Category Archives: Uncategorized

WHO & Regional Offices [to 4 Jan 2020]

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 4 Jan 2020]

 

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros, video message for new year 2020
2 January 2020
In his new year’s message for 2020, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pays tribute to the tireless work of health workers around the world. Dr Tedros highlights the critical contribution these people make to all our lives and flags the urgent need for an additional 18 million more.

Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020 
Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services. These are the people who devote their lives to caring for mothers and children; giving lifesaving immunizations and health advice; looking after older people and generally meeting everyday essential health needs. They are often, the first and only point of care in their communities. The world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
That’s why the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife…

 

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Three African countries halt polio outbreaks 20 December 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified.

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: 26 December 2019 News release
15 years of Indian Ocean tsunami – WHO South-East Asia Region continues to prioritize preparedness to respond to public health emergencies

WHO European Region EURO
:: WHO project wins the Global Aesthetic Achievement of the Year award 03-01-2020

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Regional Summit of National Ethics and Bioethics Committees 24 December 2019
:: WHO doctor awarded for helping the mothers and babies of Gaza 22 December 2019

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

China CDC

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China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
No new digest content identified.

 

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
Updated: 2019-12-19
Law protecting medical staff implemented
2019-12-30
China’s top legislature and health commission condemned the fatal stabbing of a doctor at a Beijing hospital by a patient’s relative when the country’s law on promotion of basic medical and healthcare was adopted on Dec 28…
In a bid to deter illegal acts targeting medical staff and institutions, the law stipulates that the personal safety and dignity of medical workers must not be infringed upon and that their legitimate rights are protected by law…

Infectious disease situation stable in China: official
2019-12-27
A Chinese health official said on Dec 26 China’s current infectious disease situation is generally stable despite that the country is in the peak of the flu season.
According to the latest surveillance statistics, some provincial-level regions have already entered the flu season, with influenza virus A subtype H3N2 and B virus lineage Victoria were detected as the main viruses, Wang Bin, an official with the National Health Commission, said at a press conference.
Li Zhongjie, an official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that vaccination is the most effective and economical way to prevent infectious diseases.
In addition, Li stressed the importance of developing good personal hygiene habits to reduce the risk of exposure to viruses.

China’s flu vaccine supply can meet demand
2019-12-27

Announcements

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Announcements

 

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
No new digest content identified.

 

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.

 

CARB-X [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
No new digest content identified.

 

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

 

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

EDCTP [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

 

Emory Vaccine Center [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

 

European Medicines Agency [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

European Vaccine Initiative [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.

 

FDA [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

Fondation Merieux [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
20 – 22 Jan 2020
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Dengue pre-vaccination screening strategies workshop
Les Pensières Center for Global Health, Veyrier-du-Lac (France)

 

Gavi [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
No new digest content identified.
GHIT Fund [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that No new digest content identified.

 

Global Fund [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
No new digest content identified.

 

Hilleman Laboratories [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

Human Vaccines Project [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

IAVI [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

 

 

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
No new digest content identified.

 

 

International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

 

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

 

IFRC [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

IVAC [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

 

IVI [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

JEE Alliance [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Syria
“There are no safe places for people in Idlib”
Interview 27 Dec 2019

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Crisis update – December 2019
Crisis Update 27 Dec 2019

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Military presence leads MSF to stop activities in Ebola-affected Biakato
Press Release 24 Dec 2019
Following security incidents in Biakato, Democratic Republic of Congo, an increase in security – including armed military forces – have been deployed around and within health structures. The presence of arms and weapons in hospitals and clinics has resulted in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) taking the difficult decision to stop medical activities – including those related to Ebola – in Biakato.
“We are no longer able to work in accordance with our principles of neutrality and impartiality,” said Ewenn Chenard, Emergency Coordinator for MSF. “We regret this decision, but the presence of armed forces around and within the health structures of Biakato goes against our principles.”
MSF has been working with the people of Biakato, located in DRC’s northeastern Ituri province, since 2016, supporting the Ministry of Health. Initially, our activities were dedicated to assisting victims of sexual violence…

 

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
NVAC 2020 Meetings
February 13-14, 2020 NVAC Meeting
June 9-10, 2020 NVAC Meeting
September 23-24, 2020 Meeting (Virtual)

 

NIH [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
Changed route of immunization dramatically improves efficacy of TB vaccine
January 2, 2020 — NIH scientists report results from animal study.
… Now, researchers from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and their colleagues have shown that simply changing the dose and route of administration from intradermal (ID) to intravenous (IV) greatly increases the vaccine’s ability to protect rhesus macaques from infection following exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes TB. The findings provide a new understanding of the mechanisms of BCG-elicited protection against tuberculosis infection and disease. In addition, the findings support investigation of IV BCG administration in clinical trials to determine whether this route improves its effectiveness in teens and adults.
Study investigators at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center were led by Robert A. Seder, M.D., and Mario Roederer, Ph.D. Their collaborators included JoAnne L. Flynn, Ph.D., of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine…

 

PATH [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

UNAIDS [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
26 December 2019
Treating HIV-positive children with speed and skill

 

UNICEF [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
UNICEF’s New Year appeal for Syria: Cease fighting in the northwest and end the nine-year war
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
02/01/2020

Press release
New Year’s babies: Over 392,000 children will be born worldwide on New Year’s Day
In 2020, UNICEF is calling for world leaders and nations to invest in health workers with the know-how and equipment to save every newborn
01/01/2020

Press release
2019 concludes a ‘deadly decade’ for children in conflict, with more than 170,000 grave violations verified since 2010
Three-fold rise in verified attacks on children since 2010, an average of 45 violations a day
29/12/2019

Statement
Children bear the brunt of intensifying violence in northwest Syria
Statement from Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
24/12/2019

 

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

 

Wellcome Trust [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News | 28 December 2019
MBE for Nicola Perrin in Queen’s New Year Honours
Nicola Perrin, former Head of Policy at Wellcome and latterly Head of Understanding Patient Data, has been awarded an MBE for her work on championing the responsible use of patient data.

 

The Wistar Institute [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.

 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
No new digest content identified.

 

 

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ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

 

BIO [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

IFPMA [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.

 

PhRMA [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
No new digest content identified.

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

The influence of a community intervention on influenza vaccination knowledge and behavior among diabetic patients

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 4 Jan 2020)

 

The influence of a community intervention on influenza vaccination knowledge and behavior among diabetic patients
This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive community intervention on cognition and inoculation behaviors of diabetic patients immunized with influenza vaccine.
Authors: Lili Tao, Ming Lu, Xiaoning Wang, Xiaoyan Han, Shuming Li and Haiyan Wang
Citation: BMC Public Health 2019 19:1747
Content type: Research article
Published on: 27 December 2019

Improving quality of care in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings

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Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 1, January 2020, 1-76
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/1/en/

 

EDITORIALS
Improving quality of care in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings
— Shamsuzzoha Babar Syed, Sheila Leatherman, Matthew Neilson, Andre Griekspoor, Dirk Horemans, Mondher Letaief & Edward Kelley
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.246280

Health-care investments for the urban populations, Bangladesh and India

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Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 1, January 2020, 1-76
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/1/en/

 

RESEARCH
Health-care investments for the urban populations, Bangladesh and India
— Daphne CN Wu, Eduardo P Banzon, Hellen Gelband, Brian Chin, Varsha Malhotra, Sonalini Khetrapal, David Watkins, Sungsup Ra, Dean T Jamison & Prabhat Jha
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.234252

Development assistance for community health workers in 114 low- and middle-income countries, 2007–2017

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Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 1, January 2020, 1-76
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/1/en/

 

Development assistance for community health workers in 114 low- and middle-income countries, 2007–2017
— Chunling Lu, Daniel Palazuelos, Yiqun Luan, Sonia Ehrlich Sachs, Carole Diane Mitnick, Joseph Rhatigan & Henry B Perry
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.235499

Clarification of the Concept of Risk Communication and its Role in Public Health Crisis Management in China

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Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Volume 13 – Issue 5-6 – December 2019
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/

 

Commentary
Clarification of the Concept of Risk Communication and its Role in Public Health Crisis Management in China
Wuqi Qiu, Cordia Chu
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 June 2019, pp. 834-836
Abstract
Risk communication plays a very important role in the prevention of public health crisis events and has been considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be 1 of the main functions of an emergency public health crisis. However, it is a relatively new research field in China, so many people have mistaken understandings of risk communication. This article will describe the concept and importance of risk communication and briefly introduce the role of risk communication in public health crisis management. It also provides information for the prevention of public health crisis events in the future.

Disaster Medicine: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature From 2016

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Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Volume 13 – Issue 5-6 – December 2019
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/

 

Original Research
Disaster Medicine: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature From 2016
Ritu R. Sarin, John L. Hick, Alicia A. Livinski, Jennifer Nieratko, Meghan Treber, Audrey Mazurek, Shayne Brannman, Paul Biddinger, Jonathan Burstein, Gregory Ciottone, Scott Goldberg, Andrew Milsten, Ira Nemeth, Eric Goralnick
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 June 2019, pp. 946-957
Abstract
Objective:
The Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Disaster Medicine Interest Group, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response – Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) team, and the National Institutes of Health Library searched disaster medicine peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify, review, and disseminate the most important new research in this field for academics and practitioners.
Methods:
MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus databases were searched with key words. Additional gray literature and focused hand search were performed. A Level I review of titles and abstracts with inclusion criteria of disaster medicine, health care system, and disaster type concepts was performed. Eight reviewers performed Level II full-text review and formal scoring for overall quality, impact, clarity, and importance, with scoring ranging from 0 to 20. Reviewers summarized and critiqued articles scoring 16.5 and above.
Results:
Articles totaling 1176 were identified, and 347 were screened in a Level II review. Of these, 193 (56%) were Original Research, 117 (34%) Case Report or other, and 37 (11%) were Review/Meta-Analysis. The average final score after a Level II review was 11.34. Eighteen articles scored 16.5 or higher. Of the 18 articles, 9 (50%) were Case Report or other, 7 (39%) were Original Research, and 2 (11%) were Review/Meta-Analysis.
Conclusions:
This first review highlighted the breadth of disaster medicine, including emerging infectious disease outbreaks, terror attacks, and natural disasters. We hope this review becomes an annual source of actionable, pertinent literature for the emerging field of disaster medicine.

Digital twins to personalize medicine

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Genome Medicine
https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 4 Jan 2020]

 

Comment
Open Access
Published: 31 December 2019
Digital twins to personalize medicine
Bergthor Björnsson, et al on behalf of the Swedish Digital Twin Consortium
Genome Medicine volume 12, Article number: 4 (2019
Abstract
Personalized medicine requires the integration and processing of vast amounts of data. Here, we propose a solution to this challenge that is based on constructing Digital Twins. These are high-resolution models of individual patients that are computationally treated with thousands of drugs to find the drug that is optimal for the patient.
Background
Despite great strides in biomedical advances during the past century, a large number of patients do not respond to drug treatment. According to a report from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medication is deemed ineffective for 38–75% of patients with common diseases [1]. This results in patient suffering and increased healthcare costs. These problems reflect the complexity of common diseases, which may involve altered interactions between thousands of genes that differ between patients with the same diagnosis. There is a wide gap between this complexity and modern health care, in which diagnostics often relies on a small number of biomarkers of limited sensitivity or specificity. Digital and genomic medicine may bridge this gap by monitoring, processing, and integrating vast amounts of data from wearable digital devices, omics, imaging, and electronic medical records [2]. However, the integration and clinical exploitation of such complex data are unresolved challenges.
Application of the digital twin concept to personalize medicine
Digital twins are a concept from engineering which has been applied to complex systems such as airplanes or even cities [3]. The aims are to model those systems computationally, in order to develop and test them more quickly and economically than is possible in the real-life setting. Ideally, the digital twin concept can be translated to patients in order to improve diagnostics and treatment. This is the general aim of the DigiTwin consortium, which includes academic, clinical and industrial partners from 32 countries (https://www.digitwins.org). Practical and scalable solutions for specific problems will also require national initiatives. As an example, the Swedish Digital Twin Consortium (SDTC) aims to develop a strategy for personalized medicine (https://www.sdtc.se). The SDTC strategy, which is the focus of this Comment, is based on: (i) constructing unlimited copies of network models of all molecular, phenotypic, and environmental factors relevant to disease mechanisms in individual patients (i.e., digital twins); (ii) computationally treating those digital twins with thousands of drugs in order to identify the best performing drug; and (iii) treating the patient with this drug …

Using Data to Keep Vaccines Cold in Kenya: Remote Temperature Monitoring with Data Review Teams for Vaccine Management

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Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP)
Vol. 7, No. 4 December 23, 2019
http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/current

 

ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Using Data to Keep Vaccines Cold in Kenya: Remote Temperature Monitoring with Data Review Teams for Vaccine Management
Mercy Lutukai, Elizabeth A. Bunde, Benjamin Hatch, Zoya Mohamed, Shahrzad Yavari, Ernest Some, Amos Chweya, Caroline Kania, Jesse C. Ross, Carmit Keddem and Yasmin Chandani
Global Health: Science and Practice December 2019, 7(4):585-597; https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00157
Using technology to make data visible to stakeholders and giving those stakeholders a framework for analyzing that data for decision making improves cold chain management of vaccines in Kenya.

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Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP)
Vol. 7, No. 4 December 23, 2019
http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/current

 

ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Using Data to Keep Vaccines Cold in Kenya: Remote Temperature Monitoring with Data Review Teams for Vaccine Management
Mercy Lutukai, Elizabeth A. Bunde, Benjamin Hatch, Zoya Mohamed, Shahrzad Yavari, Ernest Some, Amos Chweya, Caroline Kania, Jesse C. Ross, Carmit Keddem and Yasmin Chandani
Global Health: Science and Practice December 2019, 7(4):585-597; https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00157
Using technology to make data visible to stakeholders and giving those stakeholders a framework for analyzing that data for decision making improves cold chain management of vaccines in Kenya.

Conceptions within misconceptions: Pluralisms in an Ebola vaccine trial in West Africa

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Global Public Health
Volume 15, 2020 Issue 1
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

 

Article
Conceptions within misconceptions: Pluralisms in an Ebola vaccine trial in West Africa
Arsenii Alenichev, Koen Peeters Grietens & René Gerrets
Pages: 13-21
Published online: 25 Jun 2019
ABSTRACT
Ensuring that biomedical information about research procedures is adequately understood by participants and their communities is key for conducting ethical research. This article explores participants’ understanding of trial procedures for an experimental vaccine against Ebola virus disease (EVD) in a West African context. We found that some trial participants believed there was a chance of contracting Ebola and other sicknesses from the vaccine, and others believed both the vaccine and the placebo control would be able to prevent other illnesses than EVD. While these beliefs might be understood as misconceptions about the vaccine trial, this paper shows that such a conclusion is problematic because it excludes local explanatory health models and logics of causality. The paper invites bioethicists to work with anthropologists to take seriously different models of health knowledge in global health research. Investigating and addressing such differences could be the key to understanding human subjects’ motives for participation, and to creating space for studies of empirical ethics.

Impacts of intellectual property provisions in trade treaties on access to medicine in low and middle income countries: a systematic review

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Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 4 Jan 2020]

 

Review
Open Access
Published: 30 December 2019
Impacts of intellectual property provisions in trade treaties on access to medicine in low and middle income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Md. Deen Islam, Warren A. Kaplan, Danielle Trachtenberg, Rachel Thrasher, Kevin P. Gallagher and Veronika J. Wirtz
Citation: Globalization and Health 2019 15:88
Content type: Review
Published on: 30 December 2019
Abstract
Background
We present a systematic review describing ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of the impacts of intellectual property provisions in trade treaties on access to medicine in low and middle income countries. These evaluations focused on multilateral and bilateral trade agreements. We ascertained which IP provisions impacting access to medicines were the focus of these evaluations. We provide a further research agenda related to investigating the effect of trade agreement’s intellectual property provisions on access to medicines…
Conclusion
Both ex ante and ex post methods have advantages and limitations and, on balance, both types report, for the most part, an increase in price and a decrease in consumer welfare with imposition of intellectual property protection in trade agreements. The main differences between these studies are in the magnitude of the changes. There is a gap in our empirical understanding of the mechanisms through which such changes affect access to medicines and which outcomes relevant to access are most affected by which type of changes in intellectual property policy and law.

Assessment of vaccine management in cold chain points of Jashpur and Sarguja districts of Chhattisgarh

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International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 1 (2020) January 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/58

 

Original Research Articles
Assessment of vaccine management in cold chain points of Jashpur and Sarguja districts of Chhattisgarh
Nitin H. Kamble, Daneshwar Singh, Harshal G. Mendhe, Kiran Makade

Dengue pre-vaccination serology screening for the use of Dengvaxia®

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Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 8, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/8

 

Editorial
Dengue pre-vaccination serology screening for the use of Dengvaxia®
Elizabeth Hunsperger, PhD, Rosanna Peeling, PhD, Duane J Gubler, DSc, Eng Eong Ooi, BMBS, PhD
J Travel Med, Volume 26, Issue 8, 2019, taz092, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz092
Can pre-vaccination screening for prior dengue infection using commercially available rapid diagnostic tests guide Dengvaxia administration?
Extract
Dengue is a global problem with an estimated 100 million symptomatic cases worldwide every year.1 Endemic throughout the tropics, this disease is expanding into the subtropics in the geographic footprint of its mosquito vectors, principally Aedes aegypti. This acute disease that presents with syndromes ranging from undifferentiated febrile illness to circulatory shock from vasculopathy, hemorrhage and organ dysfunction is caused by four closely related but antigenically distinct dengue viruses (DENV1–4). Epidemiological observations have found that certain strains of DENV are associated with increased epidemic potential and severe disease2 Moreover, elevated risk…

World RePORT: a database for mapping biomedical research funding

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Lancet Global Health
Volume 8, ISSUE 1, Pe1, January 01, 2020
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

 

World RePORT: a database for mapping biomedical research funding
Taghreed Adam, Hannah Akuffo, James G Carter, Zach Charat, Michael J Cheetham, Aldo Crisafulli, Cindy M Danielson, Jennifer Gunning, Brian Haugen, Dominika Jajkowicz, Simon Kay,
Peter H Kilmarx, Julia Mólto López, Ole F Olesen, Inmaculada Peñas-Jiménez, Kedest Tesfagiorgis, Stacy K Wallick, Roger I Glass

Preparedness for emerging epidemic threats: a Lancet Infectious Diseases Commission

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Volume 20, ISSUE 1, P1, January 01, 2020
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Preparedness for emerging epidemic threats: a Lancet Infectious Diseases Commission
Vernon J Lee, Ximena Aguilera, David Heymann, Annelies Wilder-Smith for The Lancet Infectious Diseases Commission
At any time, an emerging, lethal, and highly transmissible pathogen might pose a risk of being spread globally because of the interconnectedness of the global population. 1, 2 Emerging epidemic threats are occurring with increasing scale, duration, and effect, often disrupting travel and trade, and damaging both national and regional economies. 3, 4 Even geographically limited outbreaks such as the Ebola virus disease in Africa might have a global effect.

Immunogenicity of chimeric haemagglutinin-based, universal influenza virus vaccine candidates: interim results of a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 1 clinical trial

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Volume 20, ISSUE 1, P1, January 01, 2020
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Articles
Immunogenicity of chimeric haemagglutinin-based, universal influenza virus vaccine candidates: interim results of a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 1 clinical trial
David I Bernstein, et al.

The public health crisis of underimmunisation: a global plan of action

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Volume 20, ISSUE 1, P1, January 01, 2020
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Personal View
The public health crisis of underimmunisation: a global plan of action
Lawrence O Gostin, James G Hodge Jr, Barry R Bloom, Ayman El-Mohandes, Jonathan Fielding,
Peter Hotez, Ann Kurth, Heidi J Larson, Walter A Orenstein, Kenneth Rabin, Scott C Ratzan, Daniel Salmon
Summary
Vaccination is one of public health’s greatest achievements, responsible for saving billions of lives. Yet, 20% of children worldwide are not fully protected, leading to 1·5 million child deaths annually from vaccine-preventable diseases. Millions more people have severe disabling illnesses, cancers, and disabilities stemming from underimmunisation. Reasons for falling vaccination rates globally include low public trust in vaccines, constraints on affordability or access, and insufficient governmental vaccine investments. Consequently, an emerging crisis in vaccine hesitancy ranges from hyperlocal to national and worldwide. Outbreaks often originate in small, insular communities with low immunisation rates. Local outbreaks can spread rapidly, however, transcending borders. Following an assessment of underlying determinants of low vaccination rates, we offer an action based on scientific evidence, ethics, and human rights that spans multiple governments, organisations, disciplines, and sectors.

Prevention of tuberculosis in macaques after intravenous BCG immunization

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Nature
Volume 577 Issue 7788, 2 January 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

 

Article | 01 January 2020 | Open Access
Prevention of tuberculosis in macaques after intravenous BCG immunization
The delivery route and dose of the BCG vaccine profoundly alters the protective outcome after Mycobacterium tuberculosis challenge in non-human primates.
Patricia A. Darrah, Joseph J. Zeppa[…] & Robert A. Seder

Personalized public health: An implementation research agenda for the HIV response and beyond

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PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 4 Jan 2020)

 

Personalized public health: An implementation research agenda for the HIV response and beyond
Elvin H. Geng, Charles B. Holmes, Mosa Moshabela, Izukanji Sikazwe, Maya L. Petersen
Editorial | published 31 Dec 2019 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003020
[Excerpt]
The third factor
We have arrived at a moment in the global HIV response where implementation research is ready to take center stage. Treatment has been scaled-up globally over the past ten years and, as a result, HIV-related mortality and incidence have fallen by more than 50% since a peak in the early 2000s [1]. Despite progress, however, antiretroviral therapy (ART) must still reach perhaps another 15 million persons living with HIV in the coming years. Progress in prevention also remains well below targets. The formula needed for success—past, present and future—consists of three main factors: first, the efficacy of available interventions to treat and prevent HIV; second, adequacy of financing; and third, the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of implementation. As to the first factor, well-tolerated, potent and affordable medications for HIV treatment and prevention already exist: tomorrow’s novel products will likely offer only incremental benefits, and do so through affecting barriers to implementation (e.g., injectable cabotegravir). Regarding the second, donor funding for the global HIV response has leveled out over the past decade and domestic allocations in low- and middle-income countries have not reached needed levels: a large surge in funding is unlikely [2]. Perhaps more than ever before, success in the global HIV response depends on the third factor in the equation: the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of implementation.

Asylum seekers’ perspectives on vaccination and screening policies after their arrival in Greece and The Netherlands

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 4 Jan 2020]

Asylum seekers’ perspectives on vaccination and screening policies after their arrival in Greece and The Netherlands
Christina Louka, Elizabeth Chandler, Adelita V. Ranchor, Hans Broer, Spyros Pournaras, Sofanne J. Ravensbergen, Ymkje Stienstra

Research Article | published 26 Dec 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226948
Abstract
Introduction
Europe has been dealing with an increasing number of refugees during the past 5 years. The timing of screening and vaccination of refugees is debated by many professionals, however refugees’ perspectives on health issues are infrequently taken into account. In this study, we aimed to investigate asylum seekers’ perspectives on infectious diseases screening and vaccination policies.
Materials and methods
Interviews were conducted in Greece and the Netherlands. Asylum seekers and recently arrived refugees were approached and informed with the help of interpreters; consent forms were acquired. The survey focused on demographic data, vaccination status, screening policies and prevention of infectious diseases.
Results
A total of 61 (43 male, 70.5%) refugees (30 Afghanis, 16 Syrian, 7 Erithrean) were interviewed. Mean age was 35.2 years (SD 13.5) and 50% had received primary or secondary education, while 24.6% received none. Median time after arrival in Greece and the Netherlands was 24 months (IQR 8.5–28). 44 out of 61 (72.1) participants were willing to be vaccinated after arrival in Europe, 26 preferred vaccination and screening to be performed at the point of entry. The need for screening and vaccination was perceived higher amongst participants in Greece (100% vs 43.3%) due to living conditions leading to increased risk of outbreaks.
Conclusion
Participants were willing to communicate their perspectives and concerns. Screening and vaccination programs could be more effective when implemented shortly after arrival and by involving asylum seekers and refugees when developing screening and vaccination interventions.

 

Cost-effectiveness of a comprehensive immunization program serving high-risk, uninsured adults

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Preventive Medicine
Volume 130 January 2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/preventive-medicine/vol/130/suppl/C

 

Research article Full text access
Cost-effectiveness of a comprehensive immunization program serving high-risk, uninsured adults
Kimberly J. Wilson, H. Shelton Brown, Ujas Patel, Debbie Tucker, Kurt Becker
Article 105860

Gene drive: progress and prospects

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Proceedings of the Royal Society B
18 December 2019 Volume 286 Issue 1917
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rspb/current

 

Editorial
Gene drive: progress and prospects
N. Wedell, T. A. R. Price and A. K. Lindholm
Published:18 December 2019Article ID:20192709
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2709
Abstract
Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which selfish genetic elements manipulate gametogenesis and reproduction to increase their own transmission to the next generation. Currently, there is great excitement about the potential of harnessing such systems to control major pest and vector populations. If synthetic gene drive systems can be constructed and applied to key species, they may be able to rapidly spread either modifying or eliminating the targeted populations. This approach has been lauded as a revolutionary and efficient mechanism to control insect-borne diseases and crop pests. Driving endosymbionts have already been deployed to combat the transmission of dengue and Zika virus in mosquitoes. However, there are a variety of barriers to successfully implementing gene drive techniques in wild populations. There is a risk that targeted organisms will rapidly evolve an ability to suppress the synthetic drive system, rendering it ineffective. There are also potential risks of synthetic gene drivers invading non-target species or populations. This Special Feature covers the current state of affairs regarding both natural and synthetic gene drive systems with the aim to identify knowledge gaps. By understanding how natural drive systems spread through populations, we may be able to better predict the outcomes of synthetic drive release.

Tool for the Meaningful Consideration of Language Barriers in Qualitative Health Research

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Qualitative Health Research
Volume 30 Issue 2, January 2020
http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/current

 

Research Articles
Tool for the Meaningful Consideration of Language Barriers in Qualitative Health Research
Stephanie Premji, Agnieszka Kosny, Basak Yanar, Momtaz Begum
First Published July 5, 2019; pp. 167–181
Abstract
Individuals who experience language barriers are largely excluded as participants from health research, resulting in gaps in knowledge that have implications for the development of equitable policies, tools, and strategies. Drawing on the existing literature and on their collective experience conducting occupational health research in contexts of language barriers, the authors propose a tool to assist qualitative researchers and representatives from funding agencies and ethics review boards with the meaningful consideration of language barriers in research. There remain gaps and debates with respect to the relevant ethical and methodological guidance set forth by funding agencies and institutions and proposed in the scientific literature. This article adds to knowledge in this area by contributing our experiences, observations, and recommendations, including around the issue of conducting research in contexts of more or less linguistic diversity.

Study pushes emergence of measles back to antiquity

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Science
03 January 2020 Vol 367, Issue 6473
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

 

In Depth
Study pushes emergence of measles back to antiquity
By Kai Kupferschmidt
Science03 Jan 2020 : 11-12 Restricted Access
The virus may have entered the human population when cities grew large enough to sustain outbreaks.
Summary
Measles, which killed an estimated 142,000 people in 2017, is one of the most infectious human diseases. But when, where, and how it became a human pathogen is still debated. A new study concludes that the measles virus may have entered the human population as early as the fourth century B.C.E., right around the time cities became big enough to sustain it, rather than in the 11th or 12th century C.E., as previous research suggested. The new estimate is based in part on a technical tour de force: the reconstruction of a measles virus from a lung sample of a 2-year-old girl who died in Berlin in 1912.

Immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus vaccine coadministered with other vaccines in individuals aged 9–25 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 2 Pages 101-410 (10 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

 

Review article Abstract only
Immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus vaccine coadministered with other vaccines in individuals aged 9–25 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Yaowei Li, Pengfei Zhu, Meifen Wu, Yiqing Zhang, Li Li
Pages 119-134

Cost-effectiveness of the introduction of two-dose bi-valent (Cervarix) and quadrivalent (Gardasil) HPV vaccination for adolescent girls in Bangladesh

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 2 Pages 101-410 (10 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

 

Review article Abstract only
Cost-effectiveness of the introduction of two-dose bi-valent (Cervarix) and quadrivalent (Gardasil) HPV vaccination for adolescent girls in Bangladesh
Rashidul Alam Mahumud, Jeff Gow, Khorshed Alam, Syed Afroz Keramat, … Sheikh M. Shariful Islam
Pages 165-172

Engineering immunity for next generation HIV vaccines: The intersection of bioengineering and immunology

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 2 Pages 101-410 (10 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

 

Review article Abstract only
Engineering immunity for next generation HIV vaccines: The intersection of bioengineering and immunology
M. Patricia D’Souza, Shyam Rele, Barton F. Haynes, Dale J. Hu, … David Rampulla
Pages 187-193

Seasonal influenza vaccination in middle-income countries: Assessment of immunization practices in Belarus, Morocco, and Thailand

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 2 Pages 101-410 (10 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

 

Research article Open access
Seasonal influenza vaccination in middle-income countries: Assessment of immunization practices in Belarus, Morocco, and Thailand
Carsten Mantel, Susan Y. Chu, Terri B. Hyde, Philipp Lambach, IPIE Pilot Implementation Group
Pages 212-219