregnancy. We searched nine databases, including grey literature. Two independent investigators extracted data; discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models to estimate pooled effect sizes. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistics.
RESULTS
From 2681 articles, we identified 39 relevant studies (n = 168 262 participants) across nine countries. Fifteen studies (39%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs); the remainder were observational cohort, quality-improvement or cross-sectional studies. The quality of 18% (7/39) was strong. Pooled results of interventions to increase influenza vaccine uptake (18 effect estimates from 12 RCTs) showed the interventions were effective but had a small effect (risk ratio = 1.07, 95% CI 1.03, 1.13). However, pooled results of interventions to increase pertussis vaccine uptake (10 effect estimates from six RCTs) showed no clear benefit (risk ratio = 0.98, 95% CI 0.94, 1.03). There were no relevant RCTs for COVID-19. Interventions addressed the 'three Ps': patient-, provider- and policy-level strategies. At the patient level, clear recommendations from healthcare professionals backed by text reminders/written information were strongly associated with increased vaccine uptake, especially tailored face-to-face interventions, which addressed women's concerns, dispelled myths and highlighted benefits. Provider-level interventions included educating healthcare professionals about vaccines' safety and effectiveness and reminders to offer vaccinations routinely. Policy-level interventions included financial incentives, mandatory vaccination data fields in electronic health records and ensuring easy availability of vaccinations.
CONCLUSIONS
Interventions had a small effect on increasing influenza vaccination. Training healthcare providers to promote vaccinations during pregnancy is crucial and could be enhanced by utilizing mobile health technologies.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Influenza, Human; Influenza Vaccines; Whooping Cough; COVID-19; Vaccination
PubMed: 37934788
DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taad138 -
Critical Care Medicine Nov 2023Fever is frequently an early indicator of infection and often requires rigorous diagnostic evaluation.
RATIONALE
Fever is frequently an early indicator of infection and often requires rigorous diagnostic evaluation.
OBJECTIVES
This is an update of the 2008 Infectious Diseases Society of America and Society (IDSA) and Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) guideline for the evaluation of new-onset fever in adult ICU patients without severe immunocompromise, now using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology.
PANEL DESIGN
The SCCM and IDSA convened a taskforce to update the 2008 version of the guideline for the evaluation of new fever in critically ill adult patients, which included expert clinicians as well as methodologists from the Guidelines in Intensive Care, Development and Evaluation Group. The guidelines committee consisted of 12 experts in critical care, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, organ transplantation, public health, clinical research, and health policy and administration. All task force members followed all conflict-of-interest procedures as documented in the American College of Critical Care Medicine/SCCM Standard Operating Procedures Manual and the IDSA. There was no industry input or funding to produce this guideline.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review for each population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes question to identify the best available evidence, statistically summarized the evidence, and then assessed the quality of evidence using the GRADE approach. We used the evidence-to-decision framework to formulate recommendations as strong or weak or as best-practice statements.
RESULTS
The panel issued 12 recommendations and 9 best practice statements. The panel recommended using central temperature monitoring methods, including thermistors for pulmonary artery catheters, bladder catheters, or esophageal balloon thermistors when these devices are in place or accurate temperature measurements are critical for diagnosis and management. For patients without these devices in place, oral or rectal temperatures over other temperature measurement methods that are less reliable such as axillary or tympanic membrane temperatures, noninvasive temporal artery thermometers, or chemical dot thermometers were recommended. Imaging studies including ultrasonography were recommended in addition to microbiological evaluation using rapid diagnostic testing strategies. Biomarkers were recommended to assist in guiding the discontinuation of antimicrobial therapy. All recommendations issued were weak based on the quality of data.
CONCLUSIONS
The guidelines panel was able to formulate several recommendations for the evaluation of new fever in a critically ill adult patient, acknowledging that most recommendations were based on weak evidence. This highlights the need for the rapid advancement of research in all aspects of this issue-including better noninvasive methods to measure core body temperature, the use of diagnostic imaging, advances in microbiology including molecular testing, and the use of biomarkers.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Critical Illness; Fever; Critical Care; Intensive Care Units; Communicable Diseases; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37902340
DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006022 -
BMJ Global Health Oct 2023Maternal vaccination is a promising strategy to reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases for mothers and infants. We aimed to provide an up-to-date overview of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
Maternal vaccination is a promising strategy to reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases for mothers and infants. We aimed to provide an up-to-date overview of the efficacy and safety of all available maternal vaccines.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov on 1 February 2022, for phase III and IV randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared maternal vaccination against any pathogen with placebo or no vaccination. Primary outcomes were laboratory-confirmed or clinically confirmed disease in mothers and infants. Secondary safety outcomes included intrauterine growth restriction, stillbirth, maternal death, preterm birth, congenital malformations and infant death. Random effects meta-analysis were used to calculate pooled risk ratio's (RR). Quality appraisal was performed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).
RESULTS
Six RCTs on four maternal vaccines, influenza, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap), pneumococcal and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were eligible. The overall risk of bias and certainty of evidence varied from low to high. Maternal influenza vaccination significantly reduced the number of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.79, event rate 57 vs 98, 2 RCTs, n=6003, I=0%), and clinically confirmed influenza cases in mothers (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.99, event rate 418 vs 472, 2 RCTs, n=6003, I=0%), and laboratory-confirmed influenza in infants (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.85, event rate 98 vs 148, 2 RCTs, n=5883, I=0%), although this was not significant for clinically confirmed influenza in infants (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.05, event rate 1371 vs 1378, 2 RCTs, n=5883, I=0%). No efficacy data were available on maternal Tdap vaccination. Maternal pneumococcal vaccination did not reduce laboratory-confirmed and clinically confirmed middle ear disease (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.24 to 1.02, event rate 9 vs 18, 1 RCT, n=133 and RR 0.88 95% CI 0.69 to 1.12, event rate 42 vs 47, 1 RCT, n=133, respectively), and clinically confirmed lower-respiratory tract infection (LRTI) (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.43, event rate 18 vs 34, 1 RCT, n=70) in infants. Maternal RSV vaccination did not reduce laboratory-confirmed RSV LRTI in infants (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.01, event rate 103 vs 71, 1 RCT, n=4527). There was no evidence of a significant effect of any of the maternal vaccines on the reported safety outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
The few RCTs with low event rates suggest that, depending on the type of maternal vaccine, the vaccine might effectively prevent disease and within its size does not show safety concerns in mothers and infants.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42021235115.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Female; Humans; Infant; Influenza, Human; Influenza Vaccines; Mothers; Vaccination; Respiratory Tract Infections; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37899087
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012376 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Aug 2023A 20-month-old girl was diagnosed with Guillain - Barré syndrome (GBS) based on progressive muscle weakness, areflexia, and albuminocytologic dissociation of the...
A 20-month-old girl was diagnosed with Guillain - Barré syndrome (GBS) based on progressive muscle weakness, areflexia, and albuminocytologic dissociation of the cerebrospinal fluid. Despite timely and systematic treatment, she eventually became paralyzed. There is a temporal correlation between the girl's GBS and the DTaP vaccination, but the exact causal relationship between the two is still debatable. Furthermore, we summarized clinical features of other 45 published GBS cases after DTP vaccines (or vaccine substances containing tetanus) through a systematic review. The mean onset age, sex distribution, onset time after vaccination, detection of antiganglioside antibodies, and other basic clinical features of GBS after DTP vaccination (or vaccine substances containing tetanus) were analyzed. The temporal pattern of GBS after vaccination was similar to that of GBS after infection. Herein, we report this rare case of presumptive pediatric GBS after DTaP vaccination and review similar cases to draw the attention of medical personnel to similar events after vaccination. An association between DTP vaccines and GBS has been proposed, and the causal relationship between these two incidents are worthy further exploration. Moreover, surveillance and vigilance for GBS after vaccination are highly recommended.
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; Guillain-Barre Syndrome
PubMed: 37753771
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2261199 -
Vaccine Sep 2023Countries routinely offering acellular pertussis vaccine, where long-term protection is not sustained, have the challenge of selecting an optimal schedule to minimise... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Countries routinely offering acellular pertussis vaccine, where long-term protection is not sustained, have the challenge of selecting an optimal schedule to minimise disease among young infants. We conducted a narrative systematic review and synthesis of information to evaluate different pertussis immunisation strategies at controlling pertussis disease, hospitalisation, deaths, and vaccine effectiveness among young infants.
METHODS
We conducted a review of the literature on studies about the primary, booster, and/or maternal vaccination series and synthesised findings narratively. Countries offering the first three doses of vaccine within six-months of life and a booster on or before the second year or life were defined as accelerated primary and booster schedules, respectively. Countries offering primary and booster doses later were defined as extended primary and booster schedules. All search results were screened, and articles reviewed and reconciled, by two authors. The Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Intervention tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias.
FINDINGS
A total of 98 studies were included in the analyses and the following recurring themes were described: timing of vaccination, vaccine coverage, waning immunity/vaccine effectiveness, direct and indirect effectiveness, switching from an accelerated to extended schedule, impact of changes in testing. The risk of bias was generally low to moderate for most studies.
CONCLUSION
Comparing schedules is challenging and there was insufficient evidence to that one schedule was superior to another. Countries must select a schedule that maintains high vaccine coverage and reduced the risk of delaying the delivery vaccines to protect infants.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Whooping Cough; Vaccination; Evidence Gaps; Family; Hospitalization
PubMed: 37658001
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.08.073 -
Vaccines Jul 2023COVID-19 caused significant morbidity and mortality amongst ethnic minority groups, but vaccine uptake remained lower than non-minoritised groups. Interventions to... (Review)
Review
COVID-19 caused significant morbidity and mortality amongst ethnic minority groups, but vaccine uptake remained lower than non-minoritised groups. Interventions to increase vaccine uptake among ethnic minority communities are crucial. This systematic review synthesises and evaluates behaviour change techniques (BCTs) in interventions to increase vaccination uptake in ethnic minority populations. We searched five databases and grey literature sources. From 7637 records identified, 23 studies were included in the review. Interventions were categorised using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Behaviour Change Taxonomy v1. Vaccines included influenza, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, meningitis and hepatitis. Interventions were primarily delivered in health centres/clinics and community settings. Six BCW intervention functions and policy categories and 26 BCTs were identified. The main intervention functions used were education, persuasion and enablement. Overall, effective interventions had multi-components and were tailored to specific populations. No strong evidence was observed to recommend specific interventions, but raising awareness and involvement of community organisations was associated with positive effects. Several strategies are used to increase vaccine uptake among ethnic minority communities; however, these do not address all issues related to low vaccine acceptance. There is a strong need for an increased understanding of addressing vaccine hesitancy among ethnic minority groups.
PubMed: 37515074
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071259 -
Italian Journal of Pediatrics Jul 2023Robust routine immunization schedules for pertussis-containing vaccines have been applied for years, but pertussis outbreaks remain a worldwide problem. This study aimed... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Robust routine immunization schedules for pertussis-containing vaccines have been applied for years, but pertussis outbreaks remain a worldwide problem. This study aimed to investigate the association between vaccine hesitancy and pertussis in infants and children.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase, and China National Knowledge Internet for studies published between January 2012 and June 2022. This study included case-control and cohort studies that assessed the association between childhood/maternal vaccine hesitancy and odds ratios (ORs), risk ratios (RRs), and vaccine effectiveness (VE) related to pertussis in infants and children [Formula: see text] 9 years old. ORs/VEs with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used for appropriate pooled estimates, and heterogeneity was assessed using [Formula: see text]. Cumulative meta-analysis and subgroup analyses stratified by study characteristics were performed.
RESULTS
Twenty-two studies were included, with a mean quality score of 7.0 (range 6.0-9.0). Infants and children with pertussis were associated with higher vaccine hesitancy to all doses (OR = 4.12 [95% CI: 3.09-5.50]). The highest OR was between children who were unvaccinated over four doses and children who were fully vaccinated (OR = 14.26 [95%CI: 7.62-26.70]); childhood vaccine delay was not statistically significantly associated with pertussis risk (OR = 1.18 [95% CI: 0.74-1.89]). Maternal vaccine hesitancy was associated with significantly higher pertussis risk in infants aged 2 and 3 months old, with higher pertussis ORs in infants [Formula: see text] 2 months old (OR = 6.02 [95%CI: 4.31-8.50], OR = 5.14 [95%CI: 1.95-13.52] for infants [Formula: see text] 2 and [Formula: see text] 3 months old, respectively). Maternal and childhood VEs were high in reducing pertussis infection in infants and children. The administration time of maternal vaccination had little effect on VE.
CONCLUSION
Vaccine hesitancy increased pertussis risks in infants and children. Ensuring that children receive up-to-date pertussis vaccines is essential; short delays in receiving childhood vaccinations may be unimportant. Maternal vaccinations for pertussis should be encouraged.
Topics: Child; Infant; Humans; Whooping Cough; Vaccination Hesitancy; Vaccination; Immunization Schedule; Vaccines
PubMed: 37443026
DOI: 10.1186/s13052-023-01495-8 -
International Journal of Medical... Aug 2023Acute respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Cough is a common symptom of acute respiratory diseases and the sound of cough can... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Acute respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Cough is a common symptom of acute respiratory diseases and the sound of cough can be indicative of the respiratory disease. However, cough sound assessment in routine clinical practice is limited to human perception and the skills of the clinician. Objective cough sound evaluation has the potential to aid clinicians in acute respiratory disease diagnosis. In this systematic review, we assess and summarize the predictive ability of machine learning algorithms in analyzing cough sounds of acute respiratory diseases in the pediatric population.
METHOD
Our systematic search of the Scopus, Medline, and Embase databases on 25 January 2023 identified six articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the checklist for the assessment of medical artificial intelligence.
RESULTS
Our analysis shows variability in the input to the machine learning algorithms, such as the use of various cough sound features and combining cough sound features with clinical features. The use of the machine learning algorithms also varies from conventional algorithms, such as logistic regression and support vector machine, to deep learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks. The classification accuracy for the detection of bronchiolitis, croup, pertussis, and pneumonia across five articles is in the range of 82-96%. However, a significant drop is observed in the detection accuracy for bronchiolitis and pneumonia in the remaining article.
CONCLUSION
The number of articles is limited but, in general, the predictive ability of cough sound classification algorithms in childhood acute respiratory diseases shows promise.
Topics: Child; Humans; Cough; Artificial Intelligence; Algorithms; Pneumonia; Bronchiolitis; Machine Learning
PubMed: 37224643
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105093 -
Clinical Infectious Diseases : An... Jun 2024Immunoassays designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 protein antigens (Ag) are commonly used to diagnose COVID-19. The most widely used tests are lateral flow assays that generate...
Immunoassays designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 protein antigens (Ag) are commonly used to diagnose COVID-19. The most widely used tests are lateral flow assays that generate results in approximately 15 minutes for diagnosis at the point-of-care. Higher throughput, laboratory-based SARS-CoV-2 Ag assays have also been developed. The number of commercially available SARS-CoV-2 Ag detection tests has increased rapidly, as has the COVID-19 diagnostic literature. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) convened an expert panel to perform a systematic review of the literature and develop best-practice guidance related to SARS-CoV-2 Ag testing. This guideline is an update to the third in a series of frequently updated COVID-19 diagnostic guidelines developed by the IDSA. IDSA's goal was to develop evidence-based recommendations or suggestions that assist clinicians, clinical laboratories, patients, public health authorities, administrators, and policymakers in decisions related to the optimal use of SARS-CoV-2 Ag tests in both medical and nonmedical settings. A multidisciplinary panel of infectious diseases clinicians, clinical microbiologists, and experts in systematic literature review identified and prioritized clinical questions related to the use of SARS-CoV-2 Ag tests. A review of relevant, peer-reviewed published literature was conducted through 1 April 2022. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology was used to assess the certainty of evidence and make testing recommendations. The panel made 10 diagnostic recommendations that address Ag testing in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals and assess single versus repeat testing strategies. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) SARS-CoV-2 Ag tests with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) have high specificity and low to moderate sensitivity compared with nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT). Ag test sensitivity is dependent on the presence or absence of symptoms and, in symptomatic patients, on timing of testing after symptom onset. In most cases, positive Ag results can be acted upon without confirmation. Results of point-of-care testing are comparable to those of laboratory-based testing, and observed or unobserved self-collection of specimens for testing yields similar results. Modeling suggests that repeat Ag testing increases sensitivity compared with testing once, but no empirical data were available to inform this question. Based on these observations, rapid RT-PCR or laboratory-based NAAT remain the testing methods of choice for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, when timely molecular testing is not readily available or is logistically infeasible, Ag testing helps identify individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data were insufficient to make a recommendation about the utility of Ag testing to guide release of patients with COVID-19 from isolation. The overall quality of available evidence supporting use of Ag testing was graded as very low to moderate.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Antigens, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 Serological Testing; United States; Immunoassay; Sensitivity and Specificity; COVID-19 Testing
PubMed: 36702617
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad032