COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Research Articles

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss after COVID-19 Vaccination: A Review of the Available Evidence through the Prism of Causality Assessment.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), a rare audiological condition that accounts for 1% of all cases of sensorineural hearing loss, can cause permanent hearing damage. Soon after the launch of global COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, the World Health Organization released a signal detection about SSNHL cases following administration of various COVID-19 vaccines. Post-marketing studies have been conducted in different countries using either pharmacovigilance or medico-administrative databases to investigate SSNHL as a potential adverse effect of COVID-19 vaccines. Here, we examine the advantages and limitations of each type of post-marketing study available. While pharmacoepidemiological studies highlight the potential association between drug exposure and the event, pharmacovigilance approaches enable causality assessment. The latter objective can only be achieved if an expert evaluation is provided using internationally validated diagnostic criteria. For a rare adverse event such as SSNHL, case information and quantification of hearing loss are mandatory for assessing seriousness, severity, delay onset, differential diagnoses, corrective treatment, recovery, as well as functional sequelae. Appropriate methodology should be adopted depending on whether the target objective is to assess a global or individual risk.

Perceptions and hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccination campaign among three vulnerable populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A qualitative study.

To deal with COVID-19, vaccination is a strategy adopted by many countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The first phase of vaccination was conducted in 2021 as part of the country's Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). To evaluate it, an intra-action review was conducted. It identified a low proportion of vaccinated vulnerable populations, namely health professionals (1.8%), chronically ill (0.09%), and older adults aged ≥ 55 (0.4%). The objective was to explore perceptions and barriers to acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in the DRC among the vulnerable populations targeted by the EPI. A qualitative study was conducted between September 2021 and June 2022 in Kinshasa, DRC. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with each group separately using a single interview guide. It included five categories: socio-demographic information, COVID-19 vaccine status, perceptions towards the COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and perceptions towards the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Three focus groups were conducted. In total, we had 16 participants with eight health professionals, four chronically ill participants, and four older adults. The majority were married (68.7%) and came from urban areas (68.7%). The sex ratio was at 1 and more than one-third had an education level equivalent to a master's degree (37.5%). Half were vaccinated against the COVID-19 (50.0%). The main perceptions and hesitancy factors were the lack of trust and knowledge of the vaccine's properties, benefits, and risks. Adjustment of the information messages which, according to participants, were not clear and poorly adapted to the needs of each group is the main element to improve the vaccination campaign. This study represents an important step to improve the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the DRC. It showed the different barriers to the COVID-19 vaccines acceptance among vulnerable populations.

The contribution of the private healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic: the experience of the Lombardy Region in Northern Italy.

In Lombardy, the first European region hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, for decades the regional public healthcare service has followed a mixed delivery model with extensive involvement of private accredited providers. The study aimed at examining the role of the private sector in delivering healthcare services (diagnosis, hospitalization, and vaccination) during the pandemic. Healthcare system study. We analysed regional healthcare data referring to the period from March 2020 onwards to assess the availability of acute care and intensive care hospital beds, SARS-CoV-2 tests, and COVID-19 vaccinations. We specifically examined healthcare offered by private accredited providers within the region. Of the 12,306 converted beds for COVID-19 treatment, 4,975 (40%) were in accredited private hospitals. Intensive care beds increased by 95%, reaching 1,755, with 484 (28%) in accredited private hospitals. Since the pandemic onset, 28.9 million (62%) of SARS-CoV-2 tests were conducted by private accredited facilities including pharmacies. Private sector actively contributed to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign administering over 2.6 million doses in 2021, enhancing vaccination capacity to its peak. The longstanding relationship between the public and private sectors within the Lombardy regional healthcare service facilitated a rapid increase in hospital bed capacity, the upscaling of SARS-CoV-2 testing capacity, and the achievement of vaccination goals to address the COVID-19 emergency. Therefore, alongside a robust and adequately funded public healthcare service, the private sector serves as an asset to enhance the resilience of healthcare systems, in line with WHO indications.

Omicron Spike confers enhanced infectivity and interferon resistance to SARS-CoV-2 in human nasal tissue

Omicron emerged following COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, displaced previous SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern worldwide, and gave rise to lineages that continue to spread. Here, we show that Omicron exhibits increased infectivity in primary adult upper airway tissue relative to Delta. Using recombinant forms of SARS-CoV-2 and nasal epithelial cells cultured at the liquid-air interface, we show that mutations unique to Omicron Spike enable enhanced entry into nasal tissue. Unlike earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2, our findings suggest that Omicron enters nasal cells independently of serine transmembrane proteases and instead relies upon metalloproteinases to catalyze membrane fusion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this entry pathway unlocked by Omicron Spike enables evasion from constitutive and interferon-induced antiviral factors that restrict SARS-CoV-2 entry following attachment. Therefore, the increased transmissibility exhibited by Omicron in humans may be attributed not only to its evasion of vaccine-elicited adaptive immunity, but also to its superior invasion of nasal epithelia and resistance to the cell-intrinsic barriers present therein.

Cross-sectional survey evaluating the psychological impact of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in patients with cancer: The VACCINATE study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted on cancer patients' psychological well-being and clinical status. We assessed the levels of anxiety, depression, and distress and the attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients, accepting vaccination at the Verona University Hospital and Camposampiero Hospital in the Veneto region. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to patients undergoing COVID-19 vaccination between March and May 2021 (first and second dose). Twenty-seven items were investigated: i) demographics/clinical characteristics; ii) anxiety, depression, and distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-HADS-and Distress Thermometer-DT); iii) four specific items regarding awareness about infection risks, interference with anticancer treatments, and vaccine side effects. Sixty-two and 57% of the patients who accepted to be vaccinated responded to the survey in the two participating Hospitals, respectively. Mean age was 63 years (SD: 12 years; range 19-94 years), women were slightly more prevalent (57.6%), most participants were married (70%), and either worker or retired (60%). Borderline and clinical levels of anxiety were recorded in 14% and 10% of respondents; borderline and clinical levels of depression in 14% and 8%; and moderate and severe distress levels in 33% and 9%. Overall, there was high confidence that vaccination would reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 (70%), which would make patients feel less worried about contracting the infection (60%). Fear that vaccine-related side effects would interfere with anticancer treatment and/or global health status was low (10% and 9% for items 3 and 4, respectively) and significantly associated with baseline levels of anxiety, depression, and distress at multivariate analysis. Results did not differ between the Verona and Camposampiero cohorts. During the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, adult cancer patients demonstrated high levels of confidence towards vaccination; baseline levels of anxiety, depression, and distress were the only significant predictors of reduced confidence.

Facilitators and barriers to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine precaution dose among adult population: qualitative analysis across six different states of India.

India launched the COVID-19 vaccination drive on 16th January 2021 by vaccinating the adult population above 18 years of age. This was followed by the introduction of an additional precaution dose. As on 18th October 2022, 1,02,66,96,808 (1.02 Billion) first dose and 94, 95, 39,516 (949 Million) second doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered. However, when compared to the uptake of the primary doses, the precaution dose uptake lagged behind with only 21,75, 12,721 (217 million) doses administered. Even though, the uptake of the primary doses remained optimal, irrespective of different interventions by the Government of India, the uptake of the precaution dose remained poor. In this context, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare wanted to understand the facilitators and Barriers for precaution dose uptake among adults so that future immunization campaigns could address these issues. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted to assess the facilitators and barriers for COVID-19 precaution dose uptake at community level across 6 different states in India. From each of the states, two districts with the highest and lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccine precaution dose uptake were selected. In each of these districts, 2 block Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), one with high and one with low uptake were identified. Within these block PHCs, a PHC field area with high and low precaution dose uptakes was identified. From the identified sites a minimum of four IDIs, four FGDs were conducted among the community members. KIIs of the State Immunization Officers, District Immunisation Officers, PHC Medical Officers, healthcare workers like Accredited Social Health Activist/Auxiliary Nurse Midwife were also conducted. The data was audio recorded and it was transcribed, translated and analysed using framework approach. It was observed that rise in COVID-19 cases prompted the community to take the precaution dose, this along with the cost of hospitalization and the number of productive days being lost as a result of being infected resulted in vaccine uptake. The fear of non-availability of COVID-19 vaccines latter on also prompted people for vaccine uptake. While the barriers were, poor accessibility to vaccination centers, long hours of travel, poor road connectivity and lack of transportation facilities. However, the most prominent barriers observed across all study sites was that a sense of pandemic fatigue and complacency had developed both among the providers as well as the beneficiaries. Other barriers include differences in vaccination schedules and longer duration between the primary doses of some vaccines. Media was identified to be both a barrier and facilitator for Covid-19 Precaution dose uptake. Even though media played an important role in disseminating information in the beginning of the campaign, it was soon followed by the circulation of both misinformation and disinformation. The study identified that dissemination of accurate information and community involvement at each stage of planning and implementation are crucial for the success of any campaign. Efforts should be constantly made to address and re-invent strategies that will be most suitable for the needs of the community. Therefore, in order to ensure successful vaccination campaigns, it is crucial that along with political will it is also important to have a decentralized approach with inter-sectoral coordination with different stakeholders such as healthcare workers, community members and the different departments such as the local self-governments, education department, law & order department etc. These lessons learnt from COVID-19 vaccination campaigns must not be forgotten and must be applied in future vaccination campaigns and while framing public health policies.

An analysis of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the U.S.

Reluctance or refusal to get vaccinated, commonly known as Vaccine Hesitancy (VH), poses a significant challenge to COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. Understanding the factors contributing to VH is essential for shaping effective public health strategies. This study proposes a novel framework for combining machine learning with publicly available data to generate a proxy metric that evaluates the dynamics of VH faster than the currently used survey methods. The metric is input to descriptive classification models that analyze a wide array of data, aiming to identify key factors associated with VH at the county level in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., January to October 2021). Both static and dynamic factors are considered. We use a Random Forest classifier that identifies political affiliation and Google search trends as the most significant factors influencing VH behavior. The model categorizes U.S. counties into five distinct clusters based on VH behavior. Cluster 1, with low VH, consists mainly of Democratic-leaning residents who, have the longest life expectancy, have a college degree, have the highest income per capita, and live in metropolitan areas. Cluster 5, with high VH, is predominantly Republican-leaning individuals in non-metropolitan areas. Individuals in Cluster 1 is more responsive to vaccination policies.

Case reports as early safety signals: learning from the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Case reports as early safety signals: learning from the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: The Role of Trust and the Influence of Social Media

ABSTRACT The study discusses the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Romania. We implemented a national survey using an online panel (N = 1006), representative for the online population of Romania aged 18 or higher, conducted on 13–26 October, 2020, by the national pollster QUESTIA. Results show a predictive model of people’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, in which trust in the actors and institutions involved in the management of the crisis is the strongest predictor, followed by the belief in toxic or misleading narratives about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic, and media consumption patterns. Education is a moderator of the relationship between trust and the willingness to vaccinate. Implications for professionals in the social work fields, as well as for policy-makers are discussed. Results could be used as a starting point for developing recommendations for evidence-based health communication in the context of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

What Makes Bureaucracies Politically Resilient? Evidence from Brazil’s Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign

This article sheds new light on the drivers of bureaucratic resilience in the face of presidential attacks, an understudied but politically salient topic. Scholars have long shown how political advocacy can protect bureaucracies from presidential attacks on policy regulation. We argue, however, that advocacy is insufficient to defend bureaucracies against attacks on policy implementation, which occurs largely outside the formal political arena. Through a case study of Brazil’s successful Covid-19 vaccination campaign, we call attention to two additional forms of support for agencies under attack—resource provision and social activism—that come into play during the implementation phase of policy. In conjunction with political advocacy, resource provision and social activism bolster bureaucracies under attack by filling in where other forms of support fall short.

The Brazilian COVID-19 vaccination campaign: a modelling analysis of sociodemographic factors on uptake

ObjectiveDose shortages delayed access to COVID-19 vaccination. We aim to characterise inequality in two-dose vaccination by sociodemographic group across Brazil.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.SettingWe used data retrieved from the Brazilian...

The Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign in 2021: Inconsistency in Key Studies

The Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign in 2021: Inconsistency in Key Studies

Rapid Community Translation in the Colorado CEAL (CO-CEAL) Program: Transcreating Messaging to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination.

Providing communities with COVID-19 vaccination information is essential for optimizing equitable vaccine uptake. Using rapid community translation, adapted from Boot Camp Translation, five community teams transcreated COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. Transcreated messaging incorporated community attitudes, culture, and experiences. Using rapid community translation for the promotion of COVID-19 vaccination demonstrates a successful approach to engaging communities most affected by the pandemic to develop messages that reflect community values, assets, and needs, especially when time is of the essence. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S1):S50-S54. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307456).

Enhancing public information quality during the Covid-19 pandemic: A cyber public relations strategy on local government initiatives

The Covid-19 pandemic has induced widespread fear, emphasizing the imperative for high-quality public information dissemination to alleviate societal anxiety. This research examined the Cyber Public Relations (Cyber PR) strategies implemented by the Communication and Informatics Office or Dinas Komunikasi dan Informatika (Diskominfo) of Jepara Regency in disseminating quality public information during the ongoing pandemic. Utilizing a qualitative case study methodology, the study focused on the efforts of Diskominfo Jepara to enhance public information quality, specifically related to Covid-19 data updates, health protocol campaigns, and the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The analysis employed the Cyber PR framework, assessing dimensions such as strategic, integrated, targeted, and measurable, alongside indicators like intrinsic, contextual, representational, and accessibility for scrutinizing public information quality. Findings revealed some key elements in Diskominfo Jepara's Cyber PR strategies, including the establishment of a comprehensive digital media center, active engagement with media outlets, collaborations with influencers, and the utilization of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). These strategies have been intricately developed based on situational analysis and predefined communication objectives. The research contributes significantly to the academic literature on Cyber PR in local government contexts, providing nuanced insights and enriching the reference landscape.

COVID-19 Vaccine for Children: Determinants and Beliefs Contributing to Vaccination Decision of Parents in Germany 2021/2022.

To reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, vaccines were rapidly made available worldwide. For a strategically targeted response to the COVID-19 pandemic, population vaccination coverage was to be maximized. The target groups also included healthy children. In this context, it is important to understand the determinants and beliefs that lead parents to favor or oppose COVID-19 immunization in children. This study aimed to investigate parents' COVID-19 vaccination willingness in Germany for children aged 5-11 years in 2021/2022. For this purpose, the determinants and beliefs behind parents' vaccination decisions were examined. Descriptive analysis and bivariate correlations were performed on COVID-19 vaccination willingness and parents' mental health status, general vaccination attitudes, and SARS-CoV-2 politics perceptions. In total, 2401 participants fully participated in this cross-sectional study. The COVID-19 vaccination uptake (71.4%) outweighed the vaccination refusal (19.4%). Correlations revealed higher vaccine acceptance in parents presenting full vaccination certificates (90.9%), COVID-19 immunizations (99.9%), or increased COVID-19 fear (93.6%). Vaccination-refusal was associated with higher perceived pressure by COVID-19 vaccination campaigns (87.7%), higher experienced restrictions due to COVID-19 protective measures in parents' social environment (83.6%), and engagement against COVID-19 protective measures (51.6%). Besides general anxiety, no significant correlations were observed between parents' mental health variables and vaccination willingness. Although several factors are ultimately associated with vaccination willingness, future vaccination campaigns should prioritize reducing pressure, increasing trust, and considering parents' differentiation between familiar and unfamiliar pathogens during their vaccination decision-making process.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines among Obstetrician-Gynaecologists.

The article assesses the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Obstetrician-Gynaecologists (OB/GYNs) in Israel regarding COVID-19, its impact on fertility, pregnancy and childbirth, and their positions on COVID-19 vaccines. A cross-sectional anonymous survey was employed, and the data analyzed using logistic regression models. A total of 172 OB/GYN participants aged 44.9 years, primarily female (59.7%), mostly attending physicians (60.4%), had a mean knowledge score of 75.62%, with 81.1% having sufficient knowledge about general COVID-19 information, 11.9% having specific knowledge about pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding, and 40.3% having knowledge about COVID-19 vaccination. Notably, only 27% of participants correctly identified the increased risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women with COVID-19. Nevertheless, all OB/GYN participants recommended the COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. The majority (65.1%) recommended vaccination across all trimesters, while a smaller percentage recommended it only in the second (25%) or third (6%) trimesters, and very few in the first trimester (4%). The study found that attitudes towards vaccination were influenced by workplace, role, religion, religious observance, and marital status. The study showed a good level of knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccines which contributed to OB/GYNs' recommendations to their patients. These findings can be valuable for designing future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

An analysis of COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Ukraine.

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is still an important problem of concern in Ukraine. The rapid deployment of the vaccination program is a key event for the formation of herd immunity and helps to prevent negative outcomes, overloading the public health system. The object of the retrospective-archival study was a depersonalized database of open panels on the management of the COVID-19 situation from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ukraine as of 25 December 2022 amounted to 5 314 388 individuals (12.83% of the population), and COVID-19-related deaths reached 110 029 individuals (0.26% of the population). The overall number of COVID-19 vaccinated persons in Ukraine as of 16 January 2022, with one dose was 36 198 per 100 000 persons (36% of the population), and with two doses, it was 34 703 per 100 000 persons (35% of the population). It was shown a decrease in the number of COVID-19 vaccinated persons among men and persons over the age of 70. In the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination with one and two doses, an increase in the number of persons vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech and CoronaVac was noted. Despite the significant increase in the morbidity and mortality rates of COVID-19, the coverage of vaccination among the population remained insufficient in Ukraine. The effective COVID-19 vaccination strategy should include appropriate management and ensuring the public health system capacity, implementation of information technologies to address logistics issues, and clear communication strategies to maintain public trust.

Health service factors affecting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in a Ghanaian metropolis: A qualitative exploratory study

ObjectiveThe study sought to explore the perspectives of vaccinators on the health system factors that impacted the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.DesignThe study employed an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design. Key-informants’ interviews were conducted...

Integration of point-of-care screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension into the COVID-19 vaccine programme in Johannesburg, South Africa

BackgroundSouth Africa grapples with a substantial burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly type 2 diabetes (diabetes) and hypertension. However, these conditions are often underdiagnosed and poorly managed, further exacerbated by the strained primary healthcare (PHC) system and the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Integrating NCD screening with large-scale healthcare initiatives, such as COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, offers a potential solution, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of this integration.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted at four government health facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa. NCD screening was incorporated into the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Participants underwent COVID-19 rapid tests, blood glucose checks, blood pressure assessments, and anthropometric measurements. Those with elevated blood glucose or blood pressure values received referrals for diagnostic confirmation at local PHC centers.ResultsAmong 1,376 participants screened, the overall diabetes prevalence was 4.1%, combining previously diagnosed cases and newly identified elevated blood glucose levels. Similarly, the hypertension prevalence was 19.4%, comprising pre-existing diagnoses and newly detected elevated blood pressure cases. Notably, 46.1% of participants displayed waist circumferences indicative of metabolic syndrome, more prevalent among females. Impressively, 7.8% of all participants screened were potentially newly diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension. Approximately 50% of individuals with elevated blood glucose or blood pressure successfully linked to follow-up care within four weeks.ConclusionOur study underscores the value of utilizing even brief healthcare interactions as opportunities for screening additional health conditions, thereby aiding the identification of previously undiagnosed cases. Integrating NCD screenings into routine healthcare visits holds promise, especially in resource-constrained settings. Nonetheless, concerted efforts to strengthen care linkage are crucial for holistic NCD management and control. These findings provide actionable insights for addressing the NCD challenge and improving healthcare delivery in LMICs.

Evaluation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas? in Latinx Communities in California, June 2021-May 2022.

The 12-month vaccination campaign ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas? was launched to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in Latinx populations in California by expanding community outreach. The objectives of this evaluation were to (1) determine predictors of vaccination rates and (2) identify barriers to vaccination and potential solutions. Five community partners in California serving Latinx populations with high social vulnerability participated in the ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas? campaign. Community health workers were hired to deliver outreach (virtual, one-on-one, group based, and information dissemination), vaccinations, and supportive services. We collected data on outreach strategy used (method and location), number of vaccinations provided and reasons for delay, and number of times that supportive services were provided. We used regression models to assess significant predictors of vaccinations and supportive services. Community health workers (N = 146) hired from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022, performed outreach engagements (n = 6297) and supportive services (n = 313 796), resulting in 130 413 vaccinations and 28 660 vaccine appointments. The number of vaccinations administered was significantly higher at events in which supportive services were provided versus not provided (coefficient = 34.02; 95% CI, 3.34-64.68; P = .03). The odds ratio of supportive services was 3.67 (95% CI, 1.76-7.55) during virtual outreach and 2.95 (95% CI, 2.37-3.69) during one-on-one outreach (P < .001 for both) as compared with information dissemination encounters. Vaccination concerns were reported among 55.0% of vaccinated survey respondents (67.7%, vaccine confidence; 51.7%, access). Supportive services facilitate vaccinations, ease transportation and time barriers, and instill confidence among working-class racial and ethnic minority populations.