Vaccination Plan Research Articles

Better Strategies For Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccination

The first case of COVID-19, a coronavirus disease, was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and spread globally. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is regarded as the most challenging pandemic in the current century. COVID-19 has brought scientists together on a platform where they search for different therapeutic and preventive strategies to combat this coronavirus. Scientists and healthcare workers are working on developing new vaccines that are safe and take less time to develop. They are trying to elucidate various target sites on 2019-nCov that could act as potential candidates for adequate vaccine preparation. Besides this, there is also a need for proper community involvement to elicit the coronavirus disease by taking preventive measures and spreading awareness. In this review, we have focused on how scientists can develop vaccines against new variants and convince the public about vaccine acceptance at the community level. This manuscript reviews Strategies for Covid-19 Vaccination Development, Strategies for Covid-19 Vaccination Acceptance, and Community Engagement in Covid-19 Vaccination plans

A hybrid compartmental model with a case study of COVID-19 in Great Britain and Israel

Given the severe impact of COVID-19 on several societal levels, it is of crucial importance to model the impact of restriction measures on the pandemic evolution, so that governments are able to make informed decisions. Even though there have been countless attempts to propose diverse models since the rise of the outbreak, the increase in data availability and start of vaccination campaigns calls for updated models and studies. Furthermore, most of the works are focused on a very particular place or application and we strive to attain a more general model, resorting to data from different countries. In particular, we compare Great Britain and Israel, two highly different scenarios in terms of vaccination plans and social structure. We build a network-based model, complex enough to model different scenarios of government-mandated restrictions, but generic enough to be applied to any population. To ease the computational load we propose a decomposition strategy for our model.

Detection, Quantification and Molecular Characterization of Fowl Adenoviruses Circulating in Ecuadorian Chicken Flocks during 2019-2021.

Fowl adenoviruses are a group of pathogens that cause large economic losses worldwide in the poultry industry, in addition to producing a wide range of diseases, such as IBH, HHS, and enteric and respiratory diseases. The objective of this study was to quantify, identify, and molecularly characterize the types of FAdV circulating in commercial poultry farms (broilers, breeders, and layers) in Ecuador from 2019 to 2021. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR, quantification by qPCR, and subsequent sequencing for each positive sample. The results indicated that the FAdV genotypes circulating in our country are FAdV-2/D2, FAdV-6/E1, FAdV-8a/E2, and FAdV-11/D3; the samples were grouped into different groups that contain sequences that were obtained from countries in Africa, Asia, and America, and that are found in birds at different ages, since early age where can cause different clinical signs, such as diarrhea, ruffled feathers and dwarfism. Therefore, these results indicate that several genotypes of the virus are circulating in commercial poultry flocks, suggesting that biosecurity measures on farms should be improved, in addition to carrying out new or improved vaccination plans.

Monkeypox awareness and low vaccination hesitancy among men who have sex with men in China.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been recommended for targeted monkeypox vaccination. We aimed to investigate monkeypox awareness and explore the correlates of monkeypox vaccination hesitancy among MSM in China. We conducted a cross-sectional survey from August 10 to September 9, 2022. Awareness related to monkeypox and attitude towards monkeypox vaccination among MSM aged ≥18 years were collected. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to evaluate correlates of vaccination hesitancy. Discrepancy in awareness between subgroups regarding HIV status was assessed. A total of 1090 MSM were included (age: median 30 years, IQR, 25-35; HIV-infected: 53.12%). Only 13.85% respondents expressed high monkeypox vaccination hesitancy. Hesitancy was associated with no fixed income (aOR, 2.46, 95% CI, 1.48-4.11), infrequent information following (sometimes, 3.01, 1.55-5.83; seldom or never, 5.66, 2.58-12.45), and lack of worries about monkeypox endemic (1.78, 1.11-2.87). Participants who believed that HIV-infected cases accounted for a smaller proportion (1.62, 1.01-2.60), disagreed that monkeypox virus could be detected in semen (2.21, 1.26-3.88), and considered either replication-competent (1.84, 1.14-2.96) or replication-deficient (4.80, 2.26-10.21) monkeypox vaccine unsuitable for HIV-infected people were generally more hesitant. Compared with HIV-uninfected MSM, HIV-infected MSM supported more for vaccination promotion. MSM in China had low hesitancy towards monkeypox vaccination. Safety and affordability of vaccine, and availability of information were essential aspects to reduce hesitancy. Education on vaccination benefits should be encouraged to promote future vaccination plans. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccine sequences circulate in blood up to 28 days after COVID-19 vaccination.

In Denmark, vaccination against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been with the Pfizer-BioNTech (BTN162b2) or the Moderna (mRNA-1273) mRNA vaccines. Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection followed in our clinic received mRNA vaccinations according to the Danish roll-out vaccination plan. To monitor HCV infection, RNA was extracted from patient plasma and RNA sequencing was performed on the Illumina platform. In 10 of 108 HCV patient samples, full-length or traces of SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccine sequences were found in blood up to 28 days after COVID-19 vaccination. Detection of mRNA vaccine sequences in blood after vaccination adds important knowledge regarding this technology and should lead to further research into the design of lipid-nanoparticles and the half-life of these and mRNA vaccines in humans.

Factores asociados a la intención de vacunación contra el COVID-19 en Popayán, Cauca, Colombia

Vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic, decreed by the WHO in 2020, has shown in the initial trials an admissible efficacy for the scientific community, but with many doubts and concerns for the communities, developing the phenomenon known as vaccine hesitancy. ObjectiveTo understand the factors associated with the intention or rejection of vaccination against COVID-19 in the city of Popayán in the year 2022. MethodologyCross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, carried out between August 2021 and March 2022; with a non-probabilistic sampling, for convenience, with a sample size of 993 people; A questionnaire-type survey was applied in person and virtually to know the intention of vaccination, knowledge and perceptions. ResultsThe surveyed population was characterized as 56.19% female, 49.24% between 18 and 28 years old; 23.16% state that they do not intend to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the main reasons being: not being well informed 56.29%, ineffective vaccine 54.8% and that the vaccine weakens the immune system 27,5%; as well as the low confidence with the Vaccination Plan and with the pharmaceutical companies that produce the vaccine. ConclusionThe intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 is determined not only by the technical-administrative dynamics of the immunization program and the health system, variables of the context and the perception of risk, add up to explain the vaccination processes.

The Reasons behind COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy among the Parents of Children Aged between 5 to 11 Years Old in Saudi Arabia.

Simultaneously with the development of the COVID-19 vaccination plan for minors, it is critical to understand the reasons related to parental COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. This study aims to determine the reasons associated with vaccination hesitancy among parents, and the prevalence and the characteristics of the parents who are hesitant to allow their children aged between 5 to 11 years old to be administered the COVID-19 vaccines. A web-based questionnaire was used to perform this study between May 2022 to September 2022 in Saudi Arabia (SA). Several factors, personal and social, affected the participants' willingness to vaccinate their children with the COVID-19 vaccines. The age of the parents was found to have a significant impact on their decision to vaccinate their children. Those between the age of 40-49 years of age were the most willing to vaccinate (almost 41%) compared to those 50 years or older who were most resistant to vaccination. Female participants were more resistant to vaccinating their children compared to their male counterparts. Saudis were more resistant to vaccinating their children compared to the non-Saudi participants. Those private sector-employed parents were the most willing to vaccinate (16.6%), followed by those working in the governmental sector (13.8%). About 40.7% of non-healthcare workers were resistant to vaccinating their minor compared to healthcare workers (8.7%). In conclusion, the study presents several factors that affect the parental willingness to vaccinate their children in SA. These factors should be properly addressed when developing public health strategies to promote the COVID-19 vaccination of children in SA.

Vaccination plan in patients with severe mental illness: update and challenges in promoting immunization

Vaccination plan in patients with severe mental illness: update and challenges in promoting immunization

Confronting ‘chaos’: a qualitative study assessing public health officials’ perceptions of the factors affecting Tanzania’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout

ObjectivesMass COVID-19 vaccination in Africa is required to end the pandemic. In low-income settings, street-level bureaucrats (SLBs), or public officials who interact directly with citizens, are typically responsible for carrying...

Response to COVID-19 in Lebanon: Update, Challenges and Lessons Learned.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a public health problem threatening national and global health security. The socio-economic impact of COVID-19 was more severe on developing countries including Lebanon, especially due to the fragile healthcare system, weak surveillance infrastructure and lack of comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plans. Lebanon has been struggling with plethora of challenges at the social, economic, financial, political and healthcare levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon revealed gaps and challenges across the spectrum of preparedness and response to emergencies. Despite these challenges, the Lebanese response was successful in delaying the steep surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations through imposing strict public health and social measures. The deployment of the national vaccination plan in Lebanon in February 2021 coincided with the reduction in the number of cases and hospitalisation rates. The aim of this manuscript is to advance the epidemiologic evolution of COVID-19 in Lebanon pre- and post-vaccination, the challenges affecting the response and recovery, and the lessons learned.

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of annual COVID-19 booster vaccination in South Korea using a transmission dynamic model.

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of South Korea's planned annual coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster campaign scheduled for October 2023. An age-structured mathematical model was used to analyze the public impacts and cost-effectiveness of vaccination across three vaccination strategies: uniform allocation and prioritizing those over 65 or those over 50 years old. We calculated the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) from both healthcare and societal perspectives. The maximum vaccine cost for cost-effectiveness was also identified. Our analysis highlights the cost-effectiveness of South Korea's annual COVID-19 vaccination program in mitigating health and economic impacts. The most cost-effective strategy is uniform vaccine allocation, offering the lowest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) at US$ 25,787/QALY. However, with a relatively high attack rate, the strategy prioritizing individuals over 65 years emerges as more cost-effective, lowering the ICER to US$ 13,785/QALY. Prioritizing those over 50 was less cost-effective. All strategies were cost-saving from a societal perspective, with cost-effectiveness being more sensitive to vaccine price than to its effectiveness. Our results imply a potential strategy shift in current vaccination plan, with uniform vaccine distribution being more cost-effective than prioritizing older adults. Early estimation of viral transmissibility and vaccine effectiveness is crucial in determining the most cost-effective vaccine allocation approach.

HPV Molecular Prevalence and Effects of Background Sampling Techniques: Implication for Vaccine Plan

HPV Molecular Prevalence and Effects of Background Sampling Techniques: Implication for Vaccine Plan

The Role of Egyptian Media in Raising Awareness and Applying Preventive Measures During Phases of COVID-19 Crisis: A Comparative Media Study of Traditional and Social Media

This study aims to explore the relationship between Egyptian media representation of COVID-19 crisis and raising awareness along with constructing preventive response during the phases of such crisis. COVID-19 has been highly, globally covered by all media platforms, whether traditional or new media through different projection or frames by using specific language and words to deliver information about the disease vaccine and its consequences regarding stopping the crisis.Preventive measure are actions implied by media portrayals to persuade audiences to behaviorally respond to the pandemic disease by providing people with tips like wearing a mask/gloves, staying at home, and keeping social distance. These preventive responses can sometimes be ineffective if audiences' preferences aren’t matching the media source delivering information which takes us to the importance of studying audiences’ needs and wants as well as addressing their concerns and stress.The study targets two age groups of males and females (18-25 and 26-30), to explain the use of traditional and new media in constructing perceptions upon COVID-19 vaccine plan and the urge Egyptian media impose when it comes to accepting the vaccine intake. Social media platforms are widely used as prosumers are no longer restricted from sharing, selecting, and creating the content which takes the portrayal of news to a new level.Moreover, this study will use “The Crisis Communication Lifecycle” model as its theoretical framework through which it explains the types of information needed to be delivered in times of crisis by explaining five main stages the crisis will go through.Besides, the study will use a mini survey to explore media’ role in raising awareness and affecting Egyptian’s behavioral responses concerning COVID-19 crisis along with Egyptians interactivity and reliance on traditional and social media Keywords: Media Representation, Raising Awareness, Preventive Measure, Crisis Management, Crisis Communication Lifecycle DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/104-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

Cuidar de quem cuida: promoção da Vacinação nos Profissionais de Saúde, em Saúde Ocupacional

Introduction The current context caused by the COVID-19 pandemic highlights more sharply the importance of vaccination and the National Vaccination Program, whose compliance by health professionals is essential for prevention in the workplace. Goals To assess the knowledge of health professionals from a Group of Health Centers in the South of Portugal about the Occupational Health Service and the recommended vaccination for health professionals in Portugal. Methodology Descriptive, cross-sectional study, using a quantitative methodology, carried out in a convenience sampling process. The sample consisted of 176 health professionals in the context of Primary Health Care, from different professional groups, distributed across the 18 functional units of the same Group of Health Centers, of both sexes. The data obtained were analyzed using the computer program Microsoft Excel. Results A total of 176 individuals participated in the study, predominantly female (78.1%), prevailing the age group between 30 and 50 years (62.5%) and with a higher percentage of the academic degree of Licentiate (58.9%). The most represented professional group was Nursing (56.2%), followed by Operational Assistants (18,9%), Doctors (17,8%) and SuperiorTechnicians of Diagnostic and Therapeutic (5,3%). The analysis of the data obtained shows a reduced influence of the Occupational Health Service in a fundamental area such as the promotion of vaccination of health professionals. Of those that responded that they had received training and/or information, only 12.2% reported that this had happened in the context of Occupational Health. The results obtained also revealed a lack of knowledge about the recommended vaccination for health professionals in Portugal and the lack of training actions and vaccination campaigns for health professionals, in addition to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analyzed data revealed levels of partial or compromised knowledge regarding the vaccination recommended for health professionals, despite the vast majority of (87%) claiming to know the recommended program. Conclusions The Group of Health Centers under study has a reduced number of human resources assigned to the Occupational Health Service. A lack of knowledge about the vaccination plan recommended by the General Directorate of Health for these professionals and a rate of adherence to vaccination below the recommended indicators was identified. Therefore, it is imperative to promote the Occupational Health Service and invest in this resource as a vector for promoting literacy, namely in relation to vaccination recommended for these professionals in Portugal. Keywords: Occupational Health, Vaccination, Health Professionals.

University setting and infrastructure for the people’s well-being: Universidad de Guadalajara in the face of the pandemic

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) placed its infrastructure, —particularly schools, laboratories, research centers and institutes, and departments related to the areas of health and human resources— at the service of civil authorities and the population in general. Before any other public university in Mexico, UdeG implemented and published measures to prevent COVID-19 infections, which began with the suspension of public meetings and face-to-face activities, and the installation of a Health Situation Room, and which continued with the Enabling of the Active COVID-19 Detection System, the reconversion of the Civil Hospitals of Guadalajara, until reaching the Design of the Vaccination Plan, to name a few. The objective of this article is to describe how actions related to the management of the university environment and infrastructure not only put the largest state public university in the country at people’s service as never before, but also about how we have been forced to reconceptualize the mission and vision of higher education based on the needs identified during the pandemic, from a humanistic, integrative, unitary, global and interdisciplinary perspective.Keyword: COVID-19, universities, setting and infrastructure, health sciences, innovation

Model for estimating the impact of healthcare costs in non-hospitalized Covid-19 patients treated with remdesivir

Objectives: In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused significant negative changes worldwide. Important investments were suddenly needed in the economic, social, and healthcare fields. This analysis sets out to show the economic impact of the administration of remdesivir in ambulatory patients, who are affected by Covid-19, at high risk for severe progression, and eligible for the antiviral treatment. Methods: The budget impact analysis is based on the assumptions already presented in a study published in 2020 by the same Authors. The analysis was updated with a new simulation of the pandemic curve which included the vaccination plan. Data were collected from official Italian sources and from the academic literature. The Italian National Health Service (NHS) perspective was used in the analysis. Remdesivir treatment was compared in terms of economic costs with the Standard of Care over a period of 20 weeks. Such timeframe was chosen because of the uncertainty of the pandemic evolution and considering that this is the time of a complete pandemic curve. A comparison with other therapeutic solutions was not performed in this analysis as the relative costs were not available at the time of the study. Results: The model estimates that, in 20 weeks, 8,002,015 subjects are infected by Covid-19, with a 0.8% hospitalization rate. Among hospitalized patients, 19.6% could be eligible for remdesivir treatment, for a total number of 3,619 patients, with a 12% market share. Conclusion: The analysis shows that remdesivir therapy is dominant and its use could determine a reduction in hospitalizations and transfers to intensive care units compared to the Standard of Care, with a potential saving of € 50.8 million and a decrease of the number of Covid-19-related deaths between 600 and 1,100.

Geospatial epidemiology of hospitalized patients with a positive influenza assay: A nationwide study in Iran, 2016-2018.

Seasonal influenza is a significant public health challenge worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and spatial patterns of severe hospitalized influenza cases confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Iran. Data were obtained from Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education and included all hospitalized lab-confirmed influenza cases from January 1, 2016, to December 30, 2018 (n = 9146). The Getis-Ord Gi* and Local Moran's I statistics were used to explore the hotspot areas and spatial cluster/outlier patterns of influenza. We also built a multivariable logistic regression model to identify covariates associated with patients' mortality. Cumulative incidence and mortality rate were estimated at 11.44 and 0.49 (per 100,000), respectively, and case fatality rate was estimated at 4.35%. The patients' median age was 40 (interquartile range: 22-63), and 55.5% (n = 5073) were female. The hotspot and cluster analyses revealed high-risk areas in northern parts of Iran, especially in cold, humid, and densely populated areas. Moreover, influenza hotspots were more common during the colder months of the year, especially in high-elevated regions. Mortality was significantly associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.02), infection with virus type-A (aOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.27-2.15), male sex (aOR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.44-2.18), cardiovascular disease (aOR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.33-2.20), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aOR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.40-2.34), malignancy (aOR: 4.77, 95% CI: 2.87-7.62), and grade-II obesity (aOR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.09-3.74). We characterized the spatial and epidemiological heterogeneities of severe hospitalized influenza cases confirmed by PCR in Iran. Detecting influenza hotspot clusters could inform prioritization and geographic specificity of influenza prevention, testing, and mitigation resource management, including vaccination planning in Iran.

Real-world Evidence of COVID-19 Vaccines Effectiveness in Solid-organ Transplant Recipient Population in Colombia: A Study Nested in the Esperanza Cohort.

Solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) have a higher risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) complications and death and a less powerful and lasting response to vaccines and to natural infection. In Colombia, this population was prioritized in the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19 and received vaccines from different platforms. The aim of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of the complete vaccination schedule and of the vaccine booster for COVID-19 administered to SOTRs in Colombia. A nested-cohort was assembled within the population-based ESPERANZA cohort and included the subset of 16 y and older SOTRs (n = 6963); the follow-up period spanned March 11, 2021, to May 11, 2022. The vaccine effectiveness was estimated with Cox proportional-hazards models so that the overall effectiveness of the complete vaccination schedule, the vaccine booster, each used vaccine, and the homologous and heterologous schedules were estimated, adjusting by the main confounders. The overall effectiveness of being fully vaccinated was 73.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.9%-77.0%) to prevent COVID-19 infection, 83.7% (95% CI, 78.7%-87.5%) to prevent hospitalization, and 92.1% (95% CI, 88.8%-94.4%) to prevent death due to COVID-19. Similarly, the effectiveness of the vaccine booster was 76.7% (95% CI, 70.6%-81.5%), 86.9% (95% CI, 79.4%-91.6%), and 94.5% (95% CI, 89.8%-97.1%) to prevent confirmed COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19, respectively. In both cases, there were no statistically significant differences across age groups. Findings from this work show a high protection of vaccination against infection, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 in SOTRs, which increases with the vaccine booster.

Policy and Guideline Review of Vaccine Safety for COVID-19 in Pregnant Women in Southern Africa, with a Particular Focus on South Africa.

Pregnant and lactating mothers have historically been excluded from clinical trials. To understand the shift from excluding to including this population in COVID-19 vaccine trials, we conducted a review of guidance issued by countries in southern Africa over the last three years. We conducted a review of documents and official statements recorded on Ministries of Health websites, and social media platforms, the World Health Organisation website, the COVID-19 Maternal Immunisation tracker and the African Union official webpage. Search terms included COVID-19 vaccination policies, guidelines for pregnant and lactating women, COVID-19 vaccination trials and pregnant women. We retrieved and reviewed policies, guidelines, and official statements from 12 countries. We found inconsistencies and incomplete guidance in respect to the inclusion of pregnant and lactating mothers in COVID-19 vaccine trials from the selected countries. Of the twelve countries reviewed, Namibia and South Africa had clear guidance on vaccination plans and implementation for pregnant women, and their inclusion in COVID-19 vaccine trials. Explicit and clear guidelines are critical in communicating changes in policy towards those deemed vulnerable for them to participate in vaccine trials. This review provides lessons for future pandemics on managing changes in guidance towards those groups historically excluded from vaccine and clinical trials.

The Ecuadorian Government's 9/100 Vaccination Plan: A Comparative Analysis of Social Media Use

El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar cómo se ha gestionado en redes sociales la comunicación sobre el Plan de Vacunación 9/100 del Gobierno del Ecuador, lanzado a raíz de la pandemia de COVID-19. Tras hacer un repaso teórico sobre comunicación gubernamental y gestión del riesgo en el contexto de la salud pública, se analiza la actividad en redes sociales de la Secretaría General de Comunicación del Ecuador entre el 24 de mayo y el 1 de septiembre de 2021. Para ello, primero, se emplea la metodología PRGS (presencia, respuesta, generación, sugerencia), para medir la actividad y la respuesta obtenida en redes sociales. Posteriormente, se analiza el contenido de las publicaciones, evaluando el encuadre, presentación y finalidad de los mensajes transmitidos. Los hallazgos revelan que el plan de vacunación fue el tema principal en redes sociales y que los mensajes correspondieron a una comunicación de riesgo. Sin embargo, se evidenciaron ciertas carencias para la gestión del riesgo en contextos sanitarios.