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Objectives : To investigate whether the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has had any effects on pediatric vaccination rates at the main university hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods : A retrospective study conducted at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia using electronic health records. The vaccination statuses of all children who were scheduled for vaccinations at birth and at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months during March, April and May between 2017 and 2020 were included in the study with total sample of 15,870 children, and comparisons between the cohorts were performed. Results : All vaccination visits during April and May 2020 were below the lower extremes except for the birth vaccinations. In March, April, and May 2020 there were respective drops in vaccination visits of 49.93%, 71.90% and 68.48% compared with the mean numbers of vaccination visits during the same months from 2017 to 2019. In comparisons of mean numbers of visits from March 2017 to May 2019 and March to May in 2020, the respective reductions in visits for birth and 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12-month vaccinations were 16.5%, 80.5%, 74.7%, 72.9%, 80.0% and 74.1%. Conclusions : The huge impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on childhood vaccinations will require urgent vaccination recovery plans with innovative approaches and future action plans to maintain vaccination coverage during any subsequent pandemics. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (11): 1197-1203 doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.11.25457 How to cite this article: Alrabiaah AA, Alshaer AH, Estrella SMC, Inclan KAS, Aljammaz HA, Almoosa KM, Alshuraym NF, Temsah MA, Alsohime FM, Alsubaie SS, Bukhari EE, Somily AM, Alzamil FA. Effects of the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on routine pediatric immunization coverage rates at the main University Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2020 Nov;41(11):1197-1203. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.11.25457.

Objectives: To evaluate the presence of Coxiella burnetii (C. brunetii) infection among patients presenting with fever of unknown origin (FUO). Methods: A cross-sectional study of 100 patients (54 men and 46 women; mean age: 34.3 ± 19.2 years) with FUO was conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between March 2015 and June 2016. Phase 1 and phase 2 C. burnetii -specific antibodies in serum samples were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Coxiella burnetii phase 1 and phase 2 antibodies were detected in 16% of the patients. Phase 2 IgM was present in 2% of the patients, whereas phase 2 IgG antibodies were detected in 11% of the patients. Coxiella burnetii -specific phase 1 IgG was found in 2% of the patients, and 8% of the patients harbored phase 1 IgA antibodies in their serum. Conclusion: The presence of C. burnetii -specific antibodies in many patients suffering from FUO highlights the importance of Q fever screening among patients presenting with febrile illness.