Monthly Archives: December 2021

The Silent Crisis of Pediatric Clinical Practice Guidelines

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JAMA Pediatrics
December 2021, Vol 175, No. 12, Pages 1199-1300
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/currentissue

 

Viewpoint
The Silent Crisis of Pediatric Clinical Practice Guidelines
Corinna J. Rea, MD, MPH; Francisco J. Alvarez, MD; Joel S. Tieder, MD, MPH
JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(12):1201-1202. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2435
This Viewpoint discusses how to improve the current state of Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Stakeholders’ assessment of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s contributions to the development of National Public Health Institutes in seven countries

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Journal of Public Health Policy
Volume 42, issue 4, December 2021
https://link.springer.com/journal/41271/volumes-and-issues/42-4

 

Stakeholders’ assessment of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s contributions to the development of National Public Health Institutes in seven countries
Authors (first, second and last of 13) Mahlet A. Woldetsadik, Kaitlin Fitzpatrick, Shelly Bratton
Content type: Original Article
Published: 22 November 2021
Pages: 589 – 601

Advancing health equity with artificial intelligence

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Journal of Public Health Policy
Volume 42, issue 4, December 2021
https://link.springer.com/journal/41271/volumes-and-issues/42-4

 

Advancing health equity with artificial intelligence
Authors – Nicole M. Thomasian, Carsten Eickhoff
Eli Y. Adashi
Content type: Viewpoint
Published: 22 November 2021
Pages: 602 – 611
Abstract
Population and public health are in the midst of an artificial intelligence revolution capable of radically altering existing models of care delivery and practice. Just as AI seeks to mirror human cognition through its data-driven analytics, it can also reflect the biases present in our collective conscience. In this Viewpoint, we use past and counterfactual examples to illustrate the sequelae of unmitigated bias in healthcare artificial intelligence. Past examples indicate that if the benefits of emerging AI technologies are to be realized, consensus around the regulation of algorithmic bias at the policy level is needed to ensure their ethical integration into the health system. This paper puts forth regulatory strategies for uprooting bias in healthcare AI that can inform ongoing efforts to establish a framework for federal oversight. We highlight three overarching oversight principles in bias mitigation that maps to each phase of the algorithm life cycle.

Efficacy, safety, and lot-to-lot immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152): interim results of a randomised, double-blind, controlled, phase 3 trial

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The Lancet
Dec 11, 2021 Volume 398 Number 10317 p2125-2206, e18
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Articles
Efficacy, safety, and lot-to-lot immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152): interim results of a randomised, double-blind, controlled, phase 3 trial
Raches Ella, at al. on behalf of the COVAXIN Study Group
We report the clinical efficacy against COVID-19 infection of BBV152, a whole virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine formulated with a toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist molecule adsorbed to alum (Algel-IMDG) in Indian adults.

Promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: recommendations from the Lancet Commission on Vaccine Refusal, Acceptance, and Demand in the USA

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The Lancet
Dec 11, 2021 Volume 398 Number 10317 p2125-2206, e18
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Health Policy
Promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: recommendations from the Lancet Commission on Vaccine Refusal, Acceptance, and Demand in the USA
Saad B Omer, et al.
Summary
Since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the USA in January, 2020, over 46 million people in the country have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several COVID-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorisations from the US Food and Drug Administration, with the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine receiving full approval on Aug 23, 2021. When paired with masking, physical distancing, and ventilation, COVID-19 vaccines are the best intervention to sustainably control the pandemic. However, surveys have consistently found that a sizeable minority of US residents do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The most severe consequence of an inadequate uptake of COVID-19 vaccines has been sustained community transmission (including of the delta [B.1.617.2] variant, a surge of which began in July, 2021). Exacerbating the direct impact of the virus, a low uptake of COVID-19 vaccines will prolong the social and economic repercussions of the pandemic on families and communities, especially low-income and minority ethnic groups, into 2022, or even longer. The scale and challenges of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign are unprecedented. Therefore, through a series of recommendations, we present a coordinated, evidence-based education, communication, and behavioural intervention strategy that is likely to improve the success of COVID-19 vaccine programmes across the USA.

Factors associated with the unwillingness of Jordanians, Palestinians and Syrians to be vaccinated against COVID-19

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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 11 Dec 2021)

 

Research Article
Factors associated with the unwillingness of Jordanians, Palestinians and Syrians to be vaccinated against COVID-19
Sima Zein, Sarah B. Abdallah, Ahmed Al-Smadi, Omar Gammoh, Wajdy J. Al-Awaida, Hanan J. Al-Zein
| published 09 Dec 2021 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009957

Recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infections and their potential risk to public health – a systematic review

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Research Article
Recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infections and their potential risk to public health – a systematic review
Seth Kofi Abrokwa, Sophie Alice Müller, Alba Méndez-Brito, Johanna Hanefeld, Charbel El Bcheraoui
Research Article | published 09 Dec 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261221

Age-related mortality in 61,993 confirmed COVID-19 cases over three epidemic waves in Aragon, Spain. Implications for vaccination programmes

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Age-related mortality in 61,993 confirmed COVID-19 cases over three epidemic waves in Aragon, Spain. Implications for vaccination programmes
Diego Casas-Deza, Vanesa Bernal-Monterde, Angel Nicolás Aranda-Alonso, Enrique Montil-Miguel, Ana Belen Julián-Gomara, Laura Letona-Giménez, Jose M. Arbones-Mainar
Research Article | published 09 Dec 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261061

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the adult population in Bangladesh: A nationwide cross-sectional survey

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the adult population in Bangladesh: A nationwide cross-sectional survey
Mohammad Bellal Hossain, Md. Zakiul Alam, Md. Syful Islam, Shafayat Sultan, Md. Mahir Faysal, Sharmin Rima, Md. Anwer Hossain, Abdullah Al Mamun
Research Article | published 09 Dec 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260821

Good news reduces trust in government and its efficacy: The case of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine announcement

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Good news reduces trust in government and its efficacy: The case of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine announcement
Shaun P. Hargreaves Heap, Christel Koop, Konstantinos Matakos, Aslı Unan, Nina Weber
Research Article | published 09 Dec 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260216

Pertussis immunisation in infancy and atopic outcomes: A protocol for a population-based cohort study using linked administrative data

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Pertussis immunisation in infancy and atopic outcomes: A protocol for a population-based cohort study using linked administrative data
Gladymar Pérez Chacón, Parveen Fathima, Mark Jones, Rosanne Barnes, Peter C. Richmond, Heather F. Gidding, Hannah C. Moore, Thomas L. Snelling
Registered Report Protocol | published 07 Dec 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260388

Full immunization coverage and associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Full immunization coverage and associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia
Zemenu Shiferaw Yadita, Liyew Mekonen Ayehubizu
Research Article | published 07 Dec 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260258

Development of a critical appraisal tool for models predicting the impact of ‘test, trace, and protect’ programmes on COVID-19 transmission

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Public Health
Volume 201 Pages 1-126 (December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/public-health/vol/201/suppl/C

 

Review article Full text access
Development of a critical appraisal tool for models predicting the impact of ‘test, trace, and protect’ programmes on COVID-19 transmission
J.W. Frank, G. Marion, A. Doeschl-Wilson
Pages 55-60

Understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19: development of a digital intervention

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Public Health
Volume 201 Pages 1-126 (December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/public-health/vol/201/suppl/C

 

Research article Full text access
Understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19: development of a digital intervention
H. Knight, R. Jia, K. Ayling, K. Bradbury, … K. Vedhara
Pages 98-107

The ‘Ethical’ COVID-19 Vaccine is the One that Preserves Lives: Religious and Moral Beliefs on the COVID-19 Vaccine

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Public Health Ethics
Volume 14, Issue 3, November 2021
http://phe.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Original Articles
The ‘Ethical’ COVID-19 Vaccine is the One that Preserves Lives: Religious and Moral Beliefs on the COVID-19 Vaccine
Alberto Giubilini, Francesca Minerva, Udo Schuklenk, Julian Savulescu
Public Health Ethics, Volume 14, Issue 3, November 2021, Pages 242–255, https://doi.org/10.1093/phe/phab018

The 2018–2020 Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Better Response Had Been Achieved Through Inter-State Coordination in Africa

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Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Commentary
The 2018–2020 Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Better Response Had Been Achieved Through Inter-State Coordination in Africa
Guetiya Wadoum RE, Sevalie S, Minutolo A, Clarke A, Russo G, Colizzi V, Mattei M, Montesano C
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2021, 14:4923-4930
Published Date: 10 December 2021

Control and Prevention of the COVID-19 Epidemic in China: A Qualitative Community Case Study

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Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

 

Original Research
Control and Prevention of the COVID-19 Epidemic in China: A Qualitative Community Case Study
Wu Y, Zhang Q, Li L, Li M, Zuo Y
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2021, 14:4907-4922
Published Date: 9 December 2021

Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant in mRNA-1273 vaccine–boosted nonhuman primates

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Science
Volume 374| Issue 6573| 10 Dec 2021
https://www.science.org/toc/science/current

 

Research Articles
Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant in mRNA-1273 vaccine–boosted nonhuman primates
BY Kizzmekia S. Corbett, […] Robert A. Seder
21 Oct 2021: 1343-1353
Open Access
COVID vaccine boosting should help to sustain protection against severe disease, reduce the frequency of infection, and limit transmission.

Membrane fusion and immune evasion by the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant

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Science
Volume 374| Issue 6573| 10 Dec 2021
https://www.science.org/toc/science/current

 

Membrane fusion and immune evasion by the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant
BY Jun Zhang […] Bing Chen
26 Oct 2021: 1353-1360
Open Access
Structural and functional studies explain the heightened transmissibility and immune evasion of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for domestic and captive animals: An effort to counter COVID-19 pandemic at the human-animal interface

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 49 Pages 7117-7220 (3 December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/49

 

Discussion Full text access
SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for domestic and captive animals: An effort to counter COVID-19 pandemic at the human-animal interface
Khan Sharun, Ruchi Tiwari, AbdulRahman A. Saied, Kuldeep Dhama
Pages 7119-7122

COVAX no fault compensation program for COVID-19 vaccine injuries in 92 low and middle income countries

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 49 Pages 7117-7220 (3 December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/49

 

Discussion Full text access
COVAX no fault compensation program for COVID-19 vaccine injuries in 92 low and middle income countries
Anne Mazur, Stefanie Benitez, Stéphanie Chuffart-Finsterwald, Rafael La Rotta, Lee M. Hampton
Pages 7128-7130

Social inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake for children and adolescents in Montreal, Canada

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 49 Pages 7117-7220 (3 December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/49

 

Research article Full text access
Social inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake for children and adolescents in Montreal, Canada
Britt McKinnon, Caroline Quach, Ève Dubé, Cat Tuong Nguyen, Kate Zinszer
Pages 7140-7145

A global collaboration to advance vaccine product innovations – The Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 49 Pages 7117-7220 (3 December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/49

 

Advancing vaccine-product innovations for LMICs: Updates from the Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy (VIPS)
Discussion Full text access
A global collaboration to advance vaccine product innovations – The Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy
Debra Kristensen, Birgitte Giersing, Julian Hickling, Fatima Kazi, … Marion Menozzi-Arnaud
Pages 7191-7194

Vaccine innovation prioritisation strategy: Findings from three country-stakeholder consultations on vaccine product innovations

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 49 Pages 7117-7220 (3 December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/49

 

Research article Open access
Vaccine innovation prioritisation strategy: Findings from three country-stakeholder consultations on vaccine product innovations
Mercy Mvundura, Collrane Frivold, Anna Janik Osborne, Priyanka Soni, … Debra Kristensen
Pages 7195-7207

Strategies for vaccine-product innovation: Creating an enabling environment for product development to uptake in low- and middle-income countries

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 49 Pages 7117-7220 (3 December 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/49

 

Review article Open access
Strategies for vaccine-product innovation: Creating an enabling environment for product development to uptake in low- and middle-income countries
Birgitte Giersing, Natasha Shah, Debra Kristensen, Jean-Pierre Amorij, … Marion Menozzi-Arnaud
Pages 7208-7219

Pre-Print Servers

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Pre-Print Servers

 

Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

Research Article metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
Do differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa save money? Synthesis of evidence from field studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa in 2017-2019 [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Sydney Rosen, Brooke Nichols, Teresa Guthrie, Mariet Benade, Salome Kuchukhidze, Lawrence Long
Peer Reviewers Invited
Funder – NIH
PUBLISHED 08 Dec 2021

 

medRxiv
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/about-medrxiv
medRxiv is a free online archive and distribution server for complete but unpublished manuscripts (preprints) in the medical, clinical, and related health sciences. Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review. They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information. medRxiv is for the distribution of preprints – complete but unpublished manuscripts – that describe human health research conducted, analyzed, and interpreted according to scientific principles…
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]
Selected Content
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron has extensive but incomplete escape of Pfizer BNT162b2 elicited neutralization and requires ACE2 for infection
Sandile Cele, Laurelle Jackson, Khadija Khan, David S Khoury, Thandeka Moyo-Gwete, Houriiyah Tegally, Cathrine Scheepers, Daniel Amoako, Farina Karim, Mallory Bernstein, Gila Lustig, Derseree Archary, Muneerah Smith, Yashica Ganga, Zesuliwe Jule, Kajal Reedoy, James Emmanuel San, Shi-Hsia Hwa, Jennifer Giandhari, Jonathan Blackburn, Bernadett I Gosnell, Salim Abdool Karim, Willem Hanekom, NGS-SA, COMMIT-KZN Team, Anne von Gottberg, Jinal Bhiman, Richard Lessells, Mahomed-Yunus S Moosa, Miles Philip Davenport, Tulio de Oliveira, Penny L. Moore, Alex Sigal
medRxiv 2021.12.08.21267417; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.08.21267417

The prevalence of adaptive immunity to COVID-19 and reinfection after recovery, a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis
Tawanda Chivese, Joshua Matizanadzo, Omran Musa, George Hindy, Luis Furuya-Kanamori, Nazmul Islam, Rafal Al-Shebly, Rana Shalaby, Mohammad Habibullah, Talal Al-Marwani, Rizeq F Hourani, Ahmed D Nawaz, Mohammad Haider, Mohamed M Emara, Farhan Cyprian, Suhail A. R. Doi
medRxiv 2021.09.03.21263103; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.03.21263103

Screening and vaccination against COVID-19 to minimize school closure
Elisabetta Colosi, Giulia Bassignana, Diego A Contreras, Canelle Poirier, Pierre-Yves Boëlle, Simon Cauchemez, Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Bruno Lina, Arnaud Fontanet, Alain Barrat, Vittoria Colizza
medRxiv 2021.08.15.21261243; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.15.21261243

Estimates of reduced vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization, infection, transmission and symptomatic disease of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, Omicron (B.1.1.529), using neutralizing antibody titers
Billy J Gardner, A. Marm Kilpatrick
medRxiv 2021.12.10.21267594; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.10.21267594

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19: A quick online cross-sectional survey among Tanzanian residents.
sima rugarabamu, Aisha Byanaku, Mariam Ibrahim
medRxiv 2020.04.26.20080820; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.26.20080820

Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness – a real-time case-control study in southern Sweden
Jonas Björk, Carl Bonander, Mahnaz Moghaddassi, Magnus Rasmussen, Ulf Malmqvist, Fredrik Kahn, Malin Inghammar
medRxiv 2021.12.09.21267515; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.09.21267515

Trust in the research community predicts intent to comply with COVID-19 prevention measures: An analysis of a large-scale international survey dataset
Hyemin Han
medRxiv 2021.12.08.21267486; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.08.21267486

Vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 explored in a phenomic study of 259 socio-cognitive-behavioural measures in the UK-REACH study of 12,431 UK healthcare workers
I Chris McManus, Katherine Woolf, Christopher A Martin, Laura B Nellums, Anna L Guyatt, Carl Melbourne, Luke Bryant, Amit Gupta, Catherine John, Martin D Tobin, Sue Carr, Sandra Simpson, Bindu Gregary, Avinash Aujayeb, Stephen Zingwe, Rubina Reza, Laura J Gray, Kamlesh Khunti, Manish Pareek
medRxiv 2021.12.08.21267421; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.08.21267421

Vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 explored in a phenomic study of 259 socio-cognitive-behavioural measures in the UK-REACH study of 12,431 UK healthcare workers
I Chris McManus, Katherine Woolf, Christopher A Martin, Laura B Nellums, Anna L Guyatt, Carl Melbourne, Luke Bryant, Amit Gupta, Catherine John, Martin D Tobin, Sue Carr, Sandra Simpson, Bindu Gregary, Avinash Aujayeb, Stephen Zingwe, Rubina Reza, Laura J Gray, Kamlesh Khunti, Manish Pareek
medRxiv 2021.12.08.21267421; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.08.21267421

Global disparities in SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance
Anderson F. Brito, Elizaveta Semenova, Gytis Dudas, Gabriel W. Hassler, Chaney C. Kalinich, Moritz U.G. Kraemer, Joses Ho, Houriiyah Tegally, George Githinji, Charles N. Agoti, Lucy E. Matkin, Charles Whittaker, Danish Covid-19 Genome Consortium, COVID-19 Impact Project, Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA), GISAID core curation team, Benjamin P Howden, Vitali Sintchenko, Neta S. Zuckerman, Orna Mor, Heather M Blankenship, Tulio de Oliveira, Raymond T. P. Lin, Marilda Mendonça Siqueira, Paola Cristina Resende, Ana Tereza R. Vasconcelos, Fernando R. Spilki, Renato Santana Aguiar, Ivailo Alexiev, Ivan N. Ivanov, Ivva Philipova, Christine V. F. Carrington, Nikita S. D. Sahadeo, Céline Gurry, Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Dhamari Naidoo, Karin J von Eije, Mark D. Perkins, Maria van Kerkhove, Sarah C. Hill, Ester C. Sabino, Oliver G. Pybus, Christopher Dye, Samir Bhatt, Seth Flaxman, Marc A. Suchard, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Guy Baele, Nuno R. Faria
medRxiv 2021.08.21.21262393; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.21.21262393
Abstract
Genomic sequencing provides critical information to track the evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2, optimize molecular tests, treatments and vaccines, and guide public health responses. To investigate the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the global SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance, we estimated the impact of sequencing intensity and turnaround times (TAT) on variant detection in 167 countries. Most countries submit genomes >21 days after sample collection, and 77% of low and middle income countries sequenced <0.5% of their cases. We found that sequencing at least 0.5% of the cases, with a TAT <21 days, could be a benchmark for SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance efforts. Socioeconomic inequalities substantially impact our ability to quickly detect SARS-CoV-2 variants, and undermine the global pandemic preparedness. The challenge of limited vaccine supplies: impact of prior infection on anti-spike IgG antibody trajectories after a single COVID-19 vaccination
Jia Wei, Philippa C. Matthews, Nicole Stoesser, Ian Diamond, Ruth Studley, Emma Rourke, Duncan Cook, John I Bell, John N Newton, Jeremy Farrar, Alison Howarth, Brian D. Marsden, Sarah Hoosdally, E Yvonne Jones, David I Stuart, Derrick W. Crook, Tim E. A. Peto, A. Sarah Walker, David W. Eyre, Koen B. Pouwels, the COVID-19 Infection Survey team
medRxiv 2021.12.08.21267353; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.08.21267353

Long COVID Citizen Scientists – Developing a needs-based research agenda by persons affected by Long COVID
Sarah Ziegler, Alessia Raineri, Vasileios Nittas, Natalie Rangelov, Fabian Vollrath, Chantal Britt, Milo A Puhan
medRxiv 2021.12.08.21267181; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.08.21267181

COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates and Vaccine Uptake
Alexander Karaivanov, Dongwoo Kim, Shih En Lu, Hitoshi Shigeoka
medRxiv 2021.10.21.21265355; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.21.21265355
Abstract
We evaluate the impact of government mandated proof of vaccination requirements for access to public venues and non-essential businesses on COVID-19 vaccine uptake. We find that the announcement of a mandate is associated with a rapid and significant surge in new vaccinations (more than 60% increase in weekly first doses) using the variation in the timing of these measures across Canadian provinces in a difference-in-differences approach. Time-series analysis for each province and for France, Italy and Germany corroborates this finding, and we estimate cumulative gains of up to 5 percentage points in provincial vaccination rates and 790,000 or more first doses for Canada as a whole as of October 31, 2021 (5 to 13 weeks after the provincial mandate announcements). We also find large vaccination gains in France (3 to 5 mln first doses), Italy (around 6 mln) and Germany (around 3.5 mln) 11 to 16 weeks after the proof of vaccination mandate announcements.

COVID-19 infections post-vaccination by HIV status in the United States
Sally B. Coburn, Elizabeth Humes, Raynell Lang, Cameron Stewart, Brenna C Hogan, Kelly A. Gebo, Sonia Napravnik, Jessie K. Edwards, Lindsay E. Browne, Lesley S. Park, Amy C. Justice, Kirsha Gordon, Michael A. Horberg, Julia M. Certa, Eric Watson, Celeena R Jefferson, Michael Silverberg, Jacek Skarbinski, Wendy A Leyden, Carolyn F. Williams, Keri N. Althoff, for the Corona-Infectious-Virus Epidemiology Team (CIVETs) of the NA-ACCORD of IeDEA
medRxiv 2021.12.02.21267182; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.02.21267182

Wellcome Open Research [to 11 Dec 2021]
https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 11 Dec 2021]

Wellcome Open Research provides all Wellcome researchers with a place to rapidly publish any results they think are worth sharing. All articles benefit from rapid publication, transparent peer review and editorial guidance on making all source data openly available.

Research Article metrics
Revised
Estimating the number of undetected COVID-19 cases among travellers from mainland China [version 3; peer review: 3 approved]
Sangeeta Bhatia, Natsuko Imai, Gina Cuomo-Dannenburg, Marc Baguelin, Adhiratha Boonyasiri, Anne Cori, Zulma Cucunubá, Ilaria Dorigatti, Rich FitzJohn, Han Fu, Katy Gaythorpe, Azra Ghani, Arran Hamlet, Wes Hinsley, Daniel Laydon, Gemma Nedjati-Gilani, Lucy Okell, Steven Riley, Hayley Thompson, Sabine van Elsland, Erik Volz, Haowei Wang, Yuanrong Wang, Charles Whittaker, Xiaoyue Xi, Christl A. Donnelly, Neil M. Ferguson
Peer Reviewers Jeremy Bingham and Juliet R.C. Pulliam; Sebastian Funk; Hannah E. Clapham
Funders
Wellcome Trust
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership
National Institute for Health Research
Department for International Development, UK Government
Medical Research Council
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 06 Dec 2021

Think Tanks

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Think Tanks
 
 
Brookings [to 11 Dec 2021]
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 11 Dec 2021
Up Front
What we can learn from Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination of children
Oren Heller, Yaniv Shlomo, and Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Friday, December 10, 2021
A study conducted by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis shows that among surveyed parents in Israel, only 37 percent intended to vaccinate their child (aged 5-11) against COVID-19 when the option became available, while 23 percent of parents were undecided and 40 percent had no intention to vaccinate their children.
The study was conducted November 3-8, 2021, among a representative sample of Israeli parents of children aged 5-11 (N = 912)…
 
 
Center for Global Development [to 11 Dec 2021]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 11 Dec 2021
Applications of Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics in Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Translating Models into Policy Action
Event
12/15/21

 
 
The Updated International Health Regulations Need Better Rules for Travel Restrictions
December 9, 2021
The last week has demonstrated the level of security theatre that has often been involved with travel bans put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19. But heavy travel restrictions have played a role in the strategies of some of the countries that have most successfully battled the pandemic. As part of an effort to strengthen the International Health Regulations, the World Health Organization (WHO) should propose approaches that will limit travel restrictions to where they are most likely to be effective and design them to be minimally disruptive.
Charles Kenny

We Should Prepare for an Omicron COVID-19 Wave by Prioritising Cost-Effective Essential Emergency Critical Care Now
December 6, 2021
Hiral Anil Shah et al.
 
 
Chatham House [to 11 Dec 2021]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Accessed 11 Dec 2021
Covid’s solidarity failure
Pledges of ‘vaccines for everyone’ may have gone unfulfilled but the case for universal health reforms is gaining ground, writes Rob Yates
The World Today
3 December 2021

 
 

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 11 Dec 2021
Upcoming Event
The Road to the 2022 Summit of the Americas: Vaccine Diplomacy and Engagement
December 14, 2021

 
 

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 11 Dec 2021
December 10, 2021 News Release
Health Employment Continues Slow Recovery Since the Beginning of the Pandemic
Unlike past recessions, the health sector saw a big drop in employment in early 2020 similar to other sectors as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the nation’s economy and remains below expected employment levels through November 2021, a new KFF chart collection shows. The chart collection takes a…

December 9, 2021 News Release
Half of Parents of Adolescents 12-17 Say Their Child Has Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine, though Uptake Has Slowed; 16% of Parents of 5-11 Year-olds Say Their Child Has Gotten a Vaccine
COVID-19 vaccine uptake among adolescents ages 12-17 has slowed after an initial wave of enthusiasm over the summer, with half (49%) of parents saying their adolescent has received at least one dose, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report reveals. The share is little changed since earlier in the fall.…

December 8, 2021 News Release
Following an Early Period of High Demand, Vaccination for Children Ages 5-11 Has Significantly Slowed
As of December 5, 16.7% of 5-11 year-olds had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose with 4.3% of children reaching full vaccination, according to a new KFF analysis. After a short period of high demand, the rate of new vaccinations slowed significantly leading into the Thanksgiving holiday and has…
 
 
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Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 6 December 2021

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Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review is a weekly digest  summarizing news, events, announcements, peer-reviewed articles and research in the global vaccine ethics and policy space. Content is aggregated from key governmental, NGO, international organization and industry sources, key peer-reviewed journals, and other media channels. This summary proceeds from the broad base of themes and issues monitored by the Center for Vaccine Ethics & Policy in its work: it is not intended to be exhaustive in its coverage. You are viewing the blog version of our weekly digest, typically comprised of between 30 and 40 posts below all dated with the current issue date

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Gavi Board approves malaria vaccine programme funding, COVAX 2022 strategic approach and measures to maintain, restore and strengthen routine immunisation

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Gavi Board approves malaria vaccine programme funding, COVAX 2022 strategic approach and measures to maintain, restore and strengthen routine immunisation
A new malaria vaccination programme has been approved, providing Gavi-eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa a powerful new tool with which to fight malaria
In 2022, Gavi, through COVAX, will continue to help countries meet COVID-19 vaccination targets, focusing mostly on lower-income countries and those most in need including support for delivery at scale
Gavi will invest US$ 250 million over 2022-2026 in its partnership with India; US$ 53 million over 2022-2025 will be channelled towards supporting the availability of diagnostic tests for yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, meningococcus, measles, and rubella
José Manuel Barroso, Board Chair: “I am greatly heartened that the Gavi Board has endorsed decisions that allow progress to be made on all fronts: for leveraging the latest innovations to tackle malaria, for COVAX to support national COVID-19 vaccination strategies, and for maintaining, restoring and strengthening routine immunisation programmes – including targeting the increasing numbers of zero dose children in the world today.”

Geneva, 3 December 2021 – The Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance this week approved a number of measures aimed at tackling malaria, driving equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines and maintaining, restoring and strengthening routine immunisation in 2022.

During the three-day meeting, the Board approved a new malaria vaccination programme to support the introduction, procurement and delivery of the malaria vaccine to Gavi-eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa. An initial investment of US$ 155.7 million for 2022-2025 will initiate the implementation of this additional tool in the fight against malaria alongside currently recommended malaria control interventions, which could save tens of thousands of lives annually and drive down child mortality in Africa.

The Board also approved the Vaccine Alliance’s strategic direction and role in COVAX. In 2022, Gavi, through COVAX, will continue building the foundations of COVID-19 protection with a focus on lower-income countries and the most in need; deploying a flexible portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines to manage uncertainty and anticipate risk; and providing support for delivery at-scale.

 

“Events of 2021, illustrated most recently by the emergence of the omicron variant, have highlighted the danger of leaving COVID-19 to flourish unchecked in large parts of the world, but also of the vital importance of maintaining routine life-saving immunisation programmes that have been hit so hard by the pandemic”, said José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Gavi Board. “I am greatly heartened that the Gavi Board has endorsed decisions that allow progress to be made on all fronts: for leveraging the latest innovations to tackle malaria, for COVAX to support national COVID-19 vaccination strategies, and for maintaining, restoring and strengthening routine immunisation programmes – including targeting the increasing numbers of zero dose children in the world today.”

Malaria vaccine programme
The Board’s historical approval of a malaria vaccine programme and financing will provide a critical new tool for African countries in the fight against malaria. With an initial investment of approximately US$ 155.7 million for 2022-2025, the Board noted that a successful malaria vaccine programme should support deliberate and intensive coordination between malaria control and immunisation programmes at global and country levels to ensure most impactful deployment of the vaccine alongside other interventions.

The Board also recognised the opportunity for integration and strengthening of primary healthcare given the wide acceptance of the vaccine among caregivers and healthcare workers, as was seen during the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP). Child immunisation provides a powerful platform to reach vulnerable children, including those who are unreached with bednets or other existing prevention measures, and can help advance the equity agenda. Finally, the Board noted opportunities for next generation vaccines and a need for market-shaping efforts to support the development of a healthy malaria vaccine market.

“Today marks an important milestone in our fight against malaria,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “This decision by the Gavi Board to finance a new malaria vaccination programme for countries in sub-Saharan Africa could save tens of thousands of lives annually in Africa. The vaccine is an important additional tool to control malaria in Africa, alongside other interventions, such as routine use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying with insecticides, malaria chemoprevention, and timely testing and treatment. We look forward to working with global malaria stakeholders to make sure that countries are able to implement this additional tool in the fight against malaria.”

After considerable gains in the past two decades, progress in malaria control has stalled and new tools are urgently needed to get back on track. More than 260,000 African children under the age of five die from malaria annually, and six Gavi-eligible countries account for 50% of global mortality. Africa continues to bear the heaviest malaria burden and African children are at highest risk of dying of malaria, especially at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic threatens disruptions to immunisation programmes.

Following the decision by the Gavi Board, a series of critical next steps will need to take place before the vaccine is rolled-out to Gavi-supported countries. This includes technical guidance on the use of the vaccine alongside other malaria interventions, procurement of the vaccine, and the opening of the funding window to allow applications from Gavi-supported countries. Additionally, countries will need to make decisions on the rollout of malaria vaccine, taking in consideration such factors as the public health priority of the disease, evidence of disease burden, and the optimal mix of malaria interventions tailored to the local context.

 

COVAX’s 2022 strategic approach
The Board approved the Vaccine Alliance’s strategic direction for 2022 to support 91 lower-income countries towards achieving their individual COVID-19 vaccination coverage ambitions in view of the WHO Global Vaccination Target of 70% by mid-2022 and taking into account sources of supply beyond COVAX. COVAX has supplied over 80% of all vaccines shipped to low-income countries and has secured access to enough additional doses to protect around 40% of each countries’ population by early next year.

Subject to funding availability for the COVAX AMC, the COVAX Facility’s approach to procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for 2022, devised to provide maximum flexibility in the event of new evidence appearing or markets evolving, was also approved by the Gavi Board. The core element of the approach, the Pandemic Vaccine Pool, will enable COVAX to manage demand- and supply-side risks, as well as provide doses to the countries that are most reliant on COVAX, including vulnerable countries, countries where current rates of coverage are the lowest and others that need certainty of supply in order to be able to plan successfully.

The COVAX 2022 strategic approach also recognises the difference in countries’ capacity to roll-out vaccines and the fact that many partners are providing support to countries to scale up delivery. The Alliance’s role in the scale up of COVID-19 vaccination in 2022 will focus on more systematic collaboration with other funders at global, regional and country levels; more targeted financial support and enhanced technical support to AMC-eligible countries; as well as enhanced monitoring of delivery progress and risks.

In order to strengthen COVAX’s processes from supply allocation to last mile delivery, the Board recognised the need to establish an enhanced and unified COVAX delivery coordination structure, agreeing to set up a temporary Steering Committee with delegated authority over delivery-related strategy and decisions of the COVAX Facility. The Committee will also oversee COVID-19 vaccination delivery support provided by COVAX, including alignment on allocation strategy, country absorptive capacity and funding. Recognising the important role that each Vaccine Alliance member needs to play in this coordination structure, it also requested that the new structure work with existing and additional partners and countries to rapidly accelerate vaccination delivery, including through campaigns, mass vaccination and hard-to-reach populations while safeguarding routine immunisation. The enhanced coordination structure will report on delivery progress to the Gavi Board through the temporary Steering Committee on a regular basis.

 

The Board also delegated to Gavi, at the guidance of the new COVAX coordination structure, the authority to allot current and future COVID-19 delivery funding without requiring independent review given the emergency context and urgent country needs, while utilising existing programmatic and fiduciary risk mitigation mechanisms.

The Board also noted the importance of COVAX’s cost-sharing mechanism as an important voluntary mechanism for countries to access additional doses and approved its extension until December 2023.

 

Disease surveillance and diagnostics
As part of Gavi’s efforts to restore, maintain and strengthen routine immunisation, the Board approved US$ 32 million in funding in 2022-2025 for costs related to the procurement and distribution of yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, meningococcus, measles, and rubella diagnostic test kits, reagents, supplies, and equipment. This market purchase commitment will put incentives in place for improved commercially available diagnostics. Additionally, US$ 21 million was approved to ensure that any test kits procured with Gavi funding are accurate, reliable, and useful for vaccine programmes’ efforts to use vaccines in the right places and times.

Fit-for-purpose diagnostic tools are critical for countries’ abilities to plan and implement targeted vaccination programmes. Making such diagnostic tools available to countries will help make sure that Gavi investments in these vaccine programmes, which are currently projected at over US$ 1.6 billion during 2021-2025, will be more efficient, effective, and equitable.

 

The Board also approved:
The renewed Gavi’s strategic partnership with India and the associated investment of US$ 250 million for 2022-2026, which will aim to further decrease the number of zero-dose and under-immunised children and expand full immunisation coverage in the next five years, as well as provide catalytic support for the introduction of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCV) in India.
The Gavi’s private sector engagement strategy which is expected to play a critical role in supporting the strategic priorities of Gavi 5.0 and COVAX related objectives, such as the zero-dose agenda, Covid vaccine delivery, innovation from the private sector and immunisation systems strengthening.
The Risk & Assurance Report 2021, which shows that Gavi’s overall risk profile remains elevated due to the ongoing uncertain environment, Gavi’s ambitious strategy and the unprecedented mission of the COVAX Facility. As per Gavi’s updated Risk Appetite Statement, approved by the Board in its June 2021 meeting, these risks are worth taking, but Gavi continues to actively monitor and mitigate them to the extent possible.
The Financial Forecast for Gavi 5.0 for the 2021-2025 strategic period and the Financial Forecast for Gavi COVAX AMC for the 2020-2022 period.

Finally, the Gavi Board gave a warm send-off to Maty Dia, Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, Gilbert Mokoki, David Sidwell and Joan Valadou, who have all made an important contribution to Gavi’s efforts to accelerate the introduction of new vaccines and improve routine immunisation. The Board also welcomed new members, including Bernhard Braune, Silvia Lutcuta, Bvudzai Magadrize, Charlemagne Marie Ragnag-Néwendé Ouedraogo, Jan Paehler, Anne Schuchat and Rafael Vilasanjuan.