The Impact and Vaccination Coverage of Seasonal Influenza among Children Aged 6-59 Months in China in 2017-2018: An Internet Panel Survey.

Seasonal influenza vaccination is highly recommended for 6-59-month-old children. To determine the impact of seasonal influenza and the factors affecting influenza vaccine uptake among children, we conducted an opt-in Internet panel survey of parents from 21 March 2018 to 1 April 2018. Overall, 40.5% (1913/4719) of children experienced influenza-like illness (ILI), 92.4% of parents sought medical care for children with ILI (outpatients: 61.2%, inpatients: 12.8%), 39.6% of parents preferred to take their sick child to a tertiary hospital, and 57.3% of family members requested leave to care for children with ILI. There was a median of three days of absenteeism (2, 5) per sick child, and 39.4% of children received the influenza vaccine during the 2017-2018 influenza season. Vaccine coverage among children aged 6-11 months and 48-59 months was lower than that among 12-47-month-old children. The top three reasons for not vaccinating were: the influenza vaccine was not recommended by healthcare workers (21.1%), no knowledge about the influenza vaccine (19.2%), and lack of confidence in the vaccine's effectiveness (14.3%). Our findings highlight the need for awareness about the severity of influenza, hygiene behavior, and effectiveness of the influenza vaccine among children and their family members in China.

Serial Interval and Reproductive Number of COVID-19 Among 116 Infector-infectee Pairs - Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, China, 2020.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC?: The key epidemiological parameters including serial interval, basic reproductive number (R 0), and effective reproductive number (R t) are crucial for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control and prevention. Previous studies provided different estimations but were often flawed by some limitations such as insufficient sample size and selection bias. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT?: In this study, a total of 116 infector-infectee pairs meeting strict inclusion criteria were selected for analysis. The mean serial interval of COVID-19 was 5.81 days (standard deviation: 3.24). The estimated mean with 95% confidence interval of R 0 was 3.39 (3.07-3.75) and 2.98 (2.62-3.38) using exponential growth (EG) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods, respectively. The R t in the early phase of the epidemic was above 1 with the peak of 4.43 occurring on January 8, and then showing subsequent declines and approaching 1 on January 24. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICES?: This study supports previous findings that COVID-19 has high transmissibility and that implementing comprehensive measures is effective in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak.

Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Registered Nurses in China during 2017-2018: An Internet Panel Survey.

Influenza vaccination is recommended for nurses in China but is not mandatory or offered free of charge. The main objective of this study was to determine influenza vaccination coverage and the principal factors influencing influenza vaccination among nurses in China. During 22 March-1 April 2018, we conducted an opt-in internet panel survey among registered nurses in China. Respondents were recruited from an internet-based training platform for nurses. Among 22,888 nurses invited to participate, 4706 responded, and 4153 were valid respondents. Overall, 257 (6%) nurses reported receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine during the 2017/2018 season. Vaccination coverage was highest among nurses working in Beijing (10%, p < 0.001) and nurses working in primary care (12%, p = 0.023). The top three reasons for not being vaccinated were lack of time (28%), not knowing where and when to get vaccinated (14%), and lack of confidence in the vaccine's effectiveness (12%). Overall, 41% of nurses reported experiencing at least one episode of influenza-like illness (ILI) during the 2017/2018 season; 87% of nurses kept working while sick, and 25% of nurses reported ever recommending influenza vaccination to patients. Compared with nurses who did not receive influenza vaccination in the 2017/2018 season, nurses who received influenza vaccination were more likely to recommend influenza vaccination to patients (67% vs. 22%, p < 0.001). Influenza vaccination coverage among nurses was low, and only a small proportion recommended influenza vaccine to patients. Our findings highlight the need for a multipronged strategy to increase influenza vaccination among nurses in China.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors (KAB) of Influenza Vaccination in China: A Cross-Sectional Study in 2017/2018.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to estimate influenza-like illness (ILI) prevalence, influenza-related healthcare seeking behaviors, and willingness for vaccination. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study based on a random dialing telephone survey was conducted from October 2017 through March 2018 to assess influenza-like illness prevalence and vaccination willingness among different demographic groups. RESULTS: 10,045 individuals were enrolled and completed the survey. A total of 2834 individuals (28%) self-reported that they have suffered from influenza-like illness, especially children under 15 years of age. Overall willingness for influenza vaccination in the 2018/2019 influenza season was 45% and was positively associated with higher education level, recommendation from doctors, cost-free vaccination, and vaccination campaigns with employers' support. Hospitalization and seeking medicine from pharmacies was less frequent in urban locations. People under 15 and over 60 years of age sought medical service more frequently. CONCLUSIONS: ILI prevalence differed significantly by age and geographical location/population density. Vaccination policy for motivating key populations at highest risk to vaccinate should take into consideration the awareness-raising of vaccination benefits, barriers reduction of vaccination such as cost, and recommendation via healthcare professionals.

[Application effect of Oncomelania hupensis snail crushers in batch detection].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the application effect of Oncomelania hupensis snail crusher in batch detection. METHODS: The O. hupensis snail crushers and triangular flasks for cercariae shedding were made. The uninfected snails were divided into 4 groups with the snail number of 50, 100, 200, 300, respectively, and then they were put in 40 triangular flasks, 10 flasks each group. Three flasks in each group were randomly selected, and 12 schistosome infected O. hupensis snails were put into the flasks (1 snail per flask). The 12 flasks with infected O. hupensis snails were put back to each group and were numbered uniformly. The O. hupensis snails in each group were crushed by the O. hupensis snail crushers, and the crushing rate of snails, and average crushing time and duration were recorded. When all the O. hupensis snails were crushed, water was added into the flasks, and water films from each flask were taken and observed under microscopes, the number of cercariae was recorded and the detection rates of each group were calculated. Meanwhile, the O. hupensis snails in the field were collected and detected by the crushing method and crushing and shedding method with O. hupensis snail crushers, and the coincidence rate of the two methods was calculated. RESULTS: The crushing rate of snails in all the 4 groups were 100% , the average crushing times of groups with 50, 100, 200, 300 snails were 15.70, 23.20, 32.20, 39.20, respectively, and the average duration was 1.01, 1.70, 2.00, 3.00 min, respectively. Both the crushing time and duration were positively correlated with the number of snails detected (r = 0.68, 0.73, both P <0.01). The detection rates of cercariae in all the 4 groups were 100%. In the field application, 109 snails were detected by the crushing method, 620 ones were detected by the crushing and shedding method with O. hupensis snail crushers, and no infected snails were found, the coincidence rate of the two methods were 100%. CONCLUSION: The O. hupensis snail crusher with the advances of easy operation and labor-saving is valuable of field promotion.

[Effect of schistosomiasis control in Jingzhou City from 2009 to 2013].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of schistosomiasis control in Jingzhou City of Hubei Province from 2009 to 2013, so as to provide the reference for the establishment of control strategy in the future. METHODS: The annual reports on schistosomiasis control from 2009 to 2013 in nine counties (cities, districts) in Jingzhou City were collected and analyzed sta- tistically. RESULTS: The estimated number of schistosomiasis patients in Jingzhou City dropped from 78 903 in 2009 to 28 034 in 2013, with a reduction rate of 63.37%. The schistosome infection rate of residents dropped from 2.21% in 2009 to 0.65% in 2013, which showed an exponential decline trend (y = 3.196e(-0.317x)). The number of cattle with schistosomiasis decreased from 2 132 in 2009 to 0 in 2013, and the infection rate of cattle dropped from 1.87% in 2009 to 0% in 2013. Only 2 cases with acute infection of schistosome were found in 2009, and no schistosome infected snails were found out in 2 consecutive years, 2012 and 2013. CONCLUSIONS: The endemic level of schistosomiasis in Jingzhou City has decreased significantly. In order to consolidate the achievement of control, the comprehensive strategy including infection source control, snail control with mol- luscicides and snail surveillance should be implemented.

[Investigation on field feces in schistosomiasis endemic areas in Jingzhou City].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of field feces in Jingzhou City, so as to provide the evidence for improving the control measures to interrupt the transmission routes of schistosomiasis. METHODS: The distribution of field feces was investigated in 27 schistosomiasis endemic villages in Gong' an, Jianli, Jiangling, Honghu and Shishou counties (cities) from 2010 to 2012. The schistosome positive status of the field feces was surveyed with the hatching method. RESULTS: There were 1366 field feces and the average density was 0.0892 feces per 100 square meters in this survey. The cattle feces, human feces, dog feces and elk feces respectively accounted for 99.71%, 0.07%, 0.15% and 0.07% in the survey. The infection rates of the field feces were 1.46% and 2.42% in the channels and bottomlands, respectively (P > 0.05). The average rate of infected field feces was 3.21% in 2010, 0.36% in 2011, and 1.60% in 2012, and the difference between 2010 and 2012 was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The main field feces come from cattle, and the main distribution of infected field feces is in channels and bottom-lands. Therefore, the management of cattle and treatment of field feces should be strengthened.