International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2019 Volume 78, p1-154   Open Access
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(18)X0012-5

A hospital-associated measles outbreak in health workers in Beijing: Implications for measles elimination in China, 2018
Jiye Fu, Chu Jiang, Juguang Wang, Run Cai, Wei Cheng, Lifei Shi, Fan Zhang, Zhilan Xu, Yan Xing
p85–92
Published online: October 31, 2018

Journal of Medical Ethics
January 2019 – Volume 45 – 1
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Original articles
Uninformed refusals: objections to enrolment in clinical trials conducted under an Exception rom Informed Consent for emergency research (13 December, 2018) Free
Victoria Vorholt, Neal W Dickert
Abstract
Clinical trials in emergency situations present unique challenges, because they involve enrolling individuals who lack capacity to consent in the context of acute illness or injury. The US Department of Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administration regulations allowing an Exception from Informed Consent (EFIC) in these circumstances contain requirements for community consultation, public disclosure and restrictions on study risks and benefits. In this paper, we analyse an issue raised in the regulations that has received little attention or analysis but is ethically complex. This challenge is when to solicit and honour objections to EFIC trial enrolment, including from non-legally appointed representatives. We address novel questions involving whose objections should be honoured, what level of understanding is necessary for objections to be considered valid and how hard investigators should work to offer an opportunity to object. We present a set of criteria that provide conceptual and practical guidance. We argue that objections should be honoured if they undermine one of the key assumptions that allows for the permissibility of EFIC trials: that individuals would likely not object to enrolment based on their values or preferences. We then clarify the practical implications of this approach through examination of three cases of refusal in an EFIC study.

Journal of Medical Ethics
January 2019 – Volume 45 – 1
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Extended essays
Towards theoretically robust evidence on health equity: a systematic approach to contextualising equity-relevant randomised controlled trials (13 December, 2018)
Gry Wester, Kristine Bærøe, Ole Frithjof Norheim
Abstract
Reducing inequalities in health and the determinants of health is a widely acknowledged health policy goal, and methods for measuring inequalities and inequities in health are well developed. Yet, the evidence base is weak for how to achieve these goals. There is a lack of high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reporting impact on the distribution of health and non-health benefits and lack of methodological rigour in how to design, power, measure, analyse and interpret distributional impact in RCTs. Our overarching aim in this paper is to contribute to the emerging effort to improve transparency and coherence in the theoretical and conceptual basis for RCTs on effective interventions to reduce health inequity. We endeavour to achieve this aim by pursuing two more specific objectives. First, we propose an overview of three broader health equity frameworks and clarify their implications for the measurement of health inequality in RCTs. Second, we seek to clarify the relationship between theory and translational challenges that researchers would need to attend to, in order to ensure that equity-relevant RCTs are coherently grounded in theory.

The Lancet
Jan 05, 2019  Volume 393Number 10166p1-102, e1-e2
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Review
Universal health coverage in Indonesia: concept, progress, and challenges
Rina Agustina, Teguh Dartanto, Ratna Sitompul, Kun A Susiloretni, Suparmi,
Endang L Achadi, Akmal Taher, Fadila Wirawan, Saleha Sungkar, Pratiwi Sudarmono, Anuraj H Shankar, Hasbullah Thabrany on behalf of the Indonesian Health Systems Group

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Editorial
Yemen needs a concrete plan—now
The Lancet Global Health
More than 3 years into the current conflict, the situation in Yemen has reached catastrophic proportions. These have been exacerbated by the collapse of the national economy and by intense fighting around Hodeidah, the country’s principal port on the Red Sea where most commodities, including food and medicines, enter the largely import-based Yemeni market. The planned peace negotiations are dependent on the goodwill of two warring parties whose disregard for international law has already led to large civilian casualties and the destruction of essential infrastructure such as health facilities, water systems, roads, and markets. As the world barely watches, at the convergence of all these events, an estimated 14 million Yemeni people—half of the country’s population—have now been brought to pre-famine conditions.

The global apathy in the face of Yemen’s continuing struggle has been disrupted in recent weeks. Increased media attention to the plight of hundreds of thousands of severely malnourished children has led to renewed concerns about the fate of the Yemeni people. On Nov 26, the CEOs of five international non-governmental organisations openly called out the role of US geopolitics and trade in the killing of innocent civilians, spurring discussions on the global responsibility for the war. And probably because one number sometimes speaks louder than words, earlier on Nov 21, Save The Children presented in a press release their straightforward estimation for the number of deaths due to untreated severe acute malnutrition between April 2015 and October 2018: close to 85 000 children under 5 may have died a preventable death in that period.

In truth, most health-related numbers coming from Yemen cannot be more than estimations—how could a collapsed health system generate robust data? But we know that the Yemeni people are suffering. Of all the scourges affecting Yemen, the prospect of a famine seems to have taken centre-stage in the media again, but there are many other enduring ones. We know that civilians are dying in the conflict, though unofficial data are vague and largely underestimated. We know there are outbreaks of diphtheria, measles, and probably other vaccine-preventable diseases. We also know that the cholera epidemic that started in April 2016 is still going on: the latest report available from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office indicates that there were over 240 000 cases in the first 42 weeks of 2018. This cholera epidemic, the largest documented in history, illustrates how a weakened population, and a crippled health system, can be swiftly and durably overpowered in the midst of conflict. However, it is also an opportunity to learn, in the hope that this situation can be reversed in Yemen, and prevented elsewhere.

Thankfully, such learnings are happening. In May 2018, The Lancet Global Health published a modelling study by Anton Camacho and colleagues in which surveillance data were used to identify the drivers of the cholera epidemic, linking rainfall to the second wave of the epidemic, generating potentially important information for timing and enhancing control efforts. In a subsequent exchange of letters with Fekri Dureab and colleagues, the authors evoke the difficulties in identifying the mechanisms of transmission, in spite of robust modelling, in part because the war’s disruption of water and sewerage systems confounds the analysis.

Also importantly, in a report released on December 4, the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health presents a detailed evaluation, based on an in-depth review and data gathered through 71 key informants, of the epidemic preparedness and response up until the second wave in July 2018. It brings forth unsurprising but sobering facts, among them the likely association between the conflict and increased cholera transmission; the lack of preparedness in terms of surveillance and response capacity; or coordination issues between international and national actors of the response. The 20 global and Yemen-specific recommendations cover the fundamental need of addressing insecurity, of urgently clarifying and harmonising coordination and preparedness, and of making the response more agile by improving surveillance. They include specifics of a targeted WASH and vaccination response and rely on strong integration of planning across sectors, all sensible responses to the issues identified in the analysis.

These concrete, action-related reports should be precious input in tackling this and future outbreaks, particularly in war-torn areas. But Yemen needs even more—and the time is now.

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Comment
Determinants of tuberculosis in Indigenous people worldwide
Paulo Cesar Basta,
Paulo Victor de Sousa Viana

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Introducing the World Bank’s 2018 Health Equity and Financial Protection Indicators database
Adam Wagstaff, Patrick Eozenou, Sven Neelsen, Marc-Francois Smitz

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Articles
Global, regional, and national estimates of levels of preterm birth in 2014: a systematic review and modelling analysis
Saifon Chawanpaiboon, Joshua P Vogel, Ann-Beth Moller, Pisake Lumbiganon, Max Petzold,
Daniel Hogan, Sihem Landoulsi, Nampet Jampathong, Kiattisak Kongwattanakul, Malinee Laopaiboon, Cameron Lewis, Siwanon Rattanakanokchai, Ditza N Teng, Jadsada Thinkhamrop,
Kanokwaroon Watananirun, Jun Zhang, Wei Zhou, A Metin Gülmezoglu

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Global, regional, and national estimates of pneumonia morbidity and mortality in children younger than 5 years between 2000 and 2015: a systematic analysis
David A McAllister, Li Liu, Ting Shi, Yue Chu, Craig Reed, John Burrows, Davies Adeloye, Igor Rudan, Robert E Black, Harry Campbell, Harish Nair

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Effect and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination: a global modelling analysis
Cynthia Chen, Francisco Cervero Liceras, Stefan Flasche, Sucitro Sidharta, Joanne Yoong,
Neisha Sundaram, Mark Jit

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Proximate determinants of tuberculosis in Indigenous peoples worldwide: a systematic review
Maxime Cormier, Kevin Schwartzman, Dieynaba S N’Diaye, Claire E Boone, Alexandre M dos Santos, Júlia Gaspar, Danielle Cazabon, Marzieh Ghiasi, Rebecca Kahn, Aashna Uppal, Martin Morris, Olivia Oxlade

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial
Jean H Humphrey, Mduduzi N N Mbuya, Robert Ntozini, Lawrence H Moulton, Rebecca J Stoltzfus, Naume V Tavengwa, Kuda Mutasa, Florence Majo, Batsirai Mutasa, Goldberg Mangwadu, Cynthia M Chasokela, Ancikaria Chigumira, Bernard Chasekwa, Laura E Smith,
James M Tielsch, Andrew D Jones, Amee R Manges, John A Maluccio, Andrew J Prendergast
for the Sanitation Hygiene Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) Trial Team

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Comment
Knowledge advances and gaps on the demand side of vaccination
Sara Cooper, Joseph C Okeibunor, Alison Wiyeh, Charles S Wiysonge

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Articles
The potential effect of improved provision of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Gavi-eligible countries: a modelling study
WHO Rabies Modelling Consortium
Open Access
Tens of thousands of people die from dog-mediated rabies annually. Deaths can be prevented through post-exposure prophylaxis for people who have been bitten, and the disease eliminated through dog vaccination. Current post-exposure prophylaxis use saves many lives, but availability remains poor in many rabies-endemic countries due to high costs, poor access, and supply.

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Series
Terrorism and health
Confronting the threat of bioterrorism: realities, challenges, and defensive strategies
Manfred S Green, James LeDuc, Daniel Cohen, David R Franz

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Personal View
Deliberations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization on the use of CYD-TDV dengue vaccine
Annelies Wilder-Smith, Joachim Hombach, Neil Ferguson, Michael Selgelid, Kate O’Brien, Kirsten Vannice, Alan Barrett, Elizabeth Ferdinand, Stefan Flasche, Maria Guzman, Hillegonde Maria Novaes, Lee-Ching Ng, Peter G Smith, Piyanit Tharmaphornpilas, In-Kyu Yoon, Alejandro Cravioto, Jeremy Farrar, Terry M Nolan

Nature Reviews Immunology
Volume 19 Issue 1, January 2019
https://www.nature.com/nri/volumes/18/issues/12

Analysis | 08 November 2018
Functional cure of HIV: the scale of the challenge
In this Analysis, the authors discuss different strategies for the post-treatment control of HIV infection. They use mathematical modelling to predict the impact of different interventions and to estimate the therapeutic efficacy required to achieve a functional cure.
Miles P. Davenport, David S. Khoury[…] & Stephen J. Kent

New England Journal of Medicine
December 27, 2018  Vol. 379 No. 26
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Ramping Up the Response to Ebola
Jennifer B. Nuzzo, Dr.P.H.,
and Thomas V. Inglesby, M.D.
…Though there are clear signs that global preparedness for epidemics has been strengthened, efforts to contain the DRC outbreak have not been sufficient. Additional human and financial resources are needed to prevent this outbreak from becoming a major epidemic…

New England Journal of Medicine
December 27, 2018  Vol. 379 No. 26
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Pregnant Women and the Ebola Crisis
Lisa B. Haddad, M.D., M.P.H.,
Denise J. Jamieson, M.D., M.P.H.,
and Sonja A. Rasmussen, M.D.
…Though data are limited, the available information regarding pregnancy during Ebola outbreaks provides a reason for concern. Women appear to have higher Ebola infection rates than men; perhaps they tend to become infected when caring for sick family members, or perhaps they have increased susceptibility. Although data from past outbreaks revealed a case-fatality rate among pregnant women as high as 90%, more recent data suggest that the risk of death among EVD-infected pregnant women might be similar to that among nonpregnant women.2 Additional data are needed, however, to better characterize outcomes…

Pediatrics
January 2019, VOLUME 143 / ISSUE 1
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/1?current-issue=y

Articles
An Educational Intervention to Improve HPV Vaccination: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Brian E. Dixon, Gregory D. Zimet, Shan Xiao, Wanzhu Tu, Brianna Lindsay, Abby Church, Stephen M. Downs
Pediatrics Jan 2019, 143 (1) e20181457; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-1457
We examine the effect of a digital educational intervention linked to previous vaccine history on HPV vaccination decisions in urban pediatric settings.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Optimal gender-specific age for cost-effective vaccination with adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine in Chinese adults
Joyce H. S. You, Wai-kit Ming, Owen Tak-yin Tsang, Paul Kay-sheung Chan
Research Article | published 04 Jan 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210005

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus among health professionals in New Zealand
Susan M. Sherman, Karen Bartholomew, Hayley J. Denison, Hersha Patel, Esther L. Moss, Jeroen Douwes, Collette Bromhead
Research Article | published 31 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197648

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Choosing important health outcomes for comparative effectiveness research: 4th annual update to a systematic review of core outcome sets for research
Elizabeth Gargon, Sarah L. Gorst, Nicola L. Harman, Valerie Smith, Karen Matvienko-Sikar, Paula R. Williamson
Research Article | published 28 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209869

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Assessing the sensitivity of the polio environmental surveillance system
The polio environmental surveillance (ES) system has been an incredible tool for advancing polio eradication efforts because of its ability to highlight the spatial and temporal extent of poliovirus circulation. While ES often outperforms, or is more sensitive than AFP surveillance, the sensitivity of the ES system has not been well characterized. Fundamental uncertainty of ES site sensitivity makes it difficult to interpret results from ES, particularly negative results.
Steve J. Kroiss, Maiwand Ahmadzai, Jamal Ahmed, Muhammad Masroor Alam, Guillaume Chabot-Couture, Michael Famulare, Abdirahman Mahamud, Kevin A. McCarthy, Laina D. Mercer, Salman Muhammad, Rana M. Safdar, Salmaan Sharif, Shahzad Shaukat, Hemant Shukla, Hil Lyons
Research Article | published 28 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208336

Preventive Medicine
Volume 118  Pages 1-354 (January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/preventive-medicine/vol/117/suppl/C

Impact of human papillomavirus vaccination on the clinical meaning of cervical screening results
Philip E. Castle, Xianhong Xie, Xiaonan Xue, Nancy E. Poitras, … Mark Schiffman
Pages 44-50

Preventive Medicine
Volume 118  Pages 1-354 (January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/preventive-medicine/vol/117/suppl/C

Research article  Full text access
Stories about HPV vaccine in social media, traditional media, and conversations
Marjorie A. Margolis, Noel T. Brewer, Parth D. Shah, William A. Calo, Melissa B. Gilkey
Pages 251-256

Qualitative Health Research
Volume 29 Issue 2, January 2019
http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/current

Research Articles
Engaging a Community Leader to Enhance Preparation for In-Depth Interviews With Community Members
Manuel E. Jimenez, Shawna V. Hudson, Daniel Lima, Benjamin F. Crabtree
First Published August 12, 2018; pp. 270–278
Preview
In-depth interviews allow for rich exploration of stakeholders’ experiences. Preparation for in-depth interviews generally consists of literature reviews and researchers’ review of their own culture and understanding of a topic. We supplemented these strategies with serial “ethnographic interviews” with a single community leader to enhance our preparation for community-based in-depth interviews with Latina, immigrant, Spanish-speaking mothers and to facilitate stakeholder engagement in a research project. After an extensive literature review, we conducted a series of four 1-hour interviews with a key informant in preparation for individual in-depth interviews with 12 parents. The ethnographic interviews with the community leader provided insight into environmental context, cultural categories, and stakeholder priorities, which helped shape the research question, in-depth interview guide, sampling strategy, and interpretive analytic process. We found that ethnographic interviews can provide critical insights for preparing in-depth interview guides and can enhance the information gained while facilitating meaningful stakeholder engagement.

Science         
04 January 2019  Vol 363, Issue 6422
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

In Depth
The world debates open-access mandates
By Tania Rabesandratana
Science04 Jan 2019 : 11-12 Full Access
Spurred by European funders behind Plan S, many countries consider similar moves.
Summary
In the wake of China’s expressing strong support in December 2018 for Plan S, the Europe-backed program to mandate immediate open access to scientific literature, researchers wonder how far the plan will spread. The program has drawn support from many scientists but concerns from others, and from publishers (including AAAS, publisher of Science). Science looks at which countries’ funders are likely to join and which aren’t, and whether Plan S is poised to shake up scientific publishing or remain a project that applies to only a small fraction of the world’s scientific papers

Social Science & Medicine
Volume 220  Pages 1-450 (January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/social-science-and-medicine/vol/220/suppl/C

Research article  Full text access
France’s citizen consultation on vaccination and the challenges of participatory democracy in health
Jeremy K. Ward, Florian Cafiero, Raphael Fretigny, James Colgrove, Valérie Seror
Pages 73-80
Highlights
:: We present the 2016 citizen consultation on vaccination organized in France.
:: We show the tensions at its core between the scientific and democratic principles.
:: We underline the importance of the framing of debates.
:: A missed opportunity to assess the acceptability of vaccine mandates.
Abstract
Background
Confronted with a rise in vaccine hesitancy, public health officials increasingly try to involve the public in the policy decision-making process to foster consensus and public acceptability. In public debates and citizen consultations tensions can arise between the principles of science and of democracy. To illustrate this, we analyzed the 2016 citizen consultation on vaccination organized in France. This consultation led to the decision to extend mandatory vaccination.
Methods
The analysis combines qualitative and quantitative methods. We analyze the organization of the consultation and its reception using the documents provided by its organizing committee, articles of newsmedia and the contents of 299 vaccine-critical websites. Using methods from computational linguistics, we investigate the 10435 public comments posted to the consultation’s official website.
Results
The combination of a narrow framing of debates (how to restore trust in vaccination and raise vaccination coverages) and a specific organization (latitude was given to the orientation committee with a strong presence of medical experts) was successful in avoiding legitimizing vaccine critical arguments. But these choices have been at the expense of a real reflection on the acceptability of mandatory vaccination and it did not quell vaccine-critical mobilizations.
Conclusions
Public health officials must be aware that when trying to increase democratic participation into their decision-making process, how they balance inputs from the various actors and how they frame the discussion determine whether this initiative will provide meaningful information and democratic legitimacy.

Systematic Reviews
https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Protocol
The association between socioeconomic status and pandemic influenza: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pandemic mortality rates in 1918 and in 2009 were highest among those with the lowest socioeconomic status (SES). Despite this, low SES groups are not included in the list of groups prioritized for pandemic va…
Authors: Svenn-Erik Mamelund, Clare Shelley-Egan and Ole Rogeberg
Citation: Systematic Reviews 2019 8:5
Published on: 4 January 2019

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 3  Pages 401-538 (14 January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/3

Conference report
Vaccine Safety Communication – Executive summary
CIOMS Guide To Vaccine Safety Communication – Executive summary
Priya Bahri, Lembit Rägo, on behalf of the CIOMS Working Group on Vaccine Safety
Pages 401-408

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 3  Pages 401-538 (14 January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/3

Review article  Open access
Barriers and enablers to adolescent self-consent for vaccination: A mixed-methods evidence synthesis
Harriet Fisher, Sarah Harding, Matthew Hickman, John Macleod, Suzanne Audrey
Pages 417-429
Abstract
Introduction
The recent global expansion of routine adolescent vaccination programmes has the potential to protect young people against infectious diseases and improve their health. Although the legal framework in many countries permits young people to consent for vaccinations if competent, lack of written parental consent can still prevent uptake. We aimed to review systematically the associated barriers and enablers to implementation of adolescent self-consent procedures.
Methods
A comprehensive search strategy of ten databases from inception to June 2018 was undertaken to identify relevant qualitative and quantitative studies. Titles, abstracts and full texts were assessed for eligibility, and the methodological quality of eligible primary studies evaluated. Thematic synthesis methods were used to interpret and combine qualitative data, and to identify overarching themes as well as similarities and differences within themes. Quantitative data were summarised and, because the data were sufficiently similar in focus, were integrated within the qualitative framework.
Results
Twenty-five publications related to 23 studies were included. Three themes were identified which related to the policy framework, protection, and self-determination. Despite supportive national policy frameworks, implementation of adolescent self-consent procedures can be prevented by local policies, professionals’ misunderstandings of the legal framework and the context in which the vaccination programme is delivered. Motivation to protect young people’s health increased acceptability of adolescent self-consent, but implementation might be prevented to protect the reputation of professionals or relationships with parents. Further, maintaining the role of parents as decision-makers for their child’s healthcare was frequently prioritised over enabling young people’s autonomy to consent.
Conclusions
Barriers to the implementation of adolescent self-consent procedures have implications for young people’s health and uptake of vaccination programmes. There is a need to clarify the policy framework and challenge the primacy of parental consent.

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 3  Pages 401-538 (14 January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/3

Research article  Open access
Strengthening national vaccine decision-making: Assessing the impact of SIVAC Initiative support on national immunisation technical advisory group (NITAG) functionality in 77 low and middle-income countries
Kevin van Zandvoort, Natasha Howard, Sandra Mounier-Jack, Mark Jit
Pages 430-434

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 3  Pages 401-538 (14 January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/3

Research article  Open access
Developing a seasonal influenza vaccine recommendation in Kenya: Process and challenges faced by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG)
Jeanette Dawa, Sandra S Chaves, Antoinette Ba Nguz, Rosalia Kalani, … Fred Were
Pages 464-472

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 3  Pages 401-538 (14 January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/3

Research article  Abstract only
What affects pediatric healthcare providers to encourage receipt of routine childhood vaccinations? Results from the Northern District of Israel, 2016
Rana Shibli, Shmuel Rishpon, Michal Cohen-Dar, Yael Kandlik
Pages 524-529

Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 3  Pages 401-538 (14 January 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/3

Research article  Open access
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Saudi women regarding cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) and corresponding vaccine
Hoda Jradi, Amen Bawazir
Pages 530-537

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

Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases (MEJDD)
Vol.11/ No.1/January 2019
Original Article
Hepatitis B Vaccine Acceptability among Nurses: A Theory Based Conceptualization
MM Alavijeh, M Vaezi –
Hepatitis B is the most common occupational disease in health care providers. It can be followed by several complications. The aim of this study was to determine the cognitive determinants of hepatitis B (HB) vaccination Acceptability among nurses based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). 

KMUJ: KHYBER MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL
Vol 10, No 4 (2018)
HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS AND ITS VACCINE: AWARENESS AND ATTITUDES OF YOUNG FEMALE PAKISTANI STUDENTS
S Ghayas, F Anjum, T Husain, L Bashir, S Naz… –
To determine awareness about human papillomavirus (HPV) among female students of medical field in Pakistan… This study established that despite having knowledge about HPV, the populace required sufficient information about HPV vaccination for its acceptance and to prevent and combat the disease.

Journal of Nursing Practice Today
2019; 6(1):446-452
Original Article
Knowledge and acceptance of human papilloma virus vaccine among secondary school students in Queens Model Secondary School, Enugu, Nigeria
CE Israel, NN Ogbu, JA Ingwu, JC Arinze, PC Chikeme –
Abstract
Background & Aim: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection with high mortality rate though its prevention is now possible through vaccination. The study determined the knowledge and acceptance of HPV Vaccine among Secondary School students in Queens Model secondary school Enugu
Methods and Material: The study utilized a quantitative descriptive survey method. Sample size of 368 students was determined using the power analysis at 95% confidence interval and 5% error margin. Stratified sampling method including proportionate sampling was used to select respondents from different classes to ensure representativeness. Data was collected using questionnaire developed by the researchers with a reliability of 0.79 Cronbach alpha after pre-test and data was analyzed with the aid of SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages.
Results: Only 51(13.86%) of the respondents have heard of HPV vaccine. Majority 97.3% were willing to receive a vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer and 98.1% respondents agreed to recommend a vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer for others for fear of death and concern for their safety.
Conclusion: Health education on HPV vaccine should be made available to young girls to enable them take advantage of this service before the resumption of sexual activities.

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 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/home-page?_wsjregion=na,us&_homepage=/home/us
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
 
 
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Think Tanks et al
 
Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new relevant content]

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

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new relevant content]

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 5 Jan 2019
[No new relevant content]

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review will resume publication on 5 January 2019 after an end-of-year break.

Milestones :: Perspectives

Child given world’s first drone-delivered vaccine in Vanuatu – UNICEF

With 1 in 5 children in the remote Pacific island nation not fully immunized, UNICEF partners with the Government on first-ever commercial contract to deliver vaccines by drone

PORT VILA/ NEW YORK, 18 December 2018 –One month old Joy Nowai today became the world’s first child to be given a vaccine delivered commercially by drone in a remote island in the South Pacific country of Vanuatu.

The vaccine delivery covered almost 40 kilometers of rugged mountainous terrain from Dillon’s Bay on the west side of the island to the east landing in remote Cook’s Bay, where 13 children and five pregnant women were vaccinated by Miriam Nampil, a registered nurse. Cook’s Bay, a small, scattered community that does not have a health centre or electricity, is only accessible by foot or small local boats.

“Today’s small flight by drone is a big leap for global health,” said Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “With the world still struggling to immunize the hardest to reach children, drone technologies can be a game changer for bridging that last mile to reach every child.”…

…“It’s extremely hard to carry ice boxes to keep the vaccines cool while walking across rivers, mountains, through the rain, across rocky ledges. I’ve relied on boats, which often get cancelled due to bad weather,” said Miriam Nampil, the nurse who injected the world’s first drone-delivered vaccine. ”As the journey is often long and difficult, I can only go there once a month to vaccinate children. But now, with these drones, we can hope to reach many more children in the remotest areas of the island.”

During the drone flight on Erromango, the vaccines were carried in Styrofoam boxes with ice-packs with a temperature logger. An electronic indicator is triggered if the temperature of the vaccines swings out of acceptable range.

In tests last week, the Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF, conducted drone trials with two drone operators, Swoop Aero and WingCopter, using test payloads. Swoop Aero, the Australian company responsible for today’s successful drone delivery, passed the first phase of trials by landing the payloads within 2 meters of the target after a 50-km flight over numerous islands and way points.

This is also the first time globally that a government is contracting a commercial drone company to transport vaccines to remote areas. The drone operators are selected after a bidding process, and as per the contract, they are held accountable and not paid if they don’t deliver.

In the long term, the Government of Vanuatu is interested in integrating the drone delivery of vaccines into their national immunization programme and using drones more widely to distribute health supplies. The data from the trials will also be used to show how drones can be used commercially in similar settings around the world.

“Today’s first-of-a-kind vaccine delivery has enormous potential not only for Vanuatu, but also for the thousands of children who are missing out on vaccines across the world,” added Fore. “This is innovation at its best, and shows how we can unlock the potential of the private sector for the greater good of the world’s children.”

Milestones :: Perspectives

Ebola – Democratic Republic of the Congo

20: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu
18 December 2018 [Excerpts]
…Case Management
:: On 24 November 2018, MoH announced the launch of a randomized control trial for Ebola therapeutics. This first ever multi-drug randomized control trial within an outbreak setting is an important step towards finding an effective treatment for Ebola. The trial is coordinated by WHO and led and sponsored by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) which is the principal investigator. The trial has begun in the ALIMA facility in Beni, where patients are enrolled in the study after obtaining voluntary informed consent.

:: Other ETCs continue to provide therapeutics under the MEURI (compassionate use) protocol, in collaboration with the MoH and the INRB, together with supportive care measures. WHO is providing technical clinical expertise on-site and is assisting with the creation of a data safety management board. UNICEF is providing nutritional treatment and psychological support for all hospitalized patients.

:: As of 15 December 2018, a total of 140 patients were hospitalised in transit centres and ETCs, of whom 29 were laboratory confirmed…

::::::

DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
20 December 2018 [Excerpt]
…WHO risk assessment
This outbreak of EVD is affecting north-eastern provinces of the country bordering Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. Potential risk factors for transmission of EVD at the national and regional levels include: travel between the affected areas, the rest of the country, and neighbouring countries; the internal displacement of populations. The country is concurrently experiencing other epidemics (e.g. cholera, vaccine-derived poliomyelitis, malaria), and a long-term humanitarian crisis. Additionally, the security situation in North Kivu and Ituri at times limits the implementation of response activities. WHO’s risk assessment for the outbreak is currently very high at the national and regional levels; the global risk level remains low. WHO continues to advice against any restriction of travel to, and trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo based on currently available information.

As the risk of national and regional spread is very high, it is important for neighbouring provinces and countries to enhance surveillance and preparedness activities. The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) Emergency Committee has advised that failing to intensify these preparedness and surveillance activities would lead to worsening conditions and further spread. WHO will continue to work with neighbouring countries and partners to ensure that health authorities are alerted and are operationally prepared to respond…

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

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 18 December 2018 [GPEI]
:: Featured on http://www.polioeradication.org:  interview with Jean- Marc Olivé, Chairman of the Technical Advisory Group, on what needs to be done to end polio in the Horn of Africa; Djibouti carried out a successful round of National Immunization Days (NIDs) since 2015 to avoid risk of polio virus importation.

Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan –WPV1-positive environmental samples;
Pakistan – seven WPV1-positive environmental samples;
Nigeria – one cVDPV2 AFP case 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 22 Dec 2018]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: 20: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  18 December 2018
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo  20 December 2018

[See Milestones above for more detail]

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Weekly Situation Report 55 – 13 December 2018
[Excerpt]
Highlights
:: The fourth round of oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign was completed with 108% coverage. A total of 356,202 people received vaccination.
:: A total of three new diphtheria case-patients (three suspected) were reported this week. Total case-patients reported in EWARS is now 8,327. 

Syrian Arab Republic
:: Cancer treatment in Syria improves following State of Kuwait donation  19 December 2018

Yemen
:: WHO enhances access to basic health care in Yemen  17 December 2018

Myanmar – No new announcements identified
Nigeria – No new announcements identified
Somalia – No new announcements identified
South Sudan – No new announcements identified

 ::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 22 Dec 2018]
Iraq
:: Italy supports physical and mental health services in Ninewa   Baghdad 18 December

Brazil (in Portugese) – No new announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new announcements identified
Libya – No new announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new announcements identified
Niger – No new announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new announcements identified
Sudan – No new announcements identified
Ukraine – No new announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new announcements identified

WHO-AFRO: Outbreaks and Emergencies Bulletin, Week 49: 08-14 December 2018
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 57 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:
:: Lassa fever in Benin
:: Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Yellow fever in Nigeria
::Measles in Madagascar.

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 22 Dec 2018]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania

::::::

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. 
Yemen
:: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 1 – 13 December 2018 | Issue 34

Key Issues
:: Recent IPC analysis indicates that over 20 million face severe food insecurity in Yemen.
:: The upsurge in Yemen’s migrant arrivals exceeds 2018 arrivals to Europe via the Mediterranean Seaw.
:: Polio campaign reaches 4.6 million children, 84 per cent of target.
:: The trend of suspected cholera cases remains stable.

Syrian Arab Republic   
:: Syria Crisis: Northeast Syria Situation Report No. 30 (1 November – 14 December 2018)
:: Fact Sheet: United Nations Cross-border Operations from Turkey to Syria | as of 30 November 2018 [EN/AR] Published on 17 Dec 2018

::::::

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.
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Somalia  – No new announcements identified.

::::::

“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake –No new announcements identified.

 
::::::
::::::
 
Editor’s Note:
We will cluster these recent emergencies as below and continue to monitor the WHO webpages for updates and key developments.

EBOLA/EVD  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.who.int/ebola/en/
:: 19: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  12 December 2018
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo   13 December 2018
[See Milestones above for more detail]

MERS-CoV [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/
– No new announcements identified.

Yellow Fever  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/yellowfev/en/
:: Disease outbreak news – Yellow Fever – Kingdom of the Netherlands   18 December 2018

Zika virus  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/zika/en/
– No new announcements identified.

WHO & Regional Offices [to 22 Dec 2018]

WHO launches technical guidance series on the health of refugees and migrants
18-12-2018
WHO is marking International Migrants Day on 18 December 2018 with the launch of a technical guidance series on the health of refugees and migrants. Produced in collaboration with the European Commission, each publication addresses a specific aspect of the health of refugees and migrants by providing tools, case studies and evidence to inform practices and policies to improve their health.

Five publications are currently available, each with a special focus on one of the following:
:: children’s health;
:: health promotion;
:: healthy ageing;
:: maternal and newborn health; and
:: mental health.
Health of refugee and migrant children (2018)
Health promotion for improved refugee and migrant health (2018)
Health of older refugees and migrants (2018)
Improving the health care of pregnant refugee and migrant women and newborn children (2018)
Mental health promotion and mental health care in refugees and migrants (2018)
News – Global migration pact to ensure fundamental human rights for migrants in all policies and practices

::::::
 
Weekly Epidemiological Record, 21 December 2018, vol. 93, 51/52 (pp. 693–708)
Review of the 2018 influenza season in the southern hemisphere
Index of countries/areas
Index, Volume 93, 2018, Nos. 1–52

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
Selected Featured News
:: WHO HTS Info app: from concept to reality  21 December 2018
This app provides easy, on-the-go access to current HIV testing services (HTS) guidelines and information on your smartphone or tablet, whether you are online or offline.
:: Women join hands to oust Ebola from the Democratic Republic of the Congo  21 December 2018
:: Situation Update on the Yellow Fever outbreak in South Sudan  20 December 2018
:: A new multipurpose Infectious Disease Unit opens in Juba, South Sudan  20 December 2018
:: Nigeria launches Yellow fever vaccination campaign to stop outbreak in Edo state  18 December 2018

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
– No new announcement identified
 
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
– No new announcement identified
 
WHO European Region EURO
:: 2018: The WHO European Region’s Year in Review 21-12-2018
:: WHO launches technical guidance series on the health of refugees and migrants 18-12-2018

 
WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO Regional Director praises Pakistan’s strong political commitment to achieving universal health coverage on official visit  Islamabad, Pakistan, 18 December 2018

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: 19 December 2018 | Feature Story  New Zealand showcases and strengthens preparedness for outbreaks and emergencies

CDC/ACIP [to 22 Dec 2018]

http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
No new digest content identified.

Africa CDC   [to 22 Dec 2018]

https://au.int/en/africacdc
No new digest content identified.

China CDC 
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
New website launched…no “news” or “announcements” page identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhfpc.gov.cn/
Selected Updates/ Press Releases/ Notices
No new digest content identified.

Announcements
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 22 Dec 2018]
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 22 Dec 2018]
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 22 Dec 2018]
http://cepi.net/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 22 Dec 2018]
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
21 December 2018
Report on the Lisbon meeting for the next EDCTP programme published
EDCTP organised a high-level meeting on the character, scope and shape of its next programme in Lisbon, Portugal, on 17 September 2018. Approximately 100 participants representing EDCTP member countries and strategic partners in global health participated to discuss their involvement…
 
 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News and press releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
FDA [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Dengue pre-vaccination screening based on serostatus: rapid tests and implementation strategies
January 14 – 16, 2019 – Les Pensières Center for Global Helath, Veyrier du Lac (France)

Event
Alain Mérieux receives the prestigious Chinese Reform Friendship Award
December 18, 2018 – Beijing (China)
Alain Mérieux received the Reform Friendship Award at a conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening Up on December 18, 2018. The event took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in the presence of President Xi Jinping.

Gavi [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.gavi.org/
No new digest content identified.

GHIT Fund   [to 22 Dec 2018]
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 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/

Feature Story
2018: A Look Back
18 December 2018
As the calendar page turns, we look back on some of the stories and moments that shaped 2018. Celebrating the 27 million lives saved. Honoring those we have lost. Amplifying the voices of people and communities most affected by the epidemics. Welcoming new leadership and partnerships. And accelerating investment and innovation to achieve a future free of the burden of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria

Hilleman Laboratories   [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVAC  [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVI   [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.ivi.int/
IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected News; Project Updates, Reports

Niger
Preventing future outbreaks in a cholera hotspot
Project Update 17 Dec 2018
Since early July, Niger has been battling its worst cholera outbreak in years.
As the disease ebbs, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and local health authorities shift their focus to preventing future outbreaks in the southern region of Maradi, most affected by the current epidemic and known as a hotspot for cholera along the border of Niger and Nigeria.
These efforts include vaccinating over 145,000 people with an easy-to-administer oral vaccine in three of Maradi’s health zones: Tchadoua, Aguié and Gazaoua.
MSF has provided local health authorities with logistical and technical support. Epicentre, a research unit created by MSF to provide epidemiological expertise that underpins operations, is supporting the intervention with a post-vaccination survey…
 
 
NIH  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
PATH  [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNICEF  [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
Press release
Child given world’s first drone-delivered vaccine in Vanuatu – UNICEF
With 1 in 5 children in the remote Pacific island nation not fully immunized, UNICEF partners with the Government on first-ever commercial contract to deliver vaccines by drone
18/12/2018
[See Milestones above for detail]
 
 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
19 December 2018
Why we need a globally coordinated approach to preparing for epidemics
At $60 billion a year, not preparing for epidemics costs far more than putting the systems in place to prevent infectious diseases from spreading around the globe. Here’s why.

News | 18 December 2018
Value of Wellcome’s investments passes £25 billion
The value of our investments portfolio grew to almost £25.9 billion by 30 September 2018, strengthening our ambition to spend more than £5 billion over five years on our charitable activities.

17 December 2018
Research should be at the heart of an epidemic response
If we put research at the heart of epidemic response, it’s a double win – helping fight outbreaks that are underway and protecting us in the future.

 
The Wistar Institute   [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2018/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
::::::
 
BIO    [to 22 Dec 2018]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
Dec 20 2018
BIO Applauds House Passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act
Washington, DC (December 20, 2018) – Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement applauding passage today by the House of Representatives of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018 (H.R. 7328). The legislation would re-authorize critical federal biodefense programs and agencies, including the BioShield Special Reserve Fund (SRF), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFPMA   [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
PhRMA    [to 22 Dec 2018]
http://www.phrma.org/press-room
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Industry Watch    [to 22 Dec 2018]
:: Merck and Instituto Butantan Announce Collaboration Agreement to Develop Vaccines to Protect Against Dengue Infections
Wednesday, December 12, 2018 10:30 am EST
KENILWORTH, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, a non-profit producer of immunobiologic products for Brazil today announced a collaboration agreement to develop vaccines to protect against dengue virus disease, the mosquito-borne infection. Instituto Butantan and Merck have licensed certain rights from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development of live attenuated tetravalent vaccines (LATV). Instituto Butantan’s dengue vaccine candidate, TV003, is currently being evaluated in a large Phase 3 study in Brazil.

“By sharing data from our ongoing vaccine development programs, Instituto Butantan and Merck are better positioned to achieve our goal of reducing the significant human and economic toll of dengue virus in Brazil and around the world,” said Dr. Dimas Covas, director, Instituto Butantan. “We look forward to collaborating with Merck, an established global leader in vaccine development.”

Under the agreement, Merck and Instituto Butantan have agreed to collaborate to share clinical data and other learnings from their respective dengue vaccine development programs, both derived from licensed materials from the NIAID. Instituto Butantan will receive a $26 million upfront payment from Merck and is eligible to receive up to $75 million for the achievement of certain milestones related to the development and commercialization of Merck’s investigational vaccine as well as potential royalties on sales. Instituto Butantan will retain responsibility for the manufacturing and commercialization of their investigational vaccine, TV003, in Brazil.

“This agreement recognizes the tremendous progress that scientists and clinicians at the Instituto Butantan have made in developing their investigational dengue virus vaccine,” said Dr. Roger M. Perlmutter, president, Merck Research Laboratories. “Through our new collaboration, we together have made a commitment to help protect people around the world who are at risk of developing dengue virus disease.”

The agreement builds upon a productive long-term collaboration between MSD Brazil and Instituto Butantan, initiated in 2012, for human papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis-A vaccine products.

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