ABSTRACT
Background: "Covishield" and "Covaxin" were the two vaccines which were approved for emergency use in India. As there is uncertainty regarding these vaccines, this study aimed to estimate the proportion of acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 in West Bengal;to identify the possible barriers of vaccine acceptance prevalent among the study population and;to find out the association of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination with the socio-demographic and other predictor variables. Methods: Oobservational study with cross sectional design was conductedon 294 participants in Muchisa, Budge Budge II and Ward No. 81 of Borough 10, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) selected by Stratified Random Sampling in 2021 using a predesigned, pretested and structured schedule. The statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 16.0. The data were explored using Pearson's chi-square test and logistic regression. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The potential acceptance of Covid-19 vaccination was 59.5% with higher adoption in urban population. The most potential barrier in acceptance of vaccine was "fear of side effects". Higher level of education and history of Covid-19 in the locality were associated with higher acceptance of the vaccination in both the urban and rural areas. Conclusion: A study emphasized on the need for mass campaigns and other behavior change communication activities for addressing the myths surrounding the disease and the newer vaccines and hence improving the currently low vaccine acceptance.
ABSTRACT
After about a year and a half (at the moment these lines are being written) since the start of the massive vaccination campaign in which, thanks to the high coverage achieved in all groups eligible for vaccination, it has been possible to significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19, it is important to review the scientific basics that have supported the recommendations implemented to date and those that could be adopted in the near future taking into consideration the epidemiological situation. The objective of this article is, therefore, to address the foundations of some of the technical decisions proposed by the Committee on Programme and Registry of Vaccinations (National Immunization Technical Advisory Group in Spain) and the Technical Working Group on Vaccination against COVID-19. Throughout the eleven updates of the Vaccination Strategy against COVID-19 in Spain, several issues pose intense debate as the vaccination intervals between doses, the convenience of using different types of vaccines, the use of heterologous schemes of vaccination, the benefits of hybrid immunity and the use of a fourth dose (second booster dose) for selected populations. All this without forgetting essential aspects of safety of vaccines. This article is divided into the following sections: Vaccination intervals;Heterologous or mixed scheme;Hybrid immunity (vaccination after infection and infection after vaccination [breakthrough]);Second booster dose.
ABSTRACT
This article discusses the worldwide routine vaccination coverage in 2021, as part of the Immunisation Agenda 2030, a global immunisation strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. The report presents global, regional, and national estimates and trends in vaccination coverage through 2021, based on reviews of country-specific data, including administrative and survey-based coverage. Global estimates show that coverage with 3 doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis-containing vaccine (DTPcv3) and the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) decreased to their lowest levels since 2008. In 2021, 25.0 million infants were not vaccinated with DTPcv3, 2.1 million more than in 2020, and 5.9 million more than in 2019. The number of zero-dose children was 37% higher than in 2019, with 18.2 million infants not receiving any DTPcv dose by the age of 12 months. The report highlights that the full recovery from disruptions to immunisation programmes due to the COVID-19 pandemic will require context-specific strategies to find missed children, prioritise essential health services, and strengthen immunisation programmes to prevent outbreaks.
ABSTRACT
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote Australia have lower vaccine coverage rates and experience higher rates of notification and hospitalisations for vaccine preventable diseases than non-Aboriginal people. This paper explores important public health and research activities being undertaken in the Northern Territory to reduce this disparity in vaccine program performance, with a particular focus on rotavirus, meningococcal, human papilloma virus and COVID-19 vaccines.
ABSTRACT
In response to the epidemic, a COVID-19 vaccine was developed at an unprecedented speed, and vaccination was carried out on an' unprecedented scale. The COVID-19 vaccination project consists of three fields: science, logistics/practice, and policy, and is the culmination of various attempts among these fields. First, in the field of science, vaccine development, examination/approval, and evaluation of adverse reactions, etc. are carried out. It was necessary to evaluate and verify safety as well as efficacy. Second, in the field of logistics/administration, it is extremely important to secure, supply, and distribute the vaccine, and to build a vaccine administration and execution system. Since the lead time is very long, it was necessary to proceed with preparations while adopting a future outlook. Third, policy decisions were made regarding the construction of a legal framework and the start of vaccinations. In addition, it was very important to appropriately conduct publicity and risk communication, as it is the general public who make the decision to receive the vaccination, in the end. In this article, I will explain the overall picture of the COVID-19 vaccination project, which consists of these fields, while mentioning various specific attempts to implement the project throughout Japan.
ABSTRACT
Background: The misconceptions and conspiracy theories against the Covid-19 vaccines have been identified as potential factors that could negatively impact herd immunity for the Covid-19 vaccination. Focus of the article: From the perspectives of the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study sought to determine an effective social marketing intervention to address the misconceptions about the Covid-19 vaccines. Research Hypotheses: The hypotheses stipulate that perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, and perceived barriers of the coronavirus will positively influence Covid-19 vaccination behavior. The study further hypothesized that subjective norms (important others) would significantly mediate the relationships. Methods: Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 821 individuals from three administrative regions, which constitutes 65% of the population of Ghana. The quota and convenience sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents due to the lack of a sampling frame. Results: The study's findings show that only perceived susceptibility and the perceived barrier directly influence the Covid-19 vaccination behavior. The result, however, shows a significant improvement when important others were introduced as a mediating variable. Thus, all four constructs had a positive and significant influence on Covid-19 vaccination behavior through subjective norm (important others) as an intervening variable. The study shows the value of using opinion leaders as a communication channel in addressing the misperceptions and conspiracy theories against the Covid-19 vaccines. Recommendation for Research/Practice: To effectively address the misconceptions about the Covid-19 vaccines and improve herd immunity, social marketers should identify key influencers in various communities and cities and use them in promoting the vaccination program. The study examined and found subjective norms (perceived social pressure from important others in society on an individual to perform or not to perform a behavior) as a significant mediator for promoting the Covid-19 vaccination behavior. Limitations: The current study examined the mediating role of subjective norm and the HBMs' constructs. Future studies could also consider integrating subjective norm as a mediator in other behavioral change theories to predict the target audience's behavior.
ABSTRACT
This article discussed the evolution of the InfluNet surveillance system in Italy, which was originally developed in 1999-2000 for monitoring flu-like syndromes and the circulation of influenza viruses. After the 2009-2010 subtype A/H1N1pdm09 influenza pandemic, InfluNet became an integrated surveillance system, including epidemiological and virological surveillance, as well as other sources of data to monitor the impact of influenza. The system proved to be a useful tool for assessing vaccine efficacy and preventing serious and severe forms of flu, especially in frail subjects. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic introduced further innovations in InfluNet surveillance, and starting from the 2020-2021 season, InfluNet became a respiratory virus surveillance system. The article also described the trends of the 2021-2022 influenza season, with a low incidence of ILI and limited circulation of influenza viruses compared to seasons prior to 2020, as well as the impact of RSV. The article emphasized the importance of vaccination programs and the need for integrated surveillance systems to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases and deal with future pandemics.
ABSTRACT
Background: India launched COVID-19 mass Vaccination campaign after regulatory approval of Covishield & Covaxin vaccines. However, inspite of Vaccination, cases of COVID-19 infection are being reported. Hence, this study is aimed to assess the COVID-19 infection and/or re-infection rate, including breakthrough infections, following vaccination among Health Care Workers at a Tertiary Care Dedicated COVID Hospital. This questionnaire-based survey was initiated following Institutional Ethics Committee approval. We also looked at reasons for Vaccine hesitancy and occurrence of adverse reactions following vaccination, their management and duration amongst the Healthcare Workers. Results: Of 564 Healthcare Workers (HCWs) who consented to participate, only 503 filled in the questionnaire completely. Majority of the HCWs received Covishield vaccine (78.56%). The infection rate postvaccination was 8.28% (with a median of 22 days and IQR of 8-43 days). This infection rate was significantly higher in those who were not vaccinated as compared to the Vaccinated HCWs (OR = 0.10, 95 CI% = 0.05-0.22, p <0.0001). Breakthrough infection rate was 2.42. Although 58.39% of the participants suffered adverse reactions after vaccination, like myalgia, Fever, Headache, these were mild in nature lasting for an average of 3-4 days. The vaccine hesitancy rate at our hospital HCWs was 6.36%, the main issue being the concerns regarding safety and effectiveness of the vaccines against the COVID-19 infection. Discussion/Conclusion: The infection and Breakthrough infection rates in our study were low and severity of COVID infection post vaccination was mild, not requiring hospitalisation.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the lockdown measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination coverage rates in Catalonia (Spain) and to estimate its recovery once the progressive return to 'normalcy' had begun. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a public health register-based study. METHODS: Routine childhood vaccination coverage rates were analysed in three periods: a first pre-lockdown period (from January 2019 to February 2020), a second lockdown period with full restrictions (from March 2020 to June 2020), and, finally, a third post-lockdown period with partial restrictions (from July 2020 to December 2021). RESULTS: During the lockdown period, most of the coverage rates remained stable, concerning the pre-lockdown period; however, when comparing the vaccination coverage rates in the post-lockdown period to the pre-lockdown period, we observed decreases in all types of vaccines and doses analysed, except for coverage with the PCV13 vaccine in 2-year-olds, which experienced an increase. The most relevant reductions were observed in measles-mumps-rubella and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccination coverage rates. CONCLUSIONS: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an overall decline in routine childhood vaccine coverage rates, and the pre-pandemic rates have not yet been recovered. Immediate and long-term support strategies must be maintained and strengthened to restore and sustain routine childhood vaccination.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Vaccination Coverage , Humans , Child, Preschool , Spain/epidemiology , Public Health , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Communicable Disease Control , Vaccination , Mumps VaccineABSTRACT
Sinopharm (BBIBP -CorV) is an inactivated whole -virus COVID -19 vaccine. The phase 3 trial showed an efficacy of up to 78% in preventing symptomatic COVID -19 infections. However, there have been questions raised regarding in its efficacy in older people. In this paper, several pertaining lessons are highlighted. Firstly, there is a need to take into account the heterogeneity of COVID -19 vaccine studies, such as representation of older people;and whether the results are generalizable to the target population of immunization programs. Secondly, for older people, antibody responses alone may not indicate the level of protection provided by the vaccines, as cell mediated immunity is a better determinant of immunity in this age group. Finally, suggestions are given to improve the immune responses in older people, such as heterologous vaccination and booster doses.
ABSTRACT
Many COVID-19 vaccine candidates were clinically tested in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This study aims to determine the acceptance rate of, main concerns about and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination among the Malaysian population based on different sociodemographic characteristics during the early stages of vaccine arrival in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was performed between January 25, 2021 and February 1, 2021 using descriptive statistics, Likert scale analysis, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression. These statistics assessed the correlation between sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information, as well as the perceived risk of infection and acceptance towards COVID-19 vaccines. There exist significant differences across sociodemographic variables. More than half of the respondents (58.85%) voted safety as their primary concern. Moreover, a medium correlation exists between knowledge and acceptance, r = 0.444, N = 2051, p<0.01. The linear regression equation of acceptance predicted by knowledge was Acceptance = 2.873 + 0.981 (Knowledge). This study's findings can help the government design the best way to execute COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Malaysia, for example, the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme. It also demonstrates that online questionnaires are appropriate for assessing health literacy skills and attitudes towards vaccination during infectious disease epidemics. It can also aid in the adaptation of medical communication tactics to better comprehend vaccination values.
ABSTRACT
A new era for boosting immunization progress worldwide has begun with the introduction of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030). The COVID-19 pandemic, which severely disrupted regular immunization programs, marked a turning point in this transformation in many respects. Importantly, the article highlights the pressing problems that must be resolved in the new IA2030 age as vaccination hesitation, false information, unequal access, governmental inertia, and commercial interest protection. In addition to these difficulties, they argue in favor of giving lost chances for immunization priority. Any time a person who is eligible for vaccination contacts health care providers but does not receive either one or both of the vaccine doses for which they are qualified, this is referred to as a missed opportunity for immunization. Unquestionably, global immunization rates have stagnated below the goals of the Global Vaccine Action Plan. The worldwide suspension of routine immunization programs as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic has further hampered progress. Missed immunization chances are common but vary within and among nations, sometimes reaching 89%. In order to meet the Global Vaccine Action Plan's unmet objectives and provide catch-up vaccines to reverse the pandemic's negative effects on immunization progress, it is now crucial to address missed chances for vaccination. Fulfilling IA2030's vision will require a thorough understanding of the burden of missed opportunities for vaccination and its multidimensional determinants at national and sub-national levels, the implementation of context-appropriate corrective measures, and periodic progress monitoring, in line with its fourth strategic priority.
ABSTRACT
Background: World health organization declared covid-19 pandemic worldwide. Efforts are being made to increase the awareness about covid-19 in the general public and as well as in patients through various health education programs. Material and Methods: The study included 1000 individuals and was conducted by The Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Medical College, Patiala during the 6-month period from January 2021 to June 2021. Patient intentions, apprehensions, and reasons for not getting vaccinated were be assessed by questionnaire. All walk-in patients above 18yr of age were included. To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the participants, 18 questions (including for knowledge, attitude, for practice) were included. The questions were directly asked from patients in their vernacular language along with demographic details and responses noted. Need of study: To spread the Knowledge about vaccination and the need for getting vaccinated so that hesitancy for covid-19 vaccination can be decreased and the severity of infection can be controlled. Awareness about vaccination is vitally important for developing effective control measures in a public health crisis.
ABSTRACT
In recent weeks, many Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Hungary, Poland, Moldova, and Romania. The WHO works with these and other nations to increase disease surveillance and provide immunization programs according to their schedules and policies. This article provides a summary of the recommendations provided by WHO to all countries in the region. According to the guidelines, countries must continue to make efforts to ensure that their resident populations, including refugee populations, are fully vaccinated against polio, measles, rubella, COVID-19, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination against polio, measles, and rubella must be offered as a priority to incoming refugee children under the age of six who have missed any routine vaccinations Vaccine doses must be recorded and made available to vaccinated individuals.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Currently the Covid-19 pandemic is studied with great expectations by several epidemiological models with the aim of predicting the future behaviour of the pandemic. Determining the level of disorder in the pandemic can give us insight into the societal reactions to the pandemic the socio-economic structures and health systems in different countries.
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to more than 260 million infections and 55 million deaths as of early December 2021, worldwide. Vaccinating people against COVID-19 is considered as he best approach to overcome the pandemic since COVID 19-vaccines are effective and can reduce the risk of getting and spreading the virus. However, their efficacy and safety in patients with underlying disease such as cancers have not been approved yet. Here we report a cohort study on immunogenicity and safety of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBIBP-CorV) in patients with breast cancer, who were vaccinated as a part of a national plan for vaccination of patients with special diseases.
ABSTRACT
Study Objective: Seasonal influenza is associated with significant healthcare resource utilization. An estimated 490,000 hospitalizations and 34,000 deaths were attributed to influenza during the 2018 - 2019 season. Despite robust influenza vaccination programs in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, the emergency department (ED) represents a missed opportunity to vaccinate patients at high risk for influenza who do not have access to routine preventive care. Feasibility and implementation of ED-based influenza vaccination programs have been previously described but have stopped short of describing the predicted health resource impact. The goal of our study was to describe the potential impact of an influenza vaccination program in an urban adult emergency department population using historic patient data.
ABSTRACT
Environmental factors and infectious diseases are closely related, mathematical models seek to explain these interactions, however, the same analytical practices are often observed with infectious diseases despite substantial differences from non-infectious diseases that can result in analytical challenges.
ABSTRACT
This article is based on a recommendation from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800,000 children since 2019, with key findings: (1) The vaccine introduction is feasible, improves health and saves lives, with good and equitable coverage of RTS,S seen through routine immunisation systems. This has occurred even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) RTS,S has increased equity in access to malaria prevention, with data from the pilot programme showing that more than two-thirds of children in the three pilot programme countries, who do not sleep under a bednet, have benefitted from the RTS,S vaccine, (3) To date, more than 2.3 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in three African countries, with a favourable safety profile, (4) In areas where the vaccine has been introduced, there has been no decrease in the use of insecticide-treated nets, uptake of other childhood vaccinations, or health seeking behaviour for febrile illness, (5) A reduction of 30% in deadly severe malaria, even when introduced in areas where insecticide-treated nets are widely used and there is good access to diagnosis and treatment, and (6) Modelling estimates that the vaccine is cost-effective in areas of moderate to high malaria transmission. Therefore, this recommendation includes funding decisions from the global health community for broader rollout, and country decision-making on whether to adopt the vaccine as part of national malaria control strategies.
ABSTRACT
The study on environmental sustainability and perception of safety of vaccination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has been relevant for a long time and has been caused by people's concerns and fears about the consequences of the vaccination procedure. This paper provides a detailed analysis of approaches to determining environmental sustainability and emphasises the urgent need to maintain human health in a pandemic. Thus, the purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the readiness for vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of environmental sustainability. The subject of the study is the environmental factors of readiness for vaccination against COVID-19. A set of methods and techniques were used to achieve this purpose, namely theoretical research methods, surveys, associative method, content analysis, methods of mathematical statistics using SPSS 23.0 and ArcGis. The paper presents the results of an empirical study of environmental sustainability and perception of safety of vaccination during pandemic, such as a comparative analysis of the sense of security of supporters and opponents of vaccination. The results of an empirical study of environmental sustainability and perception of safety of vaccination in a pandemic is provided. It was established that there are age and gender differences between proponents and opponents of vaccination. It was determined that subjects who were wary of vaccination did not consider COVID-19 to be a source of personal threat. The results of associations for the word-stimulus "danger" were analysed. There were differences in deep subconscious beliefs of danger in those who plan to be vaccinated and those who question vaccination. It was determined that the proponents of vaccination consider the general unavoidable external circumstances as a danger, and its opponents consider the very COVID-19 vaccination as such. Statistically significant differences were found between the sense of security in different areas of life in those who consider COVID-19 a danger and those for whom COVID-19 is not a source of concern. A prognostic portrait of a resident of Ukraine who is ready and willing to be vaccinated is presented. The obtained empirical results are of scientific value for researching the psychological characteristics of individual attitudes towards safe environmental sustainability and can be used in the development and implementation of programmes to work with people suffering from internal feelings of danger for their health caused by external circumstances.