JAMA
September 4, 2018, Vol 320, No. 9, Pages 849-948
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Real-World Evidence and Real-World Data for Evaluating Drug Safety and Effectiveness
Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, JD, MD; Leonard Sacks, MD; Janet Woodcock, MD
JAMA. 2018;320(9):867-868. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.10136
In this Viewpoint, Janet Woodcock and CDER colleagues discuss recent FDA initiatives to investigate the adequacy of electronic health record (EHR) and patient database data for research purposes and to understand if and how real-world observational data might be analyzed in ways that mimic or can be as reliable as randomized trials.

JAMA
September 4, 2018, Vol 320, No. 9, Pages 849-948
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Promoting Patient Interests in Implementing the Federal Right to Try Act
Holly Fernandez Lynch, JD, MBE; Patricia J. Zettler, JD; Ameet Sarpatwari, JD, PhD
JAMA. 2018;320(9):869-870. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.9880
This Viewpoint reviews provisions of the US Right to Try Act, which allows patients with life-threatening conditions access to investigational drugs without FDA approval, and calls for clarifications around patient and drug eligibility, reporting requirements, and differences from the FDA’s Expanded Access program to minimize potential harms from the law.

JAMA Pediatrics
September 2018, Vol 172, No. 9, Pages 793-896
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Editorial
Costs, Consequences, and Policy Responses of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Outbreaks
Jason L. Schwartz, PhD
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy poses a growing threat to the success of vaccination efforts worldwide. In the United States, support for routine childhood vaccination, as reflected in national vaccination rates, has remained very strong despite concerns among some parents over the necessity or safety of recommended vaccines.1 However, national vaccination coverage data mask the presence of clusters of large numbers of unvaccinated children in specific communities,2 which understates the risks of vaccine-preventable diseases for these individuals and those around them, as well as the magnitude of the challenge that public health officials face when outbreaks occur in these areas.

JAMA Pediatrics
September 2018, Vol 172, No. 9, Pages 793-896
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Original Investigation
Effectiveness of Live Attenuated vs Inactivated Influenza Vaccines in Children During the 2012-2013 Through 2015-2016 Influenza Seasons in Alberta, CanadaA Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) Study
Sarah A. Buchan, PhD; Stephanie Booth, MPH; Allison N. Scott, PhD; et al.
Key Points
Question
Does vaccine effectiveness differ between live attenuated influenza vaccine and inactivated influenza vaccine in children and adolescents?
Findings
This test-negative study compared health administrative data and laboratory test results on respiratory specimens from 10,169 children and adolescents across 4 influenza seasons and found no significant differences in the odds of influenza infection between children who received live attenuated and those who received inactivated influenza vaccine. The only exception was influenza B during the 2015-2016 season, for which live attenuated influenza vaccine provided better protection than inactivated influenza vaccine.
Meaning
These results support receipt of either live attenuated influenza vaccine or inactivated influenza vaccine in this age group.

Journal of Medical Ethics
September 2018 – Volume 44 – 9
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Global medical ethics
Duty to provide care to Ebola patients: the perspectives of Guinean lay people and healthcare providers (22 August, 2018)
Aim To examine the views of Guinean lay people and healthcare providers (HCPs) regarding the acceptability of HCPs’ refusal to provide care to Ebola patients.
Lonzozou Kpanake, Tamba Kallas Tonguino, Paul Clay Sorum, Etienne Mullet

Nature 
Volume 561 Issue 7721, 6 September 2018
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Review Article | 05 September 2018
Facing up to the global challenges of ageing
Linda Partridge, Joris Deelen & P. Eline Slagboom
Abstract
Longer human lives have led to a global burden of late-life disease. However, some older people experience little ill health, a trait that should be extended to the general population. Interventions into lifestyle, including increased exercise and reduction in food intake and obesity, can help to maintain healthspan. Altered gut microbiota, removal of senescent cells, blood factors obtained from young individuals and drugs can all improve late-life health in animals. Application to humans will require better biomarkers of disease risk and responses to interventions, closer alignment of work in animals and humans, and increased use of electronic health records, biobank resources and cohort studies.

Nature Medicine
Volume 24 Issue 9, September 2018
https://www.nature.com/nm/volumes/24/issues/9

Editorial | 07 September 2018
Clarifying access to data
To facilitate access to and improve the discoverability of the data in our papers, Nature Medicine is making the data availability statement in our papers more prominent and its language more transparent.

Nature Reviews Immunology
Volume 18 Issue 9, September 2018
https://www.nature.com/nri/volumes/18/issues/8

Perspective | 05 June 2018
Antibodies and tuberculosis: finally coming of age?
Most candidate vaccines for tuberculosis are designed to boost cell-mediated immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the intracellular bacterium that causes the disease. This Opinion article considers the rationale for also harnessing antibody-mediated immunity in future tuberculosis vaccines.
Hao Li  & Babak Javid

New England Journal of Medicine
September 6, 2018   Vol. 379 No. 10
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
A New Threat to Immigrants’ Health — The Public-Charge
Krista M. Perreira, Ph.D., Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Ph.D., and Jonathan Oberlander, Ph.D.
[Initial text]
The United States is making major changes to its immigration policies that are spilling over into health policy. In one such change, the Trump administration is drafting a rule on “public charges” that could have important consequences for access to medical care and the health of millions of immigrants and their families.1 The concept of a public charge dates back to 19th-century immigration law. Under current guidelines, persons labeled as potential public charges can be denied legal entry to the United States. They can also be prevented from adjusting their status from a nonimmigrant visa category (e.g., a student or work visa) to legal permanent resident status. In addition, if they become public charges within the first 5 years after their admission to the United States, for reasons that existed before they came to the country, in rare cases they can be arrested and deported. Immigrants and their families consequently have strong incentives to avoid being deemed public charges.
Current guidelines define a public charge as a person who is primarily dependent on the government for more than half of personal income. In evaluating whether a person is likely to become a public charge, immigration officials take account of factors such as age, health, financial status, education, and skills…

New England Journal of Medicine
September 6, 2018   Vol. 379 No. 10
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

The Violence of Uncertainty — Undermining Immigrant and Refugee Health
Breanne L. Grace, Ph.D., Rajeev Bais, M.D., M.P.H., and Benjamin J. Roth, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Immigrants and refugees in the United States have long faced structural violence due to unequal health care access. Now they’re being subjected to “the violence of uncertainty,” enacted through systematic instability that exacerbates inequality and generates fear.

Pediatrics
September 2018, VOLUME 142 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3?current-issue=y

Articles
Legislation to Increase Uptake of HPV Vaccination and Adolescent Sexual Behaviors
Erin E. Cook, Atheendar S. Venkataramani, Jane J. Kim, Rulla M. Tamimi, Michelle D. Holmes
Pediatrics Sep 2018, 142 (3) e20180458; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0458
Legislation to raise uptake of HPV vaccination among adolescents was not associated with increases in risky sexual behavior in this quasi-experimental study

Pediatrics
September 2018, VOLUME 142 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3?current-issue=y

Prenatal Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis Vaccination and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Tracy A. Becerra-Culqui, Darios Getahun, Vicki Chiu, Lina S. Sy, Hung Fu Tseng
Pediatrics Sep 2018, 142 (3) e20180120; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0120
In this retrospective observational cohort study, we evaluate the association between Tdap vaccination during pregnancy and ASD in children in an integrated health care system in Southern California.

Pediatrics
September 2018, VOLUME 142 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3?current-issue=y

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency and Adolescent Vaccination
Allison L. Naleway, Kathleen F. Mittendorf, Stephanie A. Irving, Michelle L. Henninger, Bradley Crane, Ning Smith, Matthew F. Daley, Julianne Gee
Pediatrics Sep 2018, 142 (3) e20180943; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0943
We investigated the risk for young women of developing POI after adolescent vaccination. No increased risk was observed.

Pediatrics
September 2018, VOLUME 142 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3?current-issue=y

Adoption of Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations
Allison Kempe, Mandy A. Allison, Jessica R. MacNeil, Sean T. O’Leary, Lori A. Crane, Brenda L. Beaty, Laura P. Hurley, Michaela Brtnikova, Megan C. Lindley, Alison P. Albert
Pediatrics Sep 2018, 142 (3) e20180344; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0344
We examined how primary care physicians are adopting the MenB vaccine after it received a category B recommendation by the ACIP in 2015.

Pediatrics
September 2018, VOLUME 142 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3?current-issue=y

Meningococcal B Vaccine Immunogenicity in Children With Defects in Complement and Splenic Function
Federico Martinón-Torres, Ewa Bernatowska, Anna Shcherbina, Susanna Esposito, Leszek Szenborn, Magda Campins Marti, Stephen Hughes, Saul N. Faust, Luis I. Gonzalez-Granado, Ly-Mee Yu, Diego D’Agostino, Marco Calabresi, Daniela Toneatto, Matthew D. Snape
Pediatrics Sep 2018, 142 (3) e20174250; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-4250
Children with complement deficiency respond less well to immunization with 4CMenB than healthy children in the control category; surveillance for vaccine failures is required to determine the significance of this.

Pediatrics
September 2018, VOLUME 142 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3?current-issue=y

Special Articles
Understanding FDA-Approved Labeling and CDC Recommendations for Use of Vaccines
Cody Meissner, Karen Farizo, Douglas Pratt, Larry K. Pickering, Amanda C. Cohn
Pediatrics Sep 2018, 142 (3) e20180780; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0780
Recommendations for the use of FDA-licensed vaccines are provided by the CDC. In this article, we discuss why a difference may exist between licensure and recommendations for vaccine use.

PharmacoEconomics
Volume 36, Issue 10, October 2018
https://link.springer.com/journal/40273/36/10/page/1

Current Opinion
Using Evidence from Randomised Controlled Trials in Economic Models: What Information is Relevant and is There a Minimum Amount of Sample Data Required to Make Decisions?
John W. Stevens

PharmacoEconomics
Volume 36, Issue 10, October 2018
https://link.springer.com/journal/40273/36/10/page/1

Systematic Review
Costs of Invasive Meningococcal Disease: A Global Systematic Review
Bing Wang, Renee Santoreneos, Hossein Afzali, Lynne Giles

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 8 Sep 2018]

Research Article
Barriers to supportive care during the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa: Results of a qualitative study
During the 2013–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, supportive care was the only non-experimental treatment option for patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD). However, providing care that would otherwise be routine for most clinical settings in the context of a highly contagious and lethal pathogen is much more challenging. The objective of this study was to document and deepen understanding of barriers to provision of supportive care in Ebola treatment units (ETUs) as perceived by those involved in care delivery during the outbreak
Christine Loignon, Elysée Nouvet, François Couturier, Lynda Benhadj, Neill K. J. Adhikari, Srinivas Murthy, Rob A. Fowler, François Lamontagne
Research Article | published 05 Sep 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201091
 

Public Health
September 2018 Volume 162, p1-154
http://www.publichealthjrnl.com/current

Editors’ Choice
The impacts of migration on maternal and child health services utilisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from Togo
E.H. Atake
Published online: June 20, 2018

Public Health
September 2018 Volume 162, p1-154
http://www.publichealthjrnl.com/current

Original Research
Vaccination against pertussis and influenza in pregnancy: a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators
Anna Maisa, Sarah Milligan, Alison Quinn, Denise Boulter, Jillian Johnston, Charlene Treanor, Declan T. Bradley
Published online: July 14, 2018

Public Health Reports
Volume 133 Issue 5, September/October 2018
http://phr.sagepub.com/content/current

Research
Quadrivalent Meningococcal Vaccine Uptake Among Men Who Have Sex With Men During a Meningococcal Outbreak in Los Angeles County, California, 2016-2017
Ian W. Holloway, PhD, MSW, MPH, Elizabeth S. C. Wu, MPH, Jennifer Gildner, MSPH, Vincent L. Fenimore, PhD, MEd, Diane Tan, MSPH, Laura Randall, MPH, Paula M. Frew, PhD, MA, MPH
First Published September 6, 2018; pp. 559–569

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Discussion   Abstract only
School entry vaccination requirement program: Experience from the Republic of Korea
Young June Choe, Kwangsuk Park, Eunyoung Park, Insik Kong, Jong-Koo Lee
Pages 5497-5499

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

WHO reports
Discussion  Abstract only
Rabies vaccines: WHO position paper, April 2018 – Recommendations
World Health Organization
Pages 5500-5503

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Research article   Open access
Increasing influenza vaccine uptake in children: A randomised controlled trial
Karene Hoi Ting Yeung, Marie Tarrant, Kate Ching Ching Chan, Wing Hung Tam, E. Anthony S. Nelson
Pages 5524-5535

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Research article   Open access
The role of National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) in strengthening national vaccine decision-making: A comparative case study of Armenia, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda
Natasha Howard, Helen Walls, Sadie Bell, Sandra Mounier-Jack
Pages 5536-5543

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Research article   Abstract only
Vaccine confidence among mothers of young children, Slovenia, 2016
Veronika Učakar, Mario Fafangel, Alenka Kraigher
Pages 5544-5550

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Research article  Open access
Factors influencing vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in three informal settlements in Lusaka, Zambia
Miguel Pugliese-Garcia, Leonard W. Heyerdahl, Chanda Mwamba, Sharon Nkwemu, … Anjali Sharma
Pages 5617-5624

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Research article   Open access
Strengthening routine immunization through measles-rubella elimination
Robin J. Biellik, Walter A. Orenstein
Pages 5645-5650

Vaccine
Volume 36, Issue 37  Pages 5495-5670 (5 September 2018)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/36/issue/36

Research article   Open access
National survey of pharmacy-based immunization services
Salisa C. Westrick, Brandon J. Patterson, Mohammad S. Kader, Sanuwar Rashid, … Mitchel C. Rothholz
Pages 5657-5664

Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 8 Sep 2018)

Open Access  Review
Prevention of Cervical Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Advantages and Challenges of HPV Vaccination
by Eleanor Black and Robyn Richmond
Vaccines 2018, 6(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines6030061 (registering DOI) – 8 September 2018
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a critical public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where it is the second leading cause of cancer among women and the leading cause of female cancer deaths. Incidence and mortality rates are substantially higher than in high-income countries with population-based screening programs, yet implementing screening programs in SSA has so far proven to be challenging due to financial, logistical, and sociocultural factors. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is an effective approach for primary prevention of cervical cancer and presents an opportunity to reduce the burden from cervical cancer in SSA. With a number of SSA countries now eligible for Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) support for vaccine introduction, it is timely to consider the factors that impede and facilitate implementation of vaccine programs in SSA. This article describes epidemiological features of cervical cancer in SSA and the current status of HPV vaccine implementation in SSA countries. Rwanda’s experience of achieving high vaccination coverage in their national HPV immunization program is used as a case study to explore effective approaches to the design and implementation of HPV vaccination programs in SSA. Key factors in Rwanda’s successful implementation included government ownership and support for the program, school-based delivery, social mobilization, and strategies for reaching out-of-school girls. These findings might usefully be applied to other SSA countries planning for HPV vaccination.

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

No new digest content identified.

Media/Policy Watch

This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.

We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.
 
 
The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
Global health
Vaccines Against H.I.V., Malaria and Tuberculosis Unlikely, Study Says
Unless the $3 billion spent annually on research triples, the world may not be able to invent vaccines or rapid cures for many ills of the poor.
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.
Sept. 7, 2018  Vaccines against H.I.V., malaria and tuberculosis — three major killers of the world’s poor — are unlikely to be produced in the foreseeable future unless vastly more money is committed to finding them, a new study has concluded…
 
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/home-page?_wsjregion=na,us&_homepage=/home/us
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
Europe
Romania’s Deadly Measles Outbreak Spotlights Widespread Rejection of Vaccines
By Pietro Lombardi
Sep. 5, 2018 5:30 am ET
Vaccination rates have plummeted in Romania, exacerbating a measles outbreak, part of an escalating trend that has plagued Europe in recent years.
 
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Think Tanks et al

 
Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new relevant content]
 
 
Center for Global Development  
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new relevant content]
 
 
CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new relevant content]
 
 
Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 8 Sep 2018
[No new relevant content]

Milestones :: Perspectives
 
 
Ebola – Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO –
Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo  
Disease outbreak news
31 August 2018
The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is at a key juncture. Recent trends (Figure 1) suggest that control measures are working. Over the past week, contact follow-up rates have substantially improved, most patients recently admitted to Ebola treatment centres (ETC) received therapeutics within hours of being confirmed, and ring vaccination activities have scaled to reach contacts (and their contacts) of most confirmed cases reported in the last three weeks. However, the outbreak trend must be interpreted with caution. Since the last Disease Outbreak News on 24 August 2018, 13 additional confirmed and probable cases have been reported, the majority (n=8) were from the city of Beni. Moreover, substantial risks remain, posed by potential undocumented chains of transmission; four of the 13 new cases were not known contacts. Likewise, sporadic instances of high-risk behaviours in some communities (such as unsafe burials, reluctance towards contact tracing, vaccination and admission to ETCs if symptoms developed), poor infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in some community health centres, and delays in patients reaching ETCs when symptoms develop, all have the potential to further propagate the outbreak.

As of 29 August 2018, a total of 116 EVD cases (86 confirmed and 30 probable) including 77 deaths (47 confirmed and 30 probable)1 have been reported in five health zones in North Kivu (Beni, Butembo, Oicha, Mabalako, Musienene) and one health zone in Ituri (Mandima). Eight suspected cases from Mabalako (n=5) and Beni (n=3) are currently pending laboratory testing to confirm or exclude EVD. The majority of cases (65 confirmed and 21 probable) have been reported from Mabalako Health Zone (Figure 2). The median age of confirmed and probable cases is 35 years (interquartile range 19–45.5 years), and 56% were female (Figure 3).

Fifteen cases have been reported among health workers, of which 14 were laboratory confirmed; one has died. All health worker exposures likely occurred in health facilities outside of the dedicated ETCs. WHO and partners continue to work with health workers and communities to increase awareness on IPC measures, as well as vaccinate those at risk of infection.

In addition to the ongoing response activities within outbreak affected areas, the MoH, WHO and partners will be implementing a 30-day strategic plan to ensure operational readiness measures against EVD are strengthened in all provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first phase of implementation will prioritise six provinces at highest risk of case importations: South Kivu, Maniema, Ituri, Tanganika, Haut Uele and Bas Uele. The main objective is to ensure that these provinces implement essential operational readiness measures, including enhancing surveillance, IPC and social mobilization to mitigate, rapidly detect, investigate and effectively respond to a possible outbreak of EVD.
 
Situation Report 04: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu
28 August 2018
[Excerpt]
Implementation of ring vaccination protocol
Since the beginning of the vaccination exercise on 8 August 2018, a total of 4 130 people have been vaccinated, as of 27 August 2018. The current vaccine stock in Béni stands at 5,070 doses.

::::::
 
African Union begins deploying health workers to fight Ebola in the DRC
Kinshasa, DRC 25 August 2018- The African Union has begun sending qualified African health workers into the regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, that are affected by the latest Ebola outbreak to hit the continent.
These are seasoned veterans as some of them were also involved in the 8th epidemic from 2014 to 2016, and the ninth, which occurred earlier this year.
20 health workers left Kinshasa yesterday, and travelled to Beni in North Kivu province in the east of the DRC. A further 15 will follow in the next few days.
Apart from sending health workers, the African Union is making other contributions. In July, it donated six genexpert machines and 3000 cartridges and swabs for laboratory confirmatory testing. It also conducted capacity building programme that benefitted over 300 experts, on laboratory diagnosis of the Ebola Virus Disease, ports of entry and infection, prevention and control (IPC). Participants were drawn from the country’s ministry of health and the National Institute of Biomedical Research.

Milestones :: Perspectives

Cholera

African Health Ministers commit to ending cholera outbreaks by 2030

28 August 2018, Dakar, Senegal – African Health Ministers have pledged to implement key strategies for ending cholera outbreaks in the African region by 2030.

Forty-seven African countries adopted the Regional Framework for the Implementation of the Global Strategy for Cholera Prevention and Control today (28 August) at the 68th session of the World Health Organization’s Regional Committee  for Africa, which is taking place in Dakar, Senegal.

“Cholera is a symbol of inequity,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. “It’s an ancient disease, which has been eliminated in many parts of the world. Every death from cholera is preventable. We have the know-how and today countries have shown that they have the will to do whatever it takes to end cholera outbreaks by 2030.“

Cholera is a major global public health problem, but the burden and impact of the waterborne disease is greatest in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, more than 150,000 cholera cases, including more than 3,000 deaths, were reported in 17 countries Africa. This year, there has been a spike in cholera cases across Africa, with eight countries currently battling outbreaks.

The region is vulnerable to cholera for a range of reasons. Ninety-two million people in Africa still drink water from unsafe sources. In rural areas, piped water is often unavailable, and people practice open defecation. Humanitarian crises, climate change, rapid urbanization and population growth are also increasing the risk of cholera spreading.

In adopting the Regional Framework, countries pledged to reduce by 90% the magnitude of cholera outbreaks particularly among vulnerable populations and in humanitarian crises. They agreed to take evidence-based actions, which include enhancing epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, mapping cholera hotspots, improving access to timely treatment, strengthening cross-border surveillance, promoting community engagement and the use of the Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) as well as increasing investments in clean water and sanitation for the most vulnerable communities.

“WHO is working hand in hand with countries, providing key technical expertise and guidance,” said Dr Moeti. “The oral cholera vaccine has been shown to be highly effective and WHO has facilitated the vaccination of millions of people across Africa. We must continue to expand use of this new strategy.”

From 2013 to 2017, WHO supported 65 cholera vaccination campaigns and supplied more than 16 million doses of vaccines to 18 countries globally, including 11 in Africa. Many of the campaigns in Africa have taken place in the context of a humanitarian crisis or natural disaster.

Many of the risk factors for cholera such as poor sanitation and rapid urbanization lie outside of the health sector and so WHO is working with a broad coalition of partners to engage with all relevant sectors to build a comprehensive and sustainable response throughout the region.

Milestones :: Perspectives

China Has Withheld Samples of a Dangerous Flu Virus

Despite an international agreement, U.S. health authorities still have not received H7N9 avian flu specimens from their Chinese counterparts.
The New York Times, Aug. 27, 2018
By Emily Baumgaertner

For over a year, the Chinese government has withheld lab samples of a rapidly evolving influenza virus from the United States — specimens needed to develop vaccines and treatments, according to federal health officials.

Despite persistent requests from government officials and research institutions, China has not provided samples of the dangerous virus, a type of bird flu called H7N9. In the past, such exchanges have been mostly routine under rules established by the World Health Organization.
Now, as the United States and China spar over trade, some scientists worry that the vital exchange of medical supplies and information could slow, hampering preparedness for the next biological threat.

The scenario is “unlike shortages in aluminum and soybeans,” said Dr. Michael Callahan, an infectious disease specialist at Harvard Medical School.

“Jeopardizing U.S. access to foreign pathogens and therapies to counter them undermines our nation’s ability to protect against infections which can spread globally within days.”

Experts concur that the world’s next global pandemic will likely come from a repeat offender: the flu. The H7N9 virus is one candidate.

Since taking root in China in 2013, the virus has spread through poultry farms, evolving into a highly pathogenic strain that can infect humans. It has killed 40 percent of its victims.

If this strain were to become highly contagious among humans, seasonal flu vaccines would provide little to no protection. Americans have virtually no immunity.

“Pandemic influenza spreads faster than anything else,” said Rick A. Bright, the director of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that oversees vaccine development. “There’s nothing to hold it back or slow it down. Every minute counts.”…

Emergencies
 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 28 August 2018 [GPEI]
Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan – one new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case.
Democratic Republic of the Congo ‒ Based on positive contacts, two negative AFP index cases classified as circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
Nigeria – three  new cases of cVDPV2.
Papua New Guinea – two  new cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1)

Statement of the Eighteenth IHR Emergency Committee Regarding the International Spread of Poliovirus
15 August 2018
[Excerpts; Editor’s text bolding]
The eighteenth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the Director General on 15 August 2018 at WHO headquarters with members, advisers and invited Member States attending via teleconference…

Vaccine derived poliovirus
The committee was very concerned by the increase in circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV).  Since the last meeting, new emergences with circulation of VDPV have been detected in Papua New Guinea, DR Congo (Mongala) and Nigeria (Sokoto).  In Nigeria and DR Congo multiple lineages of cVDPV2 are circulating concurrently, and in Somalia, both cVDPV2 and cVDPV3 are circulating.

Control of the outbreaks in DR Congo remains difficult to achieve.  Gene sequencing and analysis has shown that there have been three different cVDPV2 sub-types circulating.  The analysis of the newly detected cVDPV2 in Mongala Province indicates the virus has emerged after OPV2 withdrawal in 2016.  Conflict and population movement within and outside DR Congo represent a risk of further spread.  The detection of cVDPV2 in Ituri Province far from previously detected cases and adjacent to the border with Uganda heightened these concerns and is an example that the virus can spread long distances.  The outbreaks of Ebola virus disease further complicates the response.

The new outbreak of cVDPV1 in PNG highlights that there are vulnerable areas of the world not usually the focus of eradication efforts.  The swift action of the Government of PNG in declaring a national public health emergency was welcomed, and highlights the utility of the Temporary Recommendations in such circumstances.

The outbreaks of cVDPV2 in Somalia and Kenya, and cVDPV3 in Somalia are of major concern, particularly the apparent international spread between Somalia and Kenya.

The outbreaks of cVDPV2 in Jigawa, and for the second time in Sokoto, Nigeria, again underlines the vulnerability of northern Nigeria to poliovirus transmission.  Routine immunization coverage remains very poor in many areas of the country, although the national emergency programme to strengthen routine immunisation is beginning to make an impact in some areas….

Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months…

Additional considerations
The outbreak in Papua New Guinea again highlights the ongoing vulnerability of some parts of the world to polioviruses. The committee urged countries in close proximity to the current outbreaks, such as Ethiopia, South Sudan and Indonesia to strengthen polio surveillance and routine immunization.

The Committee noted that the extension of the PHEIC for over four years in the context of the end game of the global eradication effort, was an exceptional use of the IHR.  The committee noted that some stakeholders are questioning whether this continued declaration of a PHEIC may weaken its impact as a tool to address global health emergencies, and specifically whether it continues to have utility noting that the risk of international spread appears to have substantially diminished since 2014.  It noted that it was not originally envisaged that a PHEIC would continue for such a long interval, but the committee feels that the circumstances of an eradication program such as polio are unique.  The committee was deeply concerned that the abrupt removal of the PHEIC might send out the wrong message to the global community and might reverse the gains made in reducing the risk of international spread in some areas.  There is sound evidence that the Temporary Recommendations have been an important factor in reducing the risk of international spread since 2014 [1][2].  The committee requested the secretariat to review whether there were alternative approaches or tools to achieve the same outcomes as the Temporary Recommendations for the polio PHEIC and report back to the committee in three months.

Based on the current situation regarding WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports provided by Afghanistan, DR Congo, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Somalia, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 27 August 2018 determined that the situation relating to poliovirus continues to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV.  The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s recommendations for countries meeting the definition for ‘States infected with WPV1, cVDPV1 or cVDPV3 with potential risk for international spread’, ‘States infected with cVDPV2 with potential risk for international spread’ and for ‘States no longer infected by WPV1 or cVDPV, but which remain vulnerable to re-infection by WPV or cVDPV’ and extended the Temporary Recommendations under the IHR to reduce the risk of the international spread of poliovirus, effective 27 August 2018.
 
::::::
::::::

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 1 Sep 2018]
Iraq  – No new announcements identified
Nigeria  – No new announcements identified
South Sudan  – No new announcements identified
The Syrian Arab Republic – No new announcements identified
Yemen  – No new announcements identified
 
::::::
 
WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 1 Sep 2018]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo  31 August 2018
:: Situation Report 04: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  28 August 2018
[See Milestones above for detail]

Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified.
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Libya – No new announcements identified.
Myanmar  – No new announcements identified
Niger  – No new announcements identified.
Ukraine – 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. 
Syrian Arab Republic   – No new announcements identified.
Yemen  – 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 
:: Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 62 | 13 – 26 August 2018  Published on 28 Aug 2018

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 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.who.int/ebola/en/
:: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo  31 August 2018
:: Situation Report 04: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  28 August 2018
 [See Milestones above for more detail]

MERS-CoV [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/
– No new announcements identified.
 
Yellow Fever  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/yellowfev/en/
Disease outbreak news
Yellow fever – France – French Guiana
24 August 2018

Zika virus  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/zika/en/
– No new announcements identified.
 
 

WHO & Regional Offices [to 1 Sep 2018]

African Health Ministers commit to ending cholera outbreaks by 2030
28 August 2018 | News Release
[See Milestones above for more detail]

::::::
 
Weekly Epidemiological Record, 31 August 2018, vol. 93, 35 (pp. 444–456)
Global leprosy update, 2017: reducing the disease burden due to leprosy
 
::::::
 
WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
Selected Featured News
:: Minister of Health assures Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Intellectual Property Rights 
31 August 2018
:: Nigeria’s Polio laboratories pass another round of accreditation exercise   30 August 2018
:: WHO report finds poor delivery of services threatens gains made in health in Africa  29 August 2018
:: African Health Ministers commit to ending cholera outbreaks by 2030  28 August 2018
:: WHO convenes a meeting for pilot testing of the 3rd edition of the Technical Guidelines for Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR)  28 August 2018
:: President Macky Sall of Senegal urges African leaders to prioritise investment in health:  Regional Committee for Africa gets underway in Dakar, Senegal  27 August 2018
:: Kenya in determined effort to keep polio virus at bay  26 August 2018

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: A third of all countries in the Americas have still not implemented effective tobacco control measures (08/29/2018)
 
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO South-East Asia countries to discuss priority health issues in Delhi next week
SEAR/PR/1695  New Delhi, 31 August 2018: Intensifying action to eliminate malaria, addressing the increasing threat of dengue, to improving access to essential medicines, Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region are meeting here from 3 to 7 September to discuss priority health issues in the Region, home to one-fourth of the world’s population.
Health ministers and senior officials from the 11 Member countries are expected to participate in the Seventy-first Session of the Regional Committee of WHO South-East Asia Region, the highest policy making body of WHO in the Region…
 
WHO European Region EURO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Protecting women in Solomon Islands from cervical cancer
31 August 2018 – Solomon Islands, with support from WHO, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is focusing on prevention of cervical cancer using the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect girls aged 9-14 years old against the disease.
 

CDC/ACIP [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

Latest News
CDC Hosts International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases
Monday, August 27, 2018
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Task Force for Global Health, Inc., are hosting the 2018 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID) today through Wednesday in Atlanta. Held every 2-3 years, the ICEID brings together more than 1,500 public health professionals from around the world to encourage the exchange of the latest information on issues affecting the emergence, spread, and control of infectious diseases.
ICEID 2018 marks the 10th occurrence of this premier infectious disease conference. The program includes plenary and panel sessions with invited speakers, oral abstract and poster presentations, and scientific and public health exhibitors—all focusing on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases…

MMWR News Synopsis for August 30, 2018
Cholera Outbreak in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kenya — November 2015–June 2016
Cholera can spread rapidly in densely populated settings such as refugee camps. Without prompt treatment, people with severe disease can die within hours.
Cholera continues to be a public health problem in Kenya. Refugee camps are at particularly high risk of cholera outbreaks because of high population density. Cholera is preventable by proper water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices like routine hand washing and treatment of water used for drinking, cooking, and washing. In this study, we investigated a cholera outbreak in the largest refugee camp in Kenya that hosts a population of nearly 340,000 refugees. Improvement to WASH practices controlled the outbreak and prevented further illness and deaths. CDC encourages affected communities and departments of health, water, and environment to improve WASH practices to prevent cholera outbreaks in future.

Africa CDC   [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://au.int/en/africacdc
August 25, 2018

African Union begins deploying health workers to fight Ebola in the DRC
[See Milestones above for more detail]

China CDC 
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/

Website not responding at inquiry

Announcements
 
AERAS  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.aeras.org/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 1 Sep 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 1 Sep 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 1 Sep 2018]
http://cepi.net/
Posted on 20TH AUG 2018 by Mario Christodoulou
CEPI Awards Contract Worth Up To USD$36 million to Consortium led by IDT to Develop MERS Vaccine
OSLO (Norway), Dessau-Rosslau, (Germany)
CEPI (the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) today announced a collaboration with IDT Biologika under which IDT will receive up to USD$36 million to advance the development and manufacture of a vaccine against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a zoonotic disease that is spread to humans from dromedary camels.
Under the terms of the Framework Partnering Agreement for the collaboration, IDT will receive development funding from CEPI for advancing its MERS-CoV vaccine. CEPI will provide $15.7 million to support the first stages of the development, with options to invest up to a total of $36 million over 5 years (including clinical development, process development, manufacturing, and stockpile of the vaccine)…

EDCTP    [to 1 Sep 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
No new digest content identified.

Emory Vaccine Center    [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
31/08/2018
Development of medicines for rare diseases
An overview of the EU’s orphan designation programme …

29/08/2018
Towards improving the availability of medicines in the EU
EU-wide task force publishes work programme 2019/20 and prepares multi-stakeholder workshop …

28/08/2018
Fostering medicines for children
At a glance: EMA’s support of paediatric research …
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
FDA [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.

 
Fondation Merieux  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
No new digest content identified.

 
Gavi [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.gavi.org/library/news/press-releases/
01 September 2018
Measles vaccine campaign launched in Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan – The Government of Afghanistan, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have today launched a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect children 13.8 million children aged 9 months to 10 years against measles…

 
GHIT Fund   [to 1 Sep 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 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/?topic=&type=NEWS;&country=
News
Global Fund Appoints Fady Zeidan as General Counsel
31 August 2018
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 1 Sep 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 1 Sep 2018]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
August 2018
Bill Moss on the Increase in Measles Cases in Europe
To talk about the increase in measles cases in some parts of the world, Dr. Bill Moss, Deputy Director of the International Vaccine Access Center, joined a program called the Show hosted by KJZZ, an NPR member station in Phoenix, Arizona.
 
 
IVI   [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.ivi.int/
Undated
KOICA, IVI team up with Mozambican MoH and INS, partners to vaccinate 190,000 people against cholera
– Joint initiative aims to prevent and control cholera, and secure sustainable cholera and diarrheal disease surveillance
– WASH campaign to promote access to clean water and behavioral change for appropriate sanitation and hygiene practice
– “KOICA is joining the program to contribute to ‘Ending Cholera—A Global Roadmap to 2030’”
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected Press Releases/Statements
Central African Republic
Suffering mounts as armed groups return to Bambari
Project Update 31 Aug 2018

Libya
Conflict in Tripoli puts lives in danger, demonstrating that Libya is not a place of safety
Press Release31 August 2018

 
NIH  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
August 31, 2018
Novel intervention halves rate of death among people living with HIV who inject drugs
— NIH-supported study finds intervention boosts treatment participation, HIV suppression.

NIH names Dr. Helene Langevin director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
August 29, 2018 — Dr. Langevin is expected to join NIH in November 2018.

HIV/AIDS research yields dividends across medical fields
August 28, 2018 — Nearly four decades of study has propelled advances in heart disease, hepatitis, cancer and other diseases.

PATH  [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
News
Rotavirus Experts Share Latest Research, Call for Increased Vaccine Coverage at Symposium
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
MINSK, BELARUS – Beginning today, the 13th International Rotavirus Symposium, hosted by the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control, PATH, ROTA Council, the Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Government of the Republic of Belarus, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is bringing together scientific experts, policy makers and public health officials to share the latest developments in the fast-moving field of rotavirus prevention. Attendees of the three-day Symposium will examine the latest results from new rotavirus vaccine trials and studies around the globe, with a special focus on the impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction on childhood diarrheal illness, advances in immunology and virology, the factors that enable or inhibit national decisions for vaccine introduction, issues in vaccine policy, and vaccine financing and safety.
The biennial International Rotavirus Symposium provides a crucial opportunity for researchers and national public health officials to discuss approaches to further reduce the global morbidity and mortality associated with rotavirus…
 
 
UNAIDS [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.unaids.org/en
28 August 2018
Botswana to revitalize HIV combination prevention

27 August 2018
Situation rooms bring actionable data to decision-makers
Health situation rooms—software platforms designed to support decision-making on countries’ health responses—are opening up across Africa, bridging data and decision-making in order to improve the health and lives of tens of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Data integration, data warehousing and data visualization are the core of the situation room concept, providing transparent and improved information on a range of diseases. While situation rooms are virtual working space, some countries also use physical rooms in which the analytics can be discussed and acted upon…

UNICEF  [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
Press release   31/08/2018
Children among most vulnerable as extreme weather events continue around the world
Record heatwaves, floods and droughts ‘a stark vision of the world we are creating for future generations’

Press release   28/08/2018
UNICEF steps-up support for children ahead of new school year in Ebola affected areas of Eastern DRC

Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.
 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Published: 30 August 2018
Public engagement: it’s fantastic for research, but how feasible is it for you?
In the third in our blog series from the Public Engagement team, Imran Khan and Rebecca Jones talk about the issues around researcher-led public engagement. 
Is engagement seen as part of the job of being a Wellcome researcher, or as an add-on in a growing list of demands? Is academic culture continuing to be more open and public, or have we taken our eye off the ball and let progress stall? Do funders reward good practice when we see it, or just complain about it when we don’t?
These are some of the questions we’re asking ourselves as we try to figure out how best to involve Wellcome-funded researchers in our new public engagement strategy.
Wellcome funding supports over 14,000 people in over 70 countries, so finding ways to make sure our grantees’ work is shared with the public is one of our team’s biggest opportunities – and biggest challenges…
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2018/
No new digest content identified.

::::::
 
BIO    [to 1 Sep 2018]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
No new digest content identified.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
No new digest content identified.

 
IFPMA   [to 1 Sep 2018]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
No new digest content identified.

 
PhRMA    [to 1 Sep 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

BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 1 Sep 2018)

Research article
Infectious disease testing of UK-bound refugees: a population-based, cross-sectional study
The UK, like a number of other countries, has a refugee resettlement programme. External factors, such as higher prevalence of infectious diseases in the country of origin and circumstances of travel, are likely to increase the infectious disease risk of refugees, but published data is scarce. The International Organization for Migration carries out and collates data on standardised pre-entry health assessments (HA), including testing for infectious diseases, on all UK refugee applicants as part of the resettlement programme. From this data, we report the yield of selected infectious diseases (tuberculosis (TB), HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C) and key risk factors with the aim of informing public health policy.
Authors: Alison F. Crawshaw, Manish Pareek, John Were, Steffen Schillinger, Olga Gorbacheva, Kolitha P. Wickramage, Sema Mandal, Valerie Delpech, Noel Gill, Hilary Kirkbride and Dominik Zenner
Citation: BMC Medicine 2018 16:143
Published on: 28 August 2018

Clinical Therapeutics
August 2018 Volume 40, Issue 8, p1225-1428
http://www.clinicaltherapeutics.com/current

Original Research
Discrepancies Between US Food and Drug Administration Vaccine Licensure Indications and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommendations: Provider Knowledge and Attitudes
In the United States, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for licensure of vaccines. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a federal advisory committee that provides guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on use of vaccines. Discrepancies between FDA licensure indications and ACIP/CDC vaccine recommendations exist, challenging health care providers. The objectives of this study were: (1) to categorize differences between FDA vaccine licensure indications and ACIP/CDC vaccine recommendations for vaccines; and (2) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pediatricians, family physicians, and obstetrician-gynecologists regarding their understanding of differences.
Christine E. Bell, Andi L. Shane, Larry K. Pickering
p1308–1319.e16
Published online: August 11, 2018

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 1 Sep 2018]

Research
|   30 August 2018
Diffusion, convergence and influence of pharmaceutical innovations: a comparative study of Chinese and U.S. patents
Despite the significant impact of pharmaceutical innovations on healthcare, our understanding is still limited because previous studies explored only a few cases and largely came from a linear perspective. This study presents a detailed case of the Chinese and U.S. pharmaceutical patents and investigated advancements that the global pharmaceutical industry is experiencing. A network analysis approach was used to identify certain aspects regarding the diffusion of pharmaceutical innovations, including innovation attributes, adopter characteristics, and clustering.
Authors: Qiaolei Jiang and Chunjuan Luan
 

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 1 Sep 2018]

Research
Public involvement and health research system governance: a qualitative study
Interest in public involvement in health research projects has led to increased attention on the coordination of public involvement through research organisations, networks and whole systems.
Authors: Fiona Alice Miller, Sarah J. Patton, Mark Dobrow, Deborah A. Marshall and Whitney Berta
Citation: Health Research Policy and Systems 2018 16:87
Published on: 30 August 2018