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Vaccines May 2024Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many children missed their routine vaccinations globally. There is insufficient evidence on the trends in vaccination coverage in the...
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many children missed their routine vaccinations globally. There is insufficient evidence on the trends in vaccination coverage in the private healthcare sector in South Africa. This study explored the changes in childhood vaccination patterns (non-COVID vaccines) in the private healthcare sector in South Africa using medicine claim data. Using the information on medication claims from a South African pharmaceutical benefit management (PBM) company, we performed a quantitative cross-sectional analysis comparing the period before (2018-2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). All patients who made claims within the study period were included. This study included 67,830 children aged two years and younger. In particular, from 2018 to 2021, boys (52%) outnumbered girls (48%). Pharmacists consistently held the predominant prescriber role before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportion of children receiving non-COVID-19 vaccines was higher before the pandemic (60%) than during the pandemic (55%). Furthermore, there was a notable decline of 5% in measles vaccination rates during the children's first year of life, while a notable increase was observed for measles (5%), hepatitis A (7.7%), and the pentavalent vaccine (5%) during the second year of life. Governments and private healthcare providers must take action to enhance vaccination coverage rates for children in their first year of life to prevent a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. The results obtained in this study underscore the significance of implementing vaccine catch-up campaigns to address missed vaccination opportunities arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, pharmacists emerged as the predominant healthcare providers responsible for administering vaccinations within the private healthcare sector in South Africa, both prior and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their pivotal role in the vaccination process warrants due recognition and should not be underestimated.
PubMed: 38932311
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060582 -
Expert Review of Vaccines 2024The global measles incidence has decreased from 145 to 49 cases per 1 million population from 2000 to 2018, but evaluating the economic benefits of a second...
INTRODUCTION
The global measles incidence has decreased from 145 to 49 cases per 1 million population from 2000 to 2018, but evaluating the economic benefits of a second measles-containing vaccine (MCV2) is crucial. This study reviewed the evidence and quality of economic evaluation studies to guide MCV2 introduction.
METHODS
The systematic review of model-based economic evaluation studies was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The search yielded 2231 articles, with 876 duplicates removed and 1355 articles screened, with nine studies included for final analysis.
RESULTS
Six studies reported a positive benefit-cost ratio with one resulting in net savings of $11.6 billion, and two studies estimated a 2-dose MMR vaccination program would save $119.24 to prevent one measles case, and a second dose could prevent 9,200 cases at 18 months, saving $548.19 per case. The most sensitive variables were the discount rate and vaccination administration cost.
CONCLUSIONS
Two MCV doses or a second opportunity with an additional dose of MCV were highly cost-beneficial and resulted in substantial cost savings compared to a single routine vaccine. But further research using high-quality model-based health economic evaluation studies of MCV2 should be made available to decision-makers.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION
CRD42020200669.
Topics: Humans; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Immunization Programs; Immunization, Secondary; Measles; Measles Vaccine; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; Vaccination
PubMed: 38924461
DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2024.2367451 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024As the number of adolescent cancer survivors increases, detailed and effective healthcare policies on adolescent cancer survivors returning to school and workplace are...
BACKGROUND
As the number of adolescent cancer survivors increases, detailed and effective healthcare policies on adolescent cancer survivors returning to school and workplace are needed. The study aimed to explore the perception of healthy adolescents on cancer and adolescent cancer survivors.
METHODS
This study conducted a face-to-face cross-sectional study in the Republic of Korea in 2021 on adolescent selected through proportional population allocation sampling by sex, age, and region. According to research questions, survey questionnaire organized and collected data on adolescents' perceptions of cancer, differences in perceptions from tuberculosis, measles, asthma, perceptions of adolescent cancer survivors, and health information sources that led to these perceptions.
RESULTS
Of the total 500 adolescents, less than 10% of healthy adolescents responded that cancer is contagious, while three-quarters of the respondents believed that cancer is preventable. In addition, compared to tuberculosis, measles, and asthma, they recognized differences by disease. The majority of healthy adolescents embraced community values advocating the return of adolescent cancer survivors to school and work. However, they expressed a negative view of the situation in which adolescent cancer survivors could interact with them as classmates or co-workers. Adolescents mainly obtained health information on cancer from the Internet and television, CONCLUSIONS: The perception of healthy adolescents on cancer was relatively accurate; however, they have dualistic thinking involving living with adolescent cancer survivors. To facilitate reintegration of adolescent cancer survivors into daily lives, education is needed for healthy adolescents to live with cancer survivors.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Adolescent; Cancer Survivors; Male; Female; Republic of Korea; Neoplasms; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
PubMed: 38918737
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19192-4 -
PloS One 2024Measles is a highly contagious disease with the potential for severe complications. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, there have been recurrent measles...
BACKGROUND
Measles is a highly contagious disease with the potential for severe complications. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, there have been recurrent measles outbreaks in Germany over the past decades. In response, a new measles vaccine mandate was introduced on March 1, 2020, aimed at closing vaccination gaps in high-risk populations. This study evaluates the mandate's implementation, identifies operational challenges, assesses the impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and investigates expert attitudes towards the new policy.
METHODS
Semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with staff members of 16 different local health departments in Germany. The interviews, carried out in April and May 2021, were electronically recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the Framework method.
RESULTS
The implementation of the measles vaccine mandate in local health departments varied substantially. Challenges in implementing the mandate primarily arose from uncertainties regarding procedural specifics, such as handling fraudulent medical certificates and imposing sanctions, leading to a call from many interviewees for uniform guidelines to ensure coherent implementation. At the time the measles vaccine mandate came into force, managing the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was a priority in most local health departments, often delaying the implementation of the mandate. Despite the difficulties encountered, most experts considered the mandate to be an effective step towards measles elimination.
CONCLUSIONS
The measles vaccine mandate has imposed a new responsibility on staff in German local health departments, which is associated with implementation challenges such as procedural uncertainties and vaccine hesitancy, but also the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic as a contextual impediment. Significant differences in the implementation approach underscore the need for harmonization to enhance implementation efficiency and public acceptance of the mandate. Despite the mandate's potential to increase vaccination rates, our findings advocate for a comprehensive approach, incorporating public education, accessible vaccination, and measures to address social disparities.
Topics: Humans; Germany; Measles Vaccine; Measles; COVID-19; Vaccination; Qualitative Research; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics
PubMed: 38917137
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306003 -
Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy :... Jun 2024This Phase III, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) combined vaccine, JVC-001, as a...
Phase III, open-label, single-arm study of a new MMR vaccine (JVC-001); measles AIK-C, mumps RIT 4385, rubella Takahashi, as a second vaccine dose in healthy Japanese children aged 5-6 years.
PURPOSE
This Phase III, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) combined vaccine, JVC-001, as a second MMR vaccination.
METHODS
Healthy Japanese children aged 5-6 years received a single dose of JVC-001 following a first measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination (measles-rubella bivalent and mumps monovalent vaccine [Hoshino or Torii strain] or JVC-001) or the MMR vaccine received between ages 1 to <4 years. Immunogenicity was evaluated using antibody titers before and after vaccination (Day 1/Day 43). The primary endpoint was the seroprotection rate of antibody titers against each virus; geometric mean titer (GMT) was also evaluated. Adverse events (AEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were monitored.
RESULTS
One-hundred participants completed the study. The seroprotection rate of antibody titers against measles, rubella, and mumps virus (genotype D) were 100.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 96.4%, 100.0%), 100.0% (95% CI 96.4%, 100.0%), and 100.0% (95% CI 96.3%, 100.0%), respectively. GMT (fold) increases (Day 1 to Day 43) were 16.0 to 55.7 for measles virus, 35.5 to 99.0 for rubella virus, and 25.7 to 89.5 for mumps virus (genotype D). Solicited ADRs occurred in 40.0% of participants (injection site, 34.0%; systemic, 13.0%).
CONCLUSIONS
The second MMR vaccination with JVC-001 demonstrated sufficient antibody coverage against all three viruses; the safety profile was tolerable.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
jRCT2080225022.
PubMed: 38906375
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2024.06.011 -
JMIR Medical Informatics Jun 2024Vaccines serve as a crucial public health tool, although vaccine hesitancy continues to pose a significant threat to full vaccine uptake and, consequently, community...
BACKGROUND
Vaccines serve as a crucial public health tool, although vaccine hesitancy continues to pose a significant threat to full vaccine uptake and, consequently, community health. Understanding and tracking vaccine hesitancy is essential for effective public health interventions; however, traditional survey methods present various limitations.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to create a real-time, natural language processing (NLP)-based tool to assess vaccine sentiment and hesitancy across 3 prominent social media platforms.
METHODS
We mined and curated discussions in English from Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X), Reddit, and YouTube social media platforms posted between January 1, 2011, and October 31, 2021, concerning human papillomavirus; measles, mumps, and rubella; and unspecified vaccines. We tested multiple NLP algorithms to classify vaccine sentiment into positive, neutral, or negative and to classify vaccine hesitancy using the World Health Organization's (WHO) 3Cs (confidence, complacency, and convenience) hesitancy model, conceptualizing an online dashboard to illustrate and contextualize trends.
RESULTS
We compiled over 86 million discussions. Our top-performing NLP models displayed accuracies ranging from 0.51 to 0.78 for sentiment classification and from 0.69 to 0.91 for hesitancy classification. Explorative analysis on our platform highlighted variations in online activity about vaccine sentiment and hesitancy, suggesting unique patterns for different vaccines.
CONCLUSIONS
Our innovative system performs real-time analysis of sentiment and hesitancy on 3 vaccine topics across major social networks, providing crucial trend insights to assist campaigns aimed at enhancing vaccine uptake and public health.
PubMed: 38904984
DOI: 10.2196/57164 -
Health Science Reports Jun 2024Airborne diseases due to climate change pose significant public health challenges in Bangladesh. Little was known about the spatio-temporal pattern of airborne diseases...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Airborne diseases due to climate change pose significant public health challenges in Bangladesh. Little was known about the spatio-temporal pattern of airborne diseases at the district level in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the spatio-temporal pattern and associated meteorological factors of airborne diseases in Bangladesh using exploratory analysis and spatial regression models.
METHODS
This study used district-level reported cases of airborne diseases (meningococcal, measles, mumps, influenza, tuberculosis, and encephalitis) and meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation) from 2017 to 2020. Geospatial mapping and spatial error regression models were utilized to analyze the data.
RESULTS
From 2017 to 2020, a total of 315 meningococcal, 5159 measles, 1341 mumps, 346 influenza, 4664 tuberculosis, and 229 encephalitis cases were reported in Bangladesh. Among airborne diseases, measles demonstrated the highest prevalence, featuring a higher incidence rate in the coastal Bangladeshi districts of Lakshmipur, Patuakhali, and Cox's Bazar, as well as in Maulvibazar and Bandarban districts from 2017 to 2020. In contrast, tuberculosis (TB) emerged as the second most prevalent disease, with a higher incidence rate observed in districts such as Khagrachhari, Rajshahi, Tangail, Bogra, and Sherpur. The spatial error regression model revealed that among climate variables, mean ( = 9.56, standard error [SE]: 3.48) and maximum temperature ( = 1.19, SE: 0.40) were significant risk factors for airborne diseases in Bangladesh. Maximum temperature positively influenced measles ( = 2.74, SE: 1.39), whereas mean temperature positively influenced both meningococcal ( = 5.57, SE: 2.50) and mumps ( = 11.99, SE: 3.13) diseases.
CONCLUSION
The findings from the study provide insights for planning early warning, prevention, and control strategies to combat airborne diseases in Bangladesh and similar endemic countries. Preventive measures and enhanced monitoring should be taken in some high-risk districts for airborne diseases in the country.
PubMed: 38899002
DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.2176 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024To control resurging infectious diseases like mumps, it is necessary to resort to effective control and preventive measures. These measures include increasing vaccine...
BACKGROUND
To control resurging infectious diseases like mumps, it is necessary to resort to effective control and preventive measures. These measures include increasing vaccine coverage, providing the community with advice on how to reduce exposure, and closing schools. To justify such intervention, it is important to understand how well each of these measures helps to limit transmission.
METHODS
In this paper, we propose a simple SEILR (susceptible-exposed-symptomatically infectious-asymptomatically infectious-recovered) model by using a novel transmission rate function to incorporate temperature, humidity, and closing school factors. This new transmission rate function allows us to verify the impact of each factor either separately or combined. Using reported mumps cases from 2004 to 2018 in the mainland of China, we perform data fitting and parameter estimation to evaluate the basic reproduction number . As a wide range of one-dose measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine programs in China started only in 2008, we use different vaccination proportions for the first Stage I period (from 2004 to 2008) and the second Stage II period (from 2009 to 2018). This allows us to verify the importance of higher vaccine coverage with a possible second dose of MMR vaccine.
RESULTS
We find that the basic reproduction number is generally between 1 and 3. We then use the Akaike Information Criteria to assess the extent to which each of the three factors contributed to the spread of mumps. The findings suggest that the impact of all three factors is substantial, with temperature having the most significant impact, followed by school opening and closing, and finally humidity.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that the strategy of increasing vaccine coverage, changing micro-climate (temperature and humidity), and closing schools can greatly reduce mumps transmission.
Topics: China; Humans; Mumps; Humidity; Schools; Temperature; Epidemics; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; Child; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Basic Reproduction Number
PubMed: 38898424
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18819-w -
International Journal of Nanomedicine 2024[This retracts the article DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S386560.].
Formulation for the Targeted Delivery of a Vaccine Strain of Oncolytic Measles Virus (OMV) in Hyaluronic Acid Coated Thiolated Chitosan as a Green Nanoformulation for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer: A Viro-Immunotherapeutic Approach [Retraction].
[This retracts the article DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S386560.].
PubMed: 38895151
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S482137 -
Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine Jun 2024The Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 protein (TREM2) plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including osteoclast differentiation, and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 protein (TREM2) plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including osteoclast differentiation, and disease-associated microglia (DAM) activation to regulate neuroinflammation, and phagocytosis in the brain. Genetic variations in TREM2 are implicated in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Nasu-hakola disease (NHD), characterized by bone lesions, neuropsychiatric disorders, and early-onset dementia.
METHODS
We studied 3 siblings with suspected NHD. Whole-exome sequencing was conducted on the proband to identify the possible genetic cause(s) and by Sanger sequencing to validate the identified variants in the two other affected siblings, a healthy sister, and the parents.
RESULTS
We identified a novel homozygous deletion (c.549del; p.(Leu184Serfs*5)) in TREM2. Our literature review reveals 16 TREM2 mutations causing early-onset dementia and bone lesions.
CONCLUSION
These findings, alongside previous research, elucidate the clinical spectrum of TREM2-related diseases, aiding accurate diagnosis and patient care. This knowledge is vital for understanding TREM2-dependent DAM and its involvement in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders which can help to develop targeted therapies and improve outcomes for TREM2-affected individuals.
Topics: Female; Humans; Consanguinity; Homozygote; Lipodystrophy; Membrane Glycoproteins; Osteochondrodysplasias; Pedigree; Receptors, Immunologic; Siblings; Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis
PubMed: 38888203
DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.2476