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

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 45, 23 October 2019, Pages 6787-6792
Review
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use during humanitarian crises
Kevin van Zandvoort, Francesco Checchi, Emma Diggle, Rosalind M. Eggo, … Stefan Flasche
Pages 6787-6792
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common human commensal that causes a sizeable part of the overall childhood mortality in low income settings. Populations affected by humanitarian crises are at especially high risk, because a multitude of risk factors that are enhanced during crises increase pneumococcal transmission and disease severity. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) provide effective protection and have been introduced into the majority of routine childhood immunisation programmes globally, though several barriers have hitherto limited their uptake during humanitarian crises. When PCV coverage cannot be sustained during crises or when PCV has not been part of routine programmes, mass vaccination campaigns offer a quick acting and programmatically feasible bridging solution until services can be restored. However, we currently face a paucity of evidence on which to base the structure of such campaigns. We believe that, now that PCV can be procured at a substantially reduced price through the Humanitarian Mechanism, this lack of information is a remaining hurdle to PCV use in humanitarian crises. Considering the difficulties in conducting research in crises, we propose an evidence generation pathway consisting of primary data collection in combination with mathematical modelling followed by quasi-experimental evaluation of a PCV intervention, which can inform on optimal vaccination strategies that consider age targeting, dosing regimens and impact duration.

Journal of Modelling in Management
Publication date: 11 October 2019
The design of the vaccine supply network under uncertain condition
SJ Sadjadi, Z Ziaei, MS Pishvaee – 2019
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to design a proper supply chain network for the vaccine industry in Iran, which considers several features such as uncertainties in demands and cost, perishability of vaccines, wastages in storage, limited capacity and different priorities for demands.
Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and using a robust counterpart approach for coping with uncertainties of model.
Findings
The presented robust model in comparison with the deterministic model has a better performance and is more reliable for network design of vaccine supply chain.
Originality/value
This study considers uncertainty in the network design of vaccine supply chain for the first time in the vaccine context It presents an MILP model where strategic decisions for each echelon and tactical decisions among different echelons of supply chain are determined. Further, it models the difference between high- and low-priority demands for vaccine.

Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2019.278
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 October 2019
First View
Measles outbreak from Hong Kong International Airport to the hospital due to secondary vaccine failure in healthcare workers
VCC Cheng, SC Wong, SCY Wong, S Sridhar…
Abstract
Objective:
To report an outbreak of measles with epidemiological link between Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and a hospital.
Methods:
Epidemiological investigations, patients’ measles serology, and phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin (H) and nucleoprotein (N) genes of measles virus isolates were conducted.
Results:
In total, 29 HKIA staff of diverse ranks and working locations were infected with measles within 1 month. Significantly fewer affected staff had history of travel than non–HKIA-related measles patients [10 of 29 (34.5%) vs 28 of 35 (80%); P < .01]. Of 9 airport staff who could recall detailed exposure history, 6 (66.7%) had visited self-service food premises at HKIA during the incubation period, where food trays, as observed during the epidemiological field investigation, were not washed after use. Furthermore, 1 airport baggage handler who was admitted to hospital A before rash onset infected 2 healthcare workers (HCWs) known to have 2 doses of MMR vaccination with positive measles IgG and lower viral loads in respiratory specimens. Infections in these 2 HCWs warranted contact tracing of another 168 persons (97 patients and 71 HCWs). Phylogenetic comparison of H and N gene sequences confirmed the clonality of outbreak strains. Conclusion: Despite good herd immunity with overall seroprevalence of >95% against measles, major outbreaks of measles occurred among HKIA staff having daily contact with many international pssengers. Lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and measles outbreaks suggested that an airport can be a strategic epidemic center. Pre-exanthem transmission of measles from airport staff to HCWs with secondary vaccine failure poses a grave challenge to hospital infection control.

Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
First Online: 05 October 2019
Factors Associated with Intention of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Initiation Among Females With and Without a History of Childhood Cancer
RN Hardin, KM Russell, JS Flynn, HL Gammel… –
Abstract
Vaccination is available to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) types that cause cervical and other cancers. This study aimed to describe and compare vaccine intention among young females with and without a cancer history, in addition to identifying factors associated with a HPV vaccination intention. Vaccine-naïve females (aged 18–26 years, n = 120) and maternal caregivers with vaccine-naïve daughters (aged 9–17 years, n = 197) completed surveys querying HPV vaccination intention, HPV knowledge, and communication, along with sociodemographic, medical, and health belief factors. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals for HPV vaccination intention. No differences in vaccine intention were identified across cancer and comparison groups. Vaccine intention and predictors of intention among vaccine-naïve females differ by age, and there is variation in the factors which influence vaccine intention by age group. These results suggest interventions should be tailored based on developmental level.

Pediatrics
October 2019
Article
Previsit Screening for Parental Vaccine Hesitancy: A Cluster Randomized Trial
DJ Opel, N Henrikson, K Lepere, R Hawkes, C Zhou…
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of vaccine hesitancy screening on childhood vaccine uptake.
METHODS: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in pediatric primary care clinics in Washington state. Vaccine-hesitant parents (VHPs) with a healthy newborn receiving health supervision at participating clinics were eligible. VHPs were identified by using a 4-item version of the validated Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines Survey (PACV). Before their child’s 2- and 6-month health supervision visits, VHPs at intervention clinics completed the 15-item PACV embedded in a survey containing placebo items. Intervention providers received a summary of parents’ 15-item PACV responses and interpretation of their PACV score; discretion was given to providers regarding how they acted on this information. VHPs at control clinics completed only the placebo survey items, and their child’s provider received a summary of their responses; control providers remained blinded to parent VHP status. Our outcome was child immunization status at 8 months of age expressed as percent of days underimmunized. We compared outcomes in control and intervention participants using t test and linear mixed-effects regression.
RESULTS: We enrolled 24 clinics (12 in each arm) and 156 parents (65 in the intervention arm). Parent characteristics were similar across arms except more intervention (versus control) parents had a first-born child (60.9% vs 44%; P = .04). No significant difference in outcome was detected between arms (25.2% [95% confidence interval: 16.0% to 34.5%] vs 19.1% [95% confidence interval: 12.0% to 26.3%] mean days underimmunized in the intervention and control arms, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Vaccine hesitancy screening was not significantly associated with days underimmunized.