Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 25 Pages 3251-3378 (31 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/25

Review article Open access
Introduction of new vaccines for immunization in pregnancy – Programmatic, regulatory, safety and ethical considerations
Sonali Kochhar, Kathryn M. Edwards, Alba Maria Ropero Alvarez, Pedro L. Moro, Justin R. Ortiz
Pages 3267-3277

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 25 Pages 3251-3378 (31 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/25

Review article Open access
Guidance for the governance of public-private collaborations in vaccine post-marketing settings in Europe
Laurence Torcel-Pagnon, Vincent Bauchau, Patrick Mahy, Myint Tin Tin Htar, … Xavier Kurz
Pages 3278-3289

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 25 Pages 3251-3378 (31 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/25

Review article Open access
New vaccine introductions in Africa before and during the decade of vaccines – Are we making progress?
Evanson Z. Sambala, Alison B. Wiyeh, Ntombenhle Ngcobo, Shingai Machingaidze, Charles S. Wiysonge
Pages 3290-3295

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 25 Pages 3251-3378 (31 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/25

Research article Abstract only
Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to influenza illness and vaccination in children: Role of awareness campaigns in changing parents’ attitudes toward influenza vaccination in Jordan
Samah Awad, Nour Abdo, Dawood Yusef, Afnan Jawarneh, … Saad Alonze
Pages 3303-3309

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 25 Pages 3251-3378 (31 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/25

Research article Abstract only
HPV vaccination coverage and willingness to be vaccinated among 18–30 year-old students in Italy
Valentina Mascaro, Claudia Pileggi, Angela Currà, Aida Bianco, Maria Pavia
Pages 3310-3316

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 24 Pages 3141-3250 (27 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/24

Review article Open access
Impact of influenza vaccination on healthcare utilization – A systematic review
Pamela Doyon-Plourde, Iman Fakih, Fazia Tadount, Élise Fortin, Caroline Quach
Pages 3179-3189

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 24 Pages 3141-3250 (27 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/24

Research article Abstract only
Human papillomavirus knowledge, attitudes, and vaccination among Chinese college students in the United States
Wei-Chen Tung, Minggen Lu, Xiangwen Qiu, Susan Ervin
Pages 3199-3204

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

Papillomavirus Research
Available online 25 May 2019
Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of human papillomavirus vaccine attitudes and receipt among Wisconsin adolescents
KE Hanson, HQ McLean, EA Belongia, S Stokley…
Highlights
:: Adolescent HPV vaccine attitudes were generally favorable and improved over time.
:: Some sociodemographic or clinical factors were associated with changes in attitudes.
:: Greater baseline harms concerns were associated with lower odds of vaccine receipt.
: Changes in HPV vaccine attitudes did not predict vaccine receipt.

International Journal of Medical Informatics
Volume 129, September 2019, Pages 37-42
Health Information Technology Use and Influenza Vaccine Uptake among US Adults
T Kindratt, L Callender, M Cobbaert, J Wondrack… –
Highlights
:: Health information technology (HIT) use contributes to more adults receiving recommended preventive services.
: Adults who used any HIT use in the last 12 months were more 1.23 times more likely to receive an influenza vaccine than adults who did not report any HIT use.
:: Adults who communicated with their provider by email were 1.51 times more likely to receive an influenza vaccine compared to those who did not.
: Adults who filled their prescriptions online were 1.56 times more likely to receive an influenza vaccine than adults who did not.

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

The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
May 31, 2019
Measles Elimination In Jeopardy: Could The Disease Go From Visitor To Resident?
Despite having eliminated measles in the year 2000, the US is dangerously close to seeing full-fledged re-emergence of the disease if current outbreaks aren’t contained.
By Tara Haelle Contributor

May 31, 2019
Why Bill Gates Partners With Rotary To Eradicate Polio
In an interview with Bill Gates and Rotary International President Barry Rassin, I explore what makes the polio eradication partnership so effective.
By Devin Thorpe Contributor

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
Global health
Congo Ebola response must be elevated to maximum level, UN told
Charities call for outbreak to be put on a par with crises in Yemen, Syria and Mozambique as death toll reaches 1,287
Rebecca Ratcliffe
Wed 29 May 2019
The UN has been urged by charities to ramp up Ebola prevention work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the highest level of emergency response.
Only three crises – Yemen, Syria and Mozambique – are treated as the equivalent of a level-three response, activated when agencies are unable to meet needs on the ground.
Charities including Mercy Corps and Oxfam said the same declaration should also be made in DRC, following a recent acceleration in the spread of Ebola…

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
Asia Pacific
Seoul: North Korea Confirms African Swine Fever Outbreak
South Korea said Friday that it is scrambling to prevent the spread of the highly contagious African swine fever on its pig industry after North Korea confirmed an outbreak at a farm near its border with China.
By The Associated Press
May 31

Health
An Experimental Ebola Cure May Also Protect Against Nipah Virus
African green monkeys survived infection with the Nipah virus after they received remdesivir. The virus, a pandemic threat carried by bats, has killed dozens of people in Asia.
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.
May 29

U.S.
Thousands of US Kindergartners Unvaccinated Without Waivers
States are heatedly debating whether to make it more difficult for students to avoid vaccinations for religious or philosophical reasons amid the worst measles outbreak in decades, but schoolchildren using such waivers are outnumbered in many states by those who give no excuse at all for lacking their shots.
By The Associated Press
May 28

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
May 29, 2019
Coalition pushes to boost vaccination rates for HPV
Associated Press · Regional · May 29, 2019

Can a business owner require staffers to get vaccinated?
Joyce M. Rosenberg | AP · Lifestyle · May 28, 2019

Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
May 31, 2019
After 2020: What’s Next for Global Access to Family Planning
Next week, Women Deliver—the world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of women and girls—will kick off. This note highlights three issues for the global FP movement post-2020. We review the underlying critical assumptions in FP2020’s initial design along with their strengths and weaknesses, and place future approaches squarely within the context of today’s evolving landscape—one that looks very different than the year 2012, when FP2020 was launched.
Felice Apter , Amanda Glassman , Janeen Madan Keller and Rachel Silverman

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
Podcast Episode
Vaccine Confidence in Crisis
May 28, 2019 | By J. Stephen Morrison
In this episode of Take as Directed, J. Stephen Morrison speaks with Dr. Heidi Larson, Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They discuss why vaccine confidence is currently in crisis, and how this has fueled outbreaks such as measles and the persistence of polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Plus, Dr. Larson walks through her work with the Vaccine Confidence Project, including monitoring public confidence in immunization programs and building an information surveillance system for early detection of public concerns around vaccines.

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 1 Jun 2019
[No new relevant content]

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

DRC – Ebola

United Nations strengthens Ebola response in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Statement – Kinshasa/Butembo
23 May 2019
With the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo now in its tenth month and the number of new cases increasing in recent weeks, the United Nations announced today measures to strengthen its response and end the outbreak.

The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 1,200 lives and the risk of spread to other provinces in the eastern Congo as well as neighbouring countries remains very high. A third of those who have fallen ill are children, which is a higher proportion than in previous outbreaks.

Under the leadership of the Government and Congolese communities, with support from the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the response has contained Ebola in parts of Ituri and North Kivu provinces. But ongoing insecurity and community mistrust in the response continue to hamper access to communities. This is hindering efforts by WHO and the Ministry of Health to detect sick people and ensure access to treatment and vaccination, ultimately leading to more intense Ebola transmission.

In view of the increasingly complex environment, the UN in partnership with the Government and all partners is now strengthening its political engagement and operational support to negotiate access to communities; increasing support for humanitarian coordination; and bolstering preparedness and readiness planning for Goma and surrounding countries. WHO is adapting public health strategies to identify and treat people as quickly as possible; expanding vaccination to reach and protect more people; and redoubling work to end transmission in health facilities.

The UN Secretary-General has established a strengthened coordination and support mechanism in the epicenter of the outbreak, Butembo.

MONUSCO Deputy UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) David Gressly has been appointed UN Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator (EERC) in the Ebola affected areas of the DRC. Mr. Gressly, who brings a wealth of humanitarian leadership and political and security experience to the role, will report to the SRSG, Leila Zerrougui. He will oversee the coordination of international support for the Ebola response and work to ensure that an enabling environment—particularly security and political—is in place to allow the Ebola response to be even more effective.

Mr. Gressly will work closely with WHO, which will continue to lead all health operations and technical support activities to the Government response to the epidemic. Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response, who has been in Butembo since end-March, is leading the WHO response in DRC. WHO will also continue to coordinate public health interventions that are being implemented by other UN partners.

“The Ebola response is working in an operating environment of unprecedented complexity for a public health emergency—insecurity and political protests have led to periodic disruptions in our efforts to fight the disease. Therefore, an enhanced UN-wide response is required to overcome these operating constraints and this includes moving senior leadership and operational decision making to the epicenter of the epidemic in Butembo. We have no time to lose,” said DSRSG Gressly.

WHO’s Dr. Fall said: “This system-wide and international support is exactly what WHO has been calling for. We know that the outbreak response must be owned by the local population, and this new approach reflects what they have asked for: better security for patients and health workers, wider access to vaccination, and a more humane face to the response.” Dr. Fall has been working alongside Dr. Michel Yao, the WHO Ebola Incident Manager who has been in place since August 2018.  In Kinshasa, WHO has also appointed a special representative to the Ebola Response, Dr. Peter Graaff, to coordinate with partners there.

Additional UN measures will bolster the critical work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and agencies already on the ground, including UNICEF. Working with NGOs, UNICEF leads community engagement activities; provides psychosocial interventions; and helps prevent infection through water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Financial planning and reporting will also be strengthened and efforts will be accelerated to ensure sustainable and predictable funding required for the Ebola strategic response plan considering the ongoing needs.
Initiative,

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

U.N. grants sanctions exemption for UNICEF’s aid projects in N. Korea
Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) — The U.N. Security Council has granted a sanctions exemption to allow the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to carry out aid programs in North Korea to improve the health and nutrition of people in the impoverished country, according to the U.N. website.
The exemption, granted on April 11, paves the way for UNICEF to import items to deliver safe water supplies to communities and enable effective treatment at hospitals, especially for malnourished children and mothers.

The approved items worth some US$5.75 million in total include emergency health kits, wheelchairs and electronic devices, a document on the website showed.

The most expensive set of materials was vaccine cold chain equipment from Denmark worth $3.87 million. UNICEF said the items will be used to store vaccines for around 355,000 children under 1 year of age and 362,000 pregnant women.

UNICEF said its staff will conduct regular monitoring to ensure the goods are used for their intended purposes.

Including the latest approval, the total number of humanitarian exemptions related to North Korea currently in effect stands at 22. The exemptions are valid for six months.

Humanitarian activities are not banned under international sanctions, but related materials are subject to sanctions waivers from the U.N.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Featured Media Content

New York Times
Opinion
Infecting People Isn’t a Religious Right
The measles outbreak makes it vital for New York lawmakers to end religious exemptions for vaccinations.
The Editorial Board – May 21, 2019
It’s no coincidence that measles is spreading across the United States after a decade in which the number of parents claiming exemption for their children from vaccination has grown. The outbreak has been most intense in New York, particularly in deeply insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and upstate that have been vulnerable to misinformation and resistant to vaccination.

To halt the spread of the disease, bills in the State Senate and Assembly would prevent parents from claiming that their religious beliefs exempt them from legal requirements that their children be vaccinated before going to school. The American Academy of Pediatrics has made the elimination of such nonmedical exemptions its top priority this year.

The legislation would allow exemptions only if a licensed doctor certified that the immunization was detrimental to the child’s health, as is the case in current law.

Action on these sensible bills has stalled, however, just weeks before legislators leave for the summer —  even as the latest cases of the highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease were diagnosed in New York last week.

While bills in both chambers are in committee, opposition to the legislation is centered on the Assembly, where a bill before the Health Committee has not received a vote and the chairman, Richard Gottfried, said it would not until a majority of the committee supported it. More disturbingly, Mr. Gottfried said he and other committee members thought the legislation could violate the First Amendment, echoing one of the anti-vaccine movement’s favored talking points — that beliefs about vaccines are protected by the Constitution. Mr. Gottfried said he was still wrestling with where he stood on the issue.

And while Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he opposes religious exemptions for vaccines, last month he hedged that stance, also expressing concern for First Amendment protections.
Religious freedom is important to protect, but the courts have ruled it doesn’t apply here. In upholding a California law that removed religious exemptions, a federal appeals court last year noted an earlier ruling that, “The right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community or the child to communicable disease or the latter to ill health or death.”
Mr. Gottfried said he was uneasy anyway. “There are probably several issues where views on the Constitution and constitutional values may differ from what the Supreme Court majority thinks,” he said.

It’s not clear what these concerns are even based on. Faith leaders themselves have acknowledged that the grounds for religious opposition to vaccines are shaky, at best. The Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America have organized a public health campaign to get parents to vaccinate their children.

Legal mandates are one of the best ways to accomplish that goal. They increase the likelihood that vaccine-wary parents will consult legitimate medical professionals who have the capacity to allay their fears. They provide a crucial counter to the factually vacuous anti-vaccine campaign, which is being waged not only on social media platforms like Facebook, but also in statehouses across the country. And, as recent experience shows, they work: When legislators in California and Michigan strengthened their mandates, vaccination rates in those states went up.

New York City has declared a public health emergency around the measles outbreaks in Brooklyn and Queens, even closing several yeshivas — and threatening to close others — that did not comply with mandatory vaccination orders. But children throughout New York State remain vulnerable. State Senator Brad Hoylman, a lead sponsor of the legislation to end the religious exemption, said in a phone interview on Tuesday that he didn’t want to wait for tragedy to act.

Mr. Hoylman is right, and New York’s leaders must not let this legislation continue to languish. The bill could go further — as currently written, it wouldn’t impose any penalties, for instance, on parents who violate the law and send their children to school unvaccinated. Yet, in a state with an urgent public health crisis, this is the best place to begin.

Featured Media Content

Editor’s Note:
The WHA continues through early next week. Below are updates selected for their relevanxce to vaccines/immunization. Next week’s edition will include additional reports on resolutions and other actions.

72nd session of the World Health Assembly
20-28 May 2019, Geneva
Main documents

World Health Assembly Update, 24 May 2019
…Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework
Further to requests made by the World Health Assembly in 2017 and 2018, today delegates considered the final text of WHO’s analysis of the issues raised by the 2016 PIP Framework Review Group’s recommendations concerning seasonal influenza and genetic sequence data. The Health Assembly also considered the information provided by the Secretariat regarding implementation of the recommendations contained in the Director-General’s report on progress to implement decision WHA70(10).

Delegates adopted a decision to request WHO, inter alia, to work with the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and other partners to improve influenza virus sharing, and to prepare a report with Member States and stakeholders on influenza virus sharing and public health in the context of legislation and regulatory measures including those implementing the Nagoya Protocol.

Furthermore, the Health Assembly requested more information on the prototype search engine previously developed and asked WHO to explore possible next steps in raising awareness of the PIP Framework among databases, data users and data providers.

The decision also agreed to amend a footnote relating to SMTA2 (Standard Material Transfer Agreement 2) in the PIP Framework. This will help ensure that the integrity of the PIP Framework access and benefit-sharing system continues to be well maintained.

The PIP Framework is an international normative instrument adopted by the Health Assembly in 2011 that brings together WHO, Member States, industry, and other relevant stakeholders to implement a global approach to pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The objective of the PIP Framework is to ensure a fair, transparent, equitable, efficient and effective system for, on an equal footing, the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential and access to vaccines and other benefits.

Antimicrobial resistance
23 May 2019 News release Geneva
Member States at the World Health Assembly today agreed a resolution calling for continued high-level commitments to implement and adequately resource multi-sectoral National Action Plans.

The resolution urges Member States to strengthen infection prevention and control measures including water sanitation and hygiene; enhance participation in Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System; ensure prudent use of quality-assured antimicrobials; and support multisectoral annual self-assessment survey.

It requests the WHO Director-General to significantly enhance support to countries in implementing their national action plans and help mobilize needed financial resources, in collaboration with other UN agencies and partners. It also calls on the WHO Director-General to maintain the WHO list of Critically Important Antimicrobials for human medicine and keep Member States informed of WHO’s work with the other members of the Tripartite (the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health) and UN agencies.

The resolution acknowledges the work of the Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance to provide practical guidance to enhance global action to address antimicrobial resistance, and stresses the importance of addressing antimicrobial resistance to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 15 May 2019
:: Health ministers and delegates attending the World Health Assembly this week in Geneva welcomed the new Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023, reiterating the need to fully implement and fund all aspects of the strategy to secure a lasting polio-free world.  The five-year plan spells out the tactics and tools to wipe out the poliovirus from its last remaining reservoirs, including innovative strategies to vaccinate hard-to-reach children and expanded partnerships with the Expanded Programme on Immunization community and health emergencies.

:: Taking advantage of the critical mass of global leaders, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative hosted an event for polio eradicators, partners and stakeholders on 21 May 2019.  The event, To Succeed by 2023—Reaching Every Last Child, celebrated the GPEI’s new Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023. Read more here.

:: The GPEI is committed to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in its efforts to eradicate polio. On 11 May 2019, the GPEI Polio Oversight Board officially endorsed the GPEI Gender Equality Strategy, 2019-2023 with the objective to promote the integration of a gender perspective into different aspects of the GPEI’s programming, to support countries in addressing gender-related barriers to polio vaccination to increase coverage and increase women’s meaningful participation in the polio programme. Read strategy here. Watch an animation explaining the
relations between gender and polio eradication here.

:: Watch Coffee with Polio Experts: Sini Ramo, Gender Analyst as she talks about the role of gender in determining health goals—including access to polio vaccines— and GPEI’s part in integrating gender equality and mainstreaming in its work to end polio.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Afghanistan—one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)-positive environmental sample;
:: Pakistan— two WPV1 cases and seven WPV1-positive environmental samples;
:: Niger—one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) isolated from a healthy community contact;
:: Nigeria—One case classified cVDPV2 based on a positive contact and three cVDPV2-positive environmental samples.

::::::
::::::

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

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 25 May 2019]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: United Nations strengthens Ebola response in Democratic Republic of the Congo
23 May 2019
:: Taking risks to provide care in a conflict zone 22 May 2019
:: 42: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu 21 May 2019
:: Disease Outbreak News (DONs) Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
23 May 2019
[See Ebola DRC above for detail]

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Rohingya crisis: WHO introduces new software for epidemiologists to control disease outbreak
Cox’s Bazar (18-21 March 2019) – Over the past week, WHO and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) have trained public health experts in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in using a newly developed piece of software called Go.Data. The training is part of the global roll-out of Go.Data, a software which allows conducting outbreak investigations, including field data collection, contact tracing and visualization of disease chains of transmission. The new software was developed in collaboration with GOARN, WHO and other partner organizations…

Nigeria
:: Strengthening the healthcare system in north-east Nigeria – a priority for WHO 22 May 2019
:: Over 850,000 Nigerians in 12 States at risk of poisoning from mercury use 20 May 2019

Syrian Arab Republic
:: Supporting Syrian refugees in Turkey with the health services and guidance they need
20 May 2019

Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 25 May 2019]

Libya
:: WHO distributes urgently needed medical supplies as Libya conflict continues
21 May 2019

Brazil (in Portugese)
:: Organização Mundial da Saúde certifica Argélia e Argentina como livres da malária
22 de maio de 2019 – Argélia e Argentina foram oficialmente reconhecidas pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) como livres da malária. A certificação é concedida quando um país prova que interrompeu a transmissão autóctone da doença por pelo menos três anos consecutivos.

MERS-CoV
:: MERS situation update, April 2019
At the end of April 2019, a total of 2428 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including 838 associated deaths (case–fatality rate: 34.5%) were reported globally; the majority of these cases were reported from Saudi Arabia (2037 cases, including 760 related deaths with a case–fatality rate of 37.3%). During the month of April, a total of 29 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS were reported globally. All the 29 cases were reported from Saudi Arabia with 11 associated deaths.

occupied Palestinian territory
:: Health attacks continue during Gaza’s Great March of Return 20 May 2019

Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Cyclone Idai – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 25 May 2019]

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018 – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
::::::

UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syria: Situation Report 3: Recent Developments in Northwestern Syria (as of 24 May 2019)
HIGHLIGHTS
:: Ongoing conflict in northwest Syria continues to impact civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian service provision in the deescalation zone of northern Hama, southern Idleb governorates, and the countryside of Aleppo.
:: More than 200,000 people were displaced between 1 and 16 May, while 20 health facilities, three IDP settlements, and one refugee camp were reportedly affected by hostilities. This number is in addition to those people displaced prior to that date. There are unconfirmed local reports that up to 25 schools have been affected since the beginning of May.
:: The humanitarian response is ongoing with tens of thousands of people being provided food, protection, nutrition, health, shelter, education and WASH services, while critical gaps remain across sectors.

Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth
::  25 May 2019 Mozambique: Cyclone Idai & Floods Situation Report No. 22 (As of 20 May 2019)
:: 24 May 2019 Zimbabwe: Emergency Situation Report No. 8, As of 22 May 2019

::::::
::::::

WHO & Regional Offices [to 25 May 2019]
25 May 2019 News release
World Health Assembly Update, 25 May 2019

24 May 2019 News release
World Health Assembly Update, 24 May 2019

23 May 2019 Statement
United Nations strengthens Ebola response in Democratic Republic of the Congo

23 May 2019 News release
World Health Assembly Update, 23 May 2019

23 May 2019
What the first malaria vaccine means to a mother and child
The world’s first malaria vaccine in childhood vaccination is being rolled out in 2019 in selected areas of Ghana, Malawi and Kenya, through a pilot programme supported by the World Health Organization
Vida tells the story of her baby Lordina, one of the first to get the vaccine in Ghana, and how this additional prevention tool gives her “more peace of mind.” Her story is a stirring testament to the potential of this additional form of protection against malaria for young children.
Watch the video

22 May 2019 News release
World Health Assembly 72 Update

22 May 2019 News release
Algeria and Argentina certified malaria-free by WHO

22 May 2019 News release
Five billion people still at risk from industrial trans fat exposure

20 May 2019 News release
WHO announces four new goodwill ambassadors for promoting global health
…The new ambassadors are:
:: Alisson Becker, goalkeeper of the Brazilian national and Liverpool football teams, and
:: Dr Natália Loewe Becker, medical doctor and health advocate from Brazil, as WHO Goodwill Ambassadors for Health Promotion;
:: Cynthia Germanotta, President of Born This Way Foundation, which was co-founded with her daughter Lady Gaga, as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health;
:: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Workforce

20 May 2019
Draft: Developing together the vision and strategy for immunization 2021-2030
pdf, 2.00Mb
Comments and Feedback by 14 June

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 24 May 2019, vol. 94, SPECIAL ISSUE (pp. i–xlviii)
Editorial
Improvement in annual reporting of self-assessments to the International Health Regulations
(2005)
Gaining knowledge on the concept of monitoring and evaluation for effective implementation of
the International Health Regulations (2005) in the United Republic of Tanzania
Accelerating implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) in the WHO South-
East Asia Region
Supporting the development of strong laboratory leaders for global health security: the Global
Leadership Programme (GLLP)
Climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: priorities in enhancement of health
systems preparedness
National public health institutes collaborate with WHO to promote global health security
National legislation in implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)
Improved country preparedness through implementation of the Pandemic Influenza
Preparedness Framework partnership contribution, 2018
After-action reviews and simulations exercises within the monitoring and evaluation framework
for the International Health Regulations (2005): main trends in 2018
Survey of pandemic influenza preparedness in WHO Member States, 2018
Country preparedness for health and humanitarian emergencies in the WHO African Region:
progress, lessons learnt and way forward
Review of preparedness and readiness for Ebola virus disease in South Sudan by joint
monitoring missions: progress, successes, challenges and the way forward

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 24 May 2019, vol. 94, 21 (pp. 253–260)
Progress towards polio eradication, worldwide, January 2017–March 2019

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO and partners provide life-saving vaccine to more than 1.2 million children against measles in Borno State. 24 May 2019
:: African Parliamentarians commit to urgent action to increase immunization rates and advance universal health coverage, as Pan-African Parliament session concludes 23 May 2019
:: United Nations strengthens Ebola response in Democratic Republic of the Congo 23 May 2019
:: Algeria and Argentina certified malaria-free by WHO 22 May 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: World Health Assembly approves resolutions on climate change and health, noncommunicable diseases, and influenza preparedness (05/24/2019)
:: World Health Assembly Adopts Resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance (05/23/2019)
:: Ministers of Health of the Pacific and the Caribbean to join forces on climate change and health, regulatory frameworks, health security and NCDs (05/23/2019)
:: Delegates Adopt Resolutions on Universal Health Coverage at World Health Assembly (05/22/2019)
:: Argentina certified malaria-free by WHO (05/22/2019)
:: Roadmap to Universal Health Discussed on Day Two of the World Health Assembly (05/21/2019)
:: 72nd World Health Assembly Opens in Geneva (05/20/2019)

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

WHO European Region EURO
:: Creativity and commitment on display during European Immunization Week 2019 21-05-2019
:: WHO’s strategic priorities in focus at Seventy-second World Health Assembly 21-05-2019
:: Supporting Syrian refugees in Turkey with the health services and guidance they need 20-05-2019

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO distributes medical supplies as Libya conflict continues 21 May 2019
:: Health attacks continue during Gaza’s Great March of Return 20 May 2019

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

CDC/ACIP [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

MMWR News Synopsis for Friday, May 24, 2019
Progress Toward Polio Eradication — Worldwide, January 2017–March 2019
Poliovirus still circulates where children are not fully immunized. Reasons for low vaccine coverage include inaccessible areas due to security challenges and missed children in mobile populations at high risk for disease. To achieve poliovirus eradication, innovative and intensified efforts are needed to reach and vaccinate every child. A new report describes the current status of the global polio eradication initiative during 2017-2019. In 1988, there were 350,000 cases of wild poliovirus (WPV) in 125 countries. In 2017, there were 22 WPV case reported in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was an historic low. In 2018, there were 33 cases from the same two countries, and the reported number in 2019 to date is higher than that in the same period in 2018. The greatest barrier to completing WPV eradication is the number of children who are missed by vaccination efforts. Health workers face steep challenges to vaccinating children in security-compromised areas, accessing mobile populations, and overcoming pockets of vaccine refusals due to misinformation and mistrust. Targeted efforts are underway to intensify program operations to reach and vaccinate every child; full implementation is critical to successfully eradicate polio.

Africa CDC [to 25 May 2019]
https://au.int/en/africacdc
No new digest content identified.

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/
No new digest content identified.

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group    [to 25 May 2019]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
MAY 22, 2019
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Appoints Goalkeepers Advisory Board to Accelerate Progress on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
SEATTLE, May 22, 2019 – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced the appointment of a new advisory board to help shape the direction of Goalkeepers, a multiyear initiative dedicated to accelerating progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals).
The Goalkeepers Advisory Board consists of ten leaders representing a diverse range of countries, including China, France, Germany, India, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, the UK, and the United States. Board members will serve for a period of two years…
The advisory board members are:
Dr. Angel Adelaja, Founder and CEO of Fresh Direct Nigeria
Lili Buffett, Co-founder of Global Impact LLC
Radia Cheikh Lahlou, Associate Director at Déclic
Alex Holmes, Deputy CEO of The Diana Award
Lukas Koöhler, MP, FDP
Jasmine Lau, Co-founder and Executive Director of Philanthropy in Motion
Blessing Omakwu-Soremekun, Special advisor at ONE and Founder of the She Tank
Scheaffer Okore, Vice Chairperson of the Ukweli Party, Campaigns Director, Kenya
Nikhil Taneja, Co-founder and CEO of Yuvaa
Christian Vanizette, Founder of Makesense
Visit http://gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/what-is-goalkeepers/advisoryboard for more information.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 25 May 2019]
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 25 May 2019]
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 25 May 2019]
http://cepi.net/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI)  [to 25 May 2019]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/about/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 25 May 2019]
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
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News and press releases
24/05/2019
News: EMA facilitates early engagement with medicine developers to combat antimicrobial resistance
 
 
20/05/2019
News: Update of EU recommendations for 2019–2020 seasonal flu vaccine composition
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
FDA [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
May 23, 2019 – FDA authorizes marketing of first diagnostic test for detecting Zika virus antibodies
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
May 23, 2019 – Les Pensières Center for Global Health, Veyrier-du-Lac (France)
20th anniversary of ADVAC: celebrating one of the first advanced courses of of vaccinology
The Advanced Course of Vaccinology (ADVAC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Each year in May, a group of senior decision-makers and scientists from around the world gather at Les Pensières Center for Global Health for this intensive course organized by the Mérieux Foundation and the University of Geneva. More than 70 participants from academia, industry, governmental and non-governmental agencies receive a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the field of vaccines and also address the social, economic, political and ethical issues of vaccination.
 
 
Gavi [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.gavi.org/
20 May 2019
72nd World Health Assembly
With senior health officials setting the annual direction for the World Health Organization this week, multiple health challenges and considerations vie for attention amidst a packed agenda. Find out how Gavi helps ensure that immunisation is recognised for its vital role in bringing essential health care to all.
 
 
20 May 2019
Gavi boosts funding for Ebola outbreak response
Geneva, 20 May 2019 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has provided an extra US$ 9.2 million to support Ebola vaccinations in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the Ebola outbreak has now claimed over 1,100 lives.
The new funding for the WHO will support operational costs for the vaccination effort, funding the vaccination teams, transportation, syringes and other vaccine supplies, as well as the ultra-cold fridges which keep the vaccine at the minus 60-80°C temperatures it needs to remain effective. The vaccine itself is being donated by Merck under compassionate use.
“Ongoing violence and mistrust in the region remain the biggest barriers we face in bringing this outbreak, now the second largest in history, under control,” said Dr Seth Berkley, Gavi CEO. “The evidence we have so far suggests we have a hugely effective vaccine that is making an impact on the ground. However, it is a sad fact that this impact has only been possible thanks to the sheer bravery of the vaccinators working in areas of increasing instability.”..
 
 
GHIT Fund   [to 25 May 2019]
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 25 May 2019]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
Voices
Health Ministers: It’s Time for the World to Step Up the Fight
23 May 2019
Health ministers gathering at the World Health Assembly have called for a strong Replenishment of the Global Fund to end the epidemics of HIV, TB and malaria
 
 
News
Global Fund Congratulates Algeria and Argentina for Eliminating Malaria
22 May 2019
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFRC   [to 25 May 2019]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVAC  [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVI   [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.ivi.int/
IVI News & Announcements
IVI presents growing impact on global health with 2018 Annual Report
Undated
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected News; Project Updates, Reports [as presented on website]
Central African Republic
“It felt like it was raining bullets” in attacks on villages that kill over 50
Voices from the Field 24 May 2019

Central American Migration
“Mexico is not an option for my family to stay”
Project Update 24 May 2019

Cameroon
Five things to know about the violence in North-West and South-West Cameroon
Project Update 23 May 2019

Snakebite
WHO launches strategy to cut snakebite deaths and disabilities in half
Press Release 23 May 2019

Snakebite
Antivenom, not frogs, needed to cure snakebite
Project Update 21 May 2019

Tuberculosis
Breaking the cycle: Paediatric DR-TB detection, care and treatment in Tajikistan
Report 17 May 2019

NIH  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
May 22, 2019
NIH announces two awards for multi-year studies of influenza immunity in children
— Grants may total more than $64 million over seven years.
 
 
PATH  [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
May 21, 2019 by PATH
Digital health leaders gather at the World Health Assembly; PATH launches new Center of Digital and Data Excellence
Geneva, Switzerland, May 21, 2019 – Ministers of health and leaders from the global digital health sector gathered in Geneva for the Universal Health Coverage 2030: Creating a Global Digital Health Dynamic to Shape the 21st Century Economy and Society on the sidelines of the 72nd World Health Assembly. Hosted by the Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute Geneva, Global He@lth 2030 Innovation Task Force, the Novartis Foundation, and PATH, the event brought together leaders from governments, the private sector, and civil society to discuss how digital technologies are changing health care worldwide, and the impact digital health transformation is having on Universal Health Coverage and economic development…

Steve Davis, CEO of PATH, announced the formation of the Center of Digital and Data Excellence at PATH. The new Center brings together expertise in digital health and data from around the organization to promote the integration of digital technologies and data best practices across PATH’s programs. “Through the Center of Digital and Data Excellence, we will build stronger ties between digital and data to provide immediate, powerful way to increase the cost-efficiency and quality of health services—while simultaneously long-standing inequities in health care,” said Mr. Davis.

PATH has named Dykki Settle as its chief digital officer to oversee the Center of Digital and Data Excellence. “We believe deeply in the power of digital health and data to accelerate progress towards health equity and Universal Health Coverage,” said Mr. Settle. “Through the Center of Digital and Data Excellence, we can build stronger ties between digital and data, and begin to address the looming challenges of data security, innovation scale-up, and long-term sustainability.”…

 
 
Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
24 May 2019
Leveraging technology and innovation to end AIDS and tuberculosis
 
 
24 May 2019
The road to equality for LGBTI people in India
 
 
22 May 2019
First Lady of Kenya visits UNAIDS to highlight Beyond Zero
 
 
20 May 2019
People who inject drugs falling behind in access to HIV treatment
 
 
UNICEF  [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Press release
Geneva Palais Briefing Note: Children’s nutrition at risk in Afghanistan
This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
24/05/2019

Press release
Statement on attacks in the Central African Republic
by Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa
24/05/2019

Press release
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas visits Ethiopia to meet refugee children fleeing conflict and humanitarian crises
24/05/2019

Press release
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Opening Session Oslo, Norway, 23 May 2019
23/05/2019

Statement
Protect the rights of children of foreign fighters stranded in Syria and Iraq
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
21/05/2019
 
 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
May 2019
Update for Providers
Announcements: The Maurice R. Hilleman Essay Contest for students, blood test or vaccine dose video, and podcast about fevers 
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 25 May 2019]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 20 May 2019
5 matters of urgency for the World Health Assembly 2019
by Jeremy Farrar
Jeremy Farrar on five things that need urgent attention at this year’s World Health Assembly.
 
 
Opinion | 20 May 2019
Research institutions are best placed to support researchers with public engagement
by Rebecca Jones, Georgia Bladon
 
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Release   May 22, 2019
Novel Role in Spatial Chromosome Organization Identified for Frequently Mutated Cancer Protein
ARID1A controls how the genome is spatially organized in the nucleus to coordinate gene expression.
 
 
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
20/05/19
Announcement of 2019 OIE Photo Competition winners
Today, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has published the long awaited results of the fifth annual OIE Photo competition following its closure on 15 April 2019. The OIE announced seven winners on its dedicated website: www.oiephotocompetition.com. The competition, launched in February and titled “Animal health and welfare beyond the cliché”, was a golden opportunity for entrants to artistically and creatively shed light on the importance of the work done worldwide by animal health players in the implementation of OIE International Standards.
 
 
::::::
 
 
BIO    [to 25 May 2019]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
No new digest content identified.
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFPMA   [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
PhRMA    [to 25 May 2019]
http://www.phrma.org/press-room
No new digest content identified.

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 focus 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

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
June 2019 Volume 56, Issue 6, p773-920
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

Research Articles
Association of State Laws With Influenza Vaccination of Hospital Personnel
Megan C. Lindley, Yi Mu, Aila Hoss, Dawn Pepin, Elizabeth J. Kalayil, Katharina L. van Santen, Jonathan R. Edwards, Daniel A. Pollock
e177–e183
Published online: April 17, 2019
Abstract
Introduction
Healthcare personnel influenza vaccination can reduce influenza illness and patient mortality. State laws are one tool promoting healthcare personnel influenza vaccination.
Methods
A 2016 legal assessment in 50 states and Washington DC identified (1) assessment laws: mandating hospitals assess healthcare personnel influenza vaccination status; (2) offer laws: mandating hospitals offer influenza vaccination to healthcare personnel; (3) ensure laws: mandating hospitals require healthcare personnel to demonstrate proof of influenza vaccination; and (4) surgical masking laws: mandating unvaccinated healthcare personnel to wear surgical masks during influenza season. Influenza vaccination was calculated using data reported in 2016 by short-stay acute care hospitals (n=4,370) to the National Healthcare Safety Network. Hierarchical linear modeling in 2018 examined associations between reported vaccination and assessment, offer, or ensure laws at the level of facilities nested within states, among employee and non-employee healthcare personnel and among employees only.
Results
Eighteen states had one or more healthcare personnel influenza vaccination-related laws. In the absence of any state laws, facility vaccination mandates were associated with an 11–12 percentage point increase in mean vaccination coverage (p<0.0001). Facility-level mandates were estimated to increase mean influenza vaccination coverage among all healthcare personnel by 4.2 percentage points in states with assessment laws, 6.6 percentage points in states with offer laws, and 3.1 percentage points in states with ensure laws. Results were similar in analyses restricted only to employees although percentage point increases were slightly larger.
Conclusions
State laws moderate the effect of facility-level vaccination mandates and may help increase healthcare personnel influenza vaccination coverage in facilities with or without vaccination requirements.

American Journal of Public Health
June 2019 109(6)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

PRECISION PUBLIC HEALTH
Geneva Health Forum: The First International Conference on Precision Global Health
Global Health, Social Science, Health Service Delivery
Aude Richard, Nefti-Eboni Bempong and Antoine Flahault
109(6), pp. 863–865

American Journal of Public Health
June 2019 109(6)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

POLITICAL ECONOMY
Impact of Political Economy on Population Health: A Systematic Review of Reviews
Government, Socioeconomic Factors, Health Policy
Gerry McCartney, Wendy Hearty, Julie Arnot, Frank Popham, Andrew Cumbers and Robert McMaster
109(6), pp. e1–e12
Authors’ Conclusions. Politics, economics, and public policy are important determinants of population health. Countries with social democratic regimes, higher public spending, and lower income inequalities have populations with better health. There are substantial gaps in the synthesized evidence on the relationship between political economy and health, and there is a need for higher-quality reviews and empirical studies in this area. However, there is sufficient evidence in this review, if applied through policy and practice, to have marked beneficial health impacts.

Clinical Trials
Volume 16 Issue 3, June 2019
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ctja/16/2

Design
Improving pragmatic clinical trial design using real-world data
Pragmatic clinical trials often use automated data sources such as electronic health records, claims, or registries to identify eligible individuals and collect outcome information. A specific advantage that this automated data collection often yields is having data on potential participants when design decisions are being made. We outline how this data can be used to inform trial design.
Susan M Shortreed, Carolyn M Rutter, Andrea J Cook, Gregory E Simon
First Published March 13, 2019; pp. 273–282

Clinical Trials
Volume 16 Issue 3, June 2019
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ctja/16/2

Ethics
Comprehension and recall from the informed consent process by phase I healthy volunteers before dose administration
Rami Tadros, Gillian E Caughey, Sally Johns, Sepehr Shakib
First Published February 28, 2019; pp. 283–289
Abstract
Aims/Background
A fundamental part of all clinical trials is informed consent, reflecting the respect for the volunteer’s autonomy. Research participation is voluntary; therefore, certain aspects of the proposed study must be disclosed so that volunteers can make an informed decision. In this study, we aimed to examine the level of comprehension and recall of healthy volunteers from the informed consent process.
Methods
The study was carried out at a single phase I clinical trials unit. A questionnaire was administered to each volunteer to assess recall of important aspects of the study at the day-1 visit following the informed consent process. The questionnaire contained seven questions regarding study objectives, route, frequency and type of drug administration, adverse effects, number of subjects previously exposed and remuneration. One point was awarded for each correct answer.
Results
A total of 266 volunteers were administered the questionnaire. The mean total score (±standard deviation) for all volunteers was 4.5 ± 1.1 points out of 7, with a range of 0.8–6.7. For all 10 studies, 91% of volunteers responded correctly when answering about the route of administration, and 90% were able to accurately state the correct payment amount. Only 7% were able to repeat the aims of the study correctly.
Conclusion
The poor performance of our study volunteers raises concerns about recall of information prior to study drug administration. This has implications for the volunteer’s safety and ability to provide true informed consent. Interventions to improve recall prior to dosing should be undertaken.

Global Public Health
Volume 14, 2019 Issue 6-7
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

Special Issue: Social inequities and contemporary struggles for collective health in Latin America; Guest Editors: Emily E. Vasquez, Amaya Perez-Brumer, and Richard G. Parker
introduction
Social inequities and contemporary struggles for collective health in Latin America
Emily E. Vasquez, Amaya Perez-Brumer & Richard G. Parker
Pages: 777-790
Published online: 20 May 2019
ABSTRACT
As part of a planned series from Global Public Health aimed at exploring both the epistemological and political differences in diverse public health approaches across different geographic and cultural regions, this special issue assembles papers that consider the legacy of the Latin American Social Medicine and Collective Health (LASM-CH) movements, as well as additional examples of contemporary social action for collective health from the region. In this introduction, we review the historical roots of LASM-CH and the movement’s primary contributions to research, activism and policy-making over the latter-half of the twentieth century. We also introduce the special issue’s contents. Spanning 19 papers, the articles in this special issue offer critical insight into efforts to create more equitable, participatory health regimes in the context of significant social and political change that many of the countries in the region have experienced in recent decades. We argue that as global health worldwide has been pushed to adopt increasingly conservative agendas, recognition of and attention to the legacies of Latin America’s epistemological innovations and social movement action in the domain of public health are especially warranted.

JAMA
May 21, 2019, Vol 321, No. 19, Pages 1847-1946
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Viewpoint
Counteracting Health MisinformationA Role for Medical Journals?
Paul W. Armstrong, MD; C. David Naylor, MD, DPhil
JAMA. 2019;321(19):1863-1864. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.5168
This Viewpoint discusses the rising tide of medical misinformation and its adverse effects on global health, and suggests ways in which medical journals can collaborate with health professionals, organizations, institutions, and mainstream media to counteract such misinformation.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 25 May 2019]

Commentary
|   21 May 2019
Current status and future prospects of pharmacovigilance in Pakistan
Authors: Rabia Hussain and Mohamed Azmi Hassali

The Lancet
May 25, 2019 Volume 393Number 10186p2099-2174, e41
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Comment
Population versus individual protection by pneumococcal conjugate vaccination
Keith P Klugman, Gail L Rodgers
Open Access

The Lancet
May 25, 2019 Volume 393Number 10186p2099-2174, e41
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Articles
Effect of ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on invasive pneumococcal disease and nasopharyngeal carriage in Kenya: a longitudinal surveillance study
Laura L Hammitt et al
Interpretation
Introduction of PCV10 in Kenya, accompanied by a catch-up campaign, resulted in a substantial reduction in PCV10-type IPD in children and adults without significant replacement disease. Although the catch-up campaign is likely to have brought forward the benefits by several years, the study suggests that routine infant PCV10 immunisation programmes will provide substantial direct and indirect protection in low-income settings in tropical Africa.

Nature
Volume 569 Issue 7757, 23 May 2019
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

News Feature | 22 May 2019
The future of science in Europe
On the eve of the European Union’s parliamentary elections, a special issue examines the prospects for science across the region.
Editorial

Nature
Volume 569 Issue 7757, 23 May 2019
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Editorial | 22 May 2019
What Europe is getting right about research
The European Union’s cross-border collaborative programmes offer lessons for the rest of the world.

New England Journal of Medicine
May 23, 2019 Vol. 380 No. 21
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
AIDS in America — Back in the Headlines at Long Last
Wafaa M. El-Sadr, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., Kenneth H. Mayer, M.D., Miriam Rabkin, M.D., M.P.H., and Sally L. Hodder, M.D.

New England Journal of Medicine
May 23, 2019 Vol. 380 No. 21
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Review Article
Global Elimination of Chronic Hepatitis
David L. Thomas, M.D., M.P.H.
Chronic viral hepatitis is a public health hazard, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Vaccination, reduction of transmission, and medical therapy have begun to provide tools necessary to eliminate the disease.

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 25 May 2019)

Perspective
Research to improve differentiated HIV service delivery interventions: Learning to learn as we do
Elvin H. Geng, Charles B. Holmes
| published 21 May 2019 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002809

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 25 May 2019)

Viewpoints
Antibacterial mass drug administration for child mortality reduction: Opportunities, concerns, and possible next steps
Isaac I. Bogoch, Jürg Utzinger, Nathan C. Lo, Jason R. Andrews
| published 23 May 2019 PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007315

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 25 May 2019]

Research Article
Changes in childhood vaccination coverage over time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Vivian H. Alfonso, Anna Bratcher, Hayley Ashbaugh, Reena Doshi, Adva Gadoth, Nicole Hoff, Patrick Mukadi, Angie Ghanem, Alvan Cheng, Sue Gerber, Guillaume Ngoie Mwamba, Jean Jacques Muyembe Tamfum, Emile Okitolonda Wemakoy, Anne W. Rimoin
| published 24 May 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217426
Abstract
Despite increased vaccination rates, the burden, morbidity and mortality associated with vaccine preventable diseases remains high. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), potentially unreliable data and geographically varied program provision call for a better understanding of vaccination coverage and its changes over time at the country and province level. To assess changes in the proportion of children who were fully vaccinated over time in the DRC, vaccination histories for children 12–59 months of age were obtained from both the 2007 and 2013–2014 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Changes were assessed, both at the country- and province-levels, to identify potential geographic variations. Vaccination coverage improved 70% between the DHS waves: 26% compared to 44% of 12–59 month-old children met full vaccination criteria in 2007 and 2013–2014, respectively (n2007 = 3032 and n2013-14 = 6619). Similarly, there was an overall trend across both DHS waves where as year of birth increased, so did vaccination coverage. There was geographic variation in immunization changes with most central and eastern provinces increasing in coverage and most northern, western and southern provinces having decreased vaccination coverage at the second time point. Using nationally representative data, we identified significant changes over time in vaccination coverage which may help to inform future policy, interventions and research to improve vaccination rates among children in the DRC. This study is the first of its kind for the population of DRC and provides an important initial step towards better understanding trends in vaccination coverage over time.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 25 May 2019]

Research Article
Influenza vaccination in the elderly: 25 years follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. No impact on long-term mortality
Ruud Andreas Fritz Verhees, Carel Thijs, Ton Ambergen, Geert Jan Dinant, Johannes Andreas Knottnerus
| published 23 May 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216983

Science
24 May 2019 Vol 364, Issue 6442
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Editorial
HIV upsurge in China’s students
By Guanqiao Li, Yan Jiang, Linqi Zhang
Science24 May 2019 : 711

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Meeting reports
Conference info Abstract only
Evidence of reduction of rotavirus diarrheal disease after rotavirus vaccine introduction in national immunization programs in the African countries: Report of the 11th African rotavirus symposium held in Lilongwe, Malawi
Jason M. Mwenda, Inácio Mandomando, Khuzwayo C. Jere, Nigel A. Cunliffe, A. Duncan Steele
Pages 2975-2981

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Conference info Open access
Opportunities for improving access to vaccines in emerging countries through efficient and aligned registration procedures: An industry perspective
Nora Dellepiane, Sonia Pagliusi, Regulatory Experts Working Group
Pages 2982-2989

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Short communication Abstract only
Relationship of people’s sources of health information and political ideology with acceptance of conspiratorial beliefs about vaccines
Jieyu D. Featherstone, Robert A. Bell, Jeanette B. Ruiz
Pages 2993-2997

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Short communication Abstract only
Progress toward sustainable influenza vaccination in the Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic, 2012–2018
A. Xeuatvongsa, J.A. Mott, V. Khanthamaly, C. Patthammavong, … J.S. Bresee
Pages 3002-3005

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Review article Abstract only
Human papillomavirus vaccination and the risk of autoimmune disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Hai-yin Jiang, Yu-dan Shi, Xue Zhang, Li-ya Pan, … Bing Ruan
Pages 3031-3039

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Review article Abstract only
Polio endgame: Lessons for the global rotavirus vaccination program
Baoming Jiang, Manish Patel, Roger I. Glass
Pages 3040-3049

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Review article Abstract only
Effectiveness of digital technologies at improving vaccine uptake and series completion – A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Katherine M. Atkinson, Kumanan Wilson, Malia S.Q. Murphy, Soha El-Halabi, … Ziad El-Khatib
Pages 3050-3060

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 23 Pages 2975-3140 (21 May 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/23

Research article Abstract only
An economic evaluation of the current measles vaccination program: A case study in Zhejiang Province, east China
Yanbing Zeng, Mingliang Luo, Junze Chen, Hanqing He, … Ya Fang
Pages 3071-3077

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

University of Eastern Africa Baraton, Kenya
Thesis – Master’s Degree in Global Health Care
Immigrant parents’ perceptions about childhood immunization
Sanna Koivukangas
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to describe immigrant parents’ perceptions about child-hood immunization. The main focus is on immigrants who are parents and make de-cisions regarding their children’s immunizations. The aim of this research is through literature to find out and present what kind of knowledge and perceptions immigrant parents have for childhood vaccinations and immunization in general.
This thesis is a descriptive qualitative literature review, and it is based on the re-search question. Literature search was conducted, and ten (10) researches and re-search articles were chosen for the analysis. The results were analysed with content analysis and according to the analysis four categories were found: 1) fear and (mis)trust, 2) social and environmental influence, 3) insufficient vaccination knowledge and advise and 4) financial and geographical access.
The study may help health care professionals to recognize the attitudes and preju-dices behind childhood immunization and possible vaccination refusal among immi-grant parents. Based on the results of this research, immigrant parents’ perceptions should be taken into consideration better within the health care system. Health care professionals can use the results and the offered information as a support for guidance in their work.