Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ravneet Kaur, Timothy Callaghan, Annette K. Regan
Summary: Pregnant women and their infants are at high risk of influenza, but immunization rates remain low in the U.S. Rural-residing women have lower vaccination rates compared to urban women, with the greatest disparities observed among Hispanic women and those without health insurance. Efforts are needed to understand and overcome barriers to maternal immunization in order to prevent health disparities.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Bo-Hyun Cho, Cindy Weinbaum, Yuping Tsai, Ram Koppaka
Summary: The study found that during the 2018-2019 influenza season, 31.6 million U.S. adults received seasonal influenza vaccine, but there were still a proportion of individuals who missed the opportunity for vaccination. Vaccination uptake was higher among high-risk individuals, while lower among younger age groups, Black and Hispanic races, individuals without high-risk conditions, or those with Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibility.
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Bo-Hyun Cho, Cindy Weinbaum, Yuping Tsai, Ram Koppaka
Summary: The study reveals suboptimal seasonal influenza vaccine coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, with a high proportion of missed opportunities for vaccination. Vaccination rates are influenced by beneficiary race/ethnicity, high-risk disease status, and Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibility.
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lauren H. Kuzma, Angela. M. Miller, Elizabeth Harvey, Morgan F. McDonald
Summary: This study aimed to describe the association between provider recommendation and vaccine uptake among different racial and ethnic groups of pregnant women. The results showed a significant association between provider recommendation and flu vaccine uptake, particularly among non-Hispanic black women. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase provider recommendation in order to improve vaccine uptake rates.
JOURNAL OF WOMENS HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lara I. Brewer, Mark J. Ommerborn, Augustina Le Nguyen, Cheryl R. Clark
Summary: Structural inequities contribute to low influenza vaccination rates in the United States, with non-Hispanic White and Asian individuals having higher vaccination rates. Lack of health insurance, regular access to primary care, and delaying medical care due to cost were predictive factors for lower vaccination rates.
Article
Immunology
Dana M. Gates, Steven A. Cohen, Kelly Orr, Aisling R. Caffrey
Summary: The study evaluated trends in pharmacist-administered pediatric influenza vaccination rates in the United States, finding low utilization rates with regional variations. Improving accessibility to pediatric vaccination may increase overall vaccination rates.
Article
Immunology
Nicole E. Johns, Bianca O. Cata-Preta, Katherine Kirkby, Luisa Arroyave, Nicole Bergen, M. Carolina Danovaro-Holliday, Thiago M. Santos, Nasir Yusuf, Aluisio J. D. Barros, Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor
Summary: Significant progress has been made in eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus in the past four decades, but challenges remain regarding sustainability and equity. This study examines inequalities in tetanus protection at birth across 76 countries, revealing disparities related to wealth, maternal age, maternal education, and place of residence. Despite minimal changes in global coverage from 2001 to 2020, there are considerable variations among countries. Moreover, some countries have witnessed increases in coverage accompanied by a decrease in inequality, highlighting the importance of equity considerations in tetanus elimination and sustainability efforts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shaofeng Deng, Ying Liu, Rachel Chun-Yee Tam, Pin Chen, Anna Jinxia Zhang, Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Teng Long, Anja Kukic, Runhong Zhou, Haoran Xu, Wenjun Song, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Zhiwei Chen, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Pui Wang, Honglin Chen
Summary: Current available vaccines for COVID-19 are effective in reducing severe diseases and deaths caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection but less optimal in preventing infection. Next-generation vaccines which are able to induce mucosal immunity in the upper respiratory to prevent or reduce infections caused by highly transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed. We have developed an intranasal vaccine candidate based on a live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) with a deleted NS1 gene that encodes cell surface expression of the receptor-binding-domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, designated DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF. Immune responses and protection against virus challenge following intranasal administration of DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF vaccines were analyzed in mice and compared with intramuscular injection of the BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in hamsters. DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF LAIVs induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies against various SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice and hamsters and stimulated robust T cell responses in mice. Notably, vaccination with DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF LAIVs, but not BNT162b2 mRNA, prevented replication of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta and Omicron BA.2, in the respiratory tissues of animals. The DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF LAIV system warrants further evaluation in humans for the control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and, more significantly, for creating dual function vaccines against both influenza and COVID-19 for use in annual vaccination strategies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Isabel S. Bazan, Kathleen M. Akgun
Summary: The translated text discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, particularly on the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities, highlighting the disparities in infection and death rates. It also addresses the low vaccination rates in these communities, attributing it to limited access to vaccines, lack of information, and mistrust in the medical system. The text emphasizes the importance of developing effective strategies to improve vaccination rates and reduce health inequities in managing current and future pandemics.
YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gary Mitchell, Laurence Leonard, Gillian Carter, Olinda Santin, Christine Brown Wilson
Summary: The study shows that a 'serious game' about influenza can improve nursing students' knowledge about the flu and increase their intention to get vaccinated. The research suggests that enhancing understanding of influenza is likely to lead to more nursing students receiving the influenza vaccination.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Francesc Alos, Yoseba Canovas Zaldua, Maria Victoria Feijoo Rodriguez, Jose Luis Del Val Garcia, Andrea Sanchez-Callejas, Ma Angels Colomer
Summary: This study found that vaccination against influenza can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, especially in patients with cardiovascular problems, diabetes, chronic lung, and chronic kidney disease, but for institutionalized patients, there was a significant increase in the risk of contagion instead of a reduction. Socioeconomic conditions, as measured by the MEDEA deprivation index, were found to explain increases in the risk of contracting COVID-19, highlighting the importance of awareness campaigns to boost vaccination programs.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Soumya Hunagund, Yarden Golan, Ifeyinwa V. Asiodu, Mary Prahl, Stephanie L. Gaw
Summary: Human milk contains antibodies that protect breastfed infants from respiratory illnesses. Vaccination during pregnancy and lactation induces immune responses in human milk against specific pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Birgitte Kluwer, Kjersti Margrethe Rydland, Rebecca Nybru Gleditsch, Svenn-Erik Mamelund, Ida Laake
Summary: This study aimed to examine influenza vaccination coverage among risk groups and health care workers, and study social and demographic patterns of vaccination coverage over time. The results showed that vaccination coverage increased significantly among older individuals, those with risk factors, and healthcare workers. Educational attainment was also associated with vaccination coverage, although the difference was not consistent across all influenza seasons. However, when the vaccine was funded during the COVID-19 pandemic, educational differences in coverage diminished.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marilou Kiely, Fazia Tadount, Ernest Lo, Manish Sadarangani, Shu Qin Wei, Ellen Rafferty, Caroline Quach, Shannon E. Macdonald
Summary: This study found that females have a higher risk of adverse reactions following influenza vaccines compared to males, regardless of age and vaccine type. Transparent communication of this risk could increase trust in vaccines and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Rebecca Hart, Yana Feygin, Theresa Kluthe, Katherine G. Quinn, Suchitra Rao, Shannon H. Baumer-Mouradian
Summary: This study investigated the reach and effectiveness of influenza vaccination practices in pediatric emergency departments (EDs). The results showed that over half of the EDs surveyed did not offer pediatric influenza vaccination, but many expressed interest in establishing or expanding vaccination programs. Addressing identified barriers and facilitators has the potential to improve vaccination rates, particularly among minority and underserved children.