[Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in pediatrics, its impact on Public Health]. / Vacunas conjugadas contra neumococo en pediatría, su impacto en la Salud Pública.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as pneumococcus) is part of the natural bacterial flora of the nasal and pharyngeal mucosa, colonizes mainly the nasopharynx, and causes this carriage to precede pneumococcal disease, thus becoming the main source of propagation among people, especially in children. Since 1983, when the first 23-component anti-pneumococcal vaccine was authorized, different conjugated vaccines have been developed according to the circulating serotypes that cause invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD), reducing the incidence and mortality of these diseases considerably. In November 2021, a group of experts held a virtual meeting to update and analyze the impact that pneumococcal vaccines have generated on the countries' public health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations that emerged included the need to look for alternatives in serotype-independent vaccines after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) in the national immunization schedules, as well as to strengthen the surveillance of serotypes, focusing on those not included in the current vaccines. The objective of this report is to communicate the conclusions of the group of experts that in November 2021 analyzed the impact of pneumococcal vaccines on public health in the countries, in order to generate recommendations applicable in Latin America.

Solo Travel Research and Its Gender Perspective: A Critical Bibliometric Review

Solo travel continues to be an under-researched area in the field of tourism, hospitality, and events. After the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary to review the knowledge acquired so far. In addition, the 2030 Agenda calls for more studies to understand the relationship between gender and tourism. Because of these facts, and with the aim of analyzing the progress and gaps in academic publications on solo travel in recent years, a bibliometric and content analysis review of the existing scientific literature on solo travel published in Scopus, ProQuest, and the Web of Science in the last 5 years was carried out, focusing the analysis on the gender perspective applied to these investigations. The results showed that research focused on solo travel should increase;this research should segment solo travelers, and comparisons should be realized between those segments and with other tourists who travel accompanied. To do so, a consensual definition of solo travelers is necessary. In addition, research should be extended to other regions and expand the field of analysis beyond motivations, experiences, or constraints. Research focused on solo female travelers should continue because while women cannot travel under the same conditions as men effective gender equality cannot be achieved.

An Experience of Using a Canvas-Based Template for Blended-Learning in a Master in Drug Discovery

Drug development is a complex process that requires multidisciplinary teamwork to overcome the uncertainty associated to the process. From this point, problem-based learning (PBL) methodologies are helpful to train future professionals dedicated to drug development in multidisciplinary environments. One of the strategies developed to design novel business models is Business Model Canvas (BMC), a strategy that has been widely employed in business schools, but not in scientific education. Thus, we wanted to verify if a BMC-like template was suitable for a PBL experience in the field of drug development using a blended-learning approach. The students of a research master subject were asked to create a joint project plan for the development of a novel drug for an unmet clinical need by making use of a BMC-like template as support for discussions on the project strategy, while combining online and face-to-face sessions. The methodology helped the students to learn about drug development, even in a blended-learning format. Most students considered that this methodology enhanced their participation in the working group and helped them to focus their arguments, proving that the employment of BMC-like templates is helpful to overcome the disadvantages of PBL experiences.

Organizational Learning Capacity and Sustainability Challenges in Times of Crisis: A Study on Tourism SMEs in Galicia (Spain)

The COVID-19 crisis has encouraged a major shift towards greater environmental awareness and sustainable consumption. However, in times of severe crisis, SMEs primarily look to return to normalcy and their own survival rather than implementing a sustainable agenda. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the learning problems faced by small tourism enterprises in a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores the learning capacity of SMEs and the importance of establishing mechanisms that provide SMEs with the keys to organizational learning as a source of continuous knowledge. Open-ended semi-structured interviews with 39 tourism SMEs managers in Galicia (Spain) were conducted during the toughest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that SMEs have not been fully involved in the learning process, which is mainly related to knowledge transfer and integration. DMOs can act as promoters of knowledge management for organizational preparedness by providing SMEs with learning mechanisms and strategies to go beyond simple problem solving when they arise.

Societal Changes Due to “COVID-19”. An Analysis of the Tourism Sector of Galicia, Spain

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented global health and economic crisis started. This situation has had a devastating effect on all economic and social sectors, provoking either a decrease or cessation of business or profound changes in life habits. One of the most affected industries has been tourism, due to the resulting travel restrictions and a sharp drop in demand among travellers as well as temporary hotel and restaurant closures. Thus, the primary purpose of this study is to analyse the changes during the pandemic in individual consumers’ behaviour patterns in the tourism sector. Predictive market research techniques through quantitative analysis were carried out via surveys (n = 712). One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is that recollection of these times will be in people’s minds for a long time after the pandemic. Notably, tourists will reward safety over leisure and will continue to undertake independent tours with their own vehicles. Findings also proved—and for the tourism sector this is good news—that travellers’ trust will be rebuilt, and tourists will be travelling again.

Changes in Consumption Patterns and Tourist Promotion after the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has entailed an unprecedented health crisis with significant economic impacts in many sectors worldwide. The tourism sector has been one of the most affected, with significant impacts on the number of cancelled reservations, a decrease in international travel and changes in consumption behaviour. This study aims to analyse the main changes in promotion and marketing in the tourism sector in Spain after the pandemic. To this end, a qualitative analysis was carried out via questionnaire-based interviews with 65 experts in the areas of marketing, consumer behaviour and tourism. The main findings show that online information sources gained weight over consulting friends and relatives, and a great advance in digitization is expected, where physical travel agencies will be displaced by online platforms, except for specialized and advisory services. Additionally, technologies such as virtual reality (VR) or artificial intelligence (AI) may play an increasingly important role in the medium term.

Latin American forum on immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectology (SLIPE for its acronym in Spanish) is working hard to contribute with strategic actions to prevent the recurrence of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and to prevent the reduction of vaccine coverage in the region of the Americas.Areas covered: On Friday, September 25th, a Latin American forum of experts on immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic was held through Webex platform. Issues such as: the imminent risk of occurrence and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, the importance of epidemiological surveillance and the vaccination campaign challenges, in the context of a pandemic were discussed.Expert opinion: Vaccination campaigns should no longer be postponed or delayed; instead, they must be reactivated; governments, scientific societies, and physicians must promote vaccination programs to avoid outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. On the eve of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, it is necessary to insist on the availability of sufficient doses to avoid dose shortages in disadvantaged areas of the region.

Sustainability Perceptions in Tourism and Hospitality: A Mixed-Method Bibliometric Approach

In the post-Covid-19 era, tourism impacts and the role played by sustainable planning on the long-term success of destinations have gained renewed importance. Understanding the image and perceptions tourists hold of a destination is vital for tourism planning, as they play a key role in tourists’decisions. Considering the importance of these two key concepts (perceptions and sustainability), the present paper contributes to the advancement of knowledge on sustainable tourism by characterizing the state of the art of Sustainability Perceptions in Tourism and Hospitality (SPTH). To this end, the scientific literature on the topic was mapped through a combination of three bibliometric analysis techniques, namely: evaluative, relational, and systematic bibliometric analysis. These were based on productivity and impact indicators, including SciVal topic prominence. The results reveal that sustainability perceptions in SPTH focus on tourists’, stakeholders’, and residents’perceptions. These findings highlight the need for involving local communities in the destination planning process to align the outcomes of tourism development with their expectations. Finally, this paper presents an original methodological contribution, as it is the first to apply the SciVal topic prominence analysis to SPTH.