Milestones :: Perspectives
 
Ebola – DRC

WHO
Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Disease outbreak news
24 August 2018
Since the last Disease Outbreak News on 17 August 2018, 25 additional cases have been laboratory confirmed for Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These new confirmed cases have been reported in Beni, Oicha and Mabalako health zones (North Kivu province) and Mandima health zone (Ituri Province). However, all exposures and transmission events, to date, have been linked back to the outbreak epi-centre, Mabalako. Beyond the EVD outbreak, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in a complex humanitarian crisis and is experiencing several other concurrent epidemics.

As of 22 August 2018, a total of 103 EVD cases (76 confirmed and 27 probable) including 63 deaths (36 confirmed and 27 probable) have been reported1 in five health zones in North Kivu (Beni, Butembo, Oicha, Mabalako, Musienene) and one health zone in Ituri (Mandima) (Figure 1). The majority of cases (62 confirmed and 21 probable) have been reported from Mabalako in Mabalako Health Zone (Figure 2). As of 22 August, six new suspected cases from Mabalako (n=3) and Beni (n=3) are pending laboratory testing to confirm or exclude EVD. A total of 88 confirmed and probable cases have age and sex reported. As of 19 August, the median age was 32 years (age range: 0-74), with the age group 30-39 accounting for 28% (25/88) of cases. Fifty eight percent (51/88) of all cases were female (Figure 3).

Fourteen cases have been reported among health workers, of which 13 were laboratory confirmed; one has died. Many of these health care workers were likely infected in clinics before the declaration of the outbreak, not in Ebola treatment centres (ETCs). WHO and partners are working with health workers and communities to increase awareness on infection, prevention and control (IPC) measures, as well as vaccinate those at risk of infection.

The MoH, WHO and partners continue to systematically monitor and rapidly investigate all alerts in all provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in neighbouring countries2. Alerts in several provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Central African Republic have been investigated; EVD has been ruled out in all alert events to date.
 
 
Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  22 August 2018
[Excerpt]
Case management
…The Ethics Committee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has approved the use of four additional experimental therapeutics, namely: ZMapp, Remdesivir, Favipiravir, and Regn3450 – 3471 – 3479, to be used by the ETC medical and research teams. This is in addition to the mAb114, approved earlier….

WHO provides medicines and equipment for Ebola preparedness and control of Malaria & Neglected Tropical Diseases in Tanzania   24 August 2018

Uganda heightens Ebola preparedness response   23 August 2018

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 25 Aug 2018
Congo: 2 Who Received Experimental Ebola Treatment Recover
By The Associated Press
Aug. 25, 2018
KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s health ministry says two of the first 10 people to receive an experimental treatment for the Ebola virus in the latest outbreak have recovered, and monitoring could show what role the treatment played.
The head of the World Health Organization on Saturday congratulated Congo’s government for making several experimental treatments available in this Ebola outbreak, calling it “a global first, and a ray of hope for people with the disease.”
The two people received the mAb114 treatment isolated from a survivor of an Ebola outbreak in 1995. It was the first of five experimental treatments Congo approved for use in the outbreak that was declared on Aug. 1. The others are ZMapp, Remdesivir, Favipiravir and Regn3450 – 3471 – 3479…

Milestones :: Perspectives

Measles cases hit record high in the European Region
20 August 2018 | WHO News Release
Over 41 000 children and adults in the WHO European Region have been infected with measles in the first 6 months of 2018. The total number for this period far exceeds the 12-month totals reported for every other year this decade. So far, the highest annual total for measles cases between 2010 and 2017 was 23 927 for 2017, and the lowest was 5273 for 2016. Monthly country reports also indicate that at least 37 people have died due to measles so far this year.

“Following the decade’s lowest number of cases in 2016, we are seeing a dramatic increase in infections and extended outbreaks,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “We call on all countries to immediately implement broad, context-appropriate measures to stop further spread of this disease. Good health for all starts with immunization, and as long as this disease is not eliminated we are failing to live up to our Sustainable Development Goal commitments.”

Seven countries in the Region have seen over 1000 infections in children and adults this year (France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine). Ukraine has been the hardest hit, with over 23 000 people affected; this accounts for over half of the regional total. Measles-related deaths have been reported in all of these countries, with Serbia reporting the highest number of 14.

Uneven progress towards measles and rubella elimination
According to the latest assessment by the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC), released today, 43 of the Region’s 53 Member States have interrupted the endemic spread of measles and 42 have interrupted rubella (based on 2017 reporting).

At the same time, the RVC expressed concerns about inadequate disease surveillance and low immunization coverage in some countries. It also concluded that chains of measles transmission continued for more than 12 months in some countries that had interrupted the endemic spread of the disease, reverting their status back to endemic.

“This partial setback demonstrates that every person who is not immune remains vulnerable no matter where they live, and every country must keep pushing to increase coverage and close immunity gaps, even after achieving interrupted or eliminated status,” says Dr Nedret Emiroglu, Director of the Division of Health Emergencies and Communicable Diseases at the WHO Regional Office for Europe…

Milestones :: Perspectives

AT&T, Softbox and Merck Test Connected Payloads and Drone Flights to Deliver Medical Supplies in Puerto Rico
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Aug. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — AT&T* is taking part in a proof of concept with Softbox to test connected medical payloads carried by drones. The goal? Successfully and safely deliver temperature-sensitive medicines using drones.

An LTE-connected drone carrying Softbox’s thermal-insulated packaging system “Skypod,” which includes a smartbox powered by AT&T’s Internet of Things (IoT) technology, successfully completed demonstration flights. The field trial with Merck, the pharmaceutical company, took place in locations across Puerto Rico. Softbox, based in the UK, provides specialist temperature control packaging to the pharmaceutical industry.

“Merck is pleased to collaborate on this innovative new model for delivering medicines to patients in areas affected by natural disasters,” said Brenda Colatrella, executive director, Corporate Responsibility at Merck. “We’re proud of our long history of expanding access to our medicines and vaccines and collaborating to provide humanitarian assistance. The drone test flights give us hope that we will be able to provide a reliable supply of our medicines for disaster.”

AT&T’s IoT technology tracks the Skypod with data viewed on a web and mobile app dashboard. The data includes near-real time external and internal temperatures of the box and its location. Light exposure data helps signal if there is box tampering during daylight, by determining if the box is open or closed.

The dashboard app will flash alerts to help drive appropriate action. For example, it will send an alert if there is a change to the temperature range of 2°C to 8°C. It will also send an alert if the drone goes outside of defined geofencing parameters.

AT&T and Softbox have adapted the Skypod from a connected flask prototype developed in the AT&T Foundry, which they showcased earlier this year. The AT&T Foundry is a network of innovation centers that collaborates with startups, technology providers and enterprises to move ideas to market faster through rapid prototyping. It moved the IoT sensors that track temperature and location from the lid of the original prototype and fit them into the smartbox.
“We’re proud to be working with AT&T in this dynamic, industry-first trial. The connected Skypod could be rapidly deployed globally in times of humanitarian disaster relief,” said Softbox Technical Director Richard Wood…

Emergencies

 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 23 August 2018 [GPEI]
Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan – two new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) positive environmental samples. Democratic Republic of the Congo – circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 detected in the stool samples of two healthy contacts of two different negative AFP cases.
Nigeria – one new case of cVDPV2, and two new cVDPV2 positive environmental samples. Somalia – one new case of cVDPV2. See country sections below for more details.

::::::
::::::

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 25 Aug 2018]
The Syrian Arab Republic
:: Critical funding shortage threatens WHO’s response in northwest Syria
20 August 2018 – As the conflict in northwest Syria escalates, WHO is appealing for US$ 11 million to provide life-saving health care to people in parts of Aleppo, Hama, Idleb and Lattakia governorates.
Hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have been previously displaced, may be displaced yet again as they flee growing insecurity and violence. The situation in Idleb is particularly dire; more than half a million people have been displaced to and within the governorate since January 2017…

Iraq  – No new announcements identified
Nigeria  – No new announcements identified
South Sudan  – No new announcements identified
Yemen  – No new announcements identified
 
::::::
 
WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 25 Aug 2018]
Myanmar 
:: Major outbreaks averted, thousands of lives saved; but Rohingyas continue to be vulnerable: WHO  24 August 2018
Ukraine
:: Measles cases hit record high in the European Region  20 August 2018

Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified.
Democratic Republic of the Congo  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Libya – No new announcements identified.
Niger  – No new announcements identified.

::::::
::::::
 
UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen
:: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 9 – 15 August 2018 |

Syrian Arab Republic   – No new announcements identified.

::::::

UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Somalia   – No new announcements identified.

::::::
::::::
 
Editor’s Note:
We will cluster these recent emergencies as below and continue to monitor the WHO webpages for updates and key developments.

EBOLA/EVD  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.who.int/ebola/en/
Disease outbreak news
24 August 2018
Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
[See Milestones above for more detail]

MERS-CoV [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/
– No new announcements identified.
 
Yellow Fever  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/yellowfev/en/
– No new announcements identified.

Zika virus  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/zika/en/
– No new announcements identified.

WHO & Regional Offices [to 25 Aug 2018]

24 August 2018 | News Release
Samoa rolls out triple drug therapy to accelerate elimination of lymphatic filariasis

20 August 2018 | News Release
Measles cases hit record high in the European Region
[See Milestones above for more detail]

::::::
 
Weekly Epidemiological Record, 24 August 2018, vol. 93, 34 (pp. 429–444)
:: Review of the 2017–2018 influenza season in the northern hemisphere
 
::::::
 
WHO Regional Offices
 
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
Selected Featured News
:: WHO provides medicines and equipment for Ebola preparedness and control of Malaria & Neglected Tropical Diseases in Tanzania   24 August 2018
:: Uganda heightens Ebola preparedness response   23 August 2018

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO urges rapid increase in vaccination coverage to stop spread of measles in the Americas (08/24/2018)
 
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Major outbreaks averted, thousands of lives saved; but Rohingyas continue to be vulnerable: WHO   Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, 24 August 2018
 
WHO European Region EURO
:: Strengthening human resources for rehabilitation in Tajikistan 23-08-2018
:: Q&A: Transforming the health system for better antenatal care in Georgia 22-08-2018
:: West Nile virus infections spike in southern and central Europe 21-08-2018
:: Measles cases hit record high in the European Region 20-08-2018

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Federated States of Micronesia forges a way forward to health security in the Pacific
20 August 2018 – The Federated States of Micronesia has become the first Pacific island country to complete a Joint External Evaluation (JEE). JEEs are voluntary, and involve a team of local and international experts working together to evaluate the country’s preparedness for outbreaks and health emergencies…

CDC/ACIP [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

Latest News
More US adolescents up to date on HPV vaccination
Thursday, August 23, 2018
The number of adolescents who are up to date on HPV vaccination – meaning they started and completed the HPV vaccine series – increased five percentage points from 2016 to 2017, according to results from a national survey published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
In 2017, nearly 66 percent of adolescents aged 13-17 years received the first dose to start the vaccine series, and nearly 49 percent of adolescents received all the recommended doses to complete the series.
“This vaccine is the best way to protect our youth from developing cancers caused by HPV infection,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. “Vaccination is the key to cervical cancer elimination. I’m pleased to see parents are taking advantage of this crucial public health tool and thank the clinicians who are working to ensure all children are protected from these cancers in the future.”
While HPV vaccination rates are increasing, there is room for improvement as many adolescents have not received all the recommended doses of the HPV and meningococcal conjugate vaccines. One of the new reports show that 51 percent of adolescents have not completed the HPV vaccine series, and 56 percent of adolescents have not received both doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine.
Also, fewer adolescents in rural areas, compared with youth in urban areas, are getting the HPV and meningococcal conjugate vaccines. The number of adolescents who received the first dose of the HPV vaccine was 11 percentage points lower in rural areas compared to urban areas. The number of adolescents receiving the first dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine was 7 percentage points lower in rural areas compared to urban areas.
“While we understand it can be a challenge for some clinicians in rural areas to stock all recommended vaccines, these clinicians can still play a critical role in their patients’ health and protect them from serious diseases by referring them to other vaccine providers,” said Nancy Messonnier, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases…

Africa CDC [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://au.int/en/africacdc

No new digest content identified.

China CDC 
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/

Website not responding at inquiry

Announcements
 
AERAS  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.aeras.org/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CARB-X   [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://cepi.net/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
22 August 2018
Strengthening national health research systems in sub-Saharan Africa: a first report
EDCTP published a first report on the project to develop and strengthen national health research systems (NHRS) in sub-Saharan Africa. The report captures the kick-off meeting held in Accra, Ghana on 9-10 July 2018. It brought together over 50 delegates from the 17 African member states of EDCTP and international stakeholders to initiate the development of a strategic plan to strengthen NHRS.
Go to the report

 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

 
European Medicines Agency  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
FDA [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
No new digest content identified.

 
 
Gavi [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.gavi.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
GHIT Fund   [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that devastate the world’s poorest people. Other funders include six Japanese pharmaceutical
No new digest content identified.

 
Global Fund [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/?topic=&type=NEWS;&country=
No new digest content identified.
 
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.iavi.org/
No new digest content identified.

 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IVAC  [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVI   [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.ivi.int/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected Press Releases/Statements
Rohingya refugee crisis
One year on, Rohingya refugees live in dire camps, facing an uncertain future and legal limbo
Project Update 24 Aug 2018

Ethiopia
Nearly one million displaced people in urgent need of assistance
Project Update 23 Aug 2018

 
NIH  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
August 23, 2018
Rapid development in Central Africa increases the risk of infectious disease outbreaks
— Scientists call for proactive investments in health care infrastructure.

NIH officials: closing treatment gaps critical to ending the U.S. HIV epidemic
August 21, 2018 — Disparities in achieving HIV suppression explored in related NIH-funded study.

NIH-led research team develops predictor for immunotherapy response in melanoma
August 20, 2018 — Being able to predict which patients are likely to respond to treatment would be a major clinical advance.

PATH  [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
August 20, 2018 by PATH
Lower price for nutrition assessment tool expands global access
PATH and Quansys Biosciences, Inc. improve access of the Q-Plex™ Human Micronutrient Array for low- and middle-income countries with a new price of US$1.43 per analyte

Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.unaids.org/en
21 August 2018
Smithsonian exhibition features UNAIDS data in a look at various viruses

20 August 2018
Kofi Annan’s AIDS legacy

UNICEF  [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
Statement
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, on latest deadly attacks on children in Yemen
“The lives of the thousands of vulnerable children across Yemen should be a priority for all.”
24/08/2018

 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Confidence Commentary
Breaking down Barriers, Building Bridges
Heidi Larson | 28 Jul, 2018
The theme of this year’s AIDS2018—International AIDS Conference, was on the theme of “Breaking down Barriers, Building Bridges.”  The opening plenary session included a presentation by AIDS physician, Dr. David Malebranche. As I listened to his presentation, there were moments that resonated with the tensions and debates around vaccines.
Here are some excerpts. The relevance to what is driving wavering vaccine confidence should be clear…
 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News / Published: 23 August 2018
Expert consultation to accelerate advances in nutrition science
Wellcome and the World Health Organization (WHO) are holding an expert meeting this autumn to bring together leading scientists and promising early-career researchers to invigorate nutrition science.
‘Transforming Nutrition Science for Better Health’ will be held at Wellcome’s London office from 15-17 October. It aims to:
::generate innovative research ideas with the potential to yield new health interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of children and adults
:: stimulate interdisciplinary exploration and foster collaborative approaches
:: inspire younger researchers to pursue careers in nutrition science
:: draw public attention to the importance of nutrition and how research improves health.
Wellcome and the WHO are gathering around 60 invited experts, world-leading scientists from a range of disciplines who are at the cutting edge of thinking about both under- and over-nutrition, and who focus on different life stages…
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press releases/2018/
No new digest content identified.

::::::
 
BIO    [to 25 Aug 2018]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
No new digest content identified.
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFPMA   [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
PhRMA    [to 25 Aug 2018]
http://www.phrma.org/press-room
No new digest content identified.

Reports/Research/Analysis/Commentary/Conferences/Meetings/Book Watch/Tenders

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review has expanded its coverage of new reports, books, research and analysis published independent of the journal channel covered in Journal Watch below. Our interests span immunization and vaccines, as well as global public health, health governance, and associated themes. If you would like to suggest content to be included in this service, please contact David Curry at: david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org

No new digest content identified.

Journal Watch

   Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review continues its weekly scanning of key peer-reviewed journals to identify and cite articles, commentary and editorials, books reviews and other content supporting our focus on vaccine ethics and policy. Journal Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues the Center is actively tracking. We selectively provide full text of some editorial and comment articles that are specifically relevant to our work. Successful access to some of the links provided may require subscription or other access arrangement unique to the publisher.

If you would like to suggest other journal titles to include in this service, please contact David Curry at: david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org

Annals of Internal Medicine
21 August 2018 Vol: 169, Issue 4
http://annals.org/aim/issue

Research and Reporting Methods
Harms Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials of Interventions Aimed at Modifying Microbiota: A Systematic Review
Aïda Bafeta, PhD; Mitsuki Koh, MPH; Carolina Riveros, MSc; Philippe Ravaud, MD, PhD

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 25 Aug 2018)

Research article
Measles outbreak propagated by children congregating at water collection points in Mayuge District, eastern Uganda, July – October, 2016
On 12 October, 2016 a measles outbreak was reported in Mayuge District, eastern Uganda. We investigated the outbreak to determine its scope, identify risk factors for transmission, evaluate vaccination coverag…
Authors: Robert Kaos Majwala, Lydia Nakiire, Daniel Kadobera, Alex Riolexus Ario, Joy Kusiima, Joselyn Annet Atuhairwe, Joseph K. B. Matovu and Bao-Ping Zhu
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2018 18:412
Published on: 20 August 2018

BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 25 Aug 2018)

Research article
Simultaneously characterizing the comparative economics of routine female adolescent nonavalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and assortativity of sexual mixing in Hong Kong Chinese: a modeling analysis
Although routine vaccination of females before sexual debut against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be cost-effective around the world, its cost-benefit has rarely been examined. We evaluate both …
Authors: Horace C. W. Choi, Mark Jit, Gabriel M. Leung, Kwok-Leung Tsui and Joseph T. Wu
Citation: BMC Medicine 2018 16:127
Published on: 17 August 2018

Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume 24, Number 9—September 2018
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/

Perspective
Ethics of Infection Control Measures for Carriers of Antimicrobial Drug–Resistant Organisms PDF Version[PDF – 1.12 MB – 8 pages]
Aura Timen
Abstract
Many countries have implemented infection control measures directed at carriers of multidrug-resistant organisms. To explore the ethical implications of these measures, we analyzed 227 consultations about multidrug resistance and compared them with the literature on communicable disease in general. We found that control measures aimed at carriers have a range of negative implications. Although moral dilemmas seem similar to those encountered while implementing control measures for other infectious diseases, 4 distinct features stand out for carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms: carriage presents itself as a state of being; carriage has limited relevance for the health of the carrier; carriage has little relevance outside healthcare settings; and antimicrobial resistance is a slowly evolving threat on which individual carriers have limited effect. These features are of ethical relevance because they influence the way we traditionally think about infectious disease control and urge us to pay more attention to the personal experience of the individual carrier.

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Debate
Challenges and dilemmas on universal coverage for non-communicable diseases in middle-income countries: evidence and lessons from Mexico
Despite more than 20 years of reform projects in health systems, the universal coverage strategy has not reached the expected results in most middle-income countries (MICs). Using evidence from the Mexican cas…
Authors: Armando Arredondo, Alejandra Azar and Ana Lucia Recaman
Citation: Globalization and Health 2018 14:89
Published on: 24 August 2018

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Research
Transnational pharmacogovernance: emergent patterns in the jazz of pharmaceutical policy convergence
As a transnational policy network, the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) aligns international regulatory standards to address the pressures of globalization on the pharmaceutical industry and increase access to new medicines. Founding ICH members include regulators and pharmaceutical industry trade associations in the European Union, the United States and Japan. In this paper we explore the manner in which state interdependence fosters the conditions for regulatory harmonization by tracing the underlying parallels between ICH and member state pharmacogovernance to clarify emergent patterns in regulatory policy convergence.
Authors: Mary Wiktorowicz [School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, Canada, mwiktor@yorku.ca], Kathy Moscou and Joel Lexchin
Citation: Globalization and Health 2018 14:86
Published on: 22 August 2018

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 33, Issue 7, 1 September 2018,
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/33/7

Original Articles
Strategic leadership capacity building for Sub-Saharan African health systems and public health governance: a multi-country assessment of essential competencies and optimal design for a Pan African DrPH
Irene Akua Agyepong; Uta Lehmann; Elizeus Rutembemberwa; Suzanne M Babich; Edith Frimpong …
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 33, Issue suppl_2, 1 July 2018, Pages ii35–ii49, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czx162

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Commentary
|   22 August 2018
Health policy and systems research: the future of the field
…Globally, population health is being challenged in different ways, from climate change and growing air pollution and toxic environmental exposure to food insecurity, massive population migration and refugee crises, to emerging and re-emerging diseases. Each of these trends reinforce each other and concentrate their harms on the most vulnerable populations. Multi-level governance, together with novel regulatory strategies and socially oriented investments, are key to successful action against many of the new challenges, with HPSR guiding their design and evolution…
Authors: David H. Peters

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 5, No 9 (2018)  September 2018
http://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/42

Original Research Articles
Vaccine news in India: trend and content analysis of online mass media
Manoja Kumar Das, Deepak Singh
Abstract
Background: The media news influence shapes the public sentiments and behaviour. The recent experiences indicate significant influence of online news and social media on immunization behaviour in India. The objective was to study the profile and sentiments of online media news on vaccine and vaccination in India…

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 5, No 9 (2018)  September 2018
http://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/42

Original Research Articles
Determinants of awareness regarding immunization among parents of children residing in an urban slum of a metro city
Sandeep S. Hedaoo, Swati R. Deshpande, Vijay L. Badge
Abstract
Background: Many families lack accurate information and knowledge about need for immunization, the need for subsequent dose(s), and the importance of completing the entire immunization schedule. Considering this fact present study was undertaken to identify the factors influencing knowledge of parents regarding immunization.

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare
Volume 11 Issue 4  2018
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/toc/ijhrh/11/4
Special Issue: Health inequalities and migrants: Accessing healthcare as a global human right

Rights of access to healthcare for undocumented migrants: understanding the Italian and British national health systems
Danielle da Costa Leite Borges, Caterina Francesca Guidi (pp. 232 – 243)
Type: Research paper

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare
Volume 11 Issue 4  2018
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/toc/ijhrh/11/4
Special Issue: Health inequalities and migrants: Accessing healthcare as a global human right

Guest editorial
Health inequalities and migrants: accessing healthcare as a global human right
Floor Christie-de Jong (pp. 229 – 231)
Type: Non-article

Journal of Adolescent Health
August 2018 Volume 63, Issue 2, p127-262
https://www.jahonline.org/issue/S1054-139X(17)X0023-2

Original Articles
Evaluation of Mass Vaccination Clinics in Response to a Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease Outbreak at a Large, Public University—Oregon, 2015
Emily A. Fisher, Tasha Poissant, Patrick Luedtke, Richard Leman, Collette Young, Paul Cieslak
p151–156
Published in issue: August 2018

The Lancet
Aug 25, 2018 Volume 392 Number 10148 p613-710  e7
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
India’s mega health reforms: treatment for half a billion
The Lancet
Technocrats and functionaries are hastily putting the final touches to India’s mega health insurance scheme following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that the programme will be launched nationwide on Sept 25. The scheme aims to provide up to 100 million poor families with approximately INR500 000 (US$7100) in annual health insurance coverage to pay for secondary or tertiary hospital care. It is one of the components of a flagship initiative known in Hindi as Ayushman Bharat or “India blessed with long life”, which includes developments in primary health services and health promotion.

With his eyes firmly fixed on next year’s national elections, Prime Minister Modi unveiled the start date of the next part of the world’s biggest health reforms during his Independence Day speech at New Delhi’s Red Fort on Aug 15. At the same time, trials of the scheme—known colloquially as Modicare—were launched in 110 districts in 14 states and Union Territories across the country. Critics of the scheme, estimated to cost the Government US$1·7 billion in the first 2 years, fear doctors and hospitals responsible for delivering treatments will be left out of pocket. They say current Government tariffs to be offered for specialised operations and procedures—including coronary stenting—have been pitched unrealistically low.

News of the imminent launch of the secondary care scheme comes after the opening of the first so-called health and wellness centre on April 14. A further 150 000 similar facilities are planned as part of the ongoing programme aiming to provide universal health care to India by 2022. Proponents of the ambitious plans accept that difficulties might occur in the initial stages and possibly even for longer, but, they argue, to set up a system providing comprehensive health care for up to half a billion people and possibly more—the biggest on the planet—is bound to require time to bed in. Setting up such a programme has undoubtedly required heroic efforts. The implementation, running, and monitoring of the initiative will necessitate a continued commitment to ensure the fundamental right of all Indian people to adequate health care.

The Lancet
Aug 25, 2018 Volume 392 Number 10148 p613-710  e7
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Articles
Vulnerability to snakebite envenoming: a global mapping of hotspots
Joshua Longbottom, Freya M Shearer, Maria Devine, Gabriel Alcoba, Francois Chappuis, Daniel J Weiss, Sarah E Ray, Nicolas Ray, David A Warrell, Rafael Ruiz de Castañeda, David J Williams, Simon I Hay, David M Pigott
Open Access

The Lancet
Aug 25, 2018 Volume 392 Number 10148 p613-710  e7
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Review
The global response and unmet actions for HIV and sex workers
Kate Shannon, Anna-Louise Crago, Stefan D Baral, Linda-Gail Bekker, Deanna Kerrigan, Michele R Decker, Tonia Poteat, Andrea L Wirtz, Brian Weir, Marie-Claude Boily, Jenny Butler, Steffanie A Strathdee, Chris Beyrer

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Comment
Progress toward a transmission-blocking vaccine against malaria
Tomoko Ishino, Takafumi Tsuboi

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Vaccine-preventable diseases in lower-middle-income countries
Hugo C Turner, Guy E Thwaites, Hannah E Clapham

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Articles
Safety and immunogenicity of Pfs25H-EPA/Alhydrogel, a transmission-blocking vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum: a randomised, double-blind, comparator-controlled, dose-escalation study in healthy Malian adults
Issaka Sagara, Sara A Healy, Mahamadoun H Assadou, Erin E Gabriel, Mamady Kone, Kourane Sissoko, Intimbeye Tembine, Merepen A Guindo, M’Bouye Doucoure, Karamoko Niaré, Amagana Dolo, Kelly M Rausch, David L Narum, David L Jones, Nicholas J MacDonald, Daming Zhu, Rathy Mohan, Olga Muratova, Ibrahima Baber, Mamadou B Coulibaly, Michael P Fay, Charles Anderson, Yimin Wu, Sekou F Traore, Ogobara K Doumbo, Patrick E Duffy

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Persistence of Ebola virus after the end of widespread transmission in Liberia: an outbreak report
Emily Kainne Dokubo, Annika Wendland, Suzanne E Mate, Jason T Ladner, Esther L Hamblion, Philomena Raftery, David J Blackley, A Scott Laney, Nuha Mahmoud, Gloria Wayne-Davies, Lisa Hensley, Eric Stavale, Lawrence Fakoli, Christopher Gregory, Tai-Ho Chen, Augustine Koryon, Denise Roth Allen, Jennifer Mann, Andrew Hickey, John Saindon, Mehboob Badini, April Baller, Peter Clement, Fatorma Bolay, Yatta Wapoe, Michael R Wiley, James Logue, Bonnie Dighero-Kemp, Elizabeth Higgs, Alex Gasasira, Desmond E Williams, Bernice Dahn, Francis Kateh, Tolbert Nyenswah, Gustavo Palacios, Mosoka P Fallah

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

The effect of chloroquine dose and primaquine on Plasmodium vivax recurrence: a WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network systematic review and individual patient pooled meta-analysis
Robert J Commons, Julie A Simpson, Kamala Thriemer, Georgina S Humphreys, Tesfay Abreha, Sisay G Alemu, Arletta Añez, Nicholas M Anstey, Ghulam R Awab, J Kevin Baird, Bridget E Barber, Isabelle Borghini-Fuhrer, Cindy S Chu, Umberto D’Alessandro, Prabin Dahal, André Daher, Peter J de Vries, Annette Erhart, Margarete S M Gomes, Lilia Gonzalez-Ceron, Matthew J Grigg, Aliehsan Heidari, Jimee Hwang, Piet A Kager, Tsige Ketema, Wasif A Khan, Marcus V G Lacerda, Toby Leslie, Benedikt Ley, Kartini Lidia, Wuelton M Monteiro, Francois Nosten, Dhelio B Pereira, Giao T Phan, Aung P Phyo, Mark Rowland, Kavitha Saravu, Carol H Sibley, André M Siqueira, Kasia Stepniewska, Inge Sutanto, Walter R J Taylor, Guy Thwaites, Binh Q Tran, Hien T Tran, Neena Valecha, José Luiz F Vieira, Sonam Wangchuk, Timothy William, Charles J Woodrow, Lina Zuluaga-Idarraga, Philippe J Guerin, Nicholas J White, Ric N Price

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Review
How effective are approaches to migrant screening for infectious diseases in Europe? A systematic review

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2018 Volume 18 Number 9 p925-1046  e259-e294
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Personal View
Precision medicine for drug-resistant tuberculosis in high-burden countries: is individualised treatment desirable and feasible?
Helen Cox, Jennifer Hughes, John Black, Mark P Nicol

Nature 
Volume 560 Issue 7719, 23 August 2018
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

World View | 22 August 2018
No more excuses for non-reproducible methods
Online technologies make it easy to share precise experimental protocols — and doing so is essential to modern science, says Lenny Teytelman.

New England Journal of Medicine
August 23, 2018  Vol. 379 No. 8
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Tickborne Diseases — Confronting a Growing Threat
Catharine I. Paules, M.D., Hilary D. Marston, M.D., M.P.H., Marshall E. Bloom, M.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
… The burden of tickborne diseases seems likely to continue to grow substantially. Prevention and management are hampered by suboptimal diagnostics, lack of treatment options for emerging viruses, and a paucity of vaccines. If public health and biomedical research professionals accelerate their efforts to address this threat, we may be able to fill these gaps. Meanwhile, clinicians should advise patients to use insect repellent and wear long pants when walking in the woods or tending their gardens — and check themselves for ticks when they are done…

PLOS Currents: Disasters
http://currents.plos.org/disasters/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Vulnerabilities Associated with Post-disaster Declines in HIV-testing: Decomposing the Impact of Hurricane Sandy
August 21, 2018 · Research Article
Introduction: Using Interrupted Time Series Analysis and generalized estimating equations, this study identifies factors that influence the size and significance of Hurricane Sandy’s estimated impact on HIV testing in 90 core-based statistical areas from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013.
Methods: Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the effects of sociodemographic and storm-related variables on relative change in HIV testing resulting from Interrupted Time Series analyses.
Results: There is a significant negative relationship between HIV prevalence and the relative change in testing at all time periods. A one unit increase in HIV prevalence corresponds to a 35% decrease in relative testing the week of the storm and a 14% decrease in relative testing at week twelve. Building loss was also negatively associated with relative change for all time points. For example, a one unit increase in building loss at week 0 corresponds with an 8% decrease in the relative change in testing (p=0.0001) and a 2% at week twelve (p=0.001).
Discussion: Our results demonstrate that HIV testing can be negatively affected during public health emergencies. Communities with high percentages of building loss and significant HIV disease burden should prioritize resumption of testing to support HIV prevention.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Individual- and community-level determinants of child immunization in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A multilevel analysis
Pawan Acharya, Hallgeir Kismul, Mala Ali Mapatano, Anne Hatløy
Research Article | published 23 Aug 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202742

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Effect of health intervention integration within women’s self-help groups on collectivization and healthy practices around reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health in rural India
Niranjan Saggurti, Yamini Atmavilas, Akash Porwal, Janine Schooley, Rajshree Das, Narender Kande, Laili Irani, Katherine Hay
Research Article | published 23 Aug 2018 PLOS ONE

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Implementation of hepatitis B vaccine in high-risk young adults with waning immunity
Nawarat Posuwan, Arnond Vorayingyong, Vorapol Jaroonvanichkul, Rujipat Wasitthankasem, Nasamon Wanlapakorn, Sompong Vongpunsawad, Yong Poovorawan
Research Article | published 20 Aug 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202637

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
[Accessed 25 Aug 2018]

Viral genetic diversity and protective efficacy of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in two phase 3 trials
Michal Juraska, Craig A. Magaret, Jason Shao, Lindsay N. Carpp, Andrew J. Fiore-Gartland, David Benkeser, Yves Girerd-Chambaz, Edith Langevin, Carina Frago, Bruno Guy, Nicholas Jackson, Kien Duong Thi Hue, Cameron P. Simmons, Paul T. Edlefsen, and Peter B. Gilbert
PNAS August 20, 2018. 201714250; published ahead of print August 20, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714250115
Significance
Dengue virus (DENV) vaccine development is complicated by the existence of four genetically diverse DENV serotypes. A high degree of antigenic match between vaccine strains and circulating DENVs may be important to achieve high vaccine efficacy (VE). Using data from two phase 3 trials of the CYD-TDV vaccine, we assessed whether and how VE against virologically confirmed dengue varied with amino acid sequence characteristics and genotypes of the disease-causing DENVs. VE decreased with the degree of amino acid dissimilarity between the vaccine insert and disease-causing DENVs. After accounting for differential VE by serotype, this effect seemed to occur only for younger children, who also had lower baseline seropositivity and potentially a less broadly protective immune response.
Abstract
Two phase 3 placebo-controlled trials of the CYD-TDV vaccine, evaluated in children aged 2−14 y (CYD14) and 9−16 y (CYD15), demonstrated vaccine efficacy (VE) of 56.5% and 60.8%, respectively, against symptomatic virologically confirmed dengue (VCD). Sieve analyses were conducted to evaluate whether and how VE varied with amino acid sequence features of dengue viruses (DENVs). DENV premembrane/envelope amino acid sequences from VCD endpoint cases were aligned with the vaccine insert sequences, and extensions of the proportional hazards model were applied to assess variation in VE with amino acid mismatch proportion distances from vaccine strains, individual amino acid residues, and phylogenetic genotypes. In CYD14, VE against VCD of any serotype (DENV-Any) decreased significantly with increasing amino acid distance from the vaccine, whereas in CYD15, VE against DENV-Any was distance-invariant. Restricting to the common age range and amino acid distance range between the trials and accounting for differential VE by serotype, however, showed no evidence of VE variation with distance in either trial. In serotype-specific analyses, VE against DENV4 decreased significantly with increasing amino acid distance from the DENV4 vaccine insert and was significantly greater against residue-matched DENV4 at eight signature positions. These effects were restricted to 2- to 8-y-olds, potentially because greater seropositivity of older children at baseline might facilitate a broader protective immune response. The relevance of an antigenic match between vaccine strains and circulating DENVs was also supported by greater estimated VE against serotypes and genotypes for which the circulating DENVs had shorter amino acid sequence distances from the vaccine.

Science         
24 August 2018  Vol 361, Issue 6404
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Review
The promise and peril of universal health care
By David E. Bloom, Alexander Khoury, Ramnath Subbaraman
Science24 Aug 2018 Full Access
Population health and national development
Healthy populations translate into productive and stable nations. Universal health care (UHC) is a pragmatic and ethical ideal that, thanks to social and economic progress, seems almost achievable. However, UHC means different things in different contexts. The minimum ideal is that no individual or family should suffer financial hardship because of accessing good-quality medical assistance. Bloom et al. review health priorities around the world and what will be needed in terms of skills, funds, and technology to achieve health care access for all.

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 35   Pages 5219-5348 (23 August 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/33

Discussion • Open access
HPV immunization programs: Ensuring their sustainability and resilience
Alex Vorsters, Pierre Van Damme
Pages 5219-5221

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 35   Pages 5219-5348 (23 August 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/33

Research article
Socioeconomic inequalities and measles immunization coverage in Ecuador: A spatial analysis
María Fernanda Rivadeneira, Sérgio Luiz Bassanesi, Sandra Costa Fuchs
Pages 5251-5257

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 35   Pages 5219-5348 (23 August 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/33

Research article • Open access
Measuring vaccine hesitancy: Field testing the WHO SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy survey tool in Guatemala
Gretchen J. Domek, Sean T. O’Leary, Sheana Bull, Michael Bronsert, … Edwin J. Asturias
Pages 5273-5281

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 35   Pages 5219-5348 (23 August 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/33

Research article
Predictors of hepatitis B vaccination completion among people who use drugs participating in a national program of targeted vaccination
Stijn Raven, Anouk Urbanus, Anouk de Gee, Christian Hoebe, Jim van Steenbergen
Pages 5282-5287

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 35   Pages 5219-5348 (23 August 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/33

Research article
Reasons for non-vaccination and incomplete vaccinations among children in Pakistan
Atif Riaz, Sara Husain, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Imran Nisar, … Asad Ali
Pages 5288-5293

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 35   Pages 5219-5348 (23 August 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/33

Research article
Use of social networking sites and women’s decision to receive vaccinations during pregnancy: A cross-sectional study in the UK
Abigail J. Ford, Nisreen A. Alwan
Pages 5294-5303

From Google Scholar & other sources: Selected Journal Articles, Newsletters, Dissertations, Theses, Commentary

Human Gene Therapy
DOI: 10.1089/hum.2018.066
One Group’s Historical Reflections on DNA Vaccine Development
EF Fynan, S Lu, HL Robinson –
Abstract
DNA vaccines were pioneered by several groups in the early 1990s. This article presents the reflections of one of these groups on their work with retroviral vectors in chickens that contributed to the discovery and early development of DNA vaccines. Although the findings were initially met with skepticism, the work presented here combined with that of others founded a new method of vaccination: the direct inoculation of purified DNA encoding the target antigen.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
[14 Aug 2018, 15(8)]
Willingness to Participate in Vaccine-Related Clinical Trials among Older Adults.
D Raheja, EP Davila, ET Johnson, R Deović, M Paine…
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand among a convenience sample of 400 adults aged 60 years of age or older (1) reasons for being willing or unwilling to participate in a vaccine clinical research study and (2) overall perceptions about vaccine clinical research. A cross-sectional study using a sample of older adults residing in the metro-Atlanta area and surrounding neighborhoods was conducted. The study questionnaire contained 37 questions, including questions about socio-demographics and perceptions about clinical trial processes. Statistical analysis was conducted using logistic regression. The adjusted modeling results indicated that sex, distance to research clinic, and being informed about the research findings played a role in the likelihood of an elderly person participating in a vaccine study. Males were more likely to participate in clinical trials as compared to females (OR: 2.486; CI: 1.042⁻5.934). Most participants were willing to travel up to 25 miles from the research clinic. Of the respondents, 45% were unlikely to participate if the results of the current trial are not shared. Improving access to clinical trials in terms of distance traveled and ensuring streamlined processes to inform participants about the results of the trial in the future would increase willingness to participate in vaccine clinical trials. The survey could serve as a useful tool for conducting vaccine studies and other clinical trials by understanding the barriers specific to the elderly.