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Background: Growing evidence shows that many parents begin the decision-making process about infant vaccination during pregnancy and these decisions - once established - may be resistant to change. Despite this, many interventions targeting vaccination are focused on communicating with parents after their baby is born. This suggests that the prenatal period may constitute a missed opportunity for communicating with expectant parents about infant vaccination.Methods: Using a longitudinal qualitative design, we conducted two interviews (prepartum and postpartum) with women (n = 19) to explore the optimal timing of vaccination information. The data were analyzed thematically, and examined across all sets of pre- and post-partum interviews as well as within each individual participant to draw out salient themes.Results: Most participants formed their intentions to vaccinate before the baby was born and indicated that they would welcome information about vaccination from their maternity care providers. However, few individuals recalled their maternity care providers initiating vaccination-related conversations with them.Conclusion: The prenatal period is an important time to begin conversations with expectant parents about vaccinating their infants, particularly if these conversations are initiated by trusted maternity care providers. More information is needed on how maternity care providers can be better supported to have these conversations with their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In rural Gambia, rates of malnutrition and infection are higher during the annual rainy/'hungry' season (June-October) in comparison to the dry/'harvest' season (November-May). The effects of this seasonal pattern on an infant's immune development and their capacity to respond to childhood vaccinations remain unclear. The aim of the current analysis was to determine whether antibody responses to diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccinations in infants differ between seasons.Methods: Infants received the DTP vaccine at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age and antibody titres were measured in blood samples collected at 12 (n = 710) and 24 (n = 662) weeks of age. Mean DTP antibody titres, adjusted for maternal and infant confounders, were compared by t-tests and the effect sizes of the mean differences were calculated between seasons at mid-gestation (20 weeks gestation) and first vaccination (8 weeks of infant age).Results: A smaller number of infants received their first vaccination during the rainy/hungry season months compared to the dry/harvest season (n = 224 vs. n = 486). At 12 weeks, infants vaccinated during the rainy/hungry season had lower weight-for-length Z-scores (p = 0.01) and were more likely to be anaemic (p < 0.001). Their mothers, however, were pregnant mostly during the dry/harvest season, had higher weight gain (p < 0.001) and were less likely to be anaemic during pregnancy (p < 0.001). At 12 weeks, infants vaccinated during the rainy/hungry season had significantly higher mean diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis antibody titres; by 62.3, 16.9 and 19.7%, respectively (all, p < 0.001). However, at 24 weeks, they had lower mean anti-diphtheria titres (by 20.6%, p < 0.001) compared with infants vaccinated during the dry/harvest season, and no differences were observed in mean tetanus and pertussis antibody titres by vaccination season.Conclusions: Infant antibody response to the primary dose of the DTP vaccine was influenced by both season of pregnancy and infancy, although effects were diminished following three doses. Environmental exposures, including nutrition, to both the mother and infant are hypothesised as likely drivers of these seasonal effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the strategies for improving vaccination uptake is to make communities understand the importance of immunization and this is expected to drive the demand for vaccines. Building the capacity of older women who supervise child care in Africa may improve infant vaccination in underserved communities. This study determined the impact of training of older women on their knowledge and support for infant vaccination in selected urban slum communities in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: This was a before-and-after study that enrolled women aged ≥35 years. They were trained with a manual and short video using participatory learning methods over an 8 month period. The content of their training includes importance of immunization timeliness and completion, how vaccines work and how to be advocates and supporters of infant vaccination. Their knowledge and support for infant vaccination at baseline were compared with post training values using Student's t test and Chi square test with the level of significance set at 5%.Results: There were 109 women with mean age 55.8 ± 11.6. they had a mean of 5.7 ± 2.1 training sessions. At the end of the training, their knowledge about infant vaccination and the support they give to it increased from 4.8 ± 3.8 to 10.7 ± 0.6, and 3.1 ± 3.5 to 8.1 ± 1.7 respectively. Those with good knowledge about infant vaccination increased significantly from 37(33.9%) to 82(82.8%), while those with good support for the same increased from 31(28.4%) to 85(85.9%). Women who were ≤ 64 years significantly had improved knowledge after the training compared to the older ones. Those with post secondary education had better knowledge and greater support for infant vaccination at baseline. However, there was no difference in the knowledge and support for infant vaccination among the women across the different educational levels after the training.Conclusions: Participatory learning improved the knowledge about, and support for infant vaccination among older women supervising child care in these urban slum communities. Similar training may be extended to comparable settings in order to improve demand for infant vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite policy intention to reach disadvantaged populations, inequalities in health care resource use and health outcomes persist in Nepal. The current study aimed to investigate the trend of full vaccination coverage among infants and its equity gaps between Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) 2001 and 2016.Methods: Using data from NDHS conducted in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016, we investigated the trend of coverage of six antigens: Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG), Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT), Polio, and Measles during their infancy among children aged 12-23 months. We presented trends and correlates of full vaccination coverage by different socio-demographic factors. We measured inequalities in full vaccination coverage by wealth quintile and maternal education using absolute measure (slope index of inequality) and relative measures (Relative index of inequality, concentration index) of inequalities.Results: Full vaccination coverage among infants steadily increased from 65.6% in 2001 to 87.0% in 2011; however, it decreased to 77.8% in 2016. Province 2 had a significantly lower full vaccination coverage compared to Province1.Although decreasing over time, there were significant inequalities by household wealth quintiles and maternal educational status. The slope index of inequality (SII) for wealth quintiles decreased from - 32.3 [- 45.5,-19.1] in 2001 to an SII of-8.4 [- 18.6,-1.7] in 2016. Similarly, the SII for education decreased from - 61.8 [- 73.5,-50.1] in 2001 to an SII of - 30.5 [- 40.7,-20.2] in 2016. Similarly, the relative index of inequality (RII) also showed an improvement over time, indicating the narrowing equity gap. Additionally, concentration index on full vaccination coverage by wealth quintiles dropped from 0.21 (0.12-0.28) in 2001 to 0.054 (- 0.01-0.12) in 2016. Absolute and relative inequalities were persistently larger by maternal educational status compared to household wealth quintiles throughout the study period.Conclusion: Full vaccination coverage in Nepal increased from 2001 until 2011 but saw a significant decrement away from the national target after 2011. However, the equity gap by household wealth quintile and maternal education status has narrowed over time. National Immunization programs need to give higher emphasis to infants born to mothers with less education, those born in the poorer wealth quintile households, and those living in Province 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination is a major, but simple and cost effective public health intervention in the prevention of infectious diseases, especially in children. Nowadays, many children still miss scheduled vaccines in the Extended Program of Immunization (EPI) or are being vaccinated after the recommended ages.This study was aimed at assessing vaccination completeness and timeliness in children aged 0 to 11 months attending the vaccination clinic of the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital.Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study over a period of 3 months (1st February to 30th April 2016). 400 mothers were interviewed and their children's vaccination booklets analyzed. Information on the children and the parents was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20 software. Bivariate and multivariate analysis with logistic regression was done to assess the determinants of completeness and timeliness.Results: A total of 400 mother-infant pairs were sampled. The vaccination completeness rate was 96.3%. This rate varied between 99.50% for BCG and 94.36% for IPV. Most of the children were born at the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric hospital where they were regularly receiving their vaccines. The proportion of correctly vaccinated infants was 73.3%. The most differed vaccines were BCG, PCV13 and IPV. Factors influencing immunization completeness were the father's profession and the mother's level of education.Conclusions: Despite the high immunization coverage, some children did not complete their EPI vaccines and many of them took at least one vaccine after the recommended age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage is below national goals in the United States. Research is needed to inform strategically designed interventions that target sociodemographic groups with underutilization of HPV vaccination.Methods: Secondary data analysis of the National Immunization Survey-Teen 2013 measured association of sociodemographic factors (e.g., ethnicity/race, insurance) with HPV vaccination among females and males ages 13-17 (N = 18,959). Chi-square and multivariable Poisson regressions were conducted using survey-weighted statistics.Results: Having a mother ≥35 years, a mother with some college, being of "Other" ethnicity/race, and having no providers who order vaccines from health departments was negatively associated with females initiating HPV vaccination. Having a mother with some college, being of Non-Hispanic White or "Other" ethnicity/race, and having some or no providers who order vaccines from health departments was negatively associated with males initiating HPV vaccination. These same factors were negatively associated with males completing HPV vaccination with the exception of "Other" ethnicity/race. In contrast, having an unmarried mother, being ages 15-17, having a hospital based provider, and receiving other adolescent vaccinations were positively associated with females initiating and completing HPV vaccination. Having an unmarried mother, health insurance that is not employer or union sponsored, and influenza and meningitis vaccinations was positively associated with male's initiating HPV vaccination. For males, being 15 or 17 years old and having other adolescent vaccinations was positively associated with vaccine completion. All findings p ≤ 0.05.Conclusions: Future HPV vaccination interventions may benefit from targeting certain sociodemographic groups that were negatively associated with HPV vaccination in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) against tuberculosis is administered intradermally, and vaccination is often followed by a scar at the injection site. Among BCG-vaccinated individuals, having a scar has been associated with lower mortality. We aimed to examine the impact of vaccination technique for scarring in a high income setting, by assessing the associations between the post injection reaction, the wheal size, and the probability of developing a scar, and scar size.Methods: This study was nested within a clinical multicenter study randomizing 4262 infants to either BCG vaccination (BCG 1331 SSI) or no intervention. In this substudy, including 492 vaccinated infants, the immediate post BCG vaccination reaction was registered as either wheal (a raised, blanched papule at the injection site), bulge (a palpable element at the injection site), or no reaction. The presence or absence of a BCG scar and the size the scar was measured at 13 months of age.Results: Of 492 infants included, 87% had a wheal after vaccination, 11% had a bulge, and 2% had no reaction. The mean wheal size was 3.8 mm (95% confidence interval 3.7-3.9). Overall, 95% (442/466, 26 lost to follow-up) of BCG-vaccinated infants had a scar at 13 months of age. In infants with a wheal, the probability of developing a scar was 96%, declining to 87% in the case of a bulge, and to 56% in the case of no reaction (p for same probability = 0.03). Wheal size was positively correlated with the probability of getting a scar and scar size.Conclusion: Scarring after BCG vaccination has been associated with lower infant mortality. In a high-income setting, we found that correct injection technique is highly important for the development of a BCG scar and that registration of the category of BCG skin reaction (as wheal, bulge, or no reaction) may be used to identify infants at risk of scar failure. Finally, the wheal size was positively associated with both the probability of getting a scar and scar size.Trial Registration: The study was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov with trial registration number NCT01694108 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) preparations are live-attenuated derivatives of Mycobacterium bovis. These products are used to vaccinate infants at birth, a practice that may result in a disseminated infection in those patients who have an unidentified immunodeficiency. Case presentation: Patients who were immunized at birth with BCG and who developed a disseminated infection are reported here to emphasize the importance of taking an extensive medical history before giving the BCG vaccine. Patient 1 has a sibling who had familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Patient 2 has a severe immunodeficiency with profound lymphopenia. Patient 3 has a sibling who had a disseminated BCG infection. Patient 4 has two siblings with an immunodeficiency disorder; one sibling passed away in infancy and one is receiving regular immunoglobulin infusions. Patient 5 has profound lymphopenia and his brother had cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonitis and passed away in infancy. Conclusions: These unfortunate events could have been avoided by compiling the relevant clinical and laboratory information. These cases also underscore the importance of a strict adherence to the BCG vaccine policies. Local and international registries that estimate the birth prevalence of primary immune deficiencies are needed prior to implementing universal BCG vaccination administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adapting educational tools to meet user needs is a critical aspect of translating research evidence into best clinical practices. The objectives of this study were to evaluate usability and effectiveness of educational tools about infant vaccination pain management directed to postnatal nurses. Methods: Mixed methods design. A template pamphlet and video included in a published clinical practice guideline were subjected to heuristic usability evaluation and then the revised tools were reviewed by postnatal hospital nurses in three rounds of interviews involving 8 to 12 nurses per round. Nurses' knowledge about evidence-based pain management interventions was evaluated at three time points: baseline, after pamphlet review, and after video review. Results: Of 32 eligible postnatal nurses, 29 agreed to participation and data were available for 28. Three overarching themes were identified in the interviews: 1) utility of information, 2) access to information, and 3) process for infant procedures. Nurses' knowledge improved significantly (p < 0.05) from the baseline phase to the pamphlet review phase, and again from the pamphlet review phase to the video review phase. Conclusions: This study demonstrated usability and knowledge uptake from a nurse-directed educational pamphlet and video about managing infant vaccination pain. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of implementing these educational tools in the postnatal hospital setting on parental utilization of analgesic interventions during infant hospitalization and future infant vaccinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The use of antibiotics is the single most important driver in antibiotic resistance. Nevertheless, antibiotic overuse remains common. Decline in antibiotic prescribing in the United States coincided with the launch of national educational campaigns in the 1990s and other interventions, including the introduction of routine infant immunizations with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7); however, it is unknown if these trends have been sustained through recent measurements. Methods We performed an analysis of nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys from 2000 to 2010. Trends in population-based prescribing were examined for overall antibiotics, broad-spectrum antibiotics, antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) and antibiotics prescribed during ARTI visits. Rates were reported for three age groups: children and adolescents (<18 years), adults (18 to 64 years), and older adults (≥65 years). Results An estimated 1.4 billion antibiotics were dispensed over the study period. Overall antibiotic prescribing decreased 18% (risk ratio (RR) 0.82, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.72 to 0.94) among children and adolescents, remained unchanged for adults, and increased 30% (1.30, 1.14 to 1.49) among older adults. Rates of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions doubled from 2000 to 2010 (2.11, 1.81 to 2.47). Proportions of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing increased across all age groups: 79% (1.79, 1.52 to 2.11) for children and adolescents, 143% (2.43, 2.07 to 2.86) for adults and 68% (1.68, 1.45 to 1.94) for older adults. ARTI antibiotic prescribing decreased 57% (0.43, 0.35 to 0.52) among children and adolescents and 38% (0.62, 0.48 to 0.80) among adults; however, it remained unchanged among older adults. While the number of ARTI visits declined by 19%, patients with ARTI visits were more likely to receive an antibiotic (73% versus 64%; P <0.001) in 2010 than in 2000. Conclusions Antibiotic use has decreased among children and adolescents, but has increased for older adults. Broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing continues to be on the rise. Public policy initiatives to promote the judicious use of antibiotics should continue and programs targeting older adults should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute diarrhea is the second leading cause of mortality among children under 5 years of age in developing countries. The pathogen most strongly associated with diarrhea is rotavirus followed by enteric pathogens such as bacteria, helminthes and protozoan. Adequate sanitation and water supply contribute to decrease acute diarrhea incidence of most etiologic agents, although vaccination remains the most important intervention to control rotavirus acute diarrhea. This study aimed to describe environmental conditions and analyze spatially the acute diarrhea and intestinal infection among rotavirus vaccinated infants from Laranjeiras-Sergipe, Brazil. Methods Children were enrolled between 2 and 11 months of age and followed through 12 months. Demographic, socioeconomic and environmental data were obtained from a questionnaire, and immunization data were obtained from children vaccination card. Children stool samples were collected each month in order to run laboratory analyses. The household spatial localization was obtained by using a Global Positioning System (GPS). Spatial analysis was performed using the TerraView computer program and Kernel intensity estimation. Results A total of 1,113 stool samples were collected with 80 being diarrhea associated. Diarrhea incidence rate was 0.5 ± 1.0 episodes/child/year. The overall infection rates by Ascaris lumbricoides, Endolimax nana, Giardia lamblia and rotavirus were 5.1%, 3.0%, 0.9% and 2.6%, respectively. 3.8% of diarrhea-associated stool samples were positive for rotavirus and 11.3% were positive for helminths and protozoans. There were some changes on spatial distribution of intestinal infections and diarrhea episodes along the four trimesters evaluated. Conclusions The studied infants live equally in precarious conditions of sanitation which probably explain the significant rates of parasitic infections appearing in early life. The low acute diarrhea incidence in the studied rotavirus vaccinated population and the low number of symptomatic rotavirus infection may indicate vaccination efficacy to prevent acute diarrhea among young children in a poor environmental sanitary setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background BCG immunogenicity in infants differs between populations and these differences have been attributed to various factors. In this study, the influence of geographical location, season of birth, timing of vaccination, micronutrient status (zinc) and inflammatory status (C-reactive protein, CRP) were assessed. Methods Immunogenicity was assessed by cytokine signature in culture supernatants from diluted whole blood samples stimulated with M. tuberculosis PPD, using a multiplex bead assay. Results were correlated with the plasma zinc and CRP concentrations at the time of sampling, and with interview and household data. BCG vaccinated infants were recruited in Malawi, The Gambia and the UK. Results In Malawi, infants vaccinated within the first week after birth showed lower production of most cytokines measured than those vaccinated later. The number of cytokines showing significant differences between Malawian and Gambian infants decreased after adjusting for season of birth. In Malawi, a proportion of infants had zinc deficiency and elevated plasma CRP (>10 mg/L), but neither zinc deficiency nor high CRP was associated with production of any of the cytokines measured. Conclusions The cytokine/chemokine signatures observed in response to M. tuberculosis PPD in infants at 3 months post BCG vaccination were affected by geographical location, season of birth, and timing of vaccination but not associated with the concentration of plasma zinc or inflammatory status. These factors should be considered in future trials of new TB vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Vaccination centres in the Campania Region, southern Italy, vaccinate children with a hexavalent vaccine that contains the mandatory vaccines diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, and viral Hepatitis B. This vaccine also includes two non-mandatory vaccines, pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Information about these optional vaccines should be communicated to the parents, and informed consent should be obtained from parents before vaccination. We explored whether informed consent was delivered to the parents, whether they signed the consent form, and whether they read and acquired the information about the vaccination that their child would receive. Methods Childhood immunisations are provided at specific public health vaccination centres, "Unità Operative Materno-infantili's" (UOMIs). We selected four UOMI from the Campania Region where we interviewed 1039 parents bringing their children for the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd doses of hexavalent vaccine. The consent forms were collected from the four vaccination centres and were analysed with respect to clarity and completeness. Results Most of the respondents (89.5%) were mothers between 20 and 39 years of age (80.4% vs 59.6% of the fathers), they were married (87.2% vs 93.5% of the fathers), and only one-half of them were employed (50.2% vs 92.6% of the fathers). The informed consent form was received from 58.1% of the parents and signed by 52.8%, but read by 35.0% of them. Only 1.5% of parents knew which vaccines were mandatory, and 25.0% of them believed that the entire hexavalent vaccine was mandatory. When we asked the parents which non-mandatory vaccinations were administered to their children, only 0.5% indicated the Haemophilus influenzae type B and none indicated the pertussis vaccine. Thirty-six per cent of the parents replied that their child had not received any non-mandatory vaccines. No parents were informed by the operators that their children would receive non-mandatory vaccines. Conclusion In our study, consent procedures did not allow parents to acquire correct information about vaccine options for their children. Furthermore, not one health care provider informed parents that their child was receiving non-mandatory vaccines. The informed consent process and the individual health care providers did not properly inform parents about the vaccines administered to their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although vaccination has been proved to be a safe, efficacious, and cost-effective intervention, immunisation rates remain suboptimal in many European countries, resulting in poor control of many vaccine-preventable diseases. Discussion: The Summit of Independent European Vaccination Experts focused on the perception of vaccines and vaccination by the general public and healthcare professionals and discussed ways to improve vaccine uptake in Europe. Despite the substantial impact and importance of the media, healthcare professionals were identified as the main advocates for vaccination and the most important source of information about vaccines for the general public. Healthcare professionals should receive more support for their own education on vaccinology, have rapid access to up-to-date information on vaccines, and have easy access to consultation with experts regarding vaccination-related problems. Vaccine information systems should be set up to facilitate promotion of vaccination. Summary: Every opportunity to administer vaccines should be used, and active reminder systems should be set up. A European vaccine awareness week should be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Childhood immunization coverage in the United States (U.S.) is often measured at age 24 months or, in the National Immunization Survey (NIS) at age of interview, which is between 19 and 35 months. This paper compares these standards. Methods: Data from the NIS is used to compare immunization coverage at time of interview, retrospectively among all children aged 24 or more months at time of interview, and obtained via multiple imputation (with 10 imputations) for all children, both nationally, by state, and by demographic groups. Results: At the national level, the difference between the 19-35 month estimate and the 24 month complete-case estimate was 1.9 percentage points. For most but not all states and subgroups, the 19-35 month estimate was higher than the 24 month complete-case estimate. The difference between vaccination coverage measured at 19-35 months and 24 months ranged from -2.3 to 7.5 percentage points among states. For three states, the difference between the 19-35 month and 24 month complete-case estimate was more than 6 percentage points, in twelve states there was a 4-6 percentage point difference, and in sixteen states a 2-4 percentage point difference. Conversely, five states had higher 24 month complete-case estimates than 19-35 month estimates. Conclusion: We found that the coverages at 19-35 and 24 months differ such that they would rarely be adequate surrogates for one another, particularly at a state level. Multiple imputation, which is easily implemented, increases precision of estimates of coverage at age 24 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Since 2013, a biennial rotavirus pattern has emerged in the Netherlands with alternating high and low endemic years and a nearly 50% reduction in rotavirus hospitalization rates overall, while infant rotavirus vaccination has remained below 1% throughout. As the rotavirus vaccination cost-effectiveness and risk-benefit ratio in high-income settings is highly influenced by the total rotavirus disease burden, we re-evaluated two infant vaccination strategies, taking into account this recent change in rotavirus epidemiology.Methods: We used updated rotavirus disease burden estimates derived from (active) surveillance to evaluate (1) a targeted strategy with selective vaccination of infants with medical risk conditions (prematurity, low birth weight, or congenital conditions) and (2) universal vaccination including all infants. In addition, we added herd protection as well as vaccine-induced intussusception risk to our previous cost-effectiveness model. An age- and risk-group structured, discrete-time event, stochastic multi-cohort model of the Dutch pediatric population was used to estimate the costs and effects of each vaccination strategy.Results: The targeted vaccination was cost-saving under all scenarios tested from both the healthcare payer and societal perspective at rotavirus vaccine market prices (€135/child). The cost-effectiveness ratio for universal vaccination was €51,277 at the assumed vaccine price of €75/child, using a societal perspective and 3% discount rates. Universal vaccination became cost-neutral at €32/child. At an assumed vaccine-induced intussusception rate of 1/50,000, an estimated 1707 hospitalizations and 21 fatal rotavirus cases were averted by targeted vaccination per vaccine-induced intussusception case. Applying universal vaccination, an additional 571 hospitalizations and <  1 additional rotavirus death were averted in healthy children per vaccine-induced intussusception case.Conclusion: While universal infant rotavirus vaccination results in the highest reductions in the population burden of rotavirus, targeted vaccination should be considered as a cost-saving alternative with a favorable risk-benefit ratio for high-income settings where universal implementation is unfeasible because of budget restrictions, low rotavirus endemicity, and/or public acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal and infant mortality remains high in Nigeria primarily due to low use of skilled birth attendants. Huge disparities exist between southern and northen Nigeria on use of skilled birth attendants with south significantly higher than the north. We assessed the effect of centering pregnancy group (CPG) antenatal care on the uptake of antenatal care (ANC), facility delivery and immunization rates for infants in Kano state.Methods: Between December 2012 and May 2014, pregnant women with similar sociodemographics and obstetric history were enrolled into intervention (CPG) and control groups and followed up prospectively. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare the differences between the intervention and the control groups with respect to background characteristics and intervention outcomes. Logistic regression was used to measure the associations between CPG and uptake of services for mother-baby pairs in care.Results: A total of 517 (260 in the control group and 257 in the CPG) pregnant women enrolled and participated in the study. Thirty-six percent of women in the control group attended ANC at least once in 2nd and 3nd trimester compared to 49% of respondents in the CPG (p < 0.01). Health facility delivery was higher among CPG (13% vs. 8%; p < 0.01). When controlled for age, number of previous pregnancies, number of term deliveries, number of children alive and occupation of respondent or their spouses, respondents who participated in the CPGs compared to those who did not, were more likely to attend at least one antenatal care (ANC) session in the third trimester [adjusted risk ratio (ARR):1.52; 95% CI:1.36-1.69], more likely to immunize their babies at six weeks [ARR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.16-4.29] and fourteen weeks [ARR: 3.46; 95% CI: 1.19-10.01] and more likely to use health services [ARR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.06-2.13].Conclusion: Centering or group pregnancy showed a positive effect on the use of antenatal services, facility delivery and postnatal services and thus is a promising intervention to increase uptake of maternal health care services in northern Nigeria. The low facility delivery remains a cause for alarm and requires further investigation to improve facility delivery in northern Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite availability of antiretroviral therapies, a neonatal vaccine is needed to prevent HIV-1 breast milk transmission in resource-poor settings. Given the relative immaturity of the infant immune system and the frequent, long-term exposure to HIV in breast milk, a neonatal HIV vaccine must induce quick, strong, and long-lasting anti-HIV immunity. Our prior studies demonstrated that intramuscular immunization with attenuated poxvirus-based SIV vaccines gave infant macaques partial protection against oral SIV challenge. We hypothesized that a vaccine vector that can replicate after oral administration may induce better mucosal immunity and be more effective. Objectives To test the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-SIV gag, pol env (SIVgpe) prime/modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-SIVgpe boost vaccine regimen in infant rhesus macaques. Materials and methods VSV-SIVgpe was orally administered at birth, followed by intramuscular injection with MVA-SIVgpe at 2 weeks of age to eight rhesus macaques. All vaccinated and eight unvaccinated infant macaques were challenged at 4 weeks of age by a repeated oral low-dose SIVmac251 inoculation regimen to mimic breast milk exposure. Lymphocyte subsets and SIV-specific T cell responses were assessed by multiparameter flow cytometry. Antibody levels were measured by whole SIV-lysate and SIV gp130 env ELISAs. SIV RNA levels were measured by SIV branched chain DNA assay. Results The VSV/MVA-SIVgpe vaccine elicited SIV-specific plasma antibodies (IgG and IgA) as well as CD4+ and CD8+T cell responses in several oral and systemic lymphoid tissues. Despite the persistence of SIV-specific antibodies and T cell responses after SIV challenge, these responses were insufficient to prevent rapid virus dissemination. Plasma viral RNA levels in most vaccinates were indistinguishable from controls. Vaccinates with highest SIV gp130 antibody levels at the time of oral SIV infection had lowest viremia. Although few SIV-specific CD8+ T cells were observed, these cells were activated and had cytotoxic activity (CD107 expression after in-vitro SIV antigen stimulation). T cell activation in tonsils was associated with lower numbers of regulatory T cells in this tissue. Conclusions Although this oral + injected SIV vaccine regimen succeeded in rapidly eliciting virus-specific antibodies and T cell responses in neonatal macaques, these immune responses did not limit virus dissemination after oral SIV inoculation. These data underline some of the challenges a vaccine must overcome to protect against HIV breast milk transmission [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of the study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine after primary immunization in children vertically infected with HCV. Patients and methods 105 infants born to HCV infected mothers were vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (recombinant vaccine, 10 µg, 0-1-6 month schedule). The diagnosis of HCV infection in infants was based on positive viral RNA in serum by PCR (Amplicor v 2,0 Roche) on at least two separate speciments in the first year of life. HCV infection was confirmed in 18 children. 87 children who were HCV uninfected formed the control group. Anti-HBs titers were measured 3-6 months after the third dose of immunization in HCV infected children and in control group. Seroconversion was considered if anti-HBs level was ≥ 10 mIU/mL. Non-responders were tested for HBV infection by PCR. Results 13/18 (73%) HCV infected children achieved seroconversion (anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/l) compared to 80/87 (92%) in the control group. 5 (27%) HCV infected children and 7 (8%) healthy subjects were non-responders (p=0,04). Antibody titers ≥ 100 IU/l following vaccination were observed in 10/18 (55%) HCV infected and in 56/87 (64%) uninfected children. The mean level of anti-HBs in hepatitis C infected children was lower than that found in control group (180 mIU/ml and 306 mIU/ml respectively). None of non-responders were infected with HBV. Conclusions The immunogenicity of HBV vaccine seems to be lower in infants infected with HCV. Further studies are necessary to establish the role of cellular response and immune memory in protection of HCV-infected individuals without anti-HBs antibodies after vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several viral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, and cytomegalovirus can be transferred from mothers to their infants; these viruses may establish persistent infections and are a significant source of child morbidity and mortality globally. The development of successful preventive antiviral or vaccine strategies is dependent upon better understanding of the infection process and transmitted viral strains, along with defining immune correlates of protection against infection or natural disease. Unique features of MTCT may be particularly helpful in understanding correlates of immune protection. Neonatal vaccination may not only prevent mother-to-child transmission but may also provide lifetime immunity. It is thus also important to define how best to elicit durable protective immune responses in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]