scholarly journals A Dengue Vaccine: Will It be Accepted and Is It Feasible? Lessons from Barranquilla, Colombia, and Merida, Venezuela

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 458
Author(s):  
Elizabeth McMahon ◽  
Liliana Encinales ◽  
Carlos Navarro Encinales ◽  
Silvana Vielma ◽  
Nelly Pacheco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Burden ◽  
World Health ◽  
Dengue Vaccine ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Introduction ◽  
Health Organization

With one vaccine on the market and others in clinical trials, policy makers in dengue endemic regions face the decision of whether to introduce a dengue vaccine in their communities. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that individualized assessments be conducted before any vaccine introduction to evaluate disease burden and the strength of current vaccination programs. This study seeks to aid in that decision-making process by examining the acceptability and feasibility of dengue vaccine introduction in Barranquilla, Colombia, and Merida, Venezuela. Surveys were administered February–June of 2018 for three groups: patients (n = 351), health professionals (n = 197), and government officials (n = 26). In Barranquilla, most respondents reported dengue to be a moderate-severe problem, that a dengue vaccine would be useful in their communities, and that their current vaccination programs could handle the addition of a new vaccine. In Venezuela, respondents were less likely to view dengue as a major concern and listed multiple barriers to not just dengue vaccine introduction, but to providing current vaccines as well. Further work is needed in Colombia to more objectively assess the country’s readiness as a whole for a future dengue vaccine. As political and social unrest continues in Venezuela, however, future initiatives should focus on trust and capacity building. This study can serve as a framework for future assessments of the acceptability and feasibility of a dengue vaccine in both targeted areas and on larger scales.

scholarly journals Generating the Evidence for Typhoid Vaccine Introduction: Considerations for Global Disease Burden Estimates and Vaccine Testing Through Human Challenge

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement_5) ◽  
pp. S402-S407
Author(s):  
James E Meiring ◽  
Alberto Giubilini ◽  
Julian Savulescu ◽  
Virginia E Pitzer ◽  
Andrew J Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
World Health ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Vaccine Introduction ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Typhoid fever has had a major impact on human populations, with the causative pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi implicated in many outbreaks through history. The current burden of disease is estimated at 11–18 million infections annually, with the majority of infections located in Africa and South Asia. Data that have been used to estimate burden are limited to a small number of blood-culture surveillance studies, largely from densely populated urban centers. Extrapolating these data to estimate disease burden within and across countries highlights the lack of precision in global figures. A number of approaches have been developed, characterizing different geographical areas by water-based risk factors for typhoid infection or broader measures of health and development to more accurately extrapolate incidence. Recognition of the substantial disease burden is essential for policy-makers considering vaccine introduction. Typhoid vaccines have been in development for >100 years. The Vi polysaccharide (ViPS) and Ty21a vaccines have had a World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for programmatic use in countries with high burden for 10 years, with 1 ViPS vaccine also having WHO prequalification. Despite this, uptake and introduction of these vaccines has been minimal. The development of a controlled human infection model (CHIM) enabled the accelerated testing of the newly WHO-prequalified ViPS–tetanus toxoid protein conjugate vaccine, providing efficacy estimates for the vaccine, prior to larger field trials. There is an urgency to the global control of enteric fever due to the escalating problem of antimicrobial resistance. With more accurate burden of disease estimates and a vaccine showing efficacy in CHIM, that control is now a possibility.

Drinking-Water Quality and Intestinal Infectious Diseases in a Colombian Department, 2010-2016

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Dora Cardona Rivas ◽  
Militza Yulain Cardona Guzmán ◽  
Olga Lucía Ocampo López
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Drinking Water Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Etiological Agents ◽  
Health Organization

Objective: To characterize the burden of intestinal infectious diseases attributable to drinking-water quality in 27 municipalities in the central region of Colombia. Materials and methods: A time-trend ecological study. The drinking-water quality of the National Institute of Health and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies was identified. The disease burden was calculated based on the mortality registered in the National Department of Statistics and the records of morbidity attended by the Social Protection Integrated Information System. The etiological agents reported in morbidity records and the observation of environmental conditions in the municipalities of the study were included. The disease burden was determined according to the methodology recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Attitude among Healthcare Workers in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110133
Author(s):  
Samar Fares ◽  
Merihan M. Elmnyer ◽  
Shimaa Sabry Mohamed ◽  
Radwa Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, especially the frontline worriers. To get shielded through this war, the world is racing to reach and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination hesitancy is one of the significant obstacles to global health. Objectives This study aimed to assess the perception and attitude of healthcare workers in Egypt toward COVID-19 vaccines, acknowledge the determinants of their attitude, and the factors that could increase the acceptance of the vaccine. Methods an observational web-based anonymous survey was conducted on 385 Egyptian healthcare workers in different governorates. The questionnaire-based on Vaccine Hesitancy Survey Questions of the World Health Organization was available in Arabic and English languages and was tested for reliability. Results Regarding vaccination decision, 51% of the participants were undecided, 28% refused, and 21% accepted vaccination. Reasons for vaccine acceptance mainly were risks of COVID-19 (93%), safety (57.5%), and effectiveness (56.25%) of the vaccine. Simultaneously, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy were the absence of enough clinical trials (92.4%) and fear of side effects of the vaccine (91.4%). The leading factor that could increase vaccination acceptance among the participants was to get sufficient and accurate information about the available vaccines. The participants revealed a high mean level of concern for COVID-19 vaccines’ safety (3.8 of 5) that differs significantly among the different study groups ( P-value .002). Conclusion Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, only approximately 21% of Egyptian healthcare workers in our study accepted the COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy represents a major barrier to implementing vaccination programs.

Reasons for Vaccine Rejection in 0 to 2 Years Old Children Registered to Family Health Centers in Konya

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 074-079
Author(s):  
Hasan Kucukkendirci ◽  
Fatih Kara ◽  
Gulsum Gulperi Turgut
Keyword(s):  
Health Personnel ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractObjective According to the 2017 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), ∼1.5 million people die from vaccine preventable diseases. The WHO is working to generate and popularize effective vaccination programs. However, the concept of “vaccine rejection,” which first started in Europe and United States, has started to make an impact in Turkey during the past 10 years. It is therefore seen as a growing danger in future. This study was conducted to determine, detect, and prevent the reasons of vaccine rejection that have increased in recent years.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December at 2015. In all districts of Konya (n = 31), it was aimed to reach all 242 families who rejected vaccination to their 0 to 2 years old babies. Families having more than one child refused to vaccinate all of their children. A questionnaire consisting of 47 questions was prepared by the researchers, using the standard trainings of the Ministry of Health and the literature. A total of 172 families agreed to participate in this study. The questionnaire was applied to the parents using the telephone interview technique. Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation and percentage.Results About 41.3% (n = 71) of the mothers were high school graduates, 50.6% (n = 87) of their fathers were university graduates. About 82.6% (n = 142) of the participants received examination, treatment and follow-up services from family physicians and family health personnel. About 20.9% (n = 36) of the children were the only children of the family. About 55.8% (n = 96) of the families also refused the vaccination for other children. About 83.7% (n = 144) of the unvaccinated children had infants/children follow-up care. While all participants stated that vaccines had side effects, 31.4% (n = 54) of these believed that vaccines cause autism or paralysis in infants. About 62.2% (n = 107) of their mothers did not receive tetanus vaccine during pregnancy. The highest rate of nonvaccination was with the second dose of hepatitis A vaccine, which 96.5% (n = 166) refused. The most accepted vaccine was the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine, which was refused by 18.0% (n = 31). About 79.7% (n = 137) of the participants did not know the reason for the vaccination and 95.9% (n = 165) thought that the vaccines were not required. All participants received information from the health personnel about the vaccines. While 9.9% (n = 17) of the families thought that vaccines cause infertility, 44.8% (n = 77) did not receive vaccination because the vaccines were produced abroad.Conclusion A growing number of families refuse to have their babies vaccinated. The production of vaccines abroad is a major cause of insecurity. There are also beliefs that vaccines cause infertility. Vaccine production in Turkey should be accelerated and public education about vaccines should be reviewed. Training provided to families about vaccines should also be reviewed.

scholarly journals The burden of musculoskeletal disorders in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region of the World Health Organization (EMRO): Study period 2000-2017

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jafar Yahyavi Dizaj ◽  
Manijeh Soleimanifar ◽  
Reza Hashempour ◽  
Ali Kazemi Karyani ◽  
Fateh Mohsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Neck Pain ◽  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
World Health ◽  
Low Back ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background: MSK health is imperative for the active participation of an individual in society and MSK related disorders more direly affects a person's quality of life compared other non-communicable disease while it also negatively effects the health system and economy of a country. The current manuscript analyzed and describes the disease burden of MSK disorders in the EMRO region.Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study conducted based on data published by the Global Burden of Disease Database for MSK disorders up to 2017. The study target comprised population from all countries of the EMRO region of World Health Organization. The present study considered, MSK disorders such as (rheumatoid arthritis), (osteoarthritis), (Low back pain), (neck pain), (gout) and (other Musculoskeletal disorders. The DALY index was used to measure total disease burden.Results: MSK disorders in the world and in the EMRO region was ranked 5th (4% of total disease burden) and 7th (5% of total disease burden) among all diseases in 2017, respectively. Women over 30 years of age in the EMRO region had the highest risk of MSK disorders compared to other regions and in addition, the DALY lost in EMRO region due to MSK disorders was higher in women of all age categories than men. According to the results of this study, Low back pain, Other musculoskeletal disorders and Neck pain had the highest prevalence and burden of disease in the EMRO region and the world. Bahrain, Iran, and Morocco had the highest incidence of MSK DALY score in the EMRO region, and Somalia, Djibouti, and Afghanistan had the lowest incidence of MSK disorders and DALY score, respectively.Conclusion: With the increase in geriatric population and obesity especially in developing countries, consequently, more people tend to suffer from MSK disorders and it is predicted that this spike will continue in the coming decades. Taking in to account the high prevalence and burden of MSK disorders, forces government and health-policy makers to focus more on preventive cares and rehabilitation.

scholarly journals Clinical signs of trachoma are prevalent among Solomon Islanders who have no persistent markers of prior infection with Chlamydia trachomatis

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Robert Butcher ◽  
Oliver Sokana ◽  
Kelvin Jack ◽  
Leslie Sui ◽  
Charles Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Health Organization

Background: The low population-prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis and high prevalence of trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF) provide contradictory estimates of the magnitude of the public health threat from trachoma in the Solomon Islands. Improved characterisation of the biology of trachoma in the region may support policy makers as they decide what interventions are required. Here, age-specific profiles of anti-Pgp3 antibodies and conjunctival scarring were examined to determine whether there is evidence of ongoing transmission and pathology from ocular Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection. Methods: A total of 1511 individuals aged ≥1 year were enrolled from randomly selected households in 13 villages in which >10% of children aged 1–9 years had TF prior to a single round of azithromycin mass drug administration undertaken six months previously. Blood was collected to be screened for antibodies to the Ct antigen Pgp3. Tarsal conjunctival photographs were collected for analysis of scarring severity. Results: Anti-Pgp3 seropositivity was 18% in 1–9 year olds, sharply increasing around the age of sexual debut to reach 69% in those over 25 years. Anti-Pgp3 seropositivity did not increase significantly between the ages of 1–9 years and was not associated with TF (p=0.581) or scarring in children (p=0.472). Conjunctival scars were visible in 13.1% of photographs. Mild (p<0.0001) but not severe (p=0.149) scars increased in prevalence with age. Conclusions: Neither conjunctival scars nor lymphoid follicles were associated with antibodies to Ct, suggesting that they are unlikely to be a direct result of ocular Ct infection. Clinical signs of trachoma were prevalent in this population but were not indicative of the underlying rates of Ct infection. The current World Health Organization guidelines for trachoma elimination indicated that this population should receive intervention with mass distribution of antibiotics, but the data presented here suggest that this may not have been appropriate.

scholarly journals Use of mask in COVID-19 era: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-90
Author(s):  
Rano Mal Piryani ◽  
Suneel Piryani ◽  
Jay Narayan Shah
Keyword(s):  
United States Of America ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Healthy Person ◽  
World Health ◽  
Source Control ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Risk Of Exposure ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthy Persons

World Health Organization (WHO) in its interim guidance of 6 April 2020 advises policy makers on the use of masks for healthy people in community settings. The rationale for mask use by healthy person is prevention from COVID-19, when there is risk of exposure, like working in close contact with public, people with comorbidities, where physical distancing cannot be maintained such as travelling in buses, staying in slum areas. Furthermore, WHO says the purpose and reason for mask use should be clear– whether it is to be used for source control (used by infected persons) or prevention of COVID-19 (used by healthy persons).1 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) United States of America (USA) updated its advisory on 4 Apr 2020, and recommended everyone (except some) should wear at least a cloth face covering when they have to go out in public. It will protect other people in case you are infected.2,3 This advisory of no strict demand on use of face masks could be possibly due to unavailability of disposable masks.

scholarly journals HPV Vaccination: The Position Paper of the Italian Society of Colposcopy and Cervico-Vaginal Pathology (SICPCV)

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Ciavattini ◽  
Luca Giannella ◽  
Rosa De Vincenzo ◽  
Jacopo Di Giuseppe ◽  
Maria Papiccio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
Local Treatment ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Italian Society ◽  
World Health ◽  
Quadrivalent Vaccine ◽  
Protein Antigens ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Bivalent Vaccine ◽  
Health Organization

Human papillomavirus (HPV) related cervical cancer represents an issue of public health priority. The World Health Organization recommended the introduction of HPV vaccination in all national public programs. In Europe, vaccines against HPV have been available since 2006. In Italy, vaccination is recommended and has been freely offered to all young girls aged 11 years since 2008. Three prophylactic HPV vaccines are available against high- and low-risk genotypes. The quadrivalent vaccine contains protein antigens for HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18. The bivalent vaccine includes antigens for HPV 16 and 18. The nonavalent vaccine was introduced in 2014, and it targets HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Clinical trials demonstrated the effectiveness of the three vaccines in healthy young women. Likewise, all vaccines showed an excellent safety profile. The bivalent vaccine provides two doses in subjects aged between 9 and 14 years and three doses in subjects over 14 years of age. The quadrivalent vaccine provides two doses in individuals from 9 to 13 years and three doses in individuals aged 14 years and over. The nonavalent vaccine schedule provides two doses in individuals from 9 to 14 years of age and three doses in individuals aged 15 years and over at the time of the first administration. Preliminary results suggest that the HPV vaccine is effective in the prevention of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions even after local treatment. Given these outcomes, in general, it is imperative to expand the vaccinated target population. Some interventions to improve the HPV vaccine’s uptake include patient reminders, physicians-focused interventions, school-based vaccinations programs, and social marketing strategies. The Italian Society of Colposcopy and Cervico-Vaginal Pathology (SICPCV) is committed to supporting vaccination programs for children and adolescents with a catch-up program for young adults. The SICPCV also helps clinical and information initiatives in developing countries to decrease the incidence of cervico-vaginal and vulvar pathology.

scholarly journals Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis Surveillance in Nigeria From 2010 to 2016, Prior to and During the Phased Introduction of the 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S81-S88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beckie N Tagbo ◽  
Rowan E Bancroft ◽  
Iretiola Fajolu ◽  
Mohammed B Abdulkadir ◽  
Muhammad F Bashir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Meningitis ◽  
Conjugate Vaccine ◽  
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine ◽  
Invasive Disease ◽  
Latex Agglutination ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Introduction ◽  
Vaccine Type ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background Historically, Nigeria has experienced large bacterial meningitis outbreaks with high mortality in children. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), and Haemophilus influenzae are major causes of this invasive disease. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, we conducted longitudinal surveillance in sentinel hospitals within Nigeria to establish the burden of pediatric bacterial meningitis (PBM). Methods From 2010 to 2016, cerebrospinal fluid was collected from children &lt;5 years of age, admitted to 5 sentinel hospitals in 5 Nigerian states. Microbiological and latex agglutination techniques were performed to detect the presence of pneumococcus, meningococcus, and H. influenzae. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction and serotyping/grouping were conducted to determine specific causative agents of PBM. Results A total of 5134 children with suspected meningitis were enrolled at the participating hospitals; of these 153 (2.9%) were confirmed PBM cases. The mortality rate for those infected was 15.0% (23/153). The dominant pathogen was pneumococcus (46.4%: 71/153) followed by meningococcus (34.6%: 53/153) and H. influenzae (19.0%: 29/153). Nearly half the pneumococcal meningitis cases successfully serotyped (46.4%: 13/28) were caused by serotypes that are included in the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The most prevalent meningococcal and H. influenzae strains were serogroup W and serotype b, respectively. Conclusions Vaccine-type bacterial meningitis continues to be common among children &lt;5 years in Nigeria. Challenges with vaccine introduction and coverage may explain some of these finding. Continued surveillance is needed to determine the distribution of serotypes/groups of meningeal pathogens across Nigeria and help inform and sustain vaccination policies in the country.

scholarly journals Presence of mismatches between diagnostic PCR assays and coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 genome

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 200636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kashif Aziz Khan ◽  
Peter Cheung
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
Current Standard ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Diagnostic Pcr ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
The World ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Pcr Assays ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Viral Sequences

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; initially named as 2019-nCoV) is responsible for the recent COVID-19 pandemic and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the current standard method for its diagnosis from patient samples. This study conducted a reassessment of published diagnostic PCR assays, including those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), through the evaluation of mismatches with publicly available viral sequences. An exhaustive evaluation of the sequence variability within the primer/probe target regions of the viral genome was performed using more than 17 000 viral sequences from around the world. The analysis showed the presence of mutations/mismatches in primer/probe binding regions of 7 assays out of 27 assays studied. A comprehensive bioinformatics approach for in silico inclusivity evaluation of PCR diagnostic assays of SARS-CoV-2 was validated using freely available software programs that can be applied to any diagnostic assay of choice. These findings provide potentially important information for clinicians, laboratory professionals and policy-makers.

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