Author Archives: davidrcurry

Journal Watch

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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 focu-s 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

Assessment of the All of Us research program’s informed consent process

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AJOB Empirical Bioethics
Volume 12, 2020 Issue 2
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uabr21/current

 

Article
Assessment of the All of Us research program’s informed consent process
Megan Doerr, Sarah Moore, Vanessa Barone, Scott Sutherland, Brian M. Bot, Christine Suver & John Wilbankson behalf of the All of Us Consent Working Group* and the Low Health Literacy Consent Study Research Team*
Published online: 04 Dec 2020
Abstract
Informed consent is the gateway to research participation. We report on the results of the formative evaluation that follows the electronic informed consent process for the All of Us Research Program. Of the nearly 250,000 participants included in this analysis, more than 95% could correctly answer questions distinguishing the program from medical care, the voluntary nature of participation, and the right to withdraw; comparatively, participants were less sure of privacy risk of the program. We also report on a small mixed-methods study of the experience of persons of very low health literacy with All of Us informed consent materials. Of note, many of the words commonly employed in the consent process were unfamiliar to or differently defined by informants. In combination, these analyses may inform participant-centered development and highlight areas for refinement of informed consent materials for the All of Us Research Program and similar studies.

Compassionate Force

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AMA Journal of Ethics
Volume 23, Number 3 Apr 2021
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/issue/compassionate-force

 

Compassionate Force
Using force in caregiving is most often justified based on risk-benefit or best interest analyses. Careful, inclusive deliberation about whether force should be used in the course of a patient’s care is a rise-to-the minimum precursor of responsible force implementation, as is minimizing a patient’s risk of harm. Even when clinically indicated and ethically justifiable, force protocols drawing on physical, pharmaceutical, and legal means of restraint or seclusion can undermine therapeutic capacity in patient-clinician relationships, erode trust, and exacerbate emotional and moral distress for both patients and clinicians. These high stakes cum patients’ extreme vulnerability prompt us to consider how clinicians’ and organizations’ clinical and ethical obligations extend beyond harm minimization to compassion maximization. Although the words “compassion” and “force” rarely appear together, this issue investigates what their union could mean for and make possible in the enterprise of health care.

Contact Tracing and the COVID-19 Response in Africa: Best Practices, Key Challenges, and Lessons Learned from Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda

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American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

Contact Tracing and the COVID-19 Response in Africa: Best Practices, Key Challenges, and Lessons Learned from Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda
Jean B. Nachega, Rhoda Atteh, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, Prisca Adejumo, Sabin Nsanzimana, Edson Rwagasore, Jeanine Condo, Masudah Paleker, Hassan Mahomed, Fatima Suleman, Alex Riolexus Ario, Elsie Kiguli-Malwadde, Francis G. Omaswa, Nelson K. Sewankambo, Cecile Viboud, Michael J. A. Reid, Alimuddin Zumla, and Peter H. Kilmarx
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0033

Hematological Abnormalities in COVID-19: A Narrative Review

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American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

Review Article
Open access
Hematological Abnormalities in COVID-19: A Narrative Review
Asma Rahman, Roshan Niloofa, Umesh Jayarajah, Sanjay De Mel, Visula Abeysuriya, and Suranjith L. Seneviratne
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-1536
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2. Although pulmonary manifestations have been identified as the major symptoms, several hematological abnormalities have also been identified. This review summarizes the reported hematological abnormalities (changes in platelet, white blood cell, and hemoglobin, and coagulation/fibrinolytic alterations), explores their patho-mechanisms, and discusses its management. Common hematological abnormalities in COVID-19 are lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated D-dimer levels. These alterations are significantly more common/prominent in patients with severe COVID-19 disease, and thus may serve as a possible biomarker for those needing hospitalization and intensive care unit care. Close attention needs to be paid to coagulation abnormalities, and steps should be taken to prevent these occurring or to mitigate their harmful effects. The effect of COVID-19 in patients with hematological abnormalities and recognized hematological drug toxicities of therapies for COVID-19 are also outlined.

A Realist Synthesis of Community-Based Interventions in Vector-Borne Diseases

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American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

A Realist Synthesis of Community-Based Interventions in Vector-Borne Diseases
Dennis Pérez, Emilie Robert, Elsury Johanna Pérez, Veerle Vanlerberghe, Pierre Lefèvre, and Valéry Ridde
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0944
ABSTRACT
Randomized control trials have provided evidence that some community-based interventions (CBIs) work in vector-borne diseases (VBDs). Conversely, there is limited evidence on how well those CBIs succeed in producing specific outcomes in different contexts. To conduct a realist synthesis for knowledge translation on this topic, we examined the extent to which realist concepts (context, mechanisms, and outcomes) and their relationships are present in the existing literature on CBIs for VBDs. Articles on CBIs were identified from prior scoping reviews of health interventions for VBDs. Content of the articles was extracted verbatim if it referred either to realist concepts or CBI features. The number of articles and the average number of words extracted per category per CBI were quantified. Content of the articles was scrutinized to inductively gather qualitative evidence on the interactions between realist concepts. We reviewed 41 articles on 17 CBIs from 12 countries. The average number of words used for mechanisms was much lower than those used for outcomes and context (309,474, and 836, respectively). The average number of words used for mechanisms increased when a CBI was described in three or more articles. There were more extensive accounts on CBI features than on mechanisms. It was difficult to gather evidence on the interactions among realist concepts from the content of the articles. Scarce reporting on mechanisms in published articles limits conducting a realist synthesis of CBIs in VBDs. More transdisciplinary research that goes beyond the biomedical paradigm is needed to boost the development of intervention mechanisms in this field.

Refugee Settlements and Cholera Risks in Uganda, 2016–2019

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American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

Articles
Refugee Settlements and Cholera Risks in Uganda, 2016–2019
Godfrey Bwire, Christopher Garimoi Orach, Freda Loy Aceng, Sam Emmanuel Arianitwe, David Matseketse, Edson Tumusherure, Issa Makumbi, Allan Muruta, Rebecca D. Merrill, Amanda Debes, Mohammad Ali, and David A. Sack
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0741

A Comprehensive Policy Framework to Understand and Address Disparities and Discrimination in Health and Health Care: A Policy Paper From the American College of Physicians

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Annals of Internal Medicine
April 2021 Volume 174, Issue 4
http://annals.org/aim/issue

 

Position Papers
A Comprehensive Policy Framework to Understand and Address Disparities and Discrimination in Health and Health Care: A Policy Paper From the American College of Physicians
FREE
Josh Serchen, BA, Robert Doherty, BA, Omar Atiq, MD, David Hilden, MD, MPH, … et al.
Pages:529–532

Advancing the ethical dialogue about monkey/human chimeric embryos

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Cell
Apr 15, 2021 Volume 184 Issue 8 p1941-2258
https://www.cell.com/cell/current

 

Previews
Advancing the ethical dialogue about monkey/human chimeric embryos
Henry T. Greely, Nita A. Farahany
In this issue of Cell, Tan et al. report the first injection of human stem cells into in vitro non-human primate blastocysts with significant survival of the human cells, raising new scientific possibilities but also important ethical issues.

Chimeric contribution of human extended pluripotent stem cells to monkey embryos ex vivo

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Cell
Apr 15, 2021 Volume 184 Issue 8 p1941-2258
https://www.cell.com/cell/current

 

Article
Chimeric contribution of human extended pluripotent stem cells to monkey embryos ex vivo
Tao Tan, et a;
Human cells, in the form of extended pluripotent stem cells, have the ability to contribute to both embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages in ex-vivo-cultured monkey embryos.

Toward a fine-scale population health monitoring system

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Cell
Apr 15, 2021 Volume 184 Issue 8 p1941-2258
https://www.cell.com/cell/current

 

Featured Article
Toward a fine-scale population health monitoring system
Gillian M. Belbin, et al
Taking a quantitative approach to genetic ancestry in health systems furthers understanding of disease burdens specific to fine-scale populations and the environmental and demographic ties that can impact disease.

Antenatal care providers’ attitudes and beliefs towards maternal vaccination in Kenya

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Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 24 Apr 2021]

 

Research Article metrics
Revised
Antenatal care providers’ attitudes and beliefs towards maternal vaccination in Kenya [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 not approved]
Subhash Chander, Ines Gonzalez-Casanova, Sandra S. Chaves, Nancy A. Otieno, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Jennifer Verani, Paula Frew, Andrew Wilson, Saad B. Omer, Fauzia Malik
Peer Reviewers Clarissa Simas; Zhihua Liu
Funder: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 22 Apr 2021

The impact of genomics on precision public health: beyond the pandemic

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Genome Medicine
https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 24 Apr 2021]

 

Articles
The impact of genomics on precision public health: beyond the pandemic
Authors: Muin J. Khoury and Kathryn E. Holt
Citation: Genome Medicine 2021 13:67
Content type: Editorial
Published on: 23 April 2021
Precision public health has been defined in many ways [1]. It can be viewed as an emerging multidisciplinary field that uses genomics, big data, and machine learning/artificial intelligence to predict health risks and outcomes and to improve health at the population level. Just like precision medicine seeks to provide the right intervention to the right patient at the right time, the aim of precision public health is to provide the right intervention to the right population at the right time, with the goal of improving health for all.

Disability inclusion in humanitarian action

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Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 78, October 2020
https://odihpn.org/magazine/inclusion-of-persons-with-disabilities-in-humanitarian-action-what-now/

 

Disability inclusion in humanitarian action
by HPN October 2020
The theme of this edition of Humanitarian Exchange, co-edited with Sherin Alsheikh Ahmed from Islamic Relief Worldwide, is disability inclusion in humanitarian action. Persons with disabilities are not only disproportionately impacted by conflicts, disasters and other emergencies, but also face barriers to accessing humanitarian assistance. At the same time, global commitments and standards and the IASC Guidelines on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action all emphasise how persons with disabilities are also active agents of change. Disability and age-focused organisations have led on testing and demonstrating how inclusion can be done better. Yet despite this progress, challenges to effective inclusion remain.

As Kirstin Lange notes in the lead article, chief among these challenges is humanitarian agencies’ lack of engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities. Simione Bula, Elizabeth Morgan and Teresa Thomson look at disability inclusion in humanitarian response in the Pacific, and Kathy Al Jubeh and Alradi Abdalla argue for a ‘participation revolution’, building on learning from the gender movement. Tchaurea Fleury and Sulayman AbdulMumuni Ujah outline how the Bridge Article 11 training initiative is encouraging constructive exchange between humanitarian and disability actors. The lack of good, disaggregated data is highlighted by Sarah Collinson; Frances Hill, Jim Cranshaw and Carys Hughes emphasise the need for training resources in local languages and accessible formats; and Sophie Van Eetvelt and colleagues report on a review of the evidence on inclusion of people with disabilities and older people.

Rebecca Molyneux and co-authors analyse the findings of a review of a DFID programme in north-east Nigeria, while Carolin Funke highlights the importance of strategic partnerships between disability-focused organisations, drawing on her research in Cox’s Bazar. Sherin Alsheikh Ahmed describes Islamic Relief Worldwide’s approach to mainstreaming protection and inclusion, while Pauline Thivillier and Valentina Shafina outline IRC’s Client Responsive Programming. The edition ends with reflections by Mirela Turcanu and Yves Ngunzi Kahashi on CAFOD’s SADI approach.

The estimated impact of decreased childhood vaccination due to COVID-19 using a dynamic transmission model of mumps in Japan

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 17, Issue 5, 2021
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
The estimated impact of decreased childhood vaccination due to COVID-19 using a dynamic transmission model of mumps in Japan
Taito Kitano & Hirosato Aoki
Pages: 1313-1316
Published online: 29 Oct 2020

Real-world evidence of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine safety in the United States: a systematic review

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 17, Issue 5, 2021
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Review
Real-world evidence of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine safety in the United States: a systematic review
Tracy a Becerra-Culqui, Lina S. Sy, Zendi Solano & Hung Fu Tseng
Pages: 1432-1441
Published online: 17 Dec 2020

Determinants of policy and uptake of national vaccine programs for pregnant women: results of mixed method study from Spain, Italy, and India

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 17, Issue 5, 2021
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Determinants of policy and uptake of national vaccine programs for pregnant women: results of mixed method study from Spain, Italy, and India
Lois Privor-Dumm
Pages: 1474-1482
Published online: 20 Nov 2020

Immunogenicity of the Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine for COVID-19

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JAMA
April 20, 2021, Vol 325, No. 15, Pages 1489-1575
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Original Investigation
Immunogenicity of the Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine for COVID-19
Kathryn E. Stephenson, MD, MPH; Mathieu Le Gars, PhD; Jerald Sadoff, MD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;325(15):1535-1544. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.3645
This randomized trial compares the immunogenicity of a SARS-CoV-2 Ad26.COV2.S vaccine at high vs low vs no dose (placebo) in humans, including the kinetics, magnitude, and phenotype of coronavirus spike-specific humoral and cellular immune responses.

Acute Allergic Reactions to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

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JAMA
April 20, 2021, Vol 325, No. 15, Pages 1489-1575
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Research Letter
Acute Allergic Reactions to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
Kimberly G. Blumenthal, MD, MSc; Lacey B. Robinson, MD, MPH; Carlos A. Camargo Jr, MD, DrPH; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;325(15):1562-1565. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.3976
This study examines the incidence of acute allergic reactions to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine administrations in health care employees in Massachusetts.

CDC Interim Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People An Important First Step

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JAMA
April 20, 2021, Vol 325, No. 15, Pages 1489-1575
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Viewpoint
CDC Interim Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People An Important First Step
Athalia Christie, MIA; Sarah A. Mbaeyi, MD; Rochelle P. Walensky, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;325(15):1501-1502. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4367
This Viewpoint summarizes CDC activity recommendations for individuals fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 infection, including resumption of low-risk gatherings among vaccinated people and maintenance of public health measures in activities involving unvaccinated people.

Incentivizing Vaccination Uptake – The “Green Pass” Proposal in Israel

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JAMA
April 20, 2021, Vol 325, No. 15, Pages 1489-1575
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Incentivizing Vaccination Uptake – The “Green Pass” Proposal in Israel
Rachel Wilf-Miron, MD, MPH; Vicki Myers, PhD; Mor Saban, PhD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;325(15):1503-1504. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4300
This Viewpoint explains the “green pass” program in Israel to encourage residents to seek COVID-19 vaccination, with incentives including access to social, cultural, and sports events and gyms, hotels, and restaurants as well as exemption from quarantine after travel or exposure to an individual with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

COVID-19 Vaccination of Adolescents and Young Adults of Color: Viewing Acceptance and Uptake With a Health Equity Lens

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Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 68 Issue 5 p833-1024
https://www.jahonline.org/current

 

Commentary
COVID-19 Vaccination of Adolescents and Young Adults of Color: Viewing Acceptance and Uptake With a Health Equity Lens
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, Samantha V. Hill, Gregory Zimet,…Maria Veronica Svetaz, Maria Trent, Leslie Walker-Harding
Published online: April 01, 2021
p844-846

2021: the beginning of a new era of immunisations?

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The Lancet
Apr 24, 2021 Volume 397 Number 1028 4p1519-1596
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Editorial
2021: the beginning of a new era of immunisations?
The Lancet
While the world is firmly focused on the efficacy, adverse events, licensing, and roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, the disruption of and barriers to routine immunisations during the pandemic have garnered much less attention. World Immunization Week (April 24–30) presents an opportunity to reflect on the state of immunisation efforts for vaccine-preventable diseases, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected progress, and what lessons can accelerate efforts to prevent diseases through immunisation.

The Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) will be officially launched on April 26. This agenda provides a new global vision and strategy for vaccines for the next decade, following on from the Global Vaccine Action Plan (2011–20). Before the beginning of the pandemic, progress in vaccine coverage had already been stalling between 2010 and 2019. For example, according to WHO and UNICEF data, global rates of immunisation with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine remained at 84–85%. The Global Vaccine Action Plan was important to bring partners together and broadened the vaccine coverage to include newer vaccines, such as those for rotavirus and hepatitis B. However, the conclusion of a WHO evaluation was that it did not make progress in addressing inequity and was only partly successful in influencing national actions as a top–down approach.

IA2030 sets out a very ambitious plan, taking lessons learnt into account and hoping that COVID-19 prevention provides a stark reminder of the importance and power of vaccines. The agenda, which was designed with the cooperation of countries, puts much more emphasis on an approach tailored to the national context and integrated into primary health-care services, particularly to prioritise populations that have not been reached. Immunisation at all ages should be part of such a national plan and will vary in national strategies according to demographics. The agenda aims to be adaptable to changing circumstances brought on by, for example, increased migration, civil unrest, climate change, or future pandemics, but the specifics on how such resilience can be achieved are not established. The four overarching principles the IA2030 puts forward are a people-centred, country-owned, partnership-based, and data-guided approach.

Nobody would disagree with the agenda’s aims. It is laudable that previous shortcomings have been considered and health systems strengthening, especially at the primary care level, is seen as crucial for sustainable progress. The key to success, however, will be how to implement the national plans and to ensure financing is sustained. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this task much more difficult by severely disrupting routine immunisation. Because of travel restrictions, deployment of scarce health workers to COVID-19 care, shortage of personal protective equipment, and disruption of supply chains, many countries will have to provide catch-up services and risk severe outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases when easing lockdown. Interruptions in survey data collection will mean data gaps will make it harder to identify those most in need. COVID-19 has further exacerbated inequities and poverty and has led to mass migration from urban to rural areas in many countries, making it difficult to keep track of people needing vaccinations.

But COVID-19 has also catalysed new approaches to vaccine development and mass vaccination efforts that could be taken forward in national routine immunisation plans and vaccine development more generally. For example, house-to-house COVID-19 vaccinations, as offered in some high-income countries to vaccinate individuals shielding or unable to travel, might reach those otherwise missed. Short-term vaccination centres could be used, and school-based or work-based vaccinations could be offered. Electronic immunisation registries should be rolled out widely to facilitate data collection and identification of gaps with attention to data protection and security. Accelerating vaccine development, testing in trials, and licensing with robust post-licensing surveillance should become the new norm. Techniques used for COVID-19 vaccines, such as the use of mRNA, might be applicable to other diseases. Early-phase research for mRNA and vector-based vaccines for HIV has started.

Much has been achieved through vaccination, with many lives saved and disabilities prevented. Science has brought us options for many diseases, with further possibilities on the horizon. A new era of immunisations is much needed and the IA2030 sets out a very good framework. But vaccine hesitancy remains an important issue to tackle. And without addressing the fundamental underlying barriers of inequity, poverty, political posturing, and commercial interest protection, the next decade will not achieve much more than the past.

Human rights and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines: the International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights

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The Lancet
Apr 24, 2021 Volume 397 Number 1028 4p1519-1596
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Comment
Human rights and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines: the International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights
Commissioners of and collaborators with the International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights
… The Commission had its first meeting in early 2021 and expects to produce its first full report in 2022. The key questions that will inform our work are shown in the panel. We are charged with examining how to ensure that human rights are at the core of global health efforts, enabling them to fulfil the lofty goals outlined in the WHO Constitution, in international human rights treaties, and in many national constitutions and legal frameworks: that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction and that the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent on the fullest cooperation of individuals and states.23
The Commission’s work will seek to strengthen and expand health and human rights efforts to include emerging areas that impact the right to health, including misinformation, disinformation, social media, and the politicisation of health information; the climate crisis and the right to a sustainable environment; and the social determinants of health arising from inequity, social injustice, and conflict and displacement.
Framing questions the Commission will interrogate
1. What is the future of the health and human rights framework?
2. How can the health and human rights framework be revitalised and reinvigorated to achieve healthy communities?
3. What domains of the health and human rights framework are most relevant for ensuring robust health systems and universal access to prevention and care?

The escalating tuberculosis crisis in central and South American prisons

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The Lancet
Apr 24, 2021 Volume 397 Number 1028 4p1519-1596
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Health Policy
The escalating tuberculosis crisis in central and South American prisons
Katharine S Walter, et al
Summary
In the past decade, tuberculosis incidence has declined in much of the world, but has risen in central and South America. It is not yet clear what is driving this reversal of progress in tuberculosis control. Since 2000, the incarcerated population in central and South America has grown by 206%, the greatest increase in the world. Over the same period, notified tuberculosis cases among the incarcerated population (hereinafter termed persons deprived of their liberty [PDL], following the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) have risen by 269%. In both central and South America, the rise of disease among PDL more than offsets tuberculosis control gains in the general population. Tuberculosis is increasingly concentrated among PDL; currently, 11% of all notified tuberculosis cases in central and South America occur among PDL who comprise less than 1% of the population. The extraordinarily high risk of acquiring tuberculosis within prisons creates a health and human rights crisis for PDL that also undermines wider tuberculosis control efforts. Controlling tuberculosis in this region will require countries to take urgent measures to prioritise the health of PDL.

Quadrivalent influenza nanoparticle vaccines induce broad protection

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Nature
Volume 592 Issue 7855, 22 April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nature/volumes/592/issues/7855

 

Article | 24 March 2021
Quadrivalent influenza nanoparticle vaccines induce broad protection
A nanoparticle influenza vaccine candidate is shown to induce broad cross-reactive antibody responses in animal models.
Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum, Daniel Ellis  & Masaru Kanekiyo

Intelligence, health and death

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Nature Human Behaviour
Volume 5 Issue 4, April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/volumes/5/issues/4

 

Review Article | 01 April 2021
Intelligence, health and death
Cognitive epidemiology studies prospective associations between cognitive abilities and health outcomes. Deary et al. review research in this field over the past decade, synthesizing evidence and outlining open questions.
Ian J. Deary, W. David Hill & Catharine R. Gale

A global panel database of pandemic policies (Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker)

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Nature Human Behaviour
Volume 5 Issue 4, April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/volumes/5/issues/4

 

Resource | 08 March 2021
A global panel database of pandemic policies (Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker)
The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) records data on 19 different government COVID-19 policy indicators for over 190 countries. Covering closure and containment, health and economics measures, it creates an evidence base for effective responses.
Thomas Hale, Noam Angrist & Helen Tatlow

An Uncertain Public — Encouraging Acceptance of Covid-19 Vaccines

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New England Journal of Medicine
April 22, 2021 Vol. 384 No. 16
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

 

Perspective
An Uncertain Public — Encouraging Acceptance of Covid-19 Vaccines
Gillian K. SteelFisher, Ph.D., Robert J. Blendon, Sc.D., and Hannah Caporello, B.A.
… To understand public attitudes toward taking a Covid-19 vaccine and the factors likely to affect willingness to do so going forward, we examined 39 nationally representative, randomized polls with publicly available tabulations that were conducted between August 2020 and February 2021 (see Supplementary Appendix, available at NEJM.org). Our framework provides a perspective different from that of much of the media reporting on individual polls and informs our recommendations for outreach efforts to encourage vaccine uptake — efforts in which we believe physicians can play an important role…

Towards the elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria: Implementing the radical cure

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PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 24 Apr 2021)

 

Towards the elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria: Implementing the radical cure
Kamala Thriemer, Benedikt Ley, Lorenz von Seidlein
Collection Review | published 23 Apr 2021 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003494
Summary points
:: Efforts to control Plasmodium vivax malaria have been less successful than for Plasmodium falciparum, resulting in higher prevalence of P. vivax malaria in most coendemic regions. One of the key differences between the 2 species is the ability of P. vivax to form hypnozoites causing relapses which facilitate transmission. Preventing P. vivax relapses is key for the elimination of P. vivax malaria.
:: The widescale use of the radical cure to clear hypnozoites has been underutilized in most endemic countries. Two breakthroughs have increased the likelihood that the radical cure will be rolled out in P. vivax endemic regions: To clear hypnozoites, primaquine can be administered in short, high-dose regimens or a single dose of the recently licensed tafenoquine is administered. Novel technologies allow measurement of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity at the point of care. Identifying patients with low G6PD activity, not eligible for these novel regimens, is a precondition for their safe administration.
:: Novel approaches to P. vivax elimination such as mass drug administrations of antimalarial drugs including 8-aminoquinolines require considerable resources and carry safety risks.
:: A safe and protective P. vivax vaccine would be an asset in the elimination of P. vivax malaria but is unlikely to be available in the near future.
:: Case management that includes a radical cure is currently the most promising approach to P. vivax elimination. New regimens for radical cure and the possibility to minimise the risk of haemolysis through novel G6PD tests bring up operational challenges, but if deployed wisely could have sufficient impact to eliminate if not eradicate P. vivax malaria.

Addressing power asymmetries in global health: Imperatives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

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PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 24 Apr 2021)

 

Addressing power asymmetries in global health: Imperatives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Seye Abimbola, Sumegha Asthana, Cristian Montenegro Cortes, Renzo R. Guinto, Desmond Tanko Jumbam, Lance Louskieter, Kenneth Munge Kabubei, Shehnaz Munshi, Kui Muraya, Fredros Okumu, Senjuti Saha, Deepika Saluja, Madhukar Pai
Collection Review | published 22 Apr 2021 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003604
Summary points
:: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Black Lives Matter and Women in Global Health movements, and ongoing calls to decolonise global health have all created space for uncomfortable but important conversations that reveal serious asymmetries of power and privilege that permeate all aspects of global health.
:: In this article, we, a diverse, gender-balanced group of public (global) health researchers and practitioners (most currently living in the so-called global South), outline what we see as imperatives for change in a post-pandemic world.
:: At the individual level (including and especially ourselves), we emphasise the need to emancipate and decolonise our own minds (from the colonial conditionings of our education), straddle and use our privilege responsibly (to empower others and avoid elite capture), and build “Southern” networks (to affirm our ownership of global health).
:: At the organisational level, we call for global health organisations to practice real diversity and inclusion (in ways that go beyond the cosmetic), to localise their funding decisions (with people on the ground in the driving seat), and to progressively self-decentralise (and so, divest themselves of financial, epistemic, and political power).
:: And at both the individual and organisational level, we emphasise the need to hold ourselves, our governments, and global health organisations accountable to these goals, and especially for governance structures and processes that reflect a commitment to real change.
:: By putting a spotlight on coloniality and existing inequalities, the COVID-19 pandemic inspires calls for a more equitable world and for a decolonised and decentralised approach to global health research and practice, one that moves beyond tokenistic box ticking about diversity and inclusion into real and accountable commitments to transformative change.

Dynamic prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines when social distancing is limited for essential workers

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PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
April 20, 2021; vol. 118 no. 16
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/16

 

Economic Sciences
Open Access
Dynamic prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines when social distancing is limited for essential workers
Jack H. Buckner, Gerardo Chowell, and Michael R. Springborn
PNAS April 20, 2021 118 (16) e2025786118; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2025786118

Introduction to Special Issue on Risk Assessment, Economic Evaluation, and Decisions

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Risk Analysis
Volume 41, Issue 4 Pages: 559-699 April 2021
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15396924/current

 

Special Issue: Risk Assessment, Economic Evaluation, and Decisions
Perspectives
Introduction to Special Issue on Risk Assessment, Economic Evaluation, and Decisions
James K. Hammitt, Lisa A. Robinson
Abstract
Integrating risk assessment, economic evaluation, and uncertainty to inform policy decisions is a core challenge to risk analysis. In September 2019, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, with support from the Society for Risk Analysis Economics and Benefits Analysis Specialty Group and others, convened a workshop to address this issue. The workshop built in part on the recommendations of the 2009 National Research Council report, Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk Assessment. It honored John S. Evans, whose thoughtful and innovative teaching and scholarship have significantly advanced thinking on these issues. This special issue features a profile of Dr. Evans and nine articles that build on work presented at the workshop.

Determinants of Incomplete Vaccination Among Children Aged 12 to 23 Months in Gindhir District, Southeastern Ethiopia: Unmatched Case–Control Study

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Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 24 Apr 2021]

 

Original Research
Determinants of Incomplete Vaccination Among Children Aged 12 to 23 Months in Gindhir District, Southeastern Ethiopia: Unmatched Case–Control Study
Zenbaba D, Sahiledengle B, Debela MB, Tufa T, Teferu Z, Lette A, Gezahegn H, Solomon D, Tekalegn Y
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2021, 14:1669-1679
Published Date: 21 April 2021