Announcements

Announcements

 

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 7 Sep2019]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 7 Sep2019]
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 7 Sep2019]
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.
09.03.2019  |
CARB-X Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Erin Duffy as Chief of Research and Development (R&D)
CARB-X, a global partnership led by Boston University, today announced the appointment of Erin Duffy, PhD, as Chief of Research and Development (R&D). Dr. Duffy will be responsible for the delivery of CARB-X’s global portfolio objectives through her leadership of the R&D alliance teams and the management and governance of CARB-X’s portfolio and funding cycles. Dr. Duffy will join CARB-X’s senior executive team and also sit on CARB-X’s governing body, the Joint Oversight Committee (JOC).

09.03.2019  |
CARB-X funds SutroVax to develop a new vaccine to prevent Group A Streptococcal infections
CARB-X, a global partnership led by Boston University, is awarding SutroVax of Foster City, California, USA, up to $1.64 million in non-dilutive funding with the possibility of $13.4 million more if certain project milestones are met, to develop an innovative vaccine to prevent Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections in developing countries and in the developed world.

 

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 7 Sep2019]
http://cepi.net/
No new digest content identified.

 

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 7 Sep2019]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/about/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

EDCTP [to 7 Sep2019]
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 7 Sep2019]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

 

European Medicines Agency [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News and press releases
News: Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) 2-5 September 2019
PRAC, Last updated: 06/09/2019

 

European Vaccine Initiative [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
Latest news
EVI Annual Report 2018
04 September 2019
We invite you to read more about how we advanced the development of urgently needed vaccines and other activites we undertook…

First call for expression of interest for the SENET Expert Groups
03 September 2019
Join the SENET project´s Group Meetings and have a say within the health research and innovation landscape between the EU and…

 

FDA [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.

 

Fondation Merieux [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
September 5, 2019 – Laos
The Center of Infectiology Lao Christophe Mérieux, first laboratory in Laos to obtain accreditation for two ISO standards
The Center of Infectiology Lao Christophe Mérieux in Vientiane, Laos, receives accreditation for ISO 15189:2012 and ISO 15190:2003 standards for HIV viral load testing.

 

Gavi [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.gavi.org/
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

 

GHIT Fund [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that devastate the world’s poorest people. Other funders include six Japanese pharmaceutical
No new digest content identified.

 

Global Fund [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News
India Makes Strong Commitment to Global Fund
03 September 2019
NEW DELHI – The Government of India today announced an increased commitment of US$22 million to the Global Fund for the next three years, highlighting India’s leadership in global efforts to end AIDS, TB and malaria as epidemics and to build stronger health systems…

News
Global Fund Joins Last Mile Health and Co-Impact to Boost Investment in Community Health Workers
03 September 2019

Updates
Focus On Private Sector Partnerships
02 September 2019
… Our new publication series, Focus On Private Sector Partnerships, highlights the contributions of companies from diverse sectors to step up the fight to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030…

 

Hilleman Laboratories [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

Human Vaccines Project [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

IAVI [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

 

 

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA)
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

 

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

 

IFRC [to 7 Sep2019]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

IVAC [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

 

IVI [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

JEE Alliance [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected News; Project Updates, Reports
Antibiotic resistance
Treating resistant infections in Gaza under the blockade
Project Update 2 Sep 2019

 

NIH [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
Disrupting the gut microbiome may affect some immune responses to flu vaccination
September 6, 2019 — Researchers tracked the study participants’ immune response to flu vaccines and the diversity and abundance of the organisms in their gut microbiomes.

 

PATH [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
September 4, 2019 by PATH
Private-sector engagement in Vietnam’s HIV response: Leveraging strategic partnerships and innovation to end AIDS by 2030
The Ministry of Health and USAID/PATH Healthy Markets host workshop entitled Private-Sector Engagement in Vietnam’s HIV Response to discuss progress, key enablers, and challenges; and to define direction for the “Ending AIDS by 2030” Strategy

 

ProMED [Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases] [to 7 Sep2019]
International Society for Infectious Diseases
https://www.promedmail.org/announcements/
Selected Announcements/Posts
No new digest content identified.

 

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.

 

UNAIDS [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
No new digest content identified.

 

UNICEF [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Press release
Children return to school in Ebola-affected regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
KINSHASA/DAKAR/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 3 September 2019—Schools have reopened for an estimated two million children living in communities affected by the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“Ebola has had a devastating and disruptive impact on families and communities here,” said UNICEF Representative in the DRC Edouard Beigbeder. “Ensuring that these children have access to safe, protective and welcoming schools is key to helping them regain normalcy and continue their learning.”
There are 6,509 primary and secondary schools in Ebola-affected areas of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces – 3,800 of them are in high-risk areas.  Most have reopened for the new school term…

 

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 7 Sep2019]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Posted on 1 Sep, 2019
Article of the week
Excellent perspectives on vaccine safety and strategies to engage publics – HL Key Actions To Promote Vaccine Acceptance By Walter A. Orenstein, MD, associate director at Emory Vaccine Center and professor of medicine, pediatrics, and global health at Emory University.

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

 

Wellcome Trust [to 7 Sep2019]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 5 September 2019
Trust, identity and health in a changing world

Simon Chaplin, Director of Culture and Society, Wellcome
What does it mean to be human? A new permanent gallery at Wellcome Collection opens today to explore what being human means in the 21st century. The artworks and objects reflect our changing relationships with ourselves, each other and the world.

 

The Wistar Institute [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Release Sep. 6, 2019
Role of Cancer Protein ARID1A at the Intersection of Genome Stability and Tumor Suppression
Inactivation of ARID1A results in loss of telomere cohesion and selects against gross chromosome alterations, preserving genomic stability in ARID1A-mutated cancers.

 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 7 Sep2019]
http://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 7 Sep2019]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Press Releases
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Releases Statement of Principles on Genome Editing
WaSHINGTON, D.C. – August 27, 2019
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the international advocacy organization representing the cell and gene therapy and broader regenerative medicine sector, today released a Therapeutic Developers’ Statement of Principles, setting forth a bioethical framework for the use of gene editing in therapeutic applications.
The statement, developed by ARM’s Gene Editing Task Force and signed by 13 therapeutic developers using gene editing technologies, specifies five key principles for the ethical use of gene editing and genetic modification. This technology, in which DNA is inserted, replaced, removed, or modified at particular locations in the human genome, has the potential to provide a durable or curative effect for patients suffering from a wide variety of serious or potentially fatal genetic disorders. The Statement of Principles has been developed to provide a public perspective from industry on the use these technologies…

 

BIO [to 7 Sep2019]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
No new digest content identified.

 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
Events
DCVMN 20th Annual General Meeting
21 October 2019 to 23 October 2019
Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

 

IFPMA [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
Statements
IFPMA calls for regulatory convergence to speed up development of much needed vaccines
30 August 2019
[See Milestones/Perspectives above for full text]

 

PhRMA [to 7 Sep2019]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
[Website not responding at inquiry]

Journal Watch

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

Influenza and pertussis vaccination during pregnancy – attitudes, practices and barriers in gynaecological practices in Germany

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Research article
Influenza and pertussis vaccination during pregnancy – attitudes, practices and barriers in gynaecological practices in Germany
In Germany, antenatal influenza vaccination is recommended since 2010, but uptake remains low. Several countries recently introduced antenatal pertussis vaccination, which is currently under consideration in G…
Authors: Stefanie Böhm, Marianne Röbl-Mathieu, Burkhard Scheele, Michael Wojcinski, Ole Wichmann and Wiebke Hellenbrand
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2019 19:616
Published on: 2 September 2019

Measles outbreak in an office building in the crowded Metropolis of Beijing, China

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Research article
Measles outbreak in an office building in the crowded Metropolis of Beijing, China
Although worldwide measles elimination achieved great progress for decades, outbreaks were still reported in certain countries. This study describes the epidemiologic features of a substantial measles outbreak…
Authors: Zhen Li, Zheng Zhang, Fang Wang, Rui Wei, Jianhong Zhao and Fang Liu
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2019 19:771
Published on: 3 September 2019

Methods for detecting seasonal influenza epidemics using a school absenteeism surveillance system

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Research article
Methods for detecting seasonal influenza epidemics using a school absenteeism surveillance system
School absenteeism data have been collected daily by the public health unit in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, Ontario since 2008. To date, a threshold-based approach has been implemented to raise alerts for commu…
Authors: Madeline A. Ward, Anu Stanley, Lorna E. Deeth, Rob Deardon, Zeny Feng and Lise A. Trotz-Williams
Citation: BMC Public Health 2019 19:1232
Published on: 5 September 2019

Evaluation of the performance of the National Tuberculosis Program of Liberia during the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Research article
Evaluation of the performance of the National Tuberculosis Program of Liberia during the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak
Liberia is among the three west African countries which were crippled by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak of 2014. One of the programs which was affected by the EVD outbreak was the National Leprosy and …
Authors: Kassaye Tekie Desta, Dedeh Barr Kessely and Jerry G. Daboi
Citation: BMC Public Health 2019 19:1221
Published on: 4 September 2019

The monetary value of human lives lost through Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2019

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Research article
The monetary value of human lives lost through Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2019
Between 8 May 2018 and 27 May 2019, cumulatively there were 1286 deaths from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The objective of this study was to estimate the monetary value …
Authors: Joses M. Kirigia, Rose Nabi Deborah Karimi Muthuri and Newton Gitonga Muthuri
Citation: BMC Public Health 2019 19:1218
Published on: 3 September 2019

Informed consent and ethical reporting of research in clinical trials involving participants with psychotic disorders

Contemporary Clinical Trials
Volume 83 Pages 1-128 (August 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/contemporary-clinical-trials/vol/83/suppl/C

 

Special Interest Papers
Research article Abstract only
Informed consent and ethical reporting of research in clinical trials involving participants with psychotic disorders
Guy M. Weissinger, Connie M. Ulrich
Article 105795

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

Contemporary Clinical Trials
Volume 83 Pages 1-128 (August 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/contemporary-clinical-trials/vol/83/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
Article 105812

Fractional-dose yellow fever vaccination: how much more can we do with less?

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
October 2019 – Volume 32 – Issue 5
https://journals.lww.com/co-infectiousdiseases/pages/currenttoc.aspx

 

TROPICAL AND TRAVEL-ASSOCIATED DISEASES
Edited by Christina Coyle
Fractional-dose yellow fever vaccination: how much more can we do with less?
Visser, Leonardus G.
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 32(5):390-393, October 2019.

WHO’s new rabies recommendations: implications for high incidence countries

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
October 2019 – Volume 32 – Issue 5
https://journals.lww.com/co-infectiousdiseases/pages/currenttoc.aspx

 

WHO’s new rabies recommendations: implications for high incidence countries
Pattanaik, Amrita; Mani, Reeta S.
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 32(5):401-406, October 2019.
Recent findings The key changes in the updated WHO 2018 guidelines for rabies prophylaxis include abbreviated vaccination regimens for pre and postexposure prophylaxis. These cost and dose-sparing regimens allow equitable sharing of vaccines, necessitate fewer clinic visits and thus can enhance patient compliance. The recommendations on rabies immunoglobulin administration permit prioritization and optimal use of this life-saving biologic, especially in areas with scarcity. However, there is a need for additional evidence to support the abridgment of some regimens and need for data on the safety and immunogenicity of these regimens in special groups such as infants and the immunocompromised.

Current and new rotavirus vaccines

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
October 2019 – Volume 32 – Issue 5
https://journals.lww.com/co-infectiousdiseases/pages/currenttoc.aspx

 

GASTROINTESTINAL INFECTIONS
Edited by Gagandeep Kang and Eric R. Houpt
Current and new rotavirus vaccines
Burke, Rachel M.; Tate, Jacqueline E.; Kirkwood, Carl D.; More
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 32(5):435-444, October 2019.
PAEDIATRIC AND NEONATAL INFECTIONS
Edited by Saul N. Faust

Worldwide Reduction in MERS Cases and Deaths since 2016

Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume 25, Number 9—September 2019
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/

 

Research Letter
Worldwide Reduction in MERS Cases and Deaths since 2016
Christl A. Donnelly, Mamun R. Malik, Amgad Elkholy, Simon Cauchemez, and Maria D. Van
Abstract
Since 2012, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus has infected 2,442 persons worldwide. Case-based data analysis suggests that since 2016, as many as 1,465 cases and 293–520 deaths might have been averted. Efforts to reduce the global MERS threat are working, but countries must maintain vigilance to prevent further infections.

Preparedness and management of global public health threats at points of entry in Ireland and the EU in the context of a potential Brexit

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 7 Sep2019]

 

Review
|   3 September 2019
Preparedness and management of global public health threats at points of entry in Ireland and the EU in the context of a potential Brexit
We review the current situation (March 2019) with respect to detection and management of serious human health threats across Irish borders- and what may change for Ireland if/when the United Kingdom (UK) withdraws from the EU (Brexit).
Authors: Máirín Boland and Mary O’Riordan

The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 34, Issue 6, July 2019
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/34/6

 

Original Articles
The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool
Dylan D Walters, Linh T H Phan, Roger Mathisen
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 34, Issue 6, July 2019, Pages 407–417, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz050
Abstract
Aggregating these costs, the total global economic losses are estimated to be US$341.3 billion, or 0.70% of global gross national income. While the aim of the tool is to capture the majority of the costs, the estimates are likely to be conservative since economic costs of increased household caregiving time (mainly borne by women), and treatment costs related to other diseases attributable to not breastfeeding according to recommendations are not included in the analysis. This study illustrates the substantial costs of not breastfeeding, and potential economic benefits that could be generated by government and development partners’ investments in scaling up effective breastfeeding promotion and support strategies.

Institutional barriers and enablers to implementing and complying with internationally accepted quality standards in the local pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan: a qualitative study

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 34, Issue 6, July 2019
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/34/6

 

Institutional barriers and enablers to implementing and complying with internationally accepted quality standards in the local pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan: a qualitative study
Fatima Tauqeer, Kirsten Myhr, Unni Gopinathan
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 34, Issue 6, July 2019, Pages 440–449, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz054

Mapping health workforce development strategies across key global health agencies: an assessment of objectives and key interventions

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 34, Issue 6, July 2019
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/34/6

 

Reviews
Mapping health workforce development strategies across key global health agencies: an assessment of objectives and key interventions
Brooke A Farrenkopf, Chung-Won Lee
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 34, Issue 6, July 2019, Pages 461–468, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz015

Ebola in the DRC one year later – Boiling the frog?

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
August 2019 Volume 85, p1-214
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0011-9

 

Editorial
Ebola in the DRC one year later – Boiling the frog?
Susan McLellan, Mark G. Kortepeter, Nahid Bhadelia, Erica S. Shenoy, Lauren M. Sauer, Maria G. Frank, Theodore J. Cieslak
p212–213
Published online: July 19, 2019
… In summary, security concerns in DRC provide a significant barrier to outbreak assistance; however, maintaining the current level of international engagement is likely to allow the outbreak to continue to spread within DRC, and eventually to neighboring and in turn distant countries. This will not be the last outbreak of Ebola in the DRC or elsewhere. It is to our benefit to seek ways to demonstrate this is not another case of “helicopter” intervention, but a long-term commitment for humanitarian aid and to bolster the health care system overall in DRC and develop sustainable response strategies that can be deployed to other communicable disease outbreaks in the future.
A deliberate, thoughtful scale-up of involvement in support of and in collaboration with partners on the ground, including the WHO and DRC government would ensure a seamless effort that is responsive to the communities’ and partners’ needs and help tip the scales. Such a demonstration would go a long way in winning the hearts and minds and cooperation of the local population who are there for the long term.

Potential benefits of using a multicomponent vaccine for prevention of serogroup B meningococcal disease

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
August 2019 Volume 85, p1-214
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0011-9

 

Reviews
Potential benefits of using a multicomponent vaccine for prevention of serogroup B meningococcal disease
Philip S. Watson, Patricia L. Novy, Leonard R. Friedland
p22–27
Published online: May 15, 2019

N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care PersonnelA Randomized Clinical Trial

JAMA
September 3, 2019, Vol 322, No. 9, Pages 795-900
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Original Investigation
N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care PersonnelA Randomized Clinical Trial
Lewis J. Radonovich Jr, MD; Michael S. Simberkoff, MD; Mary T. Bessesen, MD; et al.
JAMA. 2019;322(9):824-833. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.11645
This cluster randomized clinical trial compares the effect of N95 respirators vs medical masks worn by health care personnel for prevention of workplace-acquired influenza and other viral respiratory infections in geographically diverse, high-exposure outpatient settings.

Harms From Uninformative Clinical Trials

JAMA
September 3, 2019, Vol 322, No. 9, Pages 795-900
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Viewpoint
Harms From Uninformative Clinical Trials
Deborah A. Zarin, MD; Steven N. Goodman, MD, MHS, PhD; Jonathan Kimmelman, PhD
JAMA. 2019;322(9):813-814. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.9892
This Viewpoint discusses key features of and incentives for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that make many of them uninformative; reviews the challenges uninformative trials pose to ethics, science, and medical practice; and recommends what academic medical centers and funders can do to incentivize the conduct of RCTs that provide valid information that informs clinical practice.

Implications of Changing Public Charge Immigration Rules for Children Who Need Medical Care

JAMA Pediatrics
September 2019, Vol 173, No. 9, Pages 807-900
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Original Investigation
Implications of Changing Public Charge Immigration Rules for Children Who Need Medical Care
Leah Zallman, MD, MPH; Karen E. Finnegan, PhD; David U. Himmelstein, MD; et al.
online only
JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(9):e191744. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1744
This cross-sectional study simulates the number, medical conditions, and care needs of children who are at risk of losing their current benefits, including Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, after a proposed US federal rule change.

Assessing national governance of medicine promotion: an exploratory study in Ghana to trial a structured set of indicators

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 7 Sep2019]

 

Research
|   4 September 2019
Assessing national governance of medicine promotion: an exploratory study in Ghana to trial a structured set of indicators
Authors: Marcia McLean, Jillian Clare Kohler and Danny Edwards
Background
Two billion people worldwide, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries, cannot consistently access required essential medications, thus affecting their ability to attain optimal health outcomes. Access to appropriate medicines may be compromised due to issues involving cost, availability, quality, and prescribing practices, and system-wide factors such as a lack of transparency and accountability. Pharmaceutical promotional practices impact many of these issues, thus influencing the use of appropriate medicines,. Good governance is ultimately the responsibility of national governments through strong health systems with transparent and accountable practices that facilitate appropriate medicine use. We designed a structured set of indicators, based on existing tools, to assess the strength of the national governance of pharmaceutical promotion. In this exploratory study, we trialed the indicators in Ghana.

Blinding Me With Science: Complementary “Head” and “Heart” Messages Are Needed to Counter Rising Vaccine Hesitancy

Journal of Public Health Management & Practice
September/October 2019 – Volume 25 – Issue 5
https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/pages/currenttoc.aspx

 

State of Public Health
Blinding Me With Science: Complementary “Head” and “Heart” Messages Are Needed to Counter Rising Vaccine Hesitancy
Fraser, Michael R.
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 25(5):511-514, September/October 2019.

What is the prospect of a safe and effective dengue vaccine for travellers?

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

 

Editor’s Choice
What is the prospect of a safe and effective dengue vaccine for travellers?
Anna P Durbin, MD, Duane J Gubler, ScD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, tay153, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/tay153
Dengue affects hundreds of millions of persons each year and is a risk for travellers to dengue-endemic regions. The first licensed dengue vaccine is approved for use only in persons who are known to have had previous dengue infection, limiting its potential for use in travellers. Two other dengue vaccines are currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, with preliminary efficacy results expected soon. These vaccines differ from the currently licensed vaccine and, should they demonstrate efficacy, may offer the possibility of a dengue vaccine for travellers.

Addressing vaccine hesitancy in travellers: The CARD™ System

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

 

Addressing vaccine hesitancy in travellers: The CARD™ System
Anna Taddio, PhD, Noni MacDonald, MD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, taz056, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz056
Current vaccination programs do not fully incorporate client-centred care in the delivery of vaccinations; hence, do not address vaccination hesitancy. This article provides a summary of a novel client-centred approach to vaccinations to improve the vaccination experience and promote vaccination.

Yellow fever vaccination for immunocompromised travellers: unjustified vaccination hesitancy?

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

 

Perspectives
Yellow fever vaccination for immunocompromised travellers: unjustified vaccination hesitancy?
Wesley de Jong, MD, Rob A de Man, MD PhD, Virgil A S H Dalm, MD PhD, Chantal B E M Reusken, PhD, Marco Goeijenbier, MD PhD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, taz015, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz015
Improved quality of life in immunocompromised patients opens travel opportunities, but administering the yellow fever (YF) vaccine is often contraindicated. We advocate re-evaluating this position for immunocompromised patients who travel frequently or who are migrating to regions in which YF is endemic.

Seroprotection rates of vaccine-preventable diseases among newly arrived Eritrean asylum seekers in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

Seroprotection rates of vaccine-preventable diseases among newly arrived Eritrean asylum seekers in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study
Cornelia Staehelin, MD, MIH, Afona Chernet, PhD, Véronique Sydow, MD, Rein J Piso, MD, Franziska Suter-Riniker, PhD

 

Measles and the 2019 Hajj: the risk of magnifying the global measles surge

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

 

Rapid Communication
Measles and the 2019 Hajj: the risk of magnifying the global measles surge
Ziad A Memish, MD, FRCPC, FRCPE, FRCPL, FACP, FFPH, Anas A Khan, MD, Shahul Ebrahim, MD, MSc, PhD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, taz041, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz041
The projected linear increases in Muslim pilgrims for Hajj and Umra to Saudi Arabia from current 7 million to 30 million by 2030 will increase the density of pilgrims and the potential for infectious disease transmission. Because pilgrims originate from over 180 countries, the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage can further compound the ongoing measles outbreaks. Vaccine hesitancy among Muslim populations should receive special attention in addition to general measles control efforts.

 

The rise in travel-associated measles infections—GeoSentinel, 2015–2019

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

 

The rise in travel-associated measles infections—GeoSentinel, 2015–2019
Kristina M Angelo, Michael Libman, Philippe Gautret, Elizabeth Barnett, Martin P Grobusch
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, taz046, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz046
The global threat of measles in recent years affects international travelers, and is acquired in both endemic and outbreak settings. The number of measles cases reported to GeoSentinel has risen each year since 2015 and demonstrates a high median age, short travel duration, and low measles

 

Yellow fever and Hajj 2019: from airline introduction of mosquitoes to expanding geography of transmission and vaccination challenges

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

 

Yellow fever and Hajj 2019: from airline introduction of mosquitoes to expanding geography of transmission and vaccination challenges
Shahul H Ebrahim, MD, Ziad A Memish, MD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, taz051, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz051
Yellow fever epidemiology is changing with large-scale epidemics in Africa, increased risk of urban outbreaks in Latin America, and spread to Asia. Therefore, in addition to the changing epidemiology, mosquito resurgence, and urbanization of yellow fever, the Hajj 2019 presents another challenge to the well-structured global strategy for YF Control.

 

Measles and the 2019 Hajj: risk of international transmission

Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/26/6

Measles and the 2019 Hajj: risk of international transmission
Sakshi Shetty, Maya Murmann, Ashleigh R Tuite, Alexander G Watts, Isaac Bogoch
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 6, 2019, taz058, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz058
The current global increase in measles cases is associated with a small but non-negligible risk of an infected pilgrim arriving at the 2019 Hajj. Since even a single imported case can cause an outbreak in vulnerable populations, Saudi Arabia and countries with returning pilgrims should be alert for measles cases.

 

Insights and challenges in tuberculosis vaccine development

Lancet Respiratory Medicine
Sep 2019 Volume 7 Number 9 p721-826, e26-e28
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/issue/current

 

Series
Tuberculosis 2019
Insights and challenges in tuberculosis vaccine development
Helen McShane
Summary
Tuberculosis kills more people than any other pathogen and the need for a universally effective vaccine has never been greater. An effective vaccine will be a key tool in achieving the targets set by WHO in the End TB Strategy. Tuberculosis vaccine development is difficult and slow. Substantial progress has been made in research and development of tuberculosis vaccines in the past 20 years, and two clinical trial results from 2018 provide reason for optimism. However, many challenges to the successful licensure and deployment of an effective tuberculosis vaccine remain. The development of new tools for vaccine evaluation might facilitate these processes, and continued collaborative working and sustained funding will be essential.

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission: 2019 update: epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, diagnosis, and management of multidrug-resistant and incurable tuberculosis

Lancet Respiratory Medicine
Sep 2019 Volume 7 Number 9 p721-826, e26-e28
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/issue/current

 

Commission Update
The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission: 2019 update: epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, diagnosis, and management of multidrug-resistant and incurable tuberculosis
Keertan Dheda, Tawanda Gumbo,Gary Maartens, Kelly E Dooley, Megan Murray, Jennifer Furin,
Edward A Nardell, Robin M Warren, on behalf of The Lancet Respiratory Medicine drug-resistant tuberculosis Commission group
Summary
The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission on drug-resistant tuberculosis was published in 2017, which comprehensively reviewed and provided recommendations on various aspects of the disease. Several key new developments regarding drug-resistant tuberculosis are outlined in this Commission Update. The WHO guidelines on treating drug-resistant tuberculosis were updated in 2019 with a reclassification of second line anti-tuberculosis drugs. An injection-free MDR tuberculosis treatment regimen is now recommended. Over the past 3 years, advances in treatment include the recognition of the safety and mortality benefit of bedaquiline, the finding that the 9–11 month injectable-based ‘Bangladesh’ regimen was non-inferior to longer regimens, and promising interim results of a novel 6 month 3-drug regimen (bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid). Studies of explanted lungs from patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis have shown substantial drug-specific gradients across pulmonary cavities, suggesting that alternative dosing and drug delivery strategies are needed to reduce functional monotherapy at the site of disease. Several controversies are discussed including the optimal route of drug administration, optimal number of drugs constituting a regimen, selection of individual drugs for a regimen, duration of the regimen, and minimal desirable standards of antibiotic stewardship. Newer rapid nucleic acid amplification test platforms, including point-of-care systems that facilitate active case-finding, are discussed. The rapid diagnosis of resistance to other drugs, (notably fluoroquinolones), and detection of resistance by targeted or whole genome sequencing will probably change the diagnostic landscape in the near future.

Mendel for the modern era

Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 9, September 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/9

 

Editorial | 02 September 2019
Mendel for the modern era
The genome of the model genetic organism Pisum sativum, or pea plant, links nineteenth-century genetics to twenty-first-century genomics, serving as a symbol of how far the genetics field has developed and how greatly technologies have advanced. Almost every student’s introduction to genetics currently involves learning Mendel’s laws; we envision that genomics and genome sequencing will become just as foundational in the education of future geneticists.

A reference genome for pea provides insight into legume genome evolution

Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 9, September 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/9

 

Article | 02 September 2019 | Open Access
A reference genome for pea provides insight into legume genome evolution
The first annotated chromosome-level reference genome assembly for pea, Gregor Mendel’s original genetic model, provides insights into legume genome evolution and the molecular basis of agricultural traits for pea improvement.
Jonathan Kreplak, Mohammed-Amin Madoui[…] & Judith Burstin

Toppling the Ethical Balance — Health Care Refusal and the Trump Administration

New England Journal of Medicine
September 5, 2019 Vol. 381 No. 10
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

 

Perspective
Toppling the Ethical Balance — Health Care Refusal and the Trump Administration
E. Sepper
A new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services creates a wide-ranging right to refuse to provide health care services. If it goes into effect, patient health and professional practice are likely to suffer.

Early Childhood Vaccination Status of Preterm Infants

Pediatrics
September 2019, VOLUME 144 / ISSUE 3
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/3?current-issue=y

 

Articles
Early Childhood Vaccination Status of Preterm Infants
Annika M. Hofstetter, Elizabeth N. Jacobson, M. Patricia deHart, Janet A. Englund
Pediatrics Sep 2019, 144 (3) e20183520; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-3520
In this retrospective study, we used EHR and immunization information system data to compare early childhood vaccination of preterm and term/post term infants born between 2008 and 2013.

Transmission of Vaccine-Strain Varicella-Zoster Virus: A Systematic Review

Pediatrics
September 2019, VOLUME 144 / ISSUE 3
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/3?current-issue=y

 

Review Articles
Transmission of Vaccine-Strain Varicella-Zoster Virus: A Systematic Review
Mona Marin, Jessica Leung, Anne A. Gershon
Pediatrics Sep 2019, 144 (3) e20191305; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-1305
We reviewed the published experience with the use of live VZV vaccines to assess characteristics of secondary transmission of the vaccine-strain virus.

Cost Effectiveness of Elderly Pneumococcal Vaccination in Presence of Higher-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Childhood Vaccination: Systematic Literature Review with Focus on Methods and Assumptions

PharmacoEconomics
Volume 37, Issue 9, September 2019
https://link.springer.com/journal/40273/37/9

 

Systematic Review
Cost Effectiveness of Elderly Pneumococcal Vaccination in Presence of Higher-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Childhood Vaccination: Systematic Literature Review with Focus on Methods and Assumptions
Marina Treskova, Stefan M. Scholz, Alexander Kuhlmann

Development of new TB regimens: Harmonizing trial design, product registration requirements, and public health guidance

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Collection Review
Development of new TB regimens: Harmonizing trial design, product registration requirements, and public health guidance
Christian Lienhardt, Andrew A. Vernon, Marco Cavaleri, Sumati Nambiar, Payam Nahid
| published 06 Sep 2019 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002915

Social network interventions for health behaviours and outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 7 Sep2019)

 

Research Article
Social network interventions for health behaviours and outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
There has been a growing interest in understanding the effects of social networks on health-related behaviour, with a particular backdrop being the emerging prominence of complexity or systems science in public health. Social network interventions specifically use or alter the characteristics of social networks to generate, accelerate, or maintain health behaviours. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate health behaviour outcomes of social network interventions.
Ruth F. Hunter, Kayla de la Haye, Jennifer M. Murray, Jennifer Badham, Thomas W. Valente, Mike Clarke, Frank Kee
| published 03 Sep 2019 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002890

Vaccination timeliness and associated factors among preterm infants at a tertiary hospital in Uganda

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 7 Sep2019]

 

Research Article
Vaccination timeliness and associated factors among preterm infants at a tertiary hospital in Uganda
Irene Nakatudde, Joseph Rujumba, Flavia Namiiro, Ali Sam, Jamir Mugalu, Philippa Musoke
Research Article | published 06 Sep 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221902

Burden of influenza-associated respiratory hospitalizations in the Americas, 2010–2015

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 7 Sep2019]

 

Burden of influenza-associated respiratory hospitalizations in the Americas, 2010–2015
Rakhee S. Palekar, Melissa A. Rolfes, C. Sofia Arriola, Belsy O. Acosta, Patricia Alberto Guidos, Xiomara Badilla Vargas, Christina Bancej, Juliana Barbosa Ramirez, Elsa Baumeister, Alfredo Bruno, Maria Agüeda Cabello, Jufu Chen, Paula Couto, Francisco J. De Paula Junior, Rodrigo Fasce, Walquiria Ferreira de Almeida, Victor E. Fiesta Solorzano, Carlos Flores Ramírez, Natalia Goñi, Yadira Isaza de Moltó, Jenny Lara, Diana C. Malo, José L. Medina Osis, Homer Mejía, Lourdes Moreno Castillo, Desiree Mustaquim, Andrea Nwosu, Jenny Ojeda, Antonio Paredes Samoya, Paola A. Pulido, Hector M. Ramos Hernandez, Rudvelinda Rivera Lopez, Angel Rodriguez, Myriam Saboui, Hilda Salazar Bolanos, Adrián Santoro, Jose Eduardo Silvera, Paulina Sosa, Viviana Sotomayor, Lourdes Suarez, Marta Von Horoch, Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner
Research Article | published 06 Sep 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221479

Delayed second dose of oral cholera vaccine administered before high-risk period for cholera transmission: Cholera control strategy in Lusaka, 2016

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 7 Sep2019]

 

Delayed second dose of oral cholera vaccine administered before high-risk period for cholera transmission: Cholera control strategy in Lusaka, 2016
Eva Ferreras, Belem Matapo, Elizabeth Chizema-Kawesha, Orbrie Chewe, Hannah Mzyece, Alexandre Blake, Loveness Moonde, Gideon Zulu, Marc Poncin, Nyambe Sinyange, Nancy Kasese-Chanda, Caroline Phiri, Kennedy Malama, Victor Mukonka, Sandra Cohuet, Florent Uzzeni, Iza Ciglenecki, M. Carolina Danovaro-Holliday, Francisco J. Luquero, Lorenzo Pezzoli
Research Article | published 30 Aug 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219040
Abstract
Background
In April 2016, an emergency vaccination campaign using one dose of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) was organized in response to a cholera outbreak that started in Lusaka in February 2016. In December 2016, a second round of vaccination was conducted, with the objective of increasing the duration of protection, before the high-risk period for cholera transmission. We assessed vaccination coverage for the first and second rounds of the OCV campaign.
Methods
Vaccination coverage was estimated after each round from a sample selected from targeted-areas for vaccination using a cross-sectional survey in to establish the vaccination status of the individuals recruited. The study population included all individuals older than 12 months residing in the areas targeted for vaccination. We interviewed 505 randomly selected individuals after the first round and 442 after the second round. Vaccination status was ascertained either by vaccination card or verbal reporting. Households were selected using spatial random sampling.
Results
The vaccination coverage with two doses was 58.1% (25/43; 95%CI: 42.1–72.9) in children 1–5 years old, 59.5% (69/116; 95%CI: 49.9–68.5) in children 5–15 years old and 19.9% (56/281; 95%CI: 15.4–25.1) in adults above 15 years old. The overall dropout rate was 10.9% (95%CI: 8.1–14.1). Overall, 69.9% (n = 309/442; 95%CI: 65.4–74.1) reported to have received at least one OCV dose.
Conclusions
The areas at highest risk of suffering cholera outbreaks were targeted for vaccination obtaining relatively high vaccine coverage after each round. However, the long delay between doses in areas subject to considerable population movement resulted in many individuals receiving only one OCV dose. Additional vaccination campaigns may be required to sustain protection over time in case of persistence of risk. Further evidence is needed to establish a maximum optimal interval time of a delayed second dose and variations in different settings.