Author Archives: davidrcurry

The case for a universal hepatitis C vaccine to achieve hepatitis C elimination

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BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 21 Sep 2019)

 

Research article
The case for a universal hepatitis C vaccine to achieve hepatitis C elimination
The introduction of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C has led to calls to eliminate it as a public health threat through treatment-as-prevention. Recent studies suggest it …
Authors: Nick Scott, David P. Wilson, Alexander J. Thompson, Eleanor Barnes, Manal El-Sayed, Adele Schwartz Benzaken, Heidi E. Drummer and Margaret E. Hellard
Citation: BMC Medicine 2019 17:175
Published on: 18 September 2019

Relocation of study participants for rare and ultra-rare disease trials: Ethics and operations

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Contemporary Clinical Trials
Volume 84 September 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/contemporary-clinical-trials/vol/84/suppl/C

 

Patient Recruitment
Research article Abstract only
Relocation of study participants for rare and ultra-rare disease trials: Ethics and operations
Luke Gelinas, Brian Crawford, Ariella Kelman, Barbara E. Bierer
Abstract
Clinical trials for investigational new products to treat rare and ultra-rare diseases typically involve a limited number of research sites recruiting from a small pool of patients dispersed over a large geographical area. When remote access is not possible and participants must be present at a trial site, participation in research may require individuals and their families/caregivers to travel great distances, often at significant cost personally and financially and, frequently, for the duration of the trial. This article addresses the ethical and practical issues associated with the practice of sponsors offering financial and other assistance for relocation to trial sites from significant geographical distances, providing both foundational analysis of the ethical issues as well as actionable policy-level guidance on how to best approach these situations.

The ethical contours of research in crisis settings: five practical considerations for academic institutional review boards and researchers

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Disasters
Volume 43, Issue 4 Pages: 709-954 October 2019
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14677717/current

 

Papers
The ethical contours of research in crisis settings: five practical considerations for academic institutional review boards and researchers
Kathryn Falb, Betsy Laird, Ruwan Ratnayake, Katherine Rodrigues, Jeannie Annan
Pages: 711-726
First Published: 22 August 2019
Abstract
The number of research studies in the humanitarian field is rising. It is imperative, therefore, that institutional review boards (IRBs) consider carefully the additional risks present in crisis contexts to ensure that the highest ethical standards are upheld. Ethical guidelines should represent better the specific issues inherent to research among populations grappling with armed conflict, disasters triggered by natural hazards, or health‐related emergencies. This paper seeks to describe five issues particular to humanitarian settings that IRBs should deliberate and on which they should provide recommendations to overcome associated challenges: staged reviews of protocols in acute emergencies; flexible reviews of modification requests; addressing violence and the traumatic experiences of participants; difficulties in attaining meaningful informed consent among populations dependent on aid; and ensuring reviews are knowledgeable of populations’ needs. Considering these matters when reviewing protocols will yield more ethically sound research in humanitarian settings and hold researchers accountable to appropriate ethical standards.

A multidisciplinary review of the policy, intellectual property rights, and international trade environment for access and affordability to essential cancer medications

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Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 21 Sep 2019]

 

Review
|   18 September 2019
A multidisciplinary review of the policy, intellectual property rights, and international trade environment for access and affordability to essential cancer medications
Authors: Sangita M. Baxi, Reed Beall, Joshua Yang and Tim K. Mackey
Abstract
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee approved the addition of 16 cancer medicines to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML), bringing the total number of cancer medicines on the list to 46. This change represented the first major revision to the EML oncology section in recent history and reinforces international recognition of the need to ensure access and affordability for cancer treatments. Importantly, many low and middle-income countries rely on the EML, as well as the children’s EML, as a guide to establish national formularies, and moreover use these lists as tools to negotiate medicine pricing. However, EML inclusion is only one component that impacts cancer treatment access. More specifically, factors such as intellectual property rights and international trade agreements can interact with EML inclusion, drug pricing, and accessibility. To better understand this dynamic, we conducted an interdisciplinary review of the patent status of EML cancer medicines compared to other EML noncommunicable disease medicines using the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st editions of the list. We also explored the interaction of intellectual property rights with the international trade regime and how trade agreements can and do impact cancer treatment access and affordability. Based on this analysis, we conclude that patent status is simply one factor in the complex international environment of health systems, IPR policies, and trade regimes and that aligning these oftentimes disparate interests will require shared global governance across the cancer care continuum.

Science, innovation and society: what we need to prepare for the health challenges of the twenty-first century?

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Commentaries
Science, innovation and society: what we need to prepare for the health challenges of the twenty-first century?
Jeremy Farrar
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 317–320, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz047
A little over 30 y ago, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was first identified as the cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Within a decade the nature of the infection, the pathogenesis and a series of combination therapies had been developed that transformed a deadly infection into a challenging but manageable condition. The challenge was then to ensure that everyone who needed these lifesaving therapies had access to them. With more than 20 million people…

The urgent case for expanded development assistance for health

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

The urgent case for expanded development assistance for health
Jeffrey D Sachs
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 321–323, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz059
Abstract
The low-income developing countries require increased development assistance for health (DAH) to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, ‘Healthy Lives for All’. DAH has a proven track record. DAH expanded during 2001–2008, with significant health gains in the LIDCs, but then stopped expanding in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria requires around US$31.8 billion during 2021–2023 to maintain a trajectory to end the three epidemics by 2030, yet donors have so far signaled that they are prepared to offer less than half that sum, around US$14 billion.

Immunizations and vaccines: a decade of successes and reversals, and a call for ‘vaccine diplomacy’

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Immunizations and vaccines: a decade of successes and reversals, and a call for ‘vaccine diplomacy’
Peter J Hotez
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 331–333, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz024
Abstract
Over the last decade we have seen extraordinary public health gains due to expansions in global vaccination programs led by United Nations (UN) agencies, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the WHO. These initiatives have reduced childhood deaths from measles, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable diseases by almost one half. There is additional excitement over the potential development and introduction of new vaccines to prevent highly lethal respiratory virus infections, as well as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS and several neglected tropical diseases. However, these successes are under threat due to political instability, conflict and an accelerating antivaccine movement. New initiatives in vaccine diplomacy will be required to combat these challenges.

International funding for mental health: a review of the last decade

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Review
International funding for mental health: a review of the last decade
Bernhard H Liese, Rebecca S F Gribble, Marisha N Wickremsinhe
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 361–369, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz040

International funding for mental health: a review of the last decade

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Review
International funding for mental health: a review of the last decade
Bernhard H Liese, Rebecca S F Gribble, Marisha N Wickremsinhe
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 361–369, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz040

Gender equity in mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases: data from 16 countries

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Original Articles
Gender equity in mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases: data from 16 countries
Daniel A Cohn, Maureen P Kelly, Kalpana Bhandari, Kathryn L Zoerhoff, Wilfrid E Batcho …
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 370–378, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz012

Medical donations are not always free: an assessment of compliance of medicine and medical device donations with World Health Organization guidelines (2009–2017)

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

Medical donations are not always free: an assessment of compliance of medicine and medical device donations with World Health Organization guidelines (2009–2017)
Sally McDonald, Alice Fabbri, Lisa Parker, Jane Williams, Lisa Bero
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 379–402, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz004

How many life-years have new drugs saved? A three-way fixed-effects analysis of 66 diseases in 27 countries, 2000–2013

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International Health
Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

 

How many life-years have new drugs saved? A three-way fixed-effects analysis of 66 diseases in 27 countries, 2000–2013
Frank R Lichtenberg
International Health, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2019, Pages 403–416, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz003
Background
We analyzed the role that the launch of new drugs has played in reducing the number of years of life lost (YLL) before three different ages (85, 70 and 55 y) due to 66 diseases in 27 countries.
Conclusions
The estimates imply that, if no new drugs had been launched after 1981, YLL85 in 2013 would have been 2.16 times as high as it actually was. We estimated that pharmaceutical expenditure per life-year saved before age 85 y in 2013 by post-1981 drugs was $2837. This amount is about 8% of per capita GDP, indicating that post-1981 drugs launched were very cost-effective overall. But the fact that an intervention is cost-effective does not necessarily mean that it is ‘affordable.’

Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety Evaluation of an MF59 Adjuvanted Trivalent Influenza Virus Vaccine Compared to Non-adjuvanted Influenza: A Comprehensive Review in Older Adults and Children: Publication of this supplement was supported by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc., and Seqirus, Inc.

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International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 85, Supplement, S1-S38
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0015-6

 

Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety Evaluation of an MF59 Adjuvanted Trivalent Influenza Virus Vaccine Compared to Non-adjuvanted Influenza: A Comprehensive Review in Older Adults and Children: Publication of this supplement was supported by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc., and Seqirus, Inc.
Open Access

Adult Immunization Update

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JAMA
September 17, 2019, Vol 322, No. 11, Pages 1023-1116
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Clinical Update
Adult Immunization Update
Beverly E. Sha, MD
free access has multimedia
JAMA. 2019;322(11):1096-1097. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.12739
This JAMA Insights Clinical Update reviews updates in 2019 to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) adult immunization schedule, including recommendations for the Shingrix vaccine for prevention of zoster and of the Heplisav-B vaccine for prevention of hepatitis B virus infection.

Public procurement of medicines: scoping review of the scientific literature in South America

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Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 21 Sep 2019]

 

Review
|   18 September 2019
Public procurement of medicines: scoping review of the scientific literature in South America
Authors: Cristiane Mota Soares, Beatriz Nascimento, Luisa Arueira Chaves, Rondineli Mendes Silva, Maria Auxiliadora Oliveira and Vera Lucia Luiza

Malaria eradication within a generation: ambitious, achievable, and necessary

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The Lancet
Sep 21, 2019 Volume 394 Number 10203 p979-1112
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

The Lancet Commissions
Malaria eradication within a generation: ambitious, achievable, and necessary
Richard G A Feachem, Ingrid Chen, Omar Akbari, Amelia Bertozzi-Villa, Samir Bhatt, Fred Binka, et al
50 years after a noble but flawed attempt to eradicate malaria in the mid-20th century, the global malaria community is once again seriously considering eradication. Momentum towards eradication has been building for decades, and more than half of the world’s countries are now malaria free. Since 2000, a surge of global progress has occurred, facilitated by the roll-out of new technologies and the substantial growth in political and financial commitment by countries, regions, and their global partners. Annual domestic and international spending on malaria increased from roughly US$1·5 billion in 2000 to $4·3 billion in 2016. Simultaneously, the number of countries with endemic malaria dropped from 106 to 86, the worldwide annual incidence rate of malaria declined by 36%, and the annual death rate declined by 60%…
…In this report, the Commission concludes that malaria eradication is possible, worthwhile, and affordable, and that the alternatives to eradication are untenable. We identify opportunities for specific actions that will overcome challenges and accelerate progress, starting with an immediate, firm, global commitment to achieving eradication by 2050.

Global trends in antimicrobial resistance in animals in low- and middle-income countries

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Science
20 September 2019 Vol 365, Issue 6459
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

 

Research Articles
Global trends in antimicrobial resistance in animals in low- and middle-income countries
By Thomas P. Van Boeckel, João Pires, Reshma Silvester, Cheng Zhao, Julia Song, Nicola G. Criscuolo, Marius Gilbert, Sebastian Bonhoeffer, Ramanan Laxminarayan
Science20 Sep 2019 Full Access
Growing demand for meat in developing economies increases antibiotic consumption and fuels the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Livestock antibiotic resistance
Most antibiotic use is for livestock, and it is growing with the increase in global demand for meat. It is unclear what the increase in demand for antibiotics means for the occurrence of drug resistance in animals and risk to humans. Van Boeckel et al. describe the global burden of antimicrobial resistance in animals on the basis of systematic reviews over the past 20 years (see the Perspective by Moore). There is a clear increase in the number of resistant bacterial strains occurring in chickens and pigs. The current study provides a much-needed baseline model for low- and middle-income countries and provides a “one health” perspective to which future data can be added.
Structured Abstract
INTRODUCTION
The global scale-up in demand for animal protein is the most notable dietary trend of our time. Since 2000, meat production has plateaued in high-income countries but has grown by 68%, 64%, and 40% in Asia, Africa, and South America, respectively. The transition to high-protein diets in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been facilitated by the global expansion of intensive animal production systems in which antimicrobials are used routinely to maintain health and productivity. Globally, 73% of all antimicrobials sold on Earth are used in animals raised for food. A growing body of evidence has linked this practice with the rise of antimicrobial-resistant infections, not just in animals but also in humans. Beyond potentially serious consequences for public health, the reliance on antimicrobials to meet demand for animal protein is a likely threat to the sustainability of the livestock industry, and thus to the livelihood of farmers around the world.
RATIONALE
In LMICs, trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals are poorly documented. In the absence of systematic surveillance systems, point prevalence surveys represent a largely untapped source of information to map trends in AMR in animals. We use geospatial models to produce global maps of AMR in LMICs and give policy-makers—or a future international panel—a baseline for monitoring AMR levels in animals and target interventions in the regions most affected by the rise of resistance.
RESULTS
We identified 901 point prevalence surveys from LMICs reporting AMR rates in animals for common indicator pathogens: Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp., nontyphoidal Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. From 2000 to 2018, the proportion of antimicrobial compounds with resistance higher than 50% (P50) increased from 0.15 to 0.41 in chickens and from 0.13 to 0.34 in pigs and plateaued between 0.12 and 0.23 in cattle. Global maps of AMR (available at resistancebank.org) show hotspots of resistance in northeastern India, northeastern China, northern Pakistan, Iran, eastern Turkey, the south coast of Brazil, Egypt, the Red River delta in Vietnam, and the areas surrounding Mexico City and Johannesburg. Areas where resistance is just starting to emerge are Kenya, Morocco, Uruguay, southern Brazil, central India, and southern China. Uncertainty in our predictions was greatest in the Andes, the Amazon region, West and Central Africa, the Tibetan plateau, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Dense geographical coverage of point prevalence surveys did not systematically correlate with the presence of hotspots of AMR, such as in Ethiopia, Thailand, Chhattisgarh (India), and Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). The highest resistance rates were observed with the most commonly used classes of antimicrobials in animal production: tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and penicillins.
CONCLUSION
The portfolio of antimicrobials used to raise animals for food is rapidly getting depleted, with important consequences for animal health, farmers’ livelihoods, and potentially for human health. Regions affected by the highest levels of AMR should take immediate actions to preserve the efficacy of antimicrobials that are essential in human medicine by restricting their use in animal production. In some middle-income countries, particularly in South America, surveillance must be scaled up to match that of low-income African countries that are currently outperforming them despite more limited resources. Policy-makers coordinating the international response to AMR may consider sparing African countries from the most aggressive measures to restrict access to veterinary drugs, which may undermine livestock-based economic development and rightfully be perceived as unfair. However, in regions where resistance is starting to emerge, there is a window of opportunity to limit the rise of resistance by encouraging a transition to sustainable animal farming practices. High-income countries, where antimicrobials have been used on farms since the 1950s, should support this transition—for example, through a global fund to subsidize improvement in farm-level biosafety and biosecurity.

CRISPR-mediated live imaging of genome editing and transcription

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Science
20 September 2019 Vol 365, Issue 6459
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

CRISPR-mediated live imaging of genome editing and transcription
By Haifeng Wang, Muneaki Nakamura, Timothy R. Abbott, Dehua Zhao, Kaiwen Luo, Cordelia Yu, Cindy M. Nguyen, Albert Lo, Timothy P. Daley, Marie La Russa, Yanxia Liu, Lei S. Qi

 

Science20 Sep 2019 : 1301-1305 Restricted Access
A CRISPR-mediated imaging approach, LiveFISH, enables real-time tracking of DNA and RNA in living cells.
Tracking nucleic acids in living cells
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful molecular technique for detecting nucleic acids in cells. However, it requires cell fixation and denaturation. Wang et al. found that CRISPR-Cas9 protects guide RNAs from degradation in cells only when bound to target DNA. Taking advantage of this target-dependent stability switch, they developed a labeling technique, named CRISPR LiveFISH, to detect DNA and RNA using fluorophore-conjugated guide RNAs with Cas9 and Cas13, respectively. CRISPR LiveFISH improves the signal-to-noise ratio, is compatible with living cells, and allows tracking real-time dynamics of genome editing, chromosome translocation, and transcription.
Abstract
We report a robust, versatile approach called CRISPR live-cell fluorescent in situ hybridization (LiveFISH) using fluorescent oligonucleotides for genome tracking in a broad range of cell types, including primary cells. An intrinsic stability switch of CRISPR guide RNAs enables LiveFISH to accurately detect chromosomal disorders such as Patau syndrome in prenatal amniotic fluid cells and track multiple loci in human T lymphocytes. In addition, LiveFISH tracks the real-time movement of DNA double-strand breaks induced by CRISPR-Cas9–mediated editing and consequent chromosome translocations. Finally, by combining Cas9 and Cas13 systems, LiveFISH allows for simultaneous visualization of genomic DNA and RNA transcripts in living cells. The LiveFISH approach enables real-time live imaging of DNA and RNA during genome editing, transcription, and rearrangements in single cells.

 

Immune correlates of the Thai RV144 HIV vaccine regimen in South Africa

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Science Translational Medicine
18 September 2019 Vol 11, Issue 510
https://stm.sciencemag.org/

 

Research Articles
Immune correlates of the Thai RV144 HIV vaccine regimen in South Africa
By Glenda E. Gray, Ying Huang, Nicole Grunenberg, Fatima Laher, Surita Roux, Erica Andersen-Nissen, Stephen C. De Rosa, Britta Flach, April K. Randhawa, Ryan Jensen, Edith M. Swann, Linda-Gail Bekker, Craig Innes, Erica Lazarus, Lynn Morris, Nonhlanhla N. Mkhize, Guido Ferrari, David C. Montefiori, Xiaoying Shen, Sheetal Sawant, Nicole Yates, John Hural, Abby Isaacs, Sanjay Phogat, Carlos A. DiazGranados, Carter Lee, Faruk Sinangil, Nelson L. Michael, Merlin L. Robb, James G. Kublin, Peter B. Gilbert, M. Juliana McElrath, Georgia D. Tomaras, Lawrence Corey
Science Translational Medicine18 Sep 2019 Full Access
In South Africans, the RV144 HIV vaccine regimen elicited robust immune responses that have been associated with vaccine efficacy.
Taking RV144 beyond Thailand
The RV144 vaccine trial in Thailand is the only HIV vaccine to show efficacy against HIV infection to date. Gray et al. designed the HVTN 097 trial to test this regimen in South Africa, where clade C HIV circulates; this clade is heterologous to the vaccine antigens. They intently examined immune protective responses previously identified in the RV144 trial and found that the vaccine seemed to be even more immunogenic in South Africans. CD4+ T cell responses were stronger and more common in HVTN 097, and the magnitude of protective antibody responses was greater compared to RV144. Their results indicate that the RV144 regimen or others like it could be protective in areas where HIV is endemic.

Identify, target, monitor: Experiences of a fresh approach to addressing immunization inequities in Pakistan

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 41 Pages 6017-6132 (24 September 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/41

 

Discussion Open access
Identify, target, monitor: Experiences of a fresh approach to addressing immunization inequities in Pakistan
Saadia Farrukh, Alyssa Sharkey, Richard Duncan, Paul Rutter, Andreas Hasman
Pages 6017-6021

Facilitators and barriers of human papillomavirus vaccine uptake in young females 18–26 years old in Singapore: A qualitative study

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 41 Pages 6017-6132 (24 September 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/41

 

Research article Abstract only
Facilitators and barriers of human papillomavirus vaccine uptake in young females 18–26 years old in Singapore: A qualitative study
Andrea Su En Lim, Raymond Boon Tar Lim
Pages 6030-6038

Optimization of frequency and targeting of measles supplemental immunization activities in Nigeria: A cost-effectiveness analysis

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 41 Pages 6017-6132 (24 September 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/41

 

Research article Open access
Optimization of frequency and targeting of measles supplemental immunization activities in Nigeria: A cost-effectiveness analysis
Marita Zimmermann, Kurt Frey, Brittany Hagedorn, A.J. Oteri, … Guillaume Chabot-Couture
Pages 6039-6047

Predictors of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis and influenza vaccination during pregnancy among full-term deliveries in a medically underserved population

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 41 Pages 6017-6132 (24 September 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/41

 

Research article Abstract only
Predictors of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis and influenza vaccination during pregnancy among full-term deliveries in a medically underserved population
Kamini Doraivelu, Sheree L. Boulet, Hope H. Biswas, Jenna C. Adams, … Denise J. Jamieson
Pages 6054-6059

The cost saving opportunity of introducing a card review into measles-containing vaccination campaigns

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Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 41 Pages 6017-6132 (24 September 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/41

 

Research article Open access
The cost saving opportunity of introducing a card review into measles-containing vaccination campaigns
Brittany L. Hagedorn, Alya Dabbagh, Kevin A. McCarthy
Pages 6093-6101

The Cellular Immune Response to Rabies Vaccination: A Systematic Review

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Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 21 Sep 2019)

 

Open Access Review
The Cellular Immune Response to Rabies Vaccination: A Systematic Review
by Lisanne A. Overduin, Jacques J.M. van Dongen and Leonardus G. Visser
Vaccines 2019, 7(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines7030110 – 11 Sep 2019
Abstract
The effectiveness of rabies vaccines is conventionally determined by serological testing. In addition to this assessment of humoral immunity, cellular immunity could help assess effectiveness and protection through a broad range of parameters. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review all literature on the kinetics and composition of the cellular immune response to rabies vaccination in humans. A total of 1360 studies were identified in an extensive literature search. Twenty studies were selected for inclusion. In a primary response, plasma cells are detectable from day 7 to day 14, peaking at day 10. Memory B-cells appear from day 10 up to at least day 28. After revaccination, natural killer (NK) cells are the first detectable cellular parameters. Further research is required to assess cellular parameters in relation to long-term (serological) immunity. This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD42019134416.

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

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

Public Health
Volume 177, December 2019, Pages 71-79
Original Research
A systematic approach to map the adolescent human papillomavirus vaccine decision and identify intervention strategies to address vaccine hesitancy
S Marshall, LJ Sahm, AC Moore, A Fleming –
Highlights
:: The World Health Organization has declared vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health in 2019.
:: Unsubstantiated safety concerns with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines continue to linger globally.
:: Theoretically informed behaviour change frameworks can be used to identify factors impacting HPV vaccine uptake.
:: Awareness and knowledge about HPV and its health sequelae was low among female adolescents, aged 14-16 years.
:: Education is a key area to address in future intervention studies to reduce HPV vaccine hesitancy.

 

Journal of Community Health
First Online: 13 September 2019
Original Paper
Association of State Legislation of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination with Vaccine Uptake Among Adolescents in the United States
NA Vielot, AM Butler, JG Trogdon, R Ramadas…
Abstract
We assessed the association of state legislation with adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates in states that legislated information dissemination or administration of HPV vaccination. Using insurance claims, we calculated monthly HPV vaccination rates (November 2009–December 2017) among adolescents in states that passed HPV vaccination legislation during that period: Missouri (July 2010), Kentucky (February 2012), Indiana (March 2013), Oregon (June 2013). We used segmented regression to estimate levels and trends of HPV vaccination rates, comparing pre-legislation to post-legislation segments, adjusting for seasonal vaccination patterns and changes to the vaccination recommendation among males during the study period. Indiana’s legislation allowed pharmacists to administer HPV vaccination; legislation in Kentucky, Missouri, and Oregon included provisions HPV and cervical cancer education. No statistically significant increases in HPV vaccination levels or trends were observed in the post-legislation segments among adolescents overall; however, a significant post-legislation increase in vaccination trends was observed among boys in Missouri (β = 0.16, p = 0.03). Evidence for a positive impact of legislation on HPV vaccination rates is limited. The scarcity of policies that directly facilitate or promote HPV vaccination, and the breadth of exemptions to school vaccination requirements, may limit the effectiveness of these policies. Continuing efforts to introduce and pass legislation that directly facilitates HPV vaccination, combined with promoting existing evidence-based interventions, can provide opportunities to identify the most effective strategies to increase adolescent HPV vaccination rates.

Media/Policy Watch

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Media/Policy Watch
This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.

 

The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
DR Congo to introduce second Ebola vaccine
21 Sep 2019
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are planning to use a second Ebola vaccine to help control an outbreak that has killed more than 2,100 people.

 

Devex
https://www.devex.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
Global Views Vaccine hesitancy
Opinion: The real problem with vaccine hesitancy
By Seth Berkley // 18 September 2019
If we stopped vaccinating children, how long would it take before a host of deadly diseases came back with a vengeance? If the news that Albania, Czechia, Greece, and the United Kingdom have all now lost their official measles elimination status is anything to go by, the answer is not long at all.
Immunization coverage doesn’t have to drop by much before outbreaks start to occur. And with 130 million new children born globally every year, it would take just a year or two before mortality rates for diseases, like diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles and others, would once again start to soar…

 

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
Sep 17, 2019
Russia Confirms Explosion At Ex Bioweapons Lab Storing Ebola, Smallpox And Plague
A month after a deadly accident hit a Russian nuclear facility, new reports of an explosion at a state biotech lab housing​ deadly viruses have now been confirmed.
By Zak Doffman Contributor

 

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
Voice
The World Knows an Apocalyptic Pandemic Is Coming
But nobody is interested in doing anything about it.
By Laurie Garrett
| September 20, 2019, 12:48 PM
The ominous analysis was compiled by an independent panel, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), which was assembled last year in response to a request from the office of the U.N. secretary-general, and convened jointly by the World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO). Co-chaired by the former WHO head and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and the head of the international Red Cross, Elhadj As Sy, the GPMB commissioned expert studies and issued a scathing attack on the political, financial, and logistical state of pandemic preparedness affairs…
[See Milestones above for detail]

 

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
Asia Pacific
Philippines Confirms 2nd Polio Case After Declaring Outbreak
Philippine health officials on Friday confirmed a second case of polio in a 5-year-old child a day after declaring the country’s first outbreak in nearly two decades, and announced plans for a massive immunization program.
By The Associated Press

Health
As Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Drags On, Untracked Cases Sow Confusion
On tour in Africa, American officials said the U.S. would keep providing aid. But Congo’s response has been uneven, and the former health minister has been jailed.
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.

U.S.
U.S. Records No New Measles Cases for First Week Since January
Health officials recorded no new cases of measles in the United States last week, marking the first week without new cases of the disease since January, amid an outbreak largely linked to parents who declined to vaccinate their children.
By Reuters

 

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Think Tanks et al

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Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new relevant content]

 

Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new relevant content]

 

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
Upcoming Event
Securing Healthy Populations in a New Era of Global Immunization
September 27, 2019

Podcast Episode
Rethinking Vaccine Delivery
September 17, 2019 | By Nellie Bristol

 

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new relevant content]

 

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 21 Sep 2019
[No new relevant content]

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 14 September 2019

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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

.– Request an Email Summary: Vaccines and Global Health : The Week in Review is published as a single email summary, scheduled for release each Saturday evening before midnight (EDT in the U.S.). If you would like to receive the email version, please send your request to david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org.

– pdf version:  A pdf of the current issue is available here: Vaccines and Global Health_The Week in Review_14 Sep 2019

– blog edition: comprised of the approx. 35+ entries posted below.

– Twitter:  Readers can also follow developments on twitter: @vaxethicspolicy.
.
– Links:  We endeavor to test each link as we incorporate it into any post, but recognize that some links may become “stale” as publications and websites reorganize content over time. We apologize in advance for any links that may not be operative. We believe the contextual information in a given post should allow retrieval, but please contact us as above for assistance if necessary.

Support this knowledge-sharing service: Your financial support helps us cover our costs and to address a current shortfall in our annual operating budget. Click here to donate and thank you in advance for your contribution.

.
David R. Curry, MS
Executive Director
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy

Malaria vaccine launched in Kenya: Kenya joins Ghana and Malawi to roll out landmark vaccine in pilot introduction

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

Malaria vaccine launched in Kenya: Kenya joins Ghana and Malawi to roll out landmark vaccine in pilot introduction
Homa Bay, Kenya, 13 September 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates the Government of Kenya for launching the world’s first malaria vaccine today in Homa Bay County, western Kenya.

The malaria vaccine pilot programme is now fully underway in Africa, as Kenya joins Ghana and Malawi to introduce the landmark vaccine as a tool against a disease that continues to affect millions of children in Africa.

The vaccine, known as RTS,S, will be available to children from 6 months of age in selected areas of the country in a phased pilot introduction. It is the first and only vaccine to significantly reduce malaria in children, including life-threatening malaria.

Malaria claims the life of one child every two minutes. The disease is a leading killer of children younger than 5 years in Kenya.

“Africa has witnessed a recent surge in the number of malaria cases and deaths. This threatens the gains in the fight against malaria made in the past two decades,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “The ongoing pilots will provide the key information and data to inform a WHO policy on the broader use of the vaccine in sub-Saharan Africa. If introduced widely, the vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives.”
First vaccination: a day to celebrate

Distinguished health officials, community leaders and health advocates gathered in Homa Bay County – one of eight counties in Kenya where the vaccine will be introduced in selected areas – to mark this historic moment with declarations of support for the promising new malaria prevention tool and to demonstrate a ceremonial first vaccination of a 6-month-old child.

Speaking at the event, WHO Representative to Kenya Dr Rudi Eggers said: “Vaccines are powerful tools that effectively reach and better protect the health of children who may not have immediate access to the doctors, nurses and health facilities they need to save them when severe illness comes. This is a day to celebrate as we begin to learn more about what this vaccine can do to change the trajectory of malaria though childhood vaccination.”

Thirty years in the making, the vaccine is a complementary malaria control tool – to be added to the core package of WHO-recommended measures for malaria prevention, including the routine use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying with insecticides and timely access to malaria testing and treatment…

2019 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award :: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance :: Gavi receives the 2019 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

2019 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award :: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
For providing sustained access to childhood vaccines around the globe, saving millions of lives, and for highlighting the power of immunization to prevent disease

The 2019 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award honors Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for providing sustained access to childhood vaccines around the globe, thus saving millions of lives, and for highlighting the power of immunization to prevent disease. By harnessing the latest scientific advances, collaborating, and exercising economic influence, Gavi ensures sufficient vaccine supplies at affordable prices, accelerates development and deployment of new vaccines, and strengthens healthcare systems. To date, Gavi has helped vaccinate more than 760 million children and saved over 13 million lives in 73 countries.

Bill Gates has famously said, “vaccines are a miracle” and, although they are a product of research and not supernatural forces, their effects touch on the divine. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunization prevents between 2 and 3 million deaths every year. Its success has created one of the most dramatic and cost-effective public health stories in history.

Gavi receives the 2019 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award
Award given for saving millions of lives by providing sustained access to childhood vaccines around the globe
Geneva, 10 September 2019 – The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation announced today that Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has received the prestigious 2019 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award for providing sustained access to childhood vaccines in the world’s poorest countries, saving millions of lives and highlighting the power of immunisation to prevent diseases.

“It is a great honour for us to receive such a prestigious Award,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi the Vaccine Alliance. “Since its creation in 2000 at Davos, Gavi has been making it possible for the world’s most vulnerable children to receive the vaccines they need to live healthy, successful lives. Our collective work as an Alliance has prevented more than 13 million deaths in developing countries while child mortality was halved largely thanks to immunisation. I couldn’t be prouder of what we have accomplished together…

Emergencies

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Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Disease Outbreak News (DONs) 6 September 2019
The intensity of Ebola virus disease (EVD) transmission in the North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces remains substantial, with 57 new cases reported since the last EVD in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Disease Outbreak News Update on 29 August.

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POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 11 September 2019
:: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners and the United Arab Emirates co-hosted an informal reception as a pre-event ahead of the Polio Pledging Moment in the United Arab Emirates’-hosted Reaching the Last Mile Forum in Abu Dhabi, in November 2019. The GPEI also presented the 2019-2023 GPEI Investment Case.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Afghanistan — one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case;
:: Pakistan— four wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases and 28 WPV1-positive environmental samples;
:: Central African Republic (CAR)— two circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases and one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample;
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)— one cVDPV2 case.

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Editor’s Note:
WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 14 Sep 2019]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Disease Outbreak News (DONs) Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
6 September 2019

Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 14 Sep 2019]

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 14 Sep 2019]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Editor’s Note:
Ebola in the DRC has bene added as a OCHA “Corporate Emergency” this week:
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth – No new digest announcements identified
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 14 Sep 2019]

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 14 Sep 2019]
News release
WHO calls for urgent action to reduce patient harm in healthcare
13 September 2019: Millions of patients are harmed each year due to unsafe health care worldwide resulting in 2.6 million deaths annually in low-and middle-income countries alone.  Most of these deaths are avoidable. The personal, social and economic impact of patient harm leads to losses of trillions of US dollars worldwide. The World Health Organization is focusing global attention on the issue of patient safety and launching a campaign in solidarity with patients on the very first World Patient Safety Day on 17 September.
“No one should be harmed while receiving health care. And yet globally, at least 5 patients die every minute because of unsafe care,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We need a patient safety culture that promotes partnership with patients, encourages reporting and learning from errors, and creates a blame-free environment where health workers are empowered and trained to reduce errors.”…

9 September 2019
News release
Suicide: one person dies every 40 seconds

8 September 2019
News release
PAHO issues $3.5 million donor appeal for humanitarian health response in the Bahamas

 

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Weekly Epidemiological Record, 13 September 2019, vol. 94, 37 (pp. 413–424)
Algeria and Argentina certified as malaria-free by WHO
Progress in eliminating onchocerciasis in the WHO Region of the Americas: doxycycline treatment as an end-game strategy
Performance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance and incidence of poliomyelitis, 2019

 

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Malaria vaccine launched in Kenya: Kenya joins Ghana and Malawi to roll out landmark…
13 September 2019
:: Ghana Health Service and Partners launch polio vaccination campaigns in Ghana 12 September 2019

:: Experts convene to chart a roadmap towards malaria elimination 10 September 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO urges the health and education sectors to work together to create healthy schools (09/13/2019)
:: PAHO hurricane relief partners, the Dutch military, evacuate pregnant woman from Abaco (09/12/2019)
:: How to cope with the psychological impact of disasters (09/11/2019)
:: PAHO issues $3.5 million donor appeal for humanitarian health response in the Bahamas (09/08/2019)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
:: RC69 opens on 16 September with review of progress in public health 13-09-2019
:: Moscow joins the WHO Regions for Health Network (RHN) 11-09-2019
:: Progress on health equity is stalling across Europe; new WHO report reveals gaps can be reduced within the lifetime of a single government 10-09-2019

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Japan contributions enable WHO support for Syrian children 12 September 2019
:: WHO sends life-saving medical supplies across Libya 9 September 20

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.