Acceptance of recommended vaccinations during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in Southern Italy.

Background: Vaccine administration is a recommended, safe, and effective measure to protect pregnant women against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Despite available guidance, maternal immunization rates for vaccination against influenza and with the reduced antigen content tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) in Italy remain incredibly low. The primary goal of the study was to explore what Italian pregnant women knew about VPDs and immunization during pregnancy and what factors affected their decision to be vaccinated. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between October 2021 and April 2022 in the Southern part of Italy. All consecutive pregnant women, from those attending the selected facilities on randomly selected days, were approached to request participation. The inclusion criteria for participation were age ≥18 years, the ability to understand, speak, and read Italian, and being pregnant at any gestational age. The questionnaire, using a combination of checkboxes and free text answers, consisted of 32 items divided into five parts and lasted ~10 min. Results: The results showed that 61% knew that the influenza vaccine is recommended and 48.7% knew that influenza could be risky during pregnancy; 74.1% wrongly reported that the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended during pregnancy. Seven out of 10 pregnant women believed that strong evidence supported the safety of vaccinations during pregnancy, and more than half (55.6%) thought they were at increased risk of severe illness with COVID-19. Women in the sample believed that vaccines received during pregnancy pose a risk of adverse events to the unborn child with a median value of 6 (IQR 3-9), on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. Similarly, the fear of contracting pertussis and influenza during pregnancy showed a median value of 6 (IQR 3-9) and 5 (IQR 3-8), respectively. Only 21.1% and 36.5% of women received influenza and Tdap vaccines during pregnancy. Conclusion: Unrealistic risk perception with a negative attitude toward vaccines in pregnancy and a low percentage of vaccinated pregnant women confirm the urgency of training women to make informed choices to increase overall vaccine uptake.

Confirmation of increased and more severe adolescent mental health-related in-patient admissions in the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath: A 2-year follow-up study

COVID-19 pandemic may have affected youth's mental wellbeing. Youth admissions for mental health emergencies over the 2-year period following the COVID-19 outbreak (March 2020–February 2022) were compared to those occurring in the same period of 2018–2020, with reference to individual and clinical data. The study identified 30 admissions in the pre-pandemic period and 65 (+116.7%) in the post-pandemic period, with the latter being younger, less likely to have a personal psychiatric history, and more likely to receive psychopharmacological treatment. A higher likelihood of earlier, ex novo psychiatric manifestations, requiring medication to reach clinical stability, in the post-COVID era, is suggested.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot Preserves T Cells Immune Response Based on Interferon-Gamma Release Assay in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Patients on Anti-TNFα Treatment.

Immune-modifying treatment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) impairs the humoral response. The role of T lymphocytes in this setting is still unclear. This study aims to assess if a booster shot (third dose) of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine enhanced the humoral response and elicited cellular immunity in IBD patients on different immuno-therapy regimens compared to healthy controls (HCs). Five months after a booster dose, serological and T-cell responses were assessed. The measurements were described using geometric means with 95% confidence intervals. The differences between study groups were assessed by Mann-Whitney tests. Seventy-seven subjects (n = 53 IBD patients and n = 24 HCs), who were fully vaccinated and not previously SARS-CoV-2 infected, were recruited. Regarding the IBD patients, 19 were affected by Crohn's disease and 34 by ulcerative colitis. During the vaccination cycle, half of the patients (53%) were on stable treatment with aminosalicylates, and 32% were on biological therapy. No differences in antibody concentrations between IBD patients and HCs, nor T-cell responses, were found. Stratifying IBD patients based on the type of treatment (anti-TNFα agents vs. other treatment regimens), a decrease only in antibody titer (p = 0.008), but not in cellular response, was observed. Even after the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, the TNFα inhibitors selectively decreased the humoral immune response compared to patients on other treatment regimens. The T-cell response was preserved in all study groups. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating T-cell immune responses following COVID-19 vaccination in a routine diagnostic setting, particularly for immunocompromised cohorts.

Confirmation of increased and more severe adolescent mental health-related in-patient admissions in the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath: A 2-year follow-up study.

COVID-19 pandemic may have affected youth's mental wellbeing. Youth admissions for mental health emergencies over the 2-year period following the COVID-19 outbreak (March 2020-February 2022) were compared to those occurring in the same period of 2018-2020, with reference to individual and clinical data. The study identified 30 admissions in the pre-pandemic period and 65 (+116.7%) in the post-pandemic period, with the latter being younger, less likely to have a personal psychiatric history, and more likely to receive psychopharmacological treatment. A higher likelihood of earlier, ex novo psychiatric manifestations, requiring medication to reach clinical stability, in the post-COVID era, is suggested.

Sociodemographic and clinical changes in pediatric in-patient admissions for mental health emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic: March 2020 to June 2021.

COVID-19 pandemic may affect children's mental health. Children <18 years in-patiently admitted for mental health emergencies between March 2020 and June 2021 were compared to those admitted in the same period of 2018-2019 in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. There were 49 admissions in the pre-pandemic period and 60 in the pandemic period (IRR: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.84-1.79), with the latter more likely to have a family history of psychiatric disorders, a personal history of physical disturbances, present with suicidal risk, and being diagnosed with an externalizing disorder. This study underscores the increased need for pediatric mental health services.

Insight on Knowledge, Risk Perception and Practices to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study among Italian University Students

Addressing adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions among young adults represents a public health priority since this age group did not directly experience a health risk from COVID-19. The study aims were to investigate the level of knowledge, risk perception and practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among undergraduate university students in Southern Italy. This cross-sectional study was conducted between the 1st and 31st of July 2020. An anonymous and structured questionnaire was sent via institutional email. Among the 1323 sampled students, more than two-thirds gave the correct answer to all the knowledge statements. Good knowledge about COVID-19 showed a positive association with those studying medical or life sciences majors. Almost two-fifths (38.5%) of the sample declared to have quite a bit/extreme fear of falling ill with COVID-19 and it was significantly more likely among females and those with good knowledge. Only 30.2% of the students did not touch their face mask while using it. Moreover, practicing respiratory etiquette was more likely among females, among respondents with higher levels of fear of falling ill with COVID-19 and among those who exhibited good knowledge about COVID-19. The study insights will be valuable for the ongoing mitigation of the current pandemic especially with regard to the correct use of face masks.