Vaccine
Volume 33, Issue 26, Pages 2955-3064 (12 June 2015)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0264410X/33/26

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Poliovirus immunity in newly resettled adult refugees in Idaho, United States of America
Pages 2968-2970
Clay Roscoe, Ryan Gilles, Alex J. Reed, Matt Messerschmidt, Rebecca Kinney
Abstract
Background
In the United States, vaccines have eliminated wild poliovirus (WPV) infection, though resettling refugees may lack immunity and importation of WPV remains a concern.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was performed to determine the prevalence of poliovirus immunity in adult refugees resettling in Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.; immunity was evaluated using two definitions: serotypes 1, 2 and 3 positive, or serotypes 1 and 3 positive.
Results
This survey evaluated 795 adult refugees between August 2010 and November 2012. Poliovirus immunity in adults >18 years was 55.3% for serotypes 1, 2 and 3 combined, and 60% for serotypes 1 and 3 only.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated a WPV immunity rate of <60% in a recently resettled adult refugee population in the United States, reinforcing the need to ensure poliovirus immunity in all newly arrived adult refugees, either by expanding pre-departure immunization or by screening for immunity at resettlement and vaccinating when indicated.

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Determinants of maternal immunization in developing countries
Original Research Article
Pages 2971-2977
Jayani Pathirana, Jerome Nkambule, Steven Black
Abstract
Background
Maternal immunization is an effective intervention to protect newborns and young infants from infections when their immune response is immature. Tetanus toxoid vaccination of pregnant women is the most widely implemented maternal vaccine in developing countries where neonatal mortality is the highest. We identified barriers to maternal tetanus vaccination in developing African and Asian countries to identify means of improving maternal immunization platforms in these countries.
Method
We categorized barriers into health system, health care provider and patient barriers to maternal tetanus immunization and conducted a literature review on each category. Due to limited literature from Africa, we conducted a pilot survey of health care providers in Malawi on barriers they experience in immunizing pregnant women.
Results
The major barriers of the health system are due to inadequate financial and human resources which translate to inadequate vaccination services delivery and logistics management. Health care providers are limited by poor attendance of Antenatal Care and inadequate knowledge on vaccinating pregnant women. Patient barriers are due to lack of education and knowledge on pregnancy immunization and socioeconomic factors such as low income and high parity.
Conclusion
There are several factors that affect maternal tetanus immunization. Increasing knowledge in health care providers and patients, increasing antenatal care attendance and outreach activities will aid the uptake of maternal immunization. Health system barriers are more difficult to address requiring an improvement of overall immunization services. Further analyses of maternal immunization specific barriers and the means of addressing them are required to strengthen the existing program and provide a more efficient delivery system for additional maternal vaccines.

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Vaccines4Kids: Assessing the impact of text message reminders on immunization rates in infants
Original Research Article
Pages 2984-2989
Victoria Niederhauser, Melissa Johnson, Abbas S. Tavakoli
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect text messages (TM) immunization reminders have on immunization rates in the first 7 months of life. This randomized-control trial enrolled 57 parent/infant dyads and had a 74% completion rate (43) at the end of the study period. The study was approved by Committee on Human Subjects at the University of Hawaii Institutional Board Review. All participants completed a demographics form and a Barriers to Immunization Survey (SHOTS survey) at the start and end of the study. Parents received TM at 4, 7, 12, 15, 20, & 23 weeks of child’s age. The intervention group received immunization reminders and the control group received healthy baby messages. In the overall mixed model, between enrollment and 7 months of age, the barriers to immunizations decreased for all parents significantly. There were no significant differences in immunization rates between groups at 7 months of age. Positive responses from regarding TM interventions show this is a promising intervention, but further research is required regarding how to address behavior change and motivation for health prevention behaviors with TM.

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Deaths averted by influenza vaccination in the U.S. during the seasons 2005/06 through 2013/14
Original Research Article
Pages 3003-3009
Ivo M. Foppa, Po-Yung Cheng, Sue B. Reynolds, David K. Shay, Cristina Carias, Joseph S. Bresee, Inkyu K. Kim, Manoj Gambhir, Alicia M. Fry
Abstract
Background
Excess mortality due to seasonal influenza is substantial, yet quantitative estimates of the benefit of annual vaccination programs on influenza-associated mortality are lacking.
Methods
We estimated the numbers of deaths averted by vaccination in four age groups (0.5 to 4, 5 to 19, 20 to 64 and ≥65 yrs.) for the nine influenza seasons from 2005/6 through 2013/14. These estimates were obtained using a Monte Carlo approach applied to weekly U.S. age group-specific estimates of influenza-associated excess mortality, monthly vaccination coverage estimates and summary seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness estimates to obtain estimates of the number of deaths averted by vaccination. The estimates are conservative as they do not include indirect vaccination effects.
Results
From August, 2005 through June, 2014, we estimated that 40,127 (95% confidence interval [CI] 25,694 to 59,210) deaths were averted by influenza vaccination. We found that of all studied seasons the most deaths were averted by influenza vaccination during the 2012/13 season (9398; 95% CI 2,386 to 19,897) and the fewest during the 2009/10 pandemic (222; 95% CI 79 to 347). Of all influenza-associated deaths averted, 88.9% (95% CI 83 to 92.5%) were in people ≥65 yrs. old.
Conclusions
The estimated number of deaths averted by the US annual influenza vaccination program is considerable, especially among elderly adults and even when vaccine effectiveness is modest, such as in the 2012/13 season. As indirect effects (“herd immunity”) of vaccination are ignored, these estimates represent lower bound estimates and are thus conservative given valid excess mortality estimates

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Special Section on Aeras Meeting Reports on Tuberculosis Vaccine Development; Edited by Stefan H.E. Kaufmann
Aeras-sponsored meeting reports: Aerosol TB vaccines, whole mycobacteria cell TB vaccines, and prevention of sustained Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Pages 3035-3037
Stefan H.E. Kaufmann