Expert Consensus on the Structure, Role, and Procedures of the Korea Expert Committee on Immunization Practices.

BACKGROUND: The Korea Expert Committee on Immunization Practices (KECIP) is a key advisory body the government to develop guidelines and provide technical advisory activities on immunization policies in Korea. A recent policy study, inspired by global best practices, aims to enhance KECIP's functionality for providing timely and transparent recommendations in the face of evolving vaccine science and emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19. METHODS: This study reviewed the current status of KECIP and collected expert opinions through surveys and consultations. Among the 40 panel members who were surveyed, 19 responded to a questionnaire specifically designed to assess the potential areas of improvement within KECIP. RESULTS: The majority of respondents favored maintaining the current member count and emphasized the need for a subcommittee. Opinions varied on issues such as the length of KECIP's term, the representation of vaccine manufacturers' perspectives, and the chairperson's role. However, there was a consensus on the importance of expertise, transparency, and fair proceedings within the committee. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the pivotal role of KECIP in shaping national immunization policies, emphasizing the necessity for informed guidance amidst evolving vaccine science and emerging infectious diseases. Furthermore, it stressed the importance of enhancing KECIP's capacity to effectively address evolving public health challenges and maintain successful immunization programs in South Korea.

Magnitude of self-harm and associated factors among postnatal mothers attending immunization clinics at public health facilities in Boneya Boshe Woreda, Western Ethiopia, 2023: institution-based cross-sectional study design.

Background: Self-harm is a preventable, but a leading, cause of maternal morbidity and mortality all over the world, with a significant impact on healthcare systems. Objective: To assess the magnitude of self-harm and associated factors among postnatal mothers attending immunization clinics. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among postnatal mothers attending infant immunization clinics at public health facilities in Boneya Boshe Woreda, Western Ethiopia, 1 October to 30 October 2023. A pretested, face-to-face interviewer-administered structured questionnaire prepared by Kobo Toolbox was used to collect the data. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done. The level of significance was declared at p-value <0.05 with a 95% CI. Results: Among the 423 mothers enrolled in the study, 415 of them finally participated, at a response rate of 98.10%. The magnitude of self-harm was 12.53% (95% CI: 9.33, 15.73). Involvement of husband in maternity and child healthcare (AOR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.10), depression (AOR = 2.79; 95% CI: 2.14, 6.94), loneliness (AOR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.15, 5.40), postpartum intimate partner violence (AOR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.01, 4.54), average monthly income (AOR = 3.70; 95% CI: 2.17, 10.50), and postnatal care (AOR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.28, 5.80) were significantly associated factors. Conclusion and recommendations: The study sought a magnitude of self-harm that was slightly higher than the previous study conducted in the northern part of Ethiopia. Therefore, healthcare providers should focus on identified factors during postnatal care to overcome them. Similarly, the concerned body should develop an effective strategy based on the identified factors to pay attention to postnatal mothers.

Lung ILC2s are activated in BALB/c mice born to immunized mothers despite complete protection against respiratory syncytial virus.

Activated lung ILC2s produce large quantities of IL-5 and IL-13 that contribute to eosinophilic inflammation and mucus production following respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV). The current understanding of ILC2 activation during RSV infection, is that ILC2s are activated by alarmins, including IL-33, released from airway epithelial cells in response to viral-mediated damage. Thus, high levels of RSV neutralizing maternal antibody generated from maternal immunization would be expected to reduce IL-33 production and mitigate ILC2 activation. Here we report that lung ILC2s from mice born to RSV-immunized dams become activated despite undetectable RSV replication. We also report, for the first time, expression of activating and inhibitory Fcgamma receptors on ILC2s that are differentially expressed in offspring born to immunized versus unimmunized dams. Alternatively, ex vivo IL-33-mediated activation of ILC2s was mitigated following the addition of antibody: antigen immune complexes. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of Fcgamma receptor ligation by immune complexes as an alternative mechanism of ILC2 regulation in RSV-associated eosinophilic lung inflammation.

An insight into the gut microbiota after Schistosoma japonicum eggs immunization in an experimental ulcerative colitis model.

Schistosome infection and schistosome-derived products have been implicated in the prevention and alleviation of inflammatory bowel disease by manipulating the host immune response, whereas the role of gut microbiota in this protective effect remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that the intraperitoneal immunization with Schistosoma japonicum eggs prior to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) application significantly ameliorated the symptoms of DSS-induced acute colitis, which was characterized by higher body weight, lower disease activity index score and macroscopic inflammatory scores. We demonstrated that the immunomodulatory effects of S. japonicum eggs were accompanied by an influence on gut microbiota composition, abundance, and diversity, which increased the abundance of genus Turicibacter, family Erysipelotrichaceae, phylum Firmicutes, and decreased the abundance of genus Odoribacter, family Marinifilaceae, order Bacteroidales, class Bacteroidia, phylum Bacteroidota. In addition, Lactobacillus was identified as a biomarker that distinguishes healthy control mice from DSS-induced colitis mice. The present study revealed the importance of the gut microbiota in S. japonicum eggs exerting protective effects in an experimental ulcerative colitis (UC) model, providing an alternative strategy for the discovery of UC prevention and treatment drugs.

Active immunization with recombinant GnRH6-CRM197 inhibits reproductive function of male rats.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccines have been successfully used for the inhibition of gonadal development and function, but current GnRH-based vaccines often present variability in the response. Cross-reactive material 197 (CRM197) has been used as carrier molecules to enhance an immune response to associated antigens. So, the synthetic mammalian tandem-repeated GnRH hexamer (GnRH6) gene was integrated into the expression plasmid pET-21a. Recombinant GnRH6-CRM197 protein was subsequently overexpressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 and purified through Nickel column affinity chromatography and the antigenicity and biological effects of GnRH6-CRM197 were evaluated in rats. Sixteen 4-month-old adult male rats were randomly divided into two groups: the GnRH6-CRM197 group (n = 8) and the control group (n = 8). The GnRH6-CRM197 group rats were subcutaneously immunized with 100 µg of GnRH6-CRM197, administered thrice at 2-week intervals with GnRH6-CRM197.The control group received only a white oil adjuvant. Following the initial immunization, the weights of animals were recorded, and blood samples were collected from the orbital sinus at 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, and 7 months. Serum antibody titers and testosterone concentrations were quantified using ELISA and CLIA, respectively. Additionally, testicular tissues were collected for morphological examination. The results revealed a significant increase in serum GnRH antibody titers (p < 0.05), but a significant decrease in serum testosterone concentrations (p < 0.05), and the weight, length, width, and girth of the testis, and the number of spermatogonia cells, spermatocytes, and sperm cells in the immunized rats. Furthermore, seminiferous tubules revealed significant atrophy and no sperm were observed in the immunized animals. Thus, GnRH6-CRM197 may be an effective antigen and a potential immunocastration vaccine.

Immunization with PfGBP130 generates antibodies that inhibit RBC invasion by P. falciparum parasites.

Background: Despite decades of effort, Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a leading killer of children. The absence of a highly effective vaccine and the emergence of parasites resistant to both diagnosis as well as treatment hamper effective public health interventions. Methods and results: To discover new vaccine candidates, we used our whole proteome differential screening method and identified PfGBP130 as a parasite protein uniquely recognized by antibodies from children who had developed resistance to P. falciparum infection but not from those who remained susceptible. We formulated PfGBP130 as lipid encapsulated mRNA, DNA plasmid, and recombinant protein-based immunogens and evaluated the efficacy of murine polyclonal anti-PfGBP130 antisera to inhibit parasite growth in vitro. Immunization of mice with PfGBP130-A (aa 111-374), the region identified in our differential screen, formulated as a DNA plasmid or lipid encapsulated mRNA, but not as a recombinant protein, induced antibodies that inhibited RBC invasion in vitro. mRNA encoding the full ectodomain of PfGBP130 (aa 89-824) also generated parasite growth-inhibitory antibodies. Conclusion: We are currently advancing PfGBP130-A formulated as a lipid-encapsulated mRNA for efficacy evaluation in non-human primates.

Evaluating the antibody response elicited by diverse HIV envelope immunogens in the African green monkey (Vervet) model.

African Green (Vervet) monkeys have been extensively studied to understand the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Using vervet monkeys as pre-clinical models may be an attractive option for low-resourced areas as they are found abundantly and their maintenance is more cost-effective than bigger primates such as rhesus macaques. We assessed the feasibility of using vervet monkeys as animal models to examine the immunogenicity of HIV envelope trimer immunogens in pre-clinical testing. Three groups of vervet monkeys were subcutaneously immunized with either the BG505 SOSIP.664 trimer, a novel subtype C SOSIP.664 trimer, CAP255, or a combination of BG505, CAP255 and CAP256.SU SOSIP.664 trimers. All groups of vervet monkeys developed robust binding antibodies by the second immunization with the peak antibody response occurring after the third immunization. Similar to binding, antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis was also observed in all the monkeys. While all animals developed potent, heterologous Tier 1 neutralizing antibody responses, autologous neutralization was limited with only half of the animals in each group developing responses to their vaccine-matched pseudovirus. These data suggest that the vervet monkey model may yield distinct antibody responses compared to other models. Further study is required to further determine the utility of this model in HIV immunization studies.

Advancing diagnostic precision: Unveiling sensitization relationships between cat, dog, and horse allergen molecules.

BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in molecular diagnostics have unveiled a multitude of allergen molecules (AMs) associated with animal sensitizations, revealing significant cross- and co-sensitization patterns among these seemingly distinct allergens. METHOD: We investigated the sensitization profiles of 120 children, sensitized to at least one of the 14 AMs from cat, dog, or horse using the Alex test, employing correlations and hierarchical clusters to explore relationship between sensitizations. RESULTS: Sensitizations to Fel d 1, Can f 4/5, and Equ c 4 differ from other cat, dog, and horse AM sensitizations, suggesting they may represent genuine sensitizations for their respective animals. High correlations were observed among various AMs, including lipocalins (Can f 1/2/6, Fel d 4/7, and Equ c 1), serum albumins (Fel d 2, Can f 3, and Equ c 3), and uteroglobins (Fel d 1 and Can f_Fd1). Hierarchical clustering of sensitizations identified two similarity clusters and one dissimilarity cluster, providing an estimation of the likelihood of cross-reactivity. Additionally, our method facilitated speculation regarding cross-, co-, or genuine sensitization. Moreover, we noted a potential increase in the number and level of sensitized animal AMs concurrent with increased sensitization to other aeroallergens with advancing age. No significant difference was detected for the presence or absence of various types of allergic comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Correlations and hierarchical clustering can unveil the extent and magnitude of cross-, co-, and genuine sensitization relationships among animal AMs. These insights can be leveraged to enhance artificial intelligence algorithms, improving diagnostic accuracy through the integration of other measures of sensitization.

Bulletin d'immunisation, v.46, Expériences réussies et primées présentées par des États et des municipalités du Brésil, Mai. 2024 

Brésil est un pays qui compte plus de 200 millions d'habitants et qui dispose d'un système de santé public, universel et gratuit. Plus de 35 ans après sa création, le système de santé unifié (SUS) a réalisé d'importants progrès, notamment en atteignant une couverture vaccinale élevée pour un grand nombre de maladies évitables par la vaccination. Les actions de vaccination dans le pays sont coordonnées par le Programme national d'immunisation (PNI). C'est dans ce contexte que la représentation de l'Organisation panaméricaine de la santé (OPS) au Brésil, en soutien aux initiatives du CONASS et du CONASEMS, a organisé un recueil d'expériences qui sera publié comme supplément au Bulletin d'immunisation de l'OPS. À cette fin, en partenariat avec la CONASS et la CONASEMS, six expériences réussies ont été sélectionnées dans les différentes régions du pays, menées par des municipalités sur environ neuf cents propositions soumises, et trois développées par des États sur les cinquante soumises. Lorsque ces expériences ont été sélectionnées, elles ont pu être présentées lors d'événements organisés par les gestionnaires eux-mêmes, tels que la Chambre technique de surveillance du CONASS, qui s'est tenue en mai 2023, et le XXXVIIe Congrès national des secrétariats municipaux à la santé - CONASEMS, qui s'est tenu en juillet de la même année. Ils ont également présenté leurs rapports lors de la XXVe Journée nationale des vaccinations, organisée en septembre 2023 par la Société brésilienne des vaccinations (SBIm), l'un des plus grands événements au monde sur le sujet. Les rapports que vous pouvez lire maintenant dans ce Bulletin de vaccination ont été écrits directement par les professionnels qui ont développé les expériences présentées ici. On y sent la vivacité d'un système de santé robuste et créatif, alimenté depuis sa création par l'énergie d'anonymes qui luttent chaque jour pour défendre chaque vie et garantir à la population un accès universel et complet à la santé, reconnu au Brésil comme un droit pour tous et un devoir de l'État par la Constitution fédérale.

Bulletin d'immunisation, v.46, n.1, Mar. 2024

L'Organisation panaméricaine de la santé (OPS) publie quatre fois par an le Bulletin d'Immunisation en anglais, français, portugais et espagnol. Son objectif est de faciliter l'échange d'idées et d'informations sur les programmes de vaccination dans la région des Amériques et au-delà. Il est publié depuis 1979 en anglais et en espagnol, les versions française et portugaise ayant débuté en 2001 et 2019, respectivement. Le numéro de mars 2024 du bulletin trimestriel Bulletin d'Immunisation traite des sujets suivants : Troisième réunion annuelle de la Commission régionale de suivi et de revérification de l'élimination de la rougeole, de la rubéole et du syndrome de rubéole ; Le Groupe consultatif technique de l’OPS sur les maladies évitables par la vaccination fournit des recommandations régionales sur les vaccins contre la dengue et le virus respiratoire syncytial, et publie une déclaration sur les efforts de vaccination en cours contre la COVID-19 ; Tracer la voie à suivre : réflexions sur l’initiative d’élimination des maladies transmissibles de l’OPS et les orientations futures; Vers l’élimination des maladies associées aux infections à papillomavirus humains dans la Caraïbe française : mise en œuvre d’une campagne généralisée de vaccination en milieu scolaire depuis octobre 2023; Méthodologie et outil de suivi de la performance du Programme élargi de vaccination pour la Région des Amériques; Surveillance sentinelle du rotavirus chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans dans la Région des Amériques; Surveillance sentinelle des pneumonies et méningites bactériennes chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans dans la Région des Amériques ; Atelier sur la préparation de textes et d'articles scientifiques dans le domaine de la santé à Bogota (Colombie) ; Classement final des cas, Région des Amériques, 2023 ; Le système d'information sur la vaccination et la qualité des données; Cours d'auto-apprentissage en ligne : Outils de suivi des interventions intégrées de santé publique. Vaccination et vermifugation pour la géohelminthiase ; et Renforcer la gestion des données de vaccination.

Boletim de Imunização, v.46, n.1, Mar. 2024

A Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS) publica o Boletim de Imunização quatro vezes por ano em inglês, francês, português e espanhol. Seu objetivo é facilitar o intercâmbio de ideias e informações sobre programas de imunização na Região das Américas e fora dela. Ele é publicado desde 1979 em inglês e espanhol, com versões em francês e português iniciadas em 2001 e 2019, respectivamente. A edição de marzo de 2024 do Boletim de Imunização aborda os seguintes tópicos: Terceira Reunião Anual da Comissão Regional de Monitoramento e Reverificação da Eliminação do Sarampo, Rubéola e Síndrome da Rubéola Congênita; O Grupo Técnico Assessor da OPAS sobre Doenças Imunopreveníveis fornece recomendações regionais sobre as vacinas contra a dengue e o vírus sincicial respiratório e publica uma declaração sobre os esforços atuais de vacinação contra a COVID-19; Definição do caminho a seguir: reflexões sobre a Iniciativa da OPAS de Eliminação de Doenças Transmissíveis e orientações para o futuro; Rumo à eliminação de doenças associadas à infecção pelo papilomavírus humano no Caribe francês: implementação de uma campanha geral de vacinação nas escolas a partir de outubro de 2023; Metodologia e ferramenta de monitoramento do desempenho do Programa Ampliado de Imunização para a Região das Américas; Vigilância sentinela de rotavírus em menores de 5 anos na Região das Américas; Vigilância sentinela de casos de pneumonia e meningite bacteriana em menores de 5 anos na Região das Américas; Oficina de elaboração de textos e artigos científicos na área de saúde em Bogotá, Colômbia; Classificação final dos casos na Região das Américas, 2022; Sistema de informação de imunização e qualidade dos dados; Curso virtual de autoaprendizagem Ferramentas de monitoramento de intervenções integradas em saúde pública. Vacinação e desparasitação de geo-helmintíases; e Fortalecimento da gestão dos dados de imunização.

Immunization Newsletter, v.46, Special Issue on Brazil, May 2024 

Brazil is a vast country, home to more than 200 million people and with a public, universal and free health system. Over the more than 35 years since its creation, the Unified Health System (SUS) has made significant progress, including achieving high vaccination coverage for a large number of vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunization actions in the country are coordinated by the National Immunization Program (NIP). It is in this context that the Brazilian office of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in support of initiatives by CONASS and CONASEMS, has organized a collection of experiences to be published as a supplement to the PAHO Immunization Bulletin. To this end, in partnership with CONASS and CONASEMS, six successful experiences were selected from the different regions of the country, carried out by municipalities out of approximately nine hundred proposals submitted, and three developed by states out of fifty submitted. When these experiences were selected, they were able to present them at events run by the managers themselves, such as the CONASS Technical Chamber on Surveillance, held in May 2023, and at the XXXVII National Congress of Municipal Health Secretariats - CONASEMS, held in July of the same year. They also presented their reports at the XXV National Immunization Conference, held in September 2023 by the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), one of the world's largest events on the subject. The reports you can read now in this Immunization Bulletin were written directly by the professionals who developed the experiences presented here. You can feel in them the vivacity of a robust, creative health system that has been fed, since its creation, by the energy of anonymous people who fight every day to defend every life and guarantee the population universal and comprehensive access to health, recognized in Brazil as a right for all and a duty of the State by the Federal Constitution.

Immunization Newsletter, v.46, n.1, Mar. 2024

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) publishes the Immunization Newsletter four times a year in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information on immunization programs in the Region of the Americas and beyond. It has been published since 1979 in English and Spanish, with French and Portuguese versions beginning in 2001 and 2019, respectively. The March 2024 issue of the quarterly Immunization Newsletter covers the following topics: Third annual meeting of the Regional Monitoring and Re-verification Commission for Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination; PAHO’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Vaccine-preventable Diseases provides regional recommendations on dengue and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines and issues a statement on the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination efforts; Charting the path forward: reflections on PAHO's Communicable Diseases Elimination Initiative and future directions; Towards the Elimination of Diseases Associated with Human Papillomavirus Infection in the French Caribbean: Implementation of a Mass Vaccination Campaign in Schools Since October 2023; Expanded Immunization Program methodology and performance monitoring tool for the Region of the Americas; Sentinel surveillance of rotavirus in children under 5 years of age in the Region of the Americas; Sentinel surveillance of bacterial pneumonia and meningitis in children under 5 years of age in the Americas; Workshop on the preparation of scientific texts and articles on health in Bogotá, Colombia; Final Classification of Cases in the Region of the Americas, 2023; Immunization information systems and data quality; Virtual self-learning course: Tools for monitoring integrated public health interventions. Vaccination and deworming for soil-transmitted helminth infections; and Strengthening immunization data management.

Boletín de Inmunización, v.46, n.1, Mar. 2024

La Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) publica cuatro veces al año el Boletín de Inmunización en español, francés, inglés y portugués. Su propósito es facilitar el intercambio de ideas e información sobre los programas de inmunización en la Región de las Américas y más allá. Se publica desde 1979 en inglés y español, con versiones en francés y portugués a partir de 2001 y 2019, respectivamente. El número de marzo del 2024 del Boletín de Inmunización abarca los siguientes temas: Tercera reunión anual de la Comisión Regional de Monitoreo y Reverificación de la Eliminación del Sarampión, la Rubéola y el Síndrome de Rubeola Congénita; El Grupo Técnico Asesor de la OPS sobre Enfermedades Prevenibles por Vacunación ofrece recomendaciones sobre las vacunas contra el dengue y el virus respiratorio sincitial a nivel regional y emite una declaración referente a los esfuerzos continuos de vacunación contra la COVID-19; Trazando el camino a seguir: reflexiones sobre la Iniciativa para la Eliminación de Enfermedades Transmisibles de la OPS y orientaciones futuras; Hacia la eliminación de las enfermedades debidas al virus del papiloma humano en el Caribe francés: puesta en marcha de una campaña de vacunación masiva en las escuelas a partir de octubre del 2023; Metodología y herramienta de monitoreo del desempeño del Program Ampliado de Inmunización para la Región de las Américas; Vigilancia centinela de rotavirus en los menores de 5 años en la Región de las Américas; Vigilancia centinela de neumonías y meningitis bacterianas en menores de 5 años de edad en las Américas; Taller de Elaboración de textos y artículos científicos en el ámbito de la salud en Bogotá (Colombia); Clasificación final de casos en la Región de las Américas, 2022; El sistema de información de inmunización y la calidad de los datos; Curso virtual de autoaprendizaje “Herramientas para el monitoreo de intervenciones integradas en salud pública. Vacunación y desparasitación para las geohelmintiasis”; y Fortalecer la gestión de los datos de inmunizaciones.

Appendice. Pour une meilleure immunité : l’approche du parcours de vie pour une longévité en bonne santé

Cette publication est une annexe au document technique "Building better immunity : Une approche du parcours de vie pour une longévité en bonne santé", avec les contributions de plusieurs experts en la matière au sein et en dehors de l'Organisation panaméricaine de la santé (OPS). Cette annexe fournit des exemples d'activités au sein du programme national de vaccination qui peuvent améliorer les taux de couverture et réduire les occasions manquées pour quatre groupes de population : les femmes enceintes, les adolescents, les travailleurs de la santé et les personnes âgées. Ces exemples traduisent les principes et les concepts de l'approche fondée sur le parcours de vie en activités concrètes, qui peuvent être utilisées par les responsables des programmes nationaux de vaccination et par les vaccinateurs, respectivement, pour améliorer les taux de couverture vaccinale. Ces quatre groupes représentent des étapes de la vie pour lesquelles il existe des vaccins très efficaces et qui peuvent grandement influencer leurs capacités sanitaires. L'application des séries primaires, des rappels et des doses de vaccin de rattrapage dans ces groupes est essentielle pour combler les déficits d'immunité émergents. Les activités sont regroupées en huit composantes : (i) gestion et plaidoyer, (ii) équité, (iii) ressources humaines et financement, (iv) organisation et prestation de services, (v) génération de la demande et engagement communautaire, (vi) systèmes d'information, (vii) formation et (viii) évaluation et recherche. Les exemples doivent être évalués, adaptés, mis en œuvre et éventuellement élargis par les États membres pour s'aligner sur les contextes nationaux et locaux. Ce document s'inscrit dans le cadre des efforts déployés par l'OPS pour promouvoir l'application d'une approche de la vaccination fondée sur le parcours de vie dans les pays et territoires des Amériques et pour aider les ministères de la santé à mettre en place des stratégies de santé publique aux niveaux infranational et local afin de préserver la santé et le bien-être des personnes de tous âges.

Apéndice. Lograr una mejor inmunidad: El enfoque del curso de vida para una longevidad saludable

Esta publicación es un apéndice del documento técnico "Lograr una mejor inmunidad: el enfoque de curso de vida para una longevidad saludable", con las contribuciones de varios expertos en la materia dentro y fuera de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS). Este apéndice proporciona ejemplos de actividades dentro del programa nacional de inmunización que pueden mejorar las tasas de cobertura y reducir las oportunidades perdidas para cuatro grupos de población: mujeres embarazadas, adolescentes, trabajadores sanitarios y adultos mayores. Estos ejemplos traducen los principios y conceptos del Enfoque del Ciclo Vital en actividades concretas, que pueden ser utilizadas por los gestores de los programas nacionales de inmunización y por los vacunadores, respectivamente, para reforzar las tasas de cobertura de vacunación. Estos cuatro grupos representan etapas de la vida para las que existen vacunas muy eficaces y que pueden influir enormemente en sus capacidades sanitarias. La aplicación de dosis de vacunas de la serie primaria, de refuerzo y de recuperación en estos grupos es fundamental para cerrar las brechas de inmunidad emergentes. Las actividades se agrupan en ocho componentes (i) administración y promoción, (ii) equidad, (iii) recursos humanos y financiación, (iv) organización y prestación de servicios, (v) generación de demanda y participación de la comunidad, (vi) sistemas de información, (vii) formación y (viii) evaluación e investigación. Los ejemplos deben ser evaluados, adaptados, implementados y posiblemente ampliados por los Estados Miembros para alinearlos con los contextos nacionales y locales. Este documento forma parte de los esfuerzos de la OPS para promover la aplicación de un enfoque de inmunización a lo largo de la vida por parte de los países y territorios de las Américas y para apoyar a los Ministerios de Salud a establecer estrategias de salud pública a nivel subnacional y local para salvaguardar la salud y el bienestar de las personas de todas las edades.

Coverage, spatial distribution and determinants of childhood inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization in Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Polio eradication is a current and common strategy throughout the globe. The study of the newly introduced inactivated poliovirus vaccine provides a grasp on the current status of immunization and identifies any disparities in the implementation of the vaccine throughout Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to demonstrate the spatial distribution, coverage, and determinants of inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization in Ethiopia. METHOD: Spatial distribution and determinants of inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization in Ethiopia were conducted using Ethiopian mini-demographic and health survey 2019 data. A total of 2,056 weighted children aged 12 to 35 months were included in the analysis. The association between the outcome and explanatory variables was determined by commuting the adjusted odds ratio at a 95% confidence interval. The p-value of less than 0.05 was used to declare factors as significantly associated with the inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization. RESULT: The weighted national coverage of inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization in Ethiopia was 51.58% at a 95% confidence interval (49.42, 53.74). While the rates of inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization were observed to be greater in Addis Ababa, Tigiray, Amahara, and Benishangul Gumuz provinces and lower in the Somali, Afar, and SNNPR provinces of Ethiopia, Antenatal care follow-up, place of delivery, place of residence, and region were significantly associated with inactivated poliovirus immunization in Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: The distribution of inactivated poliovirus immunization was spatially variable across Ethiopia. Only about half of the children aged twelve to thirty-five months received the inactivated poliovirus vaccine in the country. The factors, both at the individual and community level, were significantly associated with inactivated poliovirus immunization. Therefore, policies and strategies could benefit from considering antenatal care follow-up, place of delivery, place of residence, and region while implementing inactivated poliovirus vaccine immunization.