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In the modern world, vaccination is the most effective and evidence-based method of preventing the onset and severity of infectious diseases. Today, the WHO has identified vaccine hesitancy as a global public health threat [25]. The social and cultural background of people influences their perception of vaccines, which prompted us to investigate this problem. Aim. To study the influence of sociodemographic factors on vaccination attitudes of children and adults in the central and western regions of Ukraine. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included a survey of the population of different social status. The study was conducted in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the bioethics committee. We also analyzed literature data from PubMed, Medscape and CSC. The work was performed within the framework of the research project 0122U000039 «Improvement of methods of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of the most common diseases of childhood». No conflicts of interest exist. Research results and discussion. 1000 respondents were interviewed by questionnaire from Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovograd, Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Rivne, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv regions. The data obtained indicate that barriers to vaccination are caused by low awareness of vaccination, excessive negative influence of opinion leaders, prevalence of myths and falsifications about vaccination, lack of health care resources and low supply of recommended vaccines, and forced migration. Low awareness and low vaccination coverage are also associated with low awareness among health workers who do not work directly with vaccines, falsification of vaccination data, and the presence of anti-vaccine health workers. The negative attitude of parents towards vaccination is also very important, as it affects their children. Conclusions. 1. Fear of side effects, long-term complications, and doubts about the quality of vaccines have been identified as factors in vaccine refusal. 2. The most common groups of vaccine refusers are the elderly (53.3 %) and men (16.8 %). 3. The high cost of vaccines that are not included in the list of mandatory vaccines is one of the reasons for the decrease in vaccination rates. 4. Improved communication between the doctor and the patient is one of the factors increasing the vaccination rate among the population. 5. Information about the availability of vaccines and places of vaccination, peculiarities of the post-vaccination period and information about the possible consequences of ignoring vaccination should be provided in the media (television, radio), especially among the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Determine the level of knowledge of mothers of children under 5 years of age about vaccination schedule. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational, descriptive, and analytical study, carried out in the Family Medicine Unit 1 of Orizaba, Veracruz, in which two questionnaires were applied to mothers of children under 5 years of age, one prepared by PAHO that qualifies attitudes. of parents about vaccines, and another that evaluates knowledge of immunizations. Absolute frequencies and percentages were estimated; and the association with Pearson's c2 was determined. Results: A total of 138 women were registered, with age limits of 18 to 48 years. The level of knowledge was high (70.3%) and was related to the age, education (p = 0.00) and occupation (p = 0.03) of the mothers. The highest frequencies were for housewives (47.1%), professionals (3.5%), married (60.2%) and of the Catholic religion (81.2%). Conclusion: This study confirms the null hypothesis, which indicates that 70.3% have high knowledge about vaccination, and it is associated with the age, education, and occupation of the mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adherence to the recommended schedule increased from 2011 to 2021 (56.4% to 70.6%) • Adherence to the alternative schedule decreased from 2011 to 2021 (28.2% to 15.1%). • Not being up-to-date decreased from 2011 to 2021 (40.3% to 33.3%). • Adherence decreased among children 19–23 months in 2021 compared to 2020. • Disparities persist by age group, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. Being up-to-date with all recommended vaccines is needed to protect children from vaccine preventable diseases. Understanding vaccination patterns is needed to develop messaging and strategies to increase vaccination uptake and confidence. Data from the 2011 to 2021 National Immunization Surveys was used to assess trends and disparities in vaccination patterns, zero vaccination status, and up-to-date status of U.S. children by 19–35 months. From 2011 to 2021, adherence to the recommended schedule using the stringent definition increased from 35.7 % to 52.2 % (p < 0.01), adherence to the alternate schedule decreased from 28.2 % to 15.1 % (p < 0.01), and proportion of children who were not up-to-date decreased from 49.0 % to 33.3 % (p < 0.01). However, the proportion of children who had zero vaccinations did not change from 2011 (0.9 %) to 2021 (0.9 %; p = 0.08). In 2021, children 19–23 months were less likely to follow the recommended schedule than children 24–29 months (49.2 % compared to 56.4 %, p < 0.01). Adherence to the recommended schedule among children 19–23 months decreased in 2021 compared to 2020 overall and for some subpopulations (e.g. those with non-Hispanic (NH) Black parents (33.2 % compared to 44.9 %, p < 0.01). Furthermore, it was lowest among children of NH Black parents living at or below the federal poverty level (31.2 %) compared to their respective NH White counterparts (43.6 %, p < 0.01). While there were overall increases in adherence to the recommended schedule from 2011 to 2021, a sustained catch-up program is needed to prevent missed vaccinations and achieve equitable vaccination coverage for all children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigated how booster interval affects the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Covid-19-related hospitalization and death in different age groups. Methods: We collected data on booster receipts and Covid-19 outcomes between September 22, 2021 and February 9, 2023 for 5,769,205 North Carolina residents ≥12 years of age who had completed their primary vaccination series. We related Covid-19 outcomes to baseline characteristics and booster doses through Cox regression models. Results: For adults ≥65 years of age, boosting every 9 months was associated with proportionate reductions (compared with no boosting) of 18.9% (95% CI, 18.5-19.4) in the cumulative frequency of infection, 37.8% (95% CI, 35.3-40.3) in the cumulative risk of hospitalization or death, and 40.9% (95% CI, 37.2-44.7) in the cumulative risk of death at 2 years after completion of primary vaccination. The reductions were lower by boosting every 12 months and higher by boosting every 6 months. The reductions were smaller for individuals 12-64 years of age. Conclusion: Boosting at a shorter interval was associated with a greater reduction in Covid-19 outcomes, especially hospitalization and death. Frequent boosting conferred greater benefits for individuals aged ≥65 than for individuals aged 12-64.

Globally, there were an estimated 9.8 million measles cases and 207 500 measles deaths in 2019. As the effort to eliminate measles around the world continues, modeling remains a valuable tool for public health decision‐makers and program implementers. This study presents a novel approach to the use of a yearly transition function that formulates mathematically the vaccine schedules for different age groups while accounting for the effects of the age of vaccination, the timing of vaccination, and disease seasonality on the yearly number of measles cases in a country. The methodology presented adds to an existing modeling framework and expands its analysis, making its utilization more adjustable for the user and contributing to its conceptual clarity. This article also adjusts for the temporal interaction between vaccination and exposure to disease, applying adjustments to estimated yearly counts of cases and the number of vaccines administered that increase population immunity. These new model features provide the ability to forecast and compare the effects of different vaccination timing scenarios and seasonality of transmission on the expected disease incidence. Although the work presented is applied to the example of measles, it has potential relevance to modeling other vaccine‐preventable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many western countries are challenged by delayed and insufficient vaccination coverage rates in children, and thus missing WHO coverage targets. This study aimed to estimate vaccination coverage and timeliness in Swiss children over a decade. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19, regional variations, and the adherence to the amended vaccination schedule in 2019. Retrospective observational study with Swiss health insurance claims data including birth cohorts 2012–2021 of children continuously observed until ages 13, 25, and 48 months respectively. We used population-weighted proportions and time-to-event analyses to describe coverage and timeliness of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis/poliomyelitis/haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib), measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), hepatitis B (HBV), pneumococcal (PCV), and meningococcal (MCV) vaccinations according to the national schedule. The potential impact of COVID-19 and vaccination schedule adherence were evaluated descriptively. Logistic regression was used to investigate regional factors potentially associated with non-vaccination. 120,073 children, representing between 12 and 17 % of all Swiss children born in corresponding years, were included. Coverage remained stable or improved over the years. The 2019 amendment of the national immunization schedule was associated with an increase of ~10 % points in full coverage in Swiss children for DTaP-IPV-Hib, MMR and HBV despite the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, full vaccination coverage remained below 90 % with many vaccination series being delayed or not completed. The comparison across the different vaccines revealed large differences in coverage. Moreover, we observed large regional differences in non-vaccination with children living in rural and German-speaking areas more likely to be entirely unvaccinated. Full vaccination coverage in Swiss children is still below 90 % with many vaccinations administered delayed. Given regional differences, missed or delayed booster vaccinations, and differences in vaccine-specific acceptability, more effort may be needed to achieve national vaccination targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measles vaccination is currently recommended at 9 months, since maternal antibodies are supposed to protect infants until that age. In this study of 6‐month‐old Malawian infants 98.3% (58/59) had non‐protective IgG levels against measles, irrespective of HIV exposure. Anticipating the first dose at 6 months could be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, levels of coverage on children vaccination had been decreasing nationwide, even more in the Peruvian jungle, reason why is an important public health’s subject to attend. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze maternal and social factors that are associated with incomplete vaccination schedules on children under 5 years old on the Peruvian jungle. It is an observational, analytic investigation, using a secondary source from the Demographic and Family survey (ENDES) from 2019, where is found the information of all the under 5 years old with the healthcare card of oral information given by the mother. Then after selecting the chosen variables, we used the SPSS statistic program for the posterior analysis. Of the 4373 surveys studied; it was shown that 57.5% of children under 5 years have the incomplete vaccination schedule. The multivariate analysis found that non-compliance with the vaccination schedule associated with maternal and social factors such as not having health insurance (ORa 1.72; p

In the Russian Federation, the vaccine against hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is at the stage of preclinical and clinical trials. The aim of the study was to analyze an effect of vaccine schedule on neutralizing antibodies (nAB) dynamics in guinea pig models applied with experimental Puumala virus based hantavirus vaccine (HV). Quantitative evaluation of neutralizing antibodies was presented as antibody titer geometric mean expressed in binary logarithms (log2) by the 50% reduction of focus-forming units (FRNT50) in Vero cell in the focus reduction neutralization test. The HV dual inoculation to guinea pigs was carried out in 14 day intervals, booster injection was applied on day 182 after the onset, in the thigh muscle tissue by using 0.3 ml undiluted (HV-u/d) and in the 1/10 dilution (HV-1/10). nAB titer on day 14 after the first HV-u/d and HV-1/10 injection was measured to be at titer of 5.50.3 and 4.80.3, respectively. After the second injection, the nAB peak was as high as 90.2 on day 42 after the first HV-u/f injection, and 6.50.2 on day 14 after the HV-1/10 injection. nAB decreased down to 6.20.3 and 50.3, respectively, on day 364 after the first injection. The booster HV-u/d and HV-1/10 injection induced increase in nAB up to 9.50.3 and 6.50.3, respectively. After the booster injection, it induced significantly higher nAB observed on day 238 after the first HV-u/d injection and delayed up to the 294 day for the HV-1/10. The results of the study indicated the early formation of the immune response, long-term nAB persistence and significantly enhanced immune response after the booster injection on day 182, which indicated a potential for the booster injection a year later. The immunological efficacy and protective activity of the vaccine schedule may be finally assessed according to the results of clinical trials.

Background: The current WHO-recommended rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are two-visit vaccination schedules, but there are studies suggesting that single visit schedules might be sufficient to prime the immunity. Methods: A literature review was conducted to retrieve and summarize published data on single visit rabies PrEP. PubMed database was screened for articles published between January 1st, 2003 and December 31st, 2022. The bibliographies of the articles chosen to undergo full text review and of the current major WHO publications on rabies were searched to find additional references, regardless of publication date. The primary outcome was the percentage of subjects having received rabies PrEP on single visit schedules who achieved antibody levels ≥0.5 IU/mL one week after post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), regardless of the PEP regimen. Results: 11 studies were selected for inclusion, totalling 935 subjects, of which 696 received a simulated PEP schedule. Of these 696, a serological test result on day 7 was available for 408 of them, and 406 subjects (99.51%) seroconverted after PEP without any difference regarding time delay between PrEP and PEP or the vaccination schedule used for PEP. Conclusion: Single visit PrEP schedules seem to confer sufficient protection in most healthy individuals without immunocompromised status if a booster PEP is administered after a suspected rabies exposure. Further studies in real-life settings and in different age categories are needed to confirm this finding, which may increase the availability of vaccines and thus the accessibility of PrEP for vulnerable populations.

Objectives: Prophylactic HPV vaccines are a fundamental tool to reduce infections and tumors caused by the most prevalent types of these viruses, as this review points out. Several countries have adopted immunization programs that recommend vaccination against HPV for girls and adolescents between 9 and 14 years of age and, in some of them, also for boys. The programs also contemplate the immunization of adults, particularly in the case of individuals with different immunodeficiencies. Sources of data: The available vaccines are recommended for the prevention of tumors of the uterine cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, and anal canal. Moreover, two of the vaccines prevent the occurrence of genital warts, having been recently indicated for the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer. Data synthesis: Based on the evidence that antibody responses in girls were non-inferior after two doses when compared to three doses, several countries have decided to reduce the vaccination schedule for girls and boys up to 14 years of age from three to two doses, with an interval of six months between them. Recently, knowledge has been accumulating about the immunogenicity, duration of protection, and efficacy of a single-dose HPV vaccine regimen in girls and young women. Conclusion: Single-dose HPV vaccination could substantially reduce the incidence of pre-cancer and cervical cancer attributable to HPV, with reduced costs for vaccine delivery and simplified implementation, allowing more countries to introduce HPV vaccination or increase the adherence of the target population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access are well-documented; however, few studies have examined whether racial disparities are modified by other factors, including geographic location and area-level deprivation. We conducted an observational study using the COVVAXAGE database. Medicare beneficiaries who received the COVID-19 vaccine primary series (two doses) between 01/01/2021 and 12/31/2021 were included. Racial differences in the time between doses was assessed by urbanicity using g-formula methods. We identified 11,924,990 beneficiaries (mean age = 75.4; 60 % female; 80 % White). Most beneficiaries (97.1 %) received their second vaccine on time. Delayed second doses were more common among beneficiaries who were Black (RR delayed = 1.30, 95 %CI = 1.28–1.31) and rural (RR delayed = 1.27, 95 %CI = 1.25–1.29) relative to White and urban beneficiaries. Racial disparities in delayed vaccinations varied in magnitude by degree of urbanicity. Most beneficiaries received their second COVID-19 vaccine on time. Racial disparities were observed and shown to vary by geographic area. • Most Medicare beneficiaries received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose on time. • Delayed doses were more common among Black, Hispanic, and Native American beneficiaries. • Beneficiaries living in rural areas were more likely to have a delayed second dose. • Racial differences in vaccine dose timing varied slightly by geography and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. Restrictive rules during the COVID-19 pandemic and the desire to minimize children’s contact have reduced the coverage of routine vaccinations in all age groups. Interruptions in routine immunization can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-control infectious diseases, which will be an additional burden on the public health care system overloaded by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this situation, the role of medical staff as a source of objective information with the involvement of all motivational potential is exacerbated. The aim of the study – to analyze the parents’ adherence to immunization with the definition of the role and place of various information sources of immunoprophylaxis, including health care professionals. Materials and Methods. To achieve this goal, we conducted an anonymous survey of 87 parents whose children were hospitalized at the Chernivtsi Regional Children's Clinical Hospital or sought outpatient care at the Chernivtsi City Children's Polyclinic using a developed questionnaire containing 14 questions with answer options. Results. The bigger part of parents (82 %) expressed a positive attitude to vaccination during the survey, the part of parents who have an ambiguous attitude to vaccination, so far refuse and those who have a negative attitude to some vaccines, reaches 16 %. The study also shows a certain imbalance between the personal vaccination history of parents and the history of vaccination of their own children. According to the parents’ view (79 %), the most important sources of information on immunization should be health workers, while the survey shows that the part of parents who receive the necessary information about the benefits of vaccination in medical institutions were 14 % lower and amounted to 65 %. Conclusions. The paper shows positive parents’ adherence to vaccination and a high level of their trust in health care professionals as a source of relevant information. Health care professionals do not make full use of their own "vaccination potential" and in some cases are sources of negative information about vaccination. There is an urgent necessity in educational work of health care professionals to increase the population's adherence to immunization, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives: Prophylactic HPV vaccines are a fundamental tool to reduce infections and tumors caused by the most prevalent types of these viruses, as this review points out. Several countries have adopted immunization programs that recommend vaccination against HPV for girls and adolescents between 9 and 14 years of age and, in some of them, also for boys. The programs also contemplate the immunization of adults, particularly in the case of individuals with different immunodeficiencies. Sources of data: The available vaccines are recommended for the prevention of tumors of the uterine cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, and anal canal. Moreover, two of the vaccines prevent the occurrence of genital warts, having been recently indicated for the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer. Data synthesis: Based on the evidence that antibody responses in girls were non-inferior after two doses when compared to three doses, several countries have decided to reduce the vaccination schedule for girls and boys up to 14 years of age from three to two doses, with an interval of six months between them. Recently, knowledge has been accumulating about the immunogenicity, duration of protection, and efficacy of a single-dose HPV vaccine regimen in girls and young women. Conclusion: Single-dose HPV vaccination could substantially reduce the incidence of pre-cancer and cervical cancer attributable to HPV, with reduced costs for vaccine delivery and simplified implementation, allowing more countries to introduce HPV vaccination or increase the adherence of the target population.

• In the UK, vaccination of pregnant women with DTaP/IPV generates high levels of maternally-derived antibodies in the infant and protects against severe disease including infant pertussis. • These antibodies have the potential to interfere with responses in the infant to their primary immunisation series when given early in life. • We found significantly lower seroconversion following immunisation with inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) at 2, 3 and 4 months of age in infants born to mothers given a maternal booster vaccine containing IPV compared with those born to mothers who did not receive the booster. • This leaves some infants insufficiently protected against poliomyelitis until a pre-school booster is administered at 3 years and 4 months. • These findings support a change in the UK schedule, to remove the IPV component from the maternal vaccine or add an IPV-containing booster in the second year of life. Multivalent diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (DTaP/IPV) has been offered to pregnant women in the United Kingdom since 2012. To assess the impact of maternal DTaP/IPV immunisation on the infant immune response to IPV, we measured poliovirus-specific neutralising antibodies at 2, 5 and 13 months of age in a randomised, phase 4 study of Repevax or Boostrix/IPV in pregnancy and in a non-randomised group born to women not given DTaP/IPV in pregnancy. Infants whose mothers received DTaP/IPV were less likely to seroconvert after three IPV doses than those whose mothers did not receive DTaP/IPV. At 13 months of age, 63/110 (57.2 %), 46/108 (42.6 %) and 40/108 (37.0 %) were seropositive to types 1 to 3, compared with 20/22 (90.9 %), 20/22 (90.9 %) and 14/20 (70.0 %) (p-values 0.003, <0.001 and 0.012). UK infants whose mothers are given DTaP/IPV in pregnancy may be insufficiently protected against poliomyelitis until their pre-school booster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most consequential unknowns of the COVID‐19 pandemic is the frequency at which vaccine boosting provides sufficient protection from infection. We quantified the statistical likelihood of breakthrough infections over time following different boosting schedules with messenger RNA (mRNA)‐1273 (Moderna) and BNT162b2 (Pfizer‐BioNTech). We integrated anti‐Spike IgG antibody optical densities with profiles of the waning of antibodies and corresponding probabilities of infection associated with coronavirus endemic transmission. Projecting antibody levels over time given boosting every 6 months, 1, 1.5, 2, or 3 years yielded respective probabilities of fending off infection over a 6‐year span of >93%, 75%, 55%, 40%, and 24% (mRNA‐1273) and >89%, 69%, 49%, 36%, and 23% (BNT162b2). Delaying the administration of updated boosters has bleak repercussions. It increases the probability of individual infection by SARS‐CoV‐2, and correspondingly, ongoing disease spread, prevalence, morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality. Instituting regular, population‐wide booster vaccination updated to predominant variants has the potential to substantially forestall—and with global, widespread uptake, eliminate—COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adherence to the recommended schedule significantly increased from 2015 to 2020. • Children following an alternative schedule decreased from 21.6% to 16.2%. • There was no change in percentage of children receiving zero vaccinations. • Children whose parents had lower incomes were more likely to not be up-to-date. • Adherence to timely vaccinations ranged from 63.0% (Region 2) to 78.5% (Region 1). To estimate trends in, and factors associated with, vaccination patterns and up-to-date immunization status of U.S. children by 19 to 35 months of age. Data from the 2015 to 2020 National Immunization Surveys were used to assess trends in vaccination patterns, up-to-date status, and zero vaccination status of U.S. children by 19–35 months. Vaccination patterns were categorized as: 1) recommended, 2) alternate, or 3) unknown or unclassifiable. Multivariable analyses were conducted to examine factors associated with each vaccination pattern and up-to-date status for all recommended vaccines. From 2015 to 2020, the proportion of U.S. children completing the recommended schedule increased from 62.5% to 69.4%, alternative schedule decreased from 21.6% to 16.2%, and unknown or unclassifiable schedules decreased from 15.9% to 14.3%. In addition, being not up-to-date decreased from 39.7% to 35.6%. There was no change in the percentage of children receiving zero vaccinations from 2015 to 2020 (0.9% to 0.9%). Respondents with lower household income or who were uninsured were more likely to follow an alternate or unknown/unclassifiable schedule, or not be up-to-date with vaccines. Following any schedule other than the recommended schedule was associated with not being up-to-date on immunizations. Increased efforts to catch up on recommended vaccines is important for protecting children's health. Further efforts should be made to improve timely adherence to recommended vaccination schedules, particularly among populations with the largest disparities in coverage through a tailored approach to increase confidence in and access to vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the current state of vaccination coverage, describe and analyze the childhood vaccination schedule offered by SUS in Almenara-MG between 2015 and 2021. Methods: a bibliographic review and a descriptive-quantitative documentary study, which not only addresses the importance and validation of infant and prenatal vaccination, but also analyzes data obtained from the Municipal Health Department of the city of Almenara-MG. Results: A decline in vaccination coverage was observed in the municipality of Almenara; mainly in the last four years, most of the offered Immunobiological did not reach adequate coverage. Conclusion: The present study reveals that it is necessary to strengthen actions that increase vaccination coverage in the city of Almenara-MG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: A vaccination schedule is complex and dynamic that requires repetitive and timely clinic visits by children and their caretakers. This study investigates whether providing caregivers with one-time tailored information on the vaccination schedule improves the vaccine uptake among children. Methods: The study participants were 534 women each with a child age 8 months or less; they were from 11 settlements in Jada, a local government area in Adamawa state, Nigeria. The study was conducted on September 2019 to June 2020. Women were randomly selected to be assigned to a treatment group to be provided with one-time tailored information on their children’s current vaccination status and the next schedule for vaccination, while women in the control group were provided with generic information on the vaccination schedule. We employed the ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regression depending on the type of dependent variables to analyze the treatment effect. Results: After the women received tailored information on the vaccination schedule, the number of clinic visits for vaccination increased. However, the tailored information did not improve the vaccine uptake among children at a particular age nor the full vaccination rate. Conclusion: One-time tailored information has an immediate but no sustainable effect. It might be important for women to be constantly reminded about the vaccination schedule.

Introduction The level of vaccination coverage with obligatory preparations in Poland reaches 98%. This is facilitated by the introduction of the Individual Vaccination Calendar (IVC) compliant with medical contraindications to vaccination. Aim The aim of the study was to assess whether the refusal of vaccinations after birth has an impact on the proper implementation of the vaccination calendar in the first year of life. Methods The study involved healthy, term newborns who were born in the Department of Neonatology in 2011–2015. There were 156 patients enrolled to the study. Among them, 133 were in the control group – vaccinated after birth, and 23 constituted the study group – not vaccinated after birth. Results Not all healthy newborns are vaccinated after birth, statistical significance was obtained between the study and control group (p

Objectives A legally regulated program of mandatory vaccinations is in place in Poland. The number of vaccination refusals increased from 3437 to 48 609 in 2010–2019. The aim of the study was to determine the association of various socio-demographic factors with the attitudes of the residents of Poland to prophylactic vaccination. Material and Methods The study was based on a secondary statistical analysis of a representative sample of 977 adult residents of Poland (a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study). Data was purchased from the Public Opinion Research Center. Results The study group was characterized by a high level of acceptance of vaccinations. At the same time, nearly a third (31%) of the subjects agreed with the statement that vaccination is promoted mainly because this is in the interests of pharmaceutical companies, and more than a fifth (22%) of the respondents believed that vaccines for children can cause serious developmental disorders, including autism. A detailed multivariate analysis based on logistic regression revealed that being deeply religious (compared to being a non-believer) and living in a town with a population of 20 000–499 999 (compared to living in a rural area) were strongly associated with a very high acceptance of the anti-vaccination content. The opposite attitude was associated with having an average or good financial situation (compared to a poor financial situation), having completed vocational education (compared to primary education) and being ≥65 years old (as opposed to being

Introduction: Vaccination is one of the most effective available tools to prevent infectious diseases. Due to the great importance of vaccination of children, the present study aimed to determine the status of vaccination coverage in children in Abadan before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: In this descriptive study, data related to the vaccination status of 115 children born in 1398 and 98 children born in 1399 were collected. Vaccination delay status was recorded as a ranking variable with a range from "no delay" to "no vaccination" and in four age groups "at birth", two, 4 and 6 months. Number (percentage) was used to present the delay status of vaccination in population subgroups. GEE (generalized estimating equations) and two-way and rank logistic regression were used to compare the delay status of different vaccination periods between two years and also to examine the relationship between demographic variables and delay in vaccination. Analyzes were performed using SPSS 24 software at a significance level of 0.05. Results: With the passage of time from the birth of the baby, a significant increase in the rate of delay in vaccination was observed in both years. Comparing different times between two years, the chance of delay in vaccination in all times of 1399 was higher than 1398 and over time this difference increased so that in 1399 the chance of long delay in four months OR = 1.59 (p = 0.062) and six months OR = 4.87 (p <0.001) was equal to 1398. In general comparison, the chance of long delay in 1399, OR = 1.54 (p = 0.002) was equal to the chance of long delay in 1398. Maternal employment and the child with an underlying disease had a significant effect on increasing the delay in vaccination. Conclusions: Due to the decrease in parental visits for vaccination of children during the Covid-19 epidemic, health officials should make more efforts to maintain coverage and vaccination during this or similar periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Globally, childhood immunization saves the lives of 2–3 million children annually by protecting them against vaccine-preventable diseases. In 2017, 116.2 million children were vaccinated worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, figures suggest that 19.5 million children around the world fail to receive the benefits of complete immunization. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed vaccine uptake and the factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule in children of up to 36 months of age assisted by the family health strategy in an irregular settlement located in a state capital city in northeastern Brazil. This study was nested within a larger study entitled “Health, nutrition and healthcare services in an urban slum population in Recife, Pernambuco”, conducted in 2015. A census included 309 children, with vaccination data obtained, exclusively, from their vaccination cards records. An ad hoc database was constructed with variables of interest. Absolute and relative values were calculated for the socioeconomic, demographic, obstetric and biological data. To identify possible factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule, crude and multivariable Poisson regression analyses were performed, and conducted in accordance with the forward selection method with robust variance and the adjusted prevalence ratio was calculated with the 95% CI. Variables with p-values

• High VEs > 90% were observed in both countries irrespective of age and/or timing. • High VE after only two primary doses suggested sufficient seasonal protection. • Vaccination is high even after the first two doses. • Consistently high VEs support flexible schedules with longer booster intervals. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a vaccine-preventable disease which may cause long-term sequelae and even death. The data on the long-term effectiveness of TBE vaccines are limited. Additionally, the vaccination schedule is complex which in part contributes towards sub-optimal uptake in TBE-endemic areas. The current ecological study measures vaccine effectiveness (VE) in two European countries. TBE VE was measured from 2007 to 2018 in Latvia and Southern German states by age group, vaccination history, and schedule compliance. TBE cases and vaccination history were obtained from the public health agencies for Latvia and the southern German federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. Cases were "within schedule" if a TBE infection was diagnosed within the time interval preceding the next scheduled dose and "outside schedule" if the diagnosis occurred after the next scheduled dose. Vaccine uptake was estimated via representative nationwide surveys. VE after 2, 3, and ≥4 doses was high in both countries at 97.2%, 95.0%, and 95.4% for southern Germany, and 98.1%, 99.4%, and 98.8% for Latvia while within- schedule, and only showed marginal differences outside schedule at 90.6%, 89.9%, and 95.6% for southern Germany, and 97.4%, 98.4%, and 99.0% for Latvia regardless of age groups. In both countries, VE after two and three primary doses within-schedule was very high in all age groups. Once receiving booster doses, high VE continued to be observed even in persons with extended intervals since the last dose received, suggesting that longer and more flexible booster intervals may be considered for sustainable long-term protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines reduce pneumococcal colonization via serotype-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) at mucosal surfaces. The infant immunization schedule with the ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) changed from a 3 + 1 schedule (2–3-4–11 months) to a 2 + 1 schedule (2–4–11 months) in The Netherlands in 2013. We compared anti-pneumococcal IgG concentrations in saliva between the schedules. IgG was measured using a fluorescent bead-based multiplex immunoassay at the ages of 6 (post-primary) and 12 (post-booster) months in 51 infants receiving the 3 + 1 schedule and 68 infants receiving the 2 + 1 schedule. Post-primary IgG geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) were comparable between schedules for all vaccine serotypes. Post-booster IgG GMCs were significantly lower after the 2 + 1 schedule for serotypes 4 (p = 0.035), 7F (p = 0.048) and 23F (p = 0.0056). This study shows small differences in mucosal IgG responses between a 3 + 1 and a 2 + 1 PCV10 schedule. Future studies should establish correlates of protection against pneumococcal colonization for mucosal antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong's seasonal influenza schedule follows the World Health Organization's northern hemisphere vaccine composition recommendations but with year-round influenza activity there is the potential to implement routine age- and gestation-based schedules utilising both northern and southern hemisphere vaccines for children aged 6 months to 2 years and for pregnant women. This study assessed the potential feasibility of such schedules. A literature review was conducted and in-depth interviews with vaccine experts, policy makers and nurses were undertaken. The following schedules were proposed and assessed for perceived feasibility: 1) a four-dose schedule in the first two years of life requiring an additional unscheduled clinic visit at 7 months; 2) a three-dose schedule excluding the 4-week booster after the first dose; 3) a two-dose schedule for pregnant women involving a dose at the booking visit and a dose with pertussis vaccine at 7 months gestation; and 4) a one-dose schedule at 7 months gestation. Age- and gestation-based routine influenza vaccination schedules are theoretically feasible for both young children and pregnant women. The three-dose paediatric and one-dose obstetric schedules were assessed in interviews with vaccine experts, policy makers and nurses to be most acceptable. Further clinical studies are required to determine whether such schedules are non-inferior to current seasonal-based schedules in terms of vaccine effectiveness and vaccine uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculin skin test (TST) has been used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, in Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccinated patients, TST tends to produce false-positive results. According to the previous vaccination schedule, Japanese people were mandated to receive up to three doses of BCG-vaccine. The vaccination schedule was changed in 2003 and as per the new schedule, only infants are administered a dose of BCG vaccine. Our hypothesis is that this change can lead to a reduction in the cross-reaction to TST. We evaluated the TST results obtained from 1097 recruits from six defense camps and 667 recruits from an air base. These TST data were divided into two groups according to the date of birth: a new group and an old group according to the BCG immunization schedule. We then analyzed positive and negative reaction of TST and erythema sizes. We confirmed that the change in BCG-vaccination schedule significantly decreased TST false-positive reaction (P meta = 1.4 × 10−18; risk ratio = 0.83; 95% confidence interval: 0.80–0.87) and erythema size (P meta = 1.1 × 10−4; mean difference = 6.6 mm; 95% confidence interval: 3.2 mm–9.9 mm). We showed the reduction in BCG cross-reaction to TST, in the new BCG vaccination schedule group, compared to the old group, we also have extracted information on the improvement in the specificity of TST for LTBI and TB diagnosis, which resulted from BCG schedule change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends early childhood vaccinations, but knowledge is limited about the magnitude and timing of vaccine delay for each recommended dose on a population level. We sought to characterize longitudinal patient-level patterns of early childhood vaccination schedule adherence. Using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database (2009–2019), we identified commercially-insured infants who received at least one timely dose of a 2-month recommended vaccine. We categorized the number of recommended vaccines administered on the same date at 2, 4, 6, and 12–15 months of age (grace period: −7, +21 days). A Sankey diagram illustrated the number of vaccines received concomitantly during each age window and depicted transitions to different states over time (e.g., no vaccine delay to vaccine delay). For each vaccine dose, we estimated the cumulative incidence of receipt. Among 1,239,364 eligible children, 28% of infants aged 4 months and 38% of infants aged 6 months did not receive timely, concomitant administration of all recommended vaccines. The number of timely vaccines received concomitantly and age at receipt varied most for doses recommended during the second year of life. Children with a previously delayed (versus timely) dose consistently experienced longer time to subsequent dose. National coverage improved over time for all recommended vaccine doses under study, most notably for measles, mumps, and rubella. However, many children do not receive vaccines on schedule. Interventions to maintain adherence to the recommended schedule are needed early in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relevance Aims. Despite of widespread achievements and maintenance of appropriate levels of coverage of preventive vaccinations (>95%) the problem of delayed immunizations and vaccination on time is still existed in the Russian Federation over the last years. Materials and methods. A selective analysis of the vaccination on time against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and hepatitis B, of children aged under 2 years in Russia, Moscow, from 2014 to 2018 was conducted. To assess the timeliness of vaccination, two independent sample studies were conducted: the vaccination history of 6003 whooping cough patients in Moscow was analyzed and vaccination was evaluated in 641 children, who were born 2016–2018 in Kirov, depending on the implementation of combination vaccines. Results. The current 95% coverage of preventive age-recommended vaccination of decreed age against pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B is achieved only by 2–3 years of age. Conducted analysis showed, that the implementation of combination vaccines contributed to increase in the proportion of timely vaccinated children up to 1 year of age as well as propotion of children who started primary immunization series at recommended age of 3 months. Also as a result the vaccination coverage against Hib infection and proportion of timely vaccinated against pneumococcal infection was increased. Conclusions.The implementation of modern multicomponent combination vaccines allows to increase vaccination coverage in population and to control effectively infectious diseases and also to reduce number of injections and visits to clinics.

Mass vaccination is an essential element of immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases, and the global community has agreed that it is crucial for preserving the lives and health of children and adults. The objective of this study was to analyse the current state of vaccination of infants under one year old against bacterial infections, given that the National Immunisation Schedule is overladen with various vaccines, and there are apparent inconsistencies between the types of marketed vaccines and recommendations on their use. The article summarises the types of antibacterial vaccines marketed in the Russian Federation, analyses some aspects of combination of different antigens and interchangeability of vaccines. The authors justify the need to amend recommendations on antibacterial vaccination and to develop common rules for the use and combination of vaccines, as well as for their interchangeability. Another important issue is adoption of requirements for the contents of patient information leaflets. The article summarises the main safety concerns regarding the use of polyvalent vaccines and simultaneous vaccination against several pathogens. It discusses safety issues of multiple immunisation and the strategy to reduce potential risks associated with an intensive vaccination schedule. The authors highlight the safety of current immunisations schedules and the need to update vaccination standards. They also demonstrate the need to harmonise national recommendations on the use of vaccines based on clinical data and the results of international clinical trials.

Objectives: A legally regulated program of mandatory vaccinations is in place in Poland. The number of vaccination refusals increased from 3437 to 48 609 in 2010-2019. The aim of the study was to determine the association of various socio-demographic factors with the attitudes of the residents of Poland to prophylactic vaccination. Material and Methods: The study was based on a secondary statistical analysis of a representative sample of 977 adult residents of Poland (a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study). Data was purchased from the Public Opinion Research Center. Results: The study group was characterized by a high level of acceptance of vaccinations. At the same time, nearly a third (31%) of the subjects agreed with the statement that vaccination is promoted mainly because this is in the interests of pharmaceutical companies, and more than a fifth (22%) of the respondents believed that vaccines for children can cause serious developmental disorders, including autism. A detailed multivariate analysis based on logistic regression revealed that being deeply religious (compared to being a non-believer) and living in a town with a population of 20 000-499 999 (compared to living in a rural area) were strongly associated with a very high acceptance of the anti-vaccination content. The opposite attitude was associated with having an average or good financial situation (compared to a poor financial situation), having completed vocational education (compared to primary education) and being =65 years old (as opposed to being <30 years old). Conclusions: Most socio-economic factors analyzed did not influence the respondents' attitudes to prophylactic vaccination or showed little influence. Strong anti-vaccination beliefs were associated with being deeply religious and living in a town with a medium-size or small population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Determine the level of knowledge of mothers of children under 5 years of age about vaccination schedule., Methods: Cross-sectional, observational, descriptive, and analytical study, carried out in the Family Medicine Unit 1 of Orizaba, Veracruz, in which two questionnaires were applied to mothers of children under 5 years of age, one prepared by PAHO that qualifies attitudes. of parents about vaccines, and another that evaluates knowledge of immunizations. Absolute frequencies and percentages were estimated; and the association with Pearson's X 2 was determined., Results: A total of 138 women were registered, with age limits of 18 to 48 years. The level of knowledge was high (70.3%) and was related to the age, education (p = 0.00) and occupation (p = 0.03) of the mothers. The highest frequencies were for housewives (47.1%), professionals (3.5%), married (60.2%) and of the Catholic religion (81.2%)., Conclusions: This study confirms the null hypothesis, which indicates that 70.3% have high knowledge about vaccination, and it is associated with the age, education, and occupation of the mothers., Competing Interests: Ninguno que declarar.

The immunization of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients against vaccine-preventable diseases is a part of posttransplantation guidelines. We conducted a prospective study to assess clinical and immunological parameters that would determine the response and long-term maintenance of protective antibody titers upon the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination after HCT. The investigated variables included: vaccination of the HCT recipients and their donors prior to HCT, chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and the timing of post-HCT vaccination, and B- and T-cell subtype status. Forty-two patients were immunized with three or more doses of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (rHBsAg) administered according to the individualized schedule of 0-1-2-6-(12) months. After vaccination, seroconversion was achieved in the whole group. The vaccines were categorized according to the antibody (Ab) titers as weak (WRs; 28.7%), good (GRs; 38%) or very good responders (VGRs; 3.3%). In multivariate logistic regression, severe cGVHD (OR= 15.5), and preceding donor immunization (OR= 0.13) were independent predictors of a weak response to vaccination. A prior belonging to the WR group impaired the durability of protection (OR= 0.17) at a median follow-up of 11.5 years. Patients with severe cGVHD showed a trend toward lower median Ab titers, although they required a higher rate of booster vaccine doses. All VGRs had CD4+ cells > 0.2 x 106/L. There was a lower mean rate of CD4+IL2+ lymphocytes in WRs. Vaccination demonstrated the immunomodulatory effect on B-cell and T-cell subsets and a Th1/Th2 cytokine profile, while shifts depended on a history of severe cGVHD and the type of vaccine responder. To conclude, vaccination of HCT donors against HBV allows a better response to vaccination in the respective HCT recipients. Double doses of rHBsAg should be considered in patients with cGVHD and in those not immunized before HCT. A dedicated intensified vaccination schedule should be administered to WRs.

Abstract. The Western Pacific Region (WPR) is comprised of 37 countries such as China, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Papua-New Guinea, Australia, including Pacific Island Countries and Territories (21 countries of PICTs, approx. 3 million people) etc., with a population of 1.85 billion people. Among them, China is the largest and most populous (1.3 billion people) country of the Region. Large measles outbreaks were documented to occur in the Region. In 2003, the Regional Committee announced officially about the WPR action plan on measles elimination 2005, which, however, failed. Since 2012, WPR countries joined the WHO 2012–2020 Global Measles and Rubella Strategic Plan performing a routine measles vaccination (national immunization schedule) or within Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Basically, a two-dose immunization strategy is followed in the WPR countries. Since 2002, measles supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) in children were conducted in the following countries: Japan, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Mongolia, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and China. Starting from 2005, measles management was considerably improved, demonstrating by 2012 decreased measles incidence rate down to 5.9 cases per million population. In last years, a decreased measles immunization coverage in decreed population groups was noted in the WPR countries that resulted in 2013–2015 measles epidemic involving almost all regional countries. In particular, in China measles incidence rate was 19.6 cases per million population, whereas in the Vietnam Papua New Guinea and Philippines it progressively increased reaching 182.8, 345.9 and 548.0 cases per million population, respectively. Early children not vaccinated according to schedule, adolescents and young adults dominated among measles patients. It was found that measles outbreaks were due to missed vaccination and increased level of vulnerability to measles. Children under one, adolescents and young adults who did not receive a two-dose measles vaccination were in risk group. Analyzing WPR measles epidemiology demonstrated that refusal of parents to vaccinate children, poor knowledge of advantages related to vaccination, insufficient immunization coverage in immigrants, travelers, subjects changing place of residence, workers of healthcare and educational facilities require special attention. In 2017–2018 season, the following measles genotypes were found in the WPR: D8 — Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan; Н1 — China; В3 — Philippines, Australia and Japan; D9 — Singapore, Australia, Macau (China), Malaysia and Japan, Н2 strains endemic in Vietnam. According to the WHO, measles endemic transmission has been successfully interrupted; Australia, Macau, Mongolia and Republic of Korea are being verified to eliminate measles; Hong Kong (China) and Singapore (based on available information) are ready to verify measles elimination. Thus, in the Western Pacific Region measles elimination is achievable after solving current issues such as increasing and maintaining high-level routine vaccination and conducting measles supplementary immunization campaigns in epidemically important contact clusters.

Abstract Background The live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) is licensed using a 0-, 6- and 12-month schedule in dengue-endemic areas. An effective shorter schedule may provide more rapid, optimal protection of targeted populations during vaccine campaigns in dengue-endemic countries. We compared immune responses to two schedules of CYD-TDV in a non-endemic population. We also evaluated the impact of yellow fever (YF) co-administration. Methods This phase II, open-label, multicentre study enrolled 390 healthy 18–45-year-olds in the USA with no prior exposure to dengue. Participants were randomised (4:4:4:1) to four treatment groups stratified by prior YF vaccine status: Group 1, CYD-TDV standard 0–6–12 months schedule; Group 2, CYD-TDV accelerated 0–2–6 months schedule; Group 3, CYD-TDV accelerated schedule with YF co-administered (dose 1); Group 4, YF vaccination only. Neutralising antibody geometric mean titres (GMTs) and percentages of seropositive participants (antibody titres ≥10 [1/dil]) were measured against each dengue serotype using a 50% plaque reduction neutralisation test. Results On D28 post-CYD-TDV dose 3, there were no marked differences in seropositivity rates and GMTs between Groups 1 and 2. In Groups 1 and 2 respectively, 73.4 and 82.4% were dengue seropositive for ≥3 serotypes, with 50.0 and 42.6% seropositive against all four serotypes. Flavivirus status (FV+ or FV−) at baseline did not markedly affect GMTs and seropositivity rates with either schedule. In Groups 1 and 2, GMTs measured 6 months after the third dose decreased against all serotypes, except for a small increase in GMT for serotype 4 in Group 1. In addition, dengue seropositivity remained above 70% for serotypes 2, 3 and 4 in Groups 1 and 2. Co-administration with YF did not affect antibody responses against dengue and YF or impact vaccine safety following completion of the compressed schedule, compared to dengue or YF vaccination alone. Conclusions The live attenuated CYD-TDV vaccine given in a compressed schedule in a non-endemic setting can elicit similar antibody responses to the licensed CYD-TDV schedule. Trial registration This trial was registered on cinicaltrials.gov, NCT01488890 (December 8, 2011).

Introduction: Combination vaccines improve vaccine uptake and open the infant immunization space for additional vaccines. Hexavalent vaccines have been marketed since 2000. Infanrix hexa (combined diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliovirus-Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine, DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib, GSK) is longest on the market, providing 16 years post-marketing experience. Each DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine component is licensed alone and/or in smaller combination vaccines. Programmatic considerations sometimes require an interchange between vaccines due to unavailability, program change or mixed schedules (when the number of required antigens differs across scheduled primary vaccination visits). Areas covered: Immunogenicity and safety data from 11 GSK-sponsored clinical trials support the interchangeability of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib within the same vaccines family, and use of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib in mixed primary vaccination schedules. Expert commentary: Data show acceptability of interchange of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib with other products within the same vaccines family and its use in mixed immunization schedules. This aligns with WHO recommendations that vaccines of the same family from the same manufacturer be used to complete the infant vaccination schedule. Interchangeability and suitability for use in mixed schedules is of interest for policy-makers/providers in the framework of vaccination recommendations as it provides flexibility. Given the complexity of larger combination vaccines, interchangeability or sequential use needs careful assessment.

Background: We evaluated bacterial nasopharyngeal carriage (NPC) prevalence and cumulative acquisition following 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) or pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) administration. Methods: Participants were children from two clinical trials in a South African center who received PCV7 (n = 250) or PHiD-CV (n = 100) at ~6 weeks, ~14 weeks, and ~9–10 months of age, and were enrolled between Dec2009-Apr2010 and Mar2009-May2010 in the PCV7 and PHiD-CV studies, respectively. Sample collection, most microbiological assessments, and data re-analysis methods were identical. Results: NPC prevalence of any pneumococcal serotype was 18.5% and 17.0% at pre-vaccination, and 63.1% and 67.3% in 24–27 month-old children among PCV7 and PHiD-CV recipients, respectively. In 24–27 month-old children, 96.1% and 99.0% of PCV7 and PHiD-CV recipients had acquired ≥1 pneumococcal serotype, 53.7% and 62.9% ≥1 PCV7 serotype, 1.5%, and 3.1% ≥1 of serotypes 1, 5 or 7F, 23.2% and 19.6% serotype 6A, 23.2% and 21.7% serotype 19A, 88.7%, and 91.0% H. influenzae, and 50.3% and 62.9% Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Conclusions: This analysis of two concurrent clinical trials did not reveal differences in bacterial NPC prevalence or acquisition in PCV7- and PHiD-CV-vaccinated children. Trial registration: South African National Clinical Trial Register (NHREC DOH-27-0511-299); ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00829010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immunization of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients against vaccine-preventable diseases is a part of posttransplantation guidelines. We conducted a prospective study to assess clinical and immunological parameters that would determine the response and long-term maintenance of protective antibody titers upon the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination after HCT. The investigated variables included: vaccination of the HCT recipients and their donors prior to HCT, chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and the timing of post-HCT vaccination, and B- and T-cell subtype status. Forty-two patients were immunized with three or more doses of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (rHBsAg) administered according to the individualized schedule of 0-1-2-6-(12) months. After vaccination, seroconversion was achieved in the whole group. The vaccines were categorized according to the antibody (Ab) titers as weak (WRs; 28.7%), good (GRs; 38%) or very good responders (VGRs; 3.3%). In multivariate logistic regression, severe cGVHD (OR= 15.5), and preceding donor immunization (OR= 0.13) were independent predictors of a weak response to vaccination. A prior belonging to the WR group impaired the durability of protection (OR= 0.17) at a median follow-up of 11.5 years. Patients with severe cGVHD showed a trend toward lower median Ab titers, although they required a higher rate of booster vaccine doses. All VGRs had CD4+ cells > 0.2 x 106/L. There was a lower mean rate of CD4+IL2+ lymphocytes in WRs. Vaccination demonstrated the immunomodulatory effect on B-cell and T-cell subsets and a Th1/Th2 cytokine profile, while shifts depended on a history of severe cGVHD and the type of vaccine responder. To conclude, vaccination of HCT donors against HBV allows a better response to vaccination in the respective HCT recipients. Double doses of rHBsAg should be considered in patients with cGVHD and in those not immunized before HCT. A dedicated intensified vaccination schedule should be administered to WRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, childhood immunization saves the lives of 2-3 million children annually by protecting them against vaccine-preventable diseases. In 2017, 116.2 million children were vaccinated worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, figures suggest that 19.5 million children around the world fail to receive the benefits of complete immunization.Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed vaccine uptake and the factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule in children of up to 36 months of age assisted by the family health strategy in an irregular settlement located in a state capital city in northeastern Brazil. This study was nested within a larger study entitled "Health, nutrition and healthcare services in an urban slum population in Recife, Pernambuco", conducted in 2015. A census included 309 children, with vaccination data obtained, exclusively, from their vaccination cards records. An ad hoc database was constructed with variables of interest. Absolute and relative values were calculated for the socioeconomic, demographic, obstetric and biological data. To identify possible factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule, crude and multivariable Poisson regression analyses were performed, and conducted in accordance with the forward selection method with robust variance and the adjusted prevalence ratio was calculated with the 95% CI. Variables with p-values < 0.20 in the unadjusted stage were included in the multivariable analysis. The statistical significance of each variable was evaluated using the Wald test, with p-values < 0.05.Results: Just half of the children (52,1%) was classified as complete vaccination schedule. In the final model, the factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule were age 12-36 months and the mother who did not complete high school.Conclusion: The percentage of vaccine uptake found was far below the recommendation of the National Childhood Immunization Schedule and was associated with child's age and mother's education level. Based on these findings, the family healthcare teams may elaborate vaccination strategies aimed at reaching the coverage rates established by the national immunization program. Optimizing coverage will ultimately prevent the resurgence, at epidemic level, of infectious diseases that are already under control in this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to optimal vaccination scheduling during a pandemic to minimize the probability of infection. The recent COVID-19 pandemic showed that the international community is not properly prepared to manage a crisis of this scale. Just after the vaccines had been approved by medical agencies, the policymakers needed to decide on the distribution strategy. To successfully fight the pandemic, the key is to find the equilibrium between the vaccine distribution schedule and the available supplies caused by limited production capacity. This is why society needs to be divided into stratified groups whose access to vaccines is prioritized. Herein, we present the problem of distributing protective actions (i.e., vaccines) and formulate two mixed-integer programs to solve it. The problem of distributing protective actions (PDPA) aims at finding an optimal schedule for a given set of social groups with a constant probability of infection. The problem of distributing protective actions with a herd immunity threshold (PDPAHIT) also includes a variable probability of infection, i.e., the situation when herd immunity is obtained. The results of computational experiments are reported and the potential of the models is illustrated with examples.

Background: Limited clinical data exists to assess differences between various infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedules. In this trial, we evaluated immunogenicity of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) administered using 3 different immunization schedules in HIV unexposed-uninfected infants in South Africa. Methods: In this phase III, open, single‐center, controlled study (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00829010), 300 infants were randomized (1:1:1) to 1 of 3 PHiD-CV schedules: 3-dose priming and booster (3 + 1); 3-dose priming without booster (3 + 0); or 2-dose priming and booster (2 + 1). The booster was administered at 9–10 months of age. immune responses were assessed up to 21 months after primary vaccination. Results: Post‐priming antibody levels tended to be lower in the 2 + 1 group. At 6 months post‐priming, antibody concentrations and opsonophagocytic activity titers were within similar ranges after 2‐ or 3‐dose priming. Robust increases were observed pre‐ to post‐booster in the 3 + 1 and 2 + 1 groups. Conclusions: PHiD-CV was immunogenic when administered in different schedules. Post‐booster responses suggest effective immunological priming with both 2‐ and 3‐dose primary series and support administration of the booster dose at 9–10 months of age.