Vaccination Of Newborns Research Articles

An application of a novel geometric criterion to global-stability problems of a nonlinear SEIVS epidemic model.

This work applies a novel geometric criterion for nonlinear autonomous differential equations developed by Lu and Lu (NARWA 36:20–43, 2017) to a nonlinear SEIVS epidemic model with temporary immunity and achieves its threshold dynamics. Specifically, global-stability problems for the SEIVS model of Cai and Li (AMM 33:2919–2926, 2009) are effectively solved. The corresponding optimal control system with vaccination, awareness campaigns and treatment is further established and four different control strategies are compared by numerical simulations to contain hepatitis B. It is concluded that joint implementation of these measures can minimize the numbers of exposed and infectious individuals in the shortest time, so it is the most efficient strategy to curb the hepatitis B epidemic. Moreover, vaccination for newborns plays the core role and maintains the high level of population immunity.

Coverage with Timely Administered Vaccination against Hepatitis B Virus and Its Influence on the Prevalence of HBV Infection in the Regions of Different Endemicity.

Universal hepatitis B vaccination of newborns was implemented in Russia starting from 1998. From 1998 to 2019, the incidence of acute hepatitis B reduced from 43.8 to 0.57 cases per 100,000 population. Here, we assessed the timely coverage of newborns with the birth dose (HepB-BD), second dose (HepB-2nd), and three vaccine doses (HepB3) in two remote regions of Russia with low (Belgorod Oblast) and high (Yakutia) levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemicity. Vaccination data were obtained from the medical records of 1000 children in Yakutia and 2182 children in Belgorod Oblast. Sera of healthy volunteers from Belgorod Oblast (n = 1754) and Yakutia (n = 1072) across all age groups were tested for serological markers of HBV to assess the infection prevalence and herd immunity. Average HepB-BD coverage was 99.2% in Yakutia and 89.4% in Belgorod Oblast (p < 0.0001) and in both regions varied significantly, from 66% to 100%, between medical centers. The principal reason for the absence of HepB-BD was parent refusal, which accounted for 63.5% of cases of non-vaccination (83/123). While timely HepB-2nd coverage was only 55.4%–64.7%: HepB3 coverage by the age of one year exceeded 90% in both study regions. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence in the 1998–2019 birth cohort was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.01–1.3%) in Belgorod Oblast and 3.2% (95% CI: 1.9–5.2%) in Yakutia. The proportion of persons testing negative for both antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and antibodies to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) in the 1998–2019 birth cohort was 26.2% (125/481) in Belgorod Oblast and 32.3% (162/501) in Yakutia. We also assessed the knowledge of and attitude towards vaccination among 782 students and teachers of both medical and non-medical specialties from Belgorod State University. Only 60% of medical students knew that hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Both medical and nonmedical students, 37.8% and 31.3%, respectively, expressed concerns about safety and actual necessity of vaccination. These data indicate the need to introduce a vaccine delivery audit system, improve medical education with respect to vaccination strategies and policies, and reinforce public knowledge on the benefits of vaccination.

How maternity waiting home use influences attendance of antenatal and postnatal care.

As highlighted in the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, access to quality nursing and midwifery care is essential to promote maternal-newborn health and improve survival. One intervention aimed at improving maternal-newborn health and reducing underutilization of pregnancy services is the construction of maternity waiting homes (MWHs). The purpose of this study was to assess whether there was a significant change in antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) attendance, family planning use, and vaccination rates before and after implementation of the Core MWH Model in rural Zambia. A quasi-experimental controlled before-and-after design was used to evaluate the impact of the Core MWH Model by assessing associations between ANC and PNC attendance, family planning use, and vaccination rates for mothers who gave birth to a child in the past 13 months. Twenty health care facilities received the Core MWH Model and 20 were identified as comparison facilities. Before-and-after community surveys were carried out. Multivariable logistic regression were used to assess the association between Core MWH Model use and ANC and PNC attendance. The total sample includes 4711 mothers. Mothers who used the Core MWH Model had better ANC and PNC attendance, family planning use, and vaccination rates than mothers who did not use a MWH. All mothers appeared to fare better across these outcomes at endline. We found an association between Core MWH Model use and better ANC and PNC attendance, family planning use, and newborn vaccination outcomes. Maternity waiting homes may serve as a catalyst to improve use of facility services for vulnerable mothers.

Evaluation of antigenic load in pregnant sows and identification of isoimmunization markers in offspring to increase productive and reproductive indicators for obtaining biologically safe organic products

Immunological aspects of the relationship in the functional system “mother-fetus” are consciously important both in the scientific and practical direction of the life of living organisms. The formation of the main parameters of isoimmunization is an equivalent aspect in relation to the basics of the formation of artificial tolerance mechanisms. Changes in immunological reactivity to viral and bacterial antigens may cause increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. Different levels of this condition in newborn and adult animal organisms should be based on the fact that the fetus and newborn after birth first comes into contact with the antigen, while the adult body already has partial sensitization. Chronic carrier of pathogens in animals and their influence on the spread of the infectious process is an urgent problem of modern veterinary medicine. The possibility of vaccination in newborns is limited by the presence of maternal antibodies that have an immunosuppressive effect.The immunological relationship between the fetal mother’s body in a non-inbred population should be considered in two aspects: the effects caused by maternal antigens in the fetus; the effect of fetal antigens on the mother’s body. Level of functional reserves of the pregnant body is important in the prevention of intrauterine infection.

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers among students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Background:Protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is based on the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Vaccination of newborns is the most effective means of prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of anti-HBs antibody (anti-HBsAb), anti-HB core Ab (anti-HBcAb), HBsAg, and HBV DNA among university students in Fars province, Southern Iran.Materials and Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 272 students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, were enrolled. Venous blood (5 mL) was collected from each participant and centrifuged; the sera were stored at −20°C until use. Anti-HBsAb, Anti-HBcAb, and HBsAg were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. HBV DNA load was also measured by a real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results:The mean age of the participants was 19 ± 1 years. There were 171 (62.9%) females and 101 (37.1%) males. Anti-HBsAb at a protective level (>10 mIU/mL) were detected in the sera of 104 (38.5%) of the cases. Of the anti-HBsAb seropositive participants, 82 were female and 22 were male; the difference between the gender and seropositivity to anti-HBsAb was statistically significant (P = 0.001, odds ratio: 3.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.89–5.79). Anti-HBcAb was detected in only one participant that was negative for both HBsAg and HBV DNA.Conclusion:Findings of the current study show that more than half of the students do not have a protective level of anti-HBsAb and might be susceptible to HBV infection, indicating the necessity of checking the level of anti-HBsAb as well as a booster dose in high-risk groups.

Newborn BCG Vaccination Induces Robust Infant IFN

Infants are highly susceptible to disease caused by infection with intracellular pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is usually administered at birth to protect against severe forms of tuberculosis in children. BCG also has non-specific protective effects against heterologous infections, thought to be mediated by enhanced innate cell functions. We aimed to determine whether newborn BCG vaccination modulates myeloid and NK cell responses to mycobacteria. We enrolled 130 South African infants in whom BCG vaccination was either administered at birth or delayed to 6 or 10 weeks of age. CD4 T, myeloid and NK cell responses to whole cell mycobacteria were measured by flow cytometry. Levels of cytokines secreted upon whole blood stimulation with BCG were measured by multiplex bead array. Newborn BCG vaccination was associated with significantly higher frequencies of BCG-reactive, cytokine-expressing CD4+ T cells and IFNγ-expressing NK cells, compared with unvaccinated infants at 5-weeks and 9-weeks of age. However, cytokine-expressing CD33+ myeloid cells were not different between vaccinated and unvaccinated infants. Induction of BCG-reactive IFNγ-expressing NK cells was not associated with enhanced NK cell maturation, differentiation or cytokine receptor expression. Although levels of secreted cytokines were not different in vaccinated and unvaccinated infants, BCG-reactive NK cell responses correlated directly with levels of IL-2 and IFNγ, and the innate pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β and TNF in BCG vaccinated infants only. Our data show that BCG-reactive IFNγ-expressing NK cells are strongly induced by BCG vaccination in infants and are likely amplified through by-stander cytokine-mediated activation. Further studies in infants are needed to improve our understanding of the possible role BCG-induced NK cell responses may play in mediating protection against tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Funding Statement: NIH (R01AI087915), European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP, TA.2011.40200.010), South African National Research Foundation (MSc and PhD fellowships to MM). Declaration of Interests: No competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Parents or legal guardians provided written, informed consent before enrolment in the study. The Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Cape Town approved protocols for infants vaccinated at birth (REF: 126/2006) and infants who had delayed BCG vaccination (REF: 177/2011). Good Clinical Practice procedures and the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki guidelines were adhered to.

A fractional order model for the transmission dynamics of hepatitis B virus with two-age structure in the presence of vaccination

In this study, we proposed a fractional order model of hepatitis B virus transmission dynamics with two-age structure under vaccination. A qualitative analysis of the model is performed. Basic reproduction number of the model is determined. Local stability conditions of disease-free equilibrium point are proven by using fractional Ruth-Hurwitz conditions. Global stability conditions of both disease-free and endemic equilibrium points are shown by constructing appropriate Lyapunov functions. Sensitivity analysis was done by using normalized forward sensitivity index approach. Numerical simulation is performed to investigate the effect of memory on hepatitis B disease dynamics by varying order of derivatives and to simulate the effects of vaccinating newborns immediately after birth, vaccinating children and adult vaccination. Then, we compared their effects on hepatitis B disease dynamics in the sense of control and elimination. It is observed that the number of infective individuals decreases faster and even falls to zero over a long run for the model with memory than memory-less model. Comparing results between vaccination of different ages show that increasing newborn vaccination immediately after birth has the highest effect on hepatitis B disease control.

Toll-like receptor 10 rs10004195 variation may be protective against Bacillus Calmette-Guérinosteitis after newborn vaccination.

Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1), TLR2, TLR6 and TLR10 form the TLR2 subfamily. In our previous controlled studies in 132 subjects with osteitis after newborn Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, TLR1, TLR2 and TLR6 variations were associated with the risk of BCG osteitis. Now, we evaluated the role of ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the TLR10 gene in this cohort. Five synonymous TLR10 SNPs (rs10004195, rs10856837, rs10856838, rs1109695 and rs11466652), and five missense TLR10 SNPs (rs11096955, rs11096957, rs11466649, rs11466653 and rs11466658) were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing in 132 former BCG osteitis patients. TLR10 rs10004195 polymorphism was associated with the risk of BCG osteitis, compared to Finnish population controls. The variant genotype (AT/AA) was present in 13.6% of cases versus 26.2% of controls (p=0.024). Correspondingly, the minor allele frequency (MAF) was lower (0.075) in cases than in controls (0.152; p=0.009). There were no significant differences in the genotypes of the other nine studied TLR10 SNPs or in the corresponding MAFs between cases and controls. Among ten studied TLR10 gene polymorphisms, the variation only in the TLR10 rs10004195 was associated with the BCG osteitis risk after newborn BCG vaccination.

Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Liver cancer is a major contributor to the worldwide cancer burden. Incidence rates of this disease have increased in many countries in recent decades. As the principal histologic type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the great majority of liver cancer diagnoses and deaths. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remain, at present, the most important global risk factors for HCC, but their importance will likely decline in the coming years. The effect of HBV vaccination of newborns, already seen in young adults in some countries, will be more notable as vaccinated cohorts age. In addition, effective treatments for chronic infections with both HBV and HCV should contribute to declines in the rates of viral-associated HCC. Unfortunately, the prevalence of metabolic risk factors for HCC, including metabolic syndrome, obesity, type II diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are increasing and may jointly become the major cause of HCC globally. Excessive alcohol consumption also remains an intractable risk factor, as does aflatoxin contamination of food crops in some parts of the world. While significant efforts in early diagnosis and better treatment are certainly needed for HCC, primary prevention efforts aimed at decreasing the prevalence of obesity and diabetes and controlling mycotoxin growth, are just as urgently required.

On an SEIR Epidemic Model with Vaccination of Newborns and Periodic Impulsive Vaccination with Eventual On-Line Adapted Vaccination Strategies to the Varying Levels of the Susceptible Subpopulation

This paper investigates a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) epidemic model with demography under two vaccination effort strategies. Firstly, the model is investigated under vaccination of newborns, which is fact in a direct action on the recruitment level of the model. Secondly, it is investigated under a periodic impulsive vaccination on the susceptible in the sense that the vaccination impulses are concentrated in practice in very short time intervals around a set of impulsive time instants subject to constant inter-vaccination periods. Both strategies can be adapted, if desired, to the time-varying levels of susceptible in the sense that the control efforts be increased as those susceptible levels increase. The model is discussed in terms of suitable properties like the positivity of the solutions, the existence and allocation of equilibrium points, and stability concerns related to the values of the basic reproduction number. It is proven that the basic reproduction number lies below unity, so that the disease-free equilibrium point is asymptotically stable for larger values of the disease transmission rates under vaccination controls compared to the case of absence of vaccination. It is also proven that the endemic equilibrium point is not reachable if the disease-free one is stable and that the disease-free equilibrium point is unstable if the reproduction number exceeds unity while the endemic equilibrium point is stable. Several numerical results are investigated for both vaccination rules with the option of adapting through ime the corresponding efforts to the levels of susceptibility. Such simulation examples are performed under parameterizations related to the current SARS-COVID 19 pandemic.

Stochastic model of tuberculosis with vaccination of newborns

In this paper we have proposed a stochastic model for studying the dynamics of tuberculosis (TB) by incorporating vaccination of newly born babies. The total population in this model is subdivided in to four compartments, namely susceptible S ( t ), infected I ( t ), vaccinated newborns V ( t ) , and recovered R ( t ) . First, the developed model is expressed and analyzed by the deterministic approach. Since this approach neglects the randomness of the dynamics of the process, it has great limitations in the modeling process. To avoid this kind of issues, we transform the deterministic approach into a stochastic one, which is known to play a significant role by providing additional degree of realism compared to the deterministic approach. The analysis of the model is done employing both approaches. The invariant region, positivity of the solution, equilibrium points and their stability are checked. According to the analysis, we came to realize that the basic reproduction number for the stochastic approach is smaller than the deterministic one. We have conducted various numerical experiments and obtained interesting simulation results which indicate that a combination of increased newborn vaccination and appropriate treatment of infected individuals have a great contribution in combating TB. It is worth mentioning that the simulation results confirm the conclusion drawn from the qualitative analysis of the model.

Modern Practices of Vaccination of Children from Perinatal Risk Groups and Necessary Precaution

Relevance. In perinatal centres problems of timely vaccination of newborns arise more often than in maternity hospitals, as vaccinations against viral hepatitis B and tuberculosis in accordance with the National Calendar are carried out in an early neonatal period and in time coincide with the stage of treatment and rehabilitation of the newborn, which implies medical withdrawal from vaccination. Vaccination of newborns from high perinatal risk groups is one of the problems of modern vaccinology and immunology.Aims. On the basis of clinical and immunological characteristics of postnatal babies from mothers with gestational diabetes and fetoplacental insufficiency justify the necessity and safety of their vaccination in the maternity hospital of the perinatal center.Materials &amp; Methods. A cohort retrospective case-control study was conducted, and 135 birth and developmental history and newborn disease were analyzed. Statistical processing was carried out package «Statistica».Results. The main nosological forms of pathology in maternity mothers and their newborn children, the volume of primary vaccination (against viral hepatitis B, tuberculosis) in maternity hospital in children with perinatal pathology and healthy newborns have been determined, and the reasons for medical contraindications to vaccinations against viral hepatitis B and tuberculosis have been established.Conclusions. Newborns from high perinatal risk groups can be vaccinated against viral hepatitis B and tuberculosis in the maternity hospital within the time frame specified by the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations. In addressing this issue, the fundamental criteria are to assess the clinical condition of newborns from women with gestational diabetes and fetoplacental insufficiency. Changes in immunological values of umbilical cord blood and in children of 1 month of life are not a criterion for medical withdrawal from vaccinations against viral hepatitis B and tuberculosis.

Arsenic and Immune Response to Influenza Vaccination in Pregnant Women and Newborns

Background/AimsThere is a gap in understanding of whether arsenic exposure during pregnancy alters the maternal immune response and antibody transfer to the infant. We aimed to establish a birth cohort in a region with low-moderate drinking water arsenic concentrations to investigate the relationship between arsenic exposure and immunogenicity of a seasonal quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in pregnant women and infants.MethodsWe established a birth cohort (NCT03930017) at the JiVitA Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Research Project site, which covers ~650,000 people over 500 km2 in rural northern Bangladesh. We planned to enroll 850 pregnancies to achieve a desired sample size of 400 mother-infant pairs at three-months postpartum, based on minimum detectable differences in geometric mean hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers for seasonal quadrivalent IIV antigens when comparing the highest and lowest quartiles of arsenic exposure. From July 2018 to June 2019, we screened women of reproductive age to identify incident pregnancies. Multiparous pregnant women were enrolled in gestational weeks (GW) 13-16. At enrollment, we collected drinking water, urine, blood, and saliva, and administered IIV.ResultsWe screened 52,000 women to identify 2,623 incident pregnancies in multiparous women. Of these, 1,338 were identified prior to GW 16, 846 consented, and 784 enrolled. We followed 567 mother-infant pairs to three-months postpartum. At enrollment, all participants contributed drinking water, urine, blood (processed as plasma, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells), and saliva. An analysis of 40 drinking water samples selected at random found that arsenic concentrations were comparable to arsenic-endemic regions of the U.S. (geometric mean: 3.03 µg/L, geometric standard deviation: 9.54 µg/L, range: 0.05 to 96.83 µg/L).ConclusionsThe number of pregnancies enrolled in our cohort yielded the sample size needed to investigate prespecified aims related to low-moderate arsenic exposure and altered maternal and child immune response.

Interleukin 17F gene variations showed no association with BCG osteitis risk after newborn vaccination

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) family cytokines promote the host defence against mycobacterial infections. We have previously shown an association between IL17A variations and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin(BCG) osteitis. This paper evaluates the association of three IL17F polymorphisms with BCG osteitis after newborn vaccination. IL17F rs763780, rs11465553 and rs7741835 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were studied in 132 adults, who presented with BCG osteitis in infancy. The genotypes and minor allele frequencies (MAFs) were compared between cases and Finnish population-based controls (N=99) from the 1000 Genomes Project, and MAFs were compared between cases and allele data of Finnish subjects from the large Genome Aggregation Database. There were no significant differences between former BCG osteitis patients and population-based controls in the IL17F rs763780 (wild 84.4% vs 84.8%), rs11465553 (86.4% vs 91.9%) or rs7741835 (65.7% vs 67.7%) genotypes. Homozygous variant genotypes were only present in 1.5%, 0.8% and 3.8% of cases, respectively. Likewise, MAFs of the three IL17F SNPs did not substantially differ from those of 11252, 11939 and 1371 Finnish subjects, respectively, from the available Genome Aggregation Database. IL17F rs763780, rs11465553 and rs7741835 variations showed no association with the risk of BCG osteitis after newborn vaccination.

How Maternity Waiting Home Use Influences Attendance of Antenatal and Postnatal Care

Background: In this International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, access to quality midwifery care is essential to promote maternal-newborn health and improve survival. One intervention aimed at improving maternal-newborn health and reducing underutilization of pregnancy services is the construction of maternity waiting homes (MWHs). The purpose of this study was to assess whether there was a significant change in antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) attendance, family planning (FP) use, and vaccination rates before and after implementation of the Core MWH Model in rural Zambia. Methods: A quasi-experimental controlled before-and-after design was used to evaluate the impact of the Core MWH Model by assessing associations between ANC and PNC attendance, FP use, and vaccination rates for mothers who delivered a child in the past 13 months. Twenty health care facilities received the Core MWH Model and 20 were identified as comparison facilities. Multivariable logistic regression were used to assess the association between MWH use and ANC and PNC attendance. Findings: The total sample include 4711 mothers. Mothers who used a MWH had better ANC and PNC attendance, FP use, and vaccination rates than mothers who did not use a MWH. All mothers appeared to fare better across these outcomes at endline. Interpretation: We found an association between MWHs and better ANC and PNC attendance, FP use, and newborn vaccination outcomes. Maternity waiting homes may serve as a catalyst to improve use of facility services for vulnerable mothers, especially those living the farthest from services. Funding Statement: The study program was developed and is being implemented in collaboration with Merck for Mothers, Merck’s 10-year, $500 million initiative to help create a world where no woman dies giving life. Merck for Mothers is known as MSD for Mothers outside the United States and Canada (MRK 1846-06500.COL). The development of the study article was additionally supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1130334) https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2015/06/OPP1130334 and The ELMA Foundation (ELMA-15-F0010) http://www.elmaphilanthropies.org/the-elma-foundation. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: Institutional review board (IRB) ethical approval was obtained from the University of Michigan, Boston University, and the ERES Converge IRB in Zambia.

Newborn BCG vaccination complemented by boosting correlates better with reduced juvenile diabetes in females, than vaccination alone

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), like other autoimmune diseases, is on the rise since the second half of the 20th century. Hypothetically this has been ascribed to restricted exposure to microbial diversity due to advanced hygienic practices accompanying modernization, and increasing prosperity in urban versus rural habitats. The autoimmune animal model of T1D, inhibited by Bacillus Calmette Guerine (BCG), motivated testing the impact of BCG on T1D incidence in humans. Several epidemiological analyses, short of one, failed to demonstrate a protective effect of BCG against T1D. The present retrospective analysis of two data sets reevaluates the hypothetic inhibitory effect of BCG on human T1D. Reassessment of data from a Swedish study reveals that a single BCG vaccination provided a small but significant protection against T1D. A second data set of T1D prevalence/1000 Israeli military conscripts, from a doctoral thesis presenting 17 birth cohorts at age 17 is evaluated against the national schedule of vaccination related to years of birth. To correct for the annual increasing T1D trend the mean urbanization (census) rate was set as an annual moving average and factored into the prevalence (T1D/1000) of respective birth cohorts. Three groups of cohorts corresponding to BCG vaccination are presently identified; Group A corresponds to the years in which newborns were vaccinated and boosted if necessary, at age 12. Group B corresponds to the period when boosting was discontinued. Group C corresponds to years when newborn BCG vaccination was discontinued. T1D (only in females) was slightly but significantly lower in group B (n = 5 cohorts) versus C (n = 8 cohorts, p = 0.0475, by Mann Whitney U test). T1D in group A (n = 4 cohorts) was lower than in group B (p = 0.02). This analysis supports the hypothesis that in human females postnatal BCG vaccination, reinforced by boosting, has a protective impact on T1D being superior to omitted boosting, which in its turn is still better than stopping vaccination altogether. This analysis further suggests that upon advanced modernization the BCG vaccine compensates for reduced exposure to microbial diversity early in life.

The Effect of the Smell of Breast Milk and Non-Nutritious Sucking on Pain Behavioral Response and to First-Time Hepatitis B Vaccine in Term Newborns

Background: The issue of Pain Management finds special significance in infants who are unable to verbally express pain. Studies have shown that the use of non-pharmacological pain control techniques can be effective in reducing neonatal pain. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of olfactory stimulation (with breast milk) and non-nutritive sucking (with a pacifier) on the physiological and behavioral responses in term neonates to the hepatitis B vaccine. Methods: In this clinical trial, which was done in 2015 at the Nohom-e Dey Hospital of Torbat Heidariyeh, 90 eligible infants were randomly selected and divided into two intervention and one control groups. In the breast-milk odor group (n = 30), the neonates were exposed to the mother's odor during vaccination. In the non-nutritive sucking group (n = 30), a standard soft pacifier was used, whereas, in the control group (n = 30), no intervention was carried out. Data collection tools included demographic information forms and the Neonatal Pain Response Scale. Data were edited and analyzed using SPSS 20 software. Results: This study showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of neonatal behavioral responses after intervention in the three groups (p &lt;0.05). The mean behavioral response was 0.73 lower in the breast-milk odor group than in the control group, and the mean behavioral response in the non-nutritive sucking group was 0.6 lower than that of the control group. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that both olfactory stimulations with breast milk and non-nutritive sucking have a positive impact on neonatal pain reduction, nearly equally.

Regional BCG vaccination policy in former East- and West Germany may impact on both severity of SARS-CoV-2 and incidence of childhood leukemia

We read with great interest the recent thorough study from Miller et al. [1], who reported a beneficial impact of early Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccination, and linked morbidity and mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 with BCG vaccination policy. They found that countries without policies of universal BCG vaccination (like Italy, the Netherlands, or the United States) have been more severely affected compared with countries with universal and long-standing BCG policies. Since senior citizens are particularly sensitive to COVID-19, newborn vaccination programs implemented in the 1940s and 1950s should be the most beneficial. Thus, we were impressed by the linear correlation between the year of the establishment of universal BCG vaccination and the mortality rate presented by Miller et al. [1]. In our view, this is a convincing argument for the hypothesis that the earlier the vaccination policy was established, the larger the segment of the elderly population being protected.

Vaccination of Newborns in Obstetric Institutions as an Indicator of the Quality of Medical Care for Babies

Relevance Hepatitis B and tuberculosis are a serious global health problem. Babies under one are at high risk of a severe form of these diseases and mortality. Immunization of newborns plays a key role both in the individual prevention of hepatitis B and tuberculosis and in reducing the burden of these infections in general.The purpose of the study was to assess the timeliness of vaccination newborns against hepatitis B and tuberculosis and to determine the causes of deviations from national vaccine schedule. Materials and methods. The coverage of vaccination against hepatitis B and tuberculosis was studied according to the case history of newborns (form No. 097/у, N = 672) and form No. 6 «Information on the contingents of children, adolescents and adults vaccinated against infectious diseases», the state of child morbidity - according to form No. 2 «Information on infectious and parasitic diseases» for 2006–2018. Anonymous questioning of pregnant women was conducted to assess adherence to vaccination (N = 73).Results. The average proportion of newborns who were vaccinated against hepatitis B in the maternity hospital over a 12-year follow-up period was 82.2%, against tuberculosis was 85.1%. More than 50.0% of children weren’t vaccinated against hepatitis B and about 20% of children weren’t not vaccinated against tuberculosis due to the vaccine hesitancy of their parents. 72.6% respondents agree that vaccination is important, 73.9% one that vaccination is effectiveness and only 50.6% one that vaccination is safety. The adherence to vaccination of newborns against tuberculosis is higher than against hepatitis B (78.1 and 69.9% respectively). There is a tendency to increase the number of children from 0 to 14 years old who are not vaccinated against both tuberculosis and hepatitis B.Conclusion. The lack of immunization of newborns in neonatology departments is a risk factor for low future immunization rates for children, infection of children with hepatitis B virus and mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as parental distrust in vaccination in general.

Vaccination of Newborns in Obstetric Institutions as an Indicator of the Quality of Medical Care for Babies

Relevance Hepatitis B and tuberculosis are a serious global health problem. Babies under one are at high risk of a severe form of these diseases and mortality. Immunization of newborns plays a key role both in the individual prevention of hepatitis B and tuberculosis and in reducing the burden of these infections in general.The purpose of the study was to assess the timeliness of vaccination newborns against hepatitis B and tuberculosis and to determine the causes of deviations from national vaccine schedule. Materials and methods. The coverage of vaccination against hepatitis B and tuberculosis was studied according to the case history of newborns (form No. 097/у, N = 672) and form No. 6 «Information on the contingents of children, adolescents and adults vaccinated against infectious diseases», the state of child morbidity - according to form No. 2 «Information on infectious and parasitic diseases» for 2006–2018. Anonymous questioning of pregnant women was conducted to assess adherence to vaccination (N = 73).Results. The average proportion of newborns who were vaccinated against hepatitis B in the maternity hospital over a 12-year follow-up period was 82.2%, against tuberculosis was 85.1%. More than 50.0% of children weren’t vaccinated against hepatitis B and about 20% of children weren’t not vaccinated against tuberculosis due to the vaccine hesitancy of their parents. 72.6% respondents agree that vaccination is important, 73.9% one that vaccination is effectiveness and only 50.6% one that vaccination is safety. The adherence to vaccination of newborns against tuberculosis is higher than against hepatitis B (78.1 and 69.9% respectively). There is a tendency to increase the number of children from 0 to 14 years old who are not vaccinated against both tuberculosis and hepatitis B.Conclusion. The lack of immunization of newborns in neonatology departments is a risk factor for low future immunization rates for children, infection of children with hepatitis B virus and mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as parental distrust in vaccination in general.