The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Vaccination Coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean.

BACKGROUND: Routine vaccination coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean declined prior to and during the coronavirus pandemic. We assessed the pandemic's impact on national coverage levels and analyzed whether financial and inequality indicators, immunization policies, and pandemic policies were associated with changes in national and regional coverage levels. METHODOLOGY: We compared first- and third-dose coverage of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus-containing vaccine (DTPcv) with predicted coverages using time series forecast modeling for 39 LAC countries and territories. Data were from the PAHO/WHO/UNICEF Joint Reporting Form. A secondary analysis of factors hypothesized to affect coverages during the pandemic was also performed. RESULTS: In total, 31 of 39 countries and territories (79%) had greater-than-predicted declines in DTPcv1 and DTPcv3 coverage during the pandemic, with 9 and 12 of these, respectively, falling outside the 95% confidence interval. Within-country income inequality (i.e., Gini coefficient) was associated with significant declines in DTPcv1 coverage, and cross-country income inequality was associated with declines in DTPcv1 and DTPcv3 coverages. Observed absolute and relative inequality gaps in DTPcv1 and DTPcv3 coverage between extreme country quintiles of income inequality (i.e., Q1 vs. Q5) were accentuated in 2021, as compared with the 2019 observed and 2021 predicted values. We also observed a trend between school closures and greater-than-predicted declines in DTPcv3 coverage that approached statistical significance (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: The pandemic exposed vaccination inequities in LAC and significantly impacted coverage levels in many countries. New strategies are needed to reattain high coverage levels.

Health workers vaccination: Experience and lessons learned from Costa Rica.

Objective: To describe the decision-making processes, enablers, challenges and lessons learned in Costa Rica for implementing a sustained and multi-pronged approach in health workers vaccination (HW). Methods: A retrospective descriptive analysis was conducted by searching published and grey literature, including scientific publications, legislation, decrees, policies, manuals, technical reports, and platforms used for data register and coverage monitoring. Key informants from the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) were interviewed representing national, subnational and local levels; as well as members of the National Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and the private sector. Collected data were transcribed and categorized by the following specific topics using a thematic content analysis approach: decision making process, pre-service screening, vaccination for current HWs and engagement with the private sector. Major findings were discussed and organized into enablers, challenges and lessons learned. Results: Decision making processes to establish the vaccination strategies and schedules in Costa Rica were based on the epidemiological trends of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) and cost analysis. Risk assessment and feasibility considerations determined that some vaccines such as hepatitis B, varicella and influenza, were first introduced in HWs and then were expanded to other target populations. These decisions were approved by the NITAG as the advisory technical advisory group of the MoH. Main enablers identified were: high level and sustained political will, decisions based on data analysis and feasibility considerations, HWs knowledge and high vaccine acceptance and demand. Challenges were related to effective coverage monitoring, and private sector engagement. Conclusions: The Costa Rican experience provides lessons learned that can be leveraged by other countries to strengthen HWs vaccination strategies at regional and global levels.

Health policy impacts on malaria transmission in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is near malaria elimination. This achievement has followed shifts in malaria health policy. Here, we evaluate the impacts that different health policies have had on malaria transmission in Costa Rica from 1913 to 2018. We identified regime shifts and used regression models to measure the impact of different health policies on malaria transmission in Costa Rica using annual case records. We found that vector control and prophylactic treatments were associated with a 50% malaria case reduction in 1929-1931 compared with 1913-1928. DDT introduction in 1946 was associated with an increase in annual malaria case reduction from 7.6% (1942-1946) to 26.4% (1947-1952). The 2006 introduction of 7-day supervised chloroquine and primaquine treatments was the most effective health policy between 1957 and 2018, reducing annual malaria cases by 98% (2009-2018) when compared with 1957-1968. We also found that effective malaria reduction policies have been sensitive to natural catastrophes and extreme climatic events, both of which have increased malaria transmission in Costa Rica. Currently, outbreaks follow malaria importation into vulnerable areas of Costa Rica. This highlights the need to timely diagnose and treat malaria, while improving living standards, in the affected areas.

Approach to verify the status of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome elimination in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica introduced the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1986. The Ministry of Health adopted the goal of eliminating endemic measles in 1991 by achieving and maintaining high vaccine coverage through routine delivery, mass campaigns and outreach activities, and the strengthening of expanded program on immunization (EPI) surveillance. Measles and rubella immunization strategies shifted susceptibility to older age groups, leading to the introduction of MMR2 in 1992, administered at age 7 years. In 2000, the goal of accelerated rubella control and congenital rubella syndrome prevention was established, and a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting men and women aged 15-39 was implemented to immunize the population of reproductive age. The last endemic case of measles was confirmed in 1999, and at the end of 2001 Costa Rica reported the last endemic cases of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome. Imported cases of measles and rubella were detected in 2003 and 2005, with no secondary cases detected. In 2008, Costa Rica established a National Committee of Experts, supported by technical teams, to collect the evidence required to verify the interruption of endemic transmission of the measles and rubella viruses. The evidence includes information on trends and epidemiologic analysis, molecular epidemiology, population immunity, the quality of surveillance, and the sustainability of the EPI program.

Switching from OPV to IPV: are we behind the schedule in Latin America?

Oral polio vaccine (OPV) has been an effective strategy since it was initiated almost five decades ago. However, concern regarding its collateral effects has been increasing in recent years among the scientific and policymaker community, since it has proved to be of risk for immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals by causing cases and even outbreaks of poliomyelitis disease in countries where the virus is not circulating. Enhanced-potency inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), a safer, effective and inexpensive vaccine, has been available for the past couple of decades. Different points of view have emerged regarding stopping the use of OPV to start routine general IPV but, despite the evidence of OPVs derived and associated with unnecessary poliomyelitis cases, Central and South America are still lacking a strategy in place to make the switch from OPV to IPV, and there are no leading efforts to start this strategy. This review gives some evidence-based elements to help raise criteria regarding the best vaccine to choose and highlights the current need for strategic planning in Latin America to avoid more vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis cases.