Article
Immunology
Nadezhda V. Yagovkina, Lev M. Zheleznov, Ksenia A. Subbotina, Andrey A. Tsaan, Liubov I. Kozlovskaya, Ilya V. Gordeychuk, Anastasia K. Korduban, Yury Y. Ivin, Anastasia A. Kovpak, Anastasia N. Piniaeva, Anna A. Shishova, Elena Y. Shustova, Yusuf K. Khapchaev, Galina G. Karganova, Alexandra A. Siniugina, Tatiana V. Pomaskina, Aleksandr A. Erovichenkov, Konstantin Chumakov, Aydar A. Ishmukhametov
Summary: A study conducted at Kirov Medical University found that immunization with bivalent Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (bOPV) can reduce the incidence of COVID-19, confirming the non-specific protective effect of live attenuated vaccines against off-target infections.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Daniel Garzon-Chavez, Jackson Rivas-Condo, Adriana Echeverria, Jhoanna Mozo, Emmanuelle Quentin, Jorge Reyes, Enrique Teran
Summary: Research indicates that areas with low BCG vaccine coverage are more likely to have a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases, particularly impacting individuals aged 50-64 years old.
Article
Immunology
Julia Bitencourt, Alice Sarno, Carlos Oliveira, Ramon Andrade de Souza, Carla Cristina Lima, Iukary Takenami, Susan M. Pereira, Sergio Arruda
Summary: This study evaluated immune responses and scar formation in Brazilian infants vaccinated with BCG Moreau and BCG Russia. The results showed similar Th1 profiles following both vaccinations, with more pronounced cytokine production observed in response to the Russia strain. Scar formation was as expected for both BCG strains, but milder and less frequent following BCG Russia vaccination.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mengjin Qu, Xiangmei Zhou, Hao Li
Summary: BCG is the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis, but its efficacy is variable, calling for the urgent development of a more effective TB vaccine. Strategies like intravenous administration and revaccination have shown promising results, emphasizing the need to revisit BCG vaccination strategies for improving TB prevention.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
John Paul Fobiwe, Peter Martus, Brian D. Poole, Jamie L. Jensen, Stefanie Joos
Summary: Trust in institutions and democracy plays a significant role in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The study found that factors such as trust in institutions, trust in non-pharmaceutical interventions, and various demographic factors were associated with intent to vaccinate. History of influenza vaccination and satisfaction with democratic institutions were highly predictive of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Results also showed that social determinants of health and receiving the flu vaccine were predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paola Villanueva, Nigel W. Crawford, Mariana Garcia Croda, Simone Collopy, Bruno Araujo Jardim, Tyane de Almeida Pinto Jardim, Laurens Manning, Michaela Lucas, Helen Marshall, Cristina Prat-Aymerich, Alice Sawka, Ketaki Sharma, Darren Troeman, Ushma Wadia, Adilia Warris, Nicholas Wood, Nicole L. Messina, Nigel Curtis, Laure F. Pittet
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and influencing factors of scar formation following BCG vaccination, as well as participants' perception of the scars. The results showed that 76% of the recipients developed a scar, with the lowest prevalence in Spain and the highest in the UK. Factors such as absence of post-injection wheal, BCG revaccination, female sex, older age, and study country influenced scar prevalence. The majority of participants did not mind having the scar and did not regret getting vaccinated.
Article
Immunology
Nicole L. Messina, Mariana G. Sperotto, Marco A. M. Puga, Patricia V. da Silva, Roberto D. de Oliveira, Cecilia L. Moore, Laure F. Pittet, Tenaya Jamieson, Margareth Dalcolmo, Glauce dos Santos, Bruno Jardim, Marcus V. G. Lacerda, Nigel Curtis, Julio Croda, BRACE Trial Consortium Grp
Summary: This study compared antibody responses to CoronaVac (Sinovac) and ChAdOx1-S (AstraZeneca-Oxford) vaccines in 874 healthcare workers in Brazil. The results showed that ChAdOx1-S induced a stronger anti-spike IgG response than CoronaVac. Recent BCG vaccination did not affect the antibody responses to either vaccine.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Camila Cristina Martini Rodrigues, Eder Gatti Fernandes, Paulo Piva dos Santos, Renato Yoshio Eguti, Antonio Carlos Pedroso-de-Lima, Gisela Tunes da Silva, Ana Marli Christovam Sartori
Summary: In Brazil, a study was conducted to analyze the impact of polio vaccines on rotavirus-associated intussusception. The results showed that the risk of intussusception was higher in the first week after vaccination, regardless of the rotavirus vaccine dose or the type of polio vaccine administered.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Smita Joshi, Devasena Anantharaman, Richard Muwonge, Neerja Bhatla, Gitika Panicker, Julia Butt, Usha Rani Reddy Poli, Sylla G. Malvi, Pulikkottil O. Esmy, Eric Lucas, Yogesh Verma, Anand Shah, Eric Zomawia, Sharmila Pimple, Kasturi Jayant, Sanjay Hingmire, Aruna Chiwate, Uma Divate, Shachi Vashist, Gauravi Mishra, Radhika Jadhav, Maqsood Siddiqi, Subha Sankaran, Thiraviam Pillai Rameshwari Ammal Kannan, Purnima Kartha, Surendra S. Shastri, Catherine Sauvaget, M. Radhakrishna Pillai, Tim Waterboer, Martin Mueller, Peter Sehr, Elizabeth R. Unger, Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, Partha Basu
Summary: The recent WHO recommendation on single-dose HPV vaccine can reduce costs, alleviate supply shortages, and simplify logistics, making it more accessible for low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the long-term immune response and compares it with unvaccinated women, showing sustained immune response in single-dose recipients at 10 years post-vaccination.
Article
Biology
Konstantinos Angelopoulos, Gillian Stewart, Rebecca Mancy
Summary: Vaccination has played a critical role in reducing infectious disease prevalence, but vaccine refusal has been increasing in recent years due to complacency associated with decreased disease risk. This study examines the impact of prior local experience with infectious diseases on vaccination decisions. The analysis of smallpox surveillance data in Glasgow in the early 1900s reveals that lower disease incidence and mortality during epidemics were linked to higher rates of subsequent vaccine refusal. These findings highlight the importance of considering local variation in disease incidence for effective vaccine delivery strategies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paola Villanueva, Nigel W. Crawford, Mariana Garcia Croda, Simone Collopy, Bruno Araujo Jardim, Tyane de Almeida Pinto Jardim, Laurens Manningi, Michaela Lucas, Helen Marshallo, Cristina Prat-Aymerich, Alice Sawka, Ketaki Sharma, Darren Troeman, Ushma Wadia, Adilia Warris, Nicholas Wood, Nicole L. Messina, Nigel Curtis, Laure F. Pittet
Summary: This study found that the prevalence of scar formation following BCG vaccination varies globally. The beneficial off-target effects of BCG are proposed to be stronger among children who develop a BCG scar. Individual-related factors, study country, and vaccination-related factors influenced BCG scar prevalence 12 months following BCG vaccination of adults.
Article
Immunology
Chun-Lan Zhuang, Zhi-Jie Lin, Zhao-Feng Bi, Ling-Xian Qiu, Fang-Fang Hu, Xiao-Hui Liu, Bi-Zhen Lin, Ying-Ying Su, Hui-Rong Pan, Tian-Ying Zhang, Shou-Jie Huang, Yue-Mei Hu, You-Lin Qiao, Feng-Cai Zhu, Ting Wu, Jun Zhang, Ning-Shao Xia
Summary: Concerns over vaccine safety contribute to vaccine hesitancy, but a study found that inflammation-related adverse reactions following vaccination may indicate a stronger immune response. A scoring model was developed to quantify inflammation reactions, with a high score correlating with a robust vaccine-induced antibody level.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jonathan Hecht, Sara Suliman, Barbara Wegiel
Summary: BCG vaccine has the potential to be used as a therapeutic for endometriosis by preventing implantation, growth, and transformation of ectopic tissues, reducing chronic inflammation and pelvic pain, and preventing infertility and cancerogenesis.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Martin K. R. Svacina, Anika Meissner, Finja Schweitzer, Anne Ladwig, Alina Sprenger-Svacina, Ines Klein, Hauke Wuestenberg, Felix Kohle, Christian Schneider, Nicolai B. Grether, Gilbert Wunderlich, Gereon R. Fink, Florian Klein, Veronica Di Cristanziano, Helmar C. Lehmann
Summary: The study found that IVIg does not impair the antibody response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and does not significantly alter serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Esther J. M. Taks, Simone J. C. F. M. Moorlag, Konstantin Fohse, Elles Simonetti, Christa E. van der Gaast-de Jongh, Cornelis H. van Werkhoven, Marc J. M. Bonten, Jaap ten Oever, Marien I. de Jonge, Janneke H. H. M. van de Wijgert, Mihai G. Netea
Summary: BCG vaccination before first COVID-19 vaccine did not significantly impact the IgG RBD concentration after COVID-19 vaccination in older European adults.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Peter Aaby, Heike Thoma, Klaus Dietz
Summary: This study examined measles mortality in an isolated German village, revealing that nearly all children under 14 years of age were affected by the epidemic. The overall case fatality ratio was 6.4%, with a higher rate of mortality observed among boys infected by girls in the household.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, Christian Bjerregard Oland, Mike Berendsen, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Elise Brenno Stjernholm, Christian N. Golding, Ivan Monteiro, Peter Aaby, Christine Stabell Benn
Summary: Maternal BCG vaccination is associated with a reduced risk of severe infection in newborns, especially for males. Providing BCG to adults without a vaccination scar might enhance their offspring's capacity to handle severe infections.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
C. S. Benn, A. Salinha, S. Mendes, C. Cabral, C. Martins, S. Nielsen, A. B. Fisker, F. Schaltz-Buchholzer, C. S. Jorgensen, P. Aaby
Summary: Despite the low official number of COVID-19 cases, a study in urban Guinea-Bissau found a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity. Most of the antibody-positive individuals had not been ill. The official PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases have significantly underestimated the prevalence of COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Article
Immunology
Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, Peter Aaby, Isaquel Silva, Ivan Monteiro, Tobias R. Kollmann, Nelly Amenyogbe, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Christine Stabell Benn
Summary: This study suggests that maternal BCG vaccine may be associated with reduced overall NICU mortality rate in newborns.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ane B. Fisker, Justiniano S. D. Martins, Andreas M. Jensen, Cesario Martins, Peter Aaby, Sanne M. Thysen
Summary: Measles vaccination coverage is low in Guinea-Bissau, and measles-unvaccinated children may be at higher risk of other infections. Utilizing health system contacts for vaccination could increase coverage, but it is not currently being utilized in Guinea-Bissau.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Doris Kwesiga, Leif Eriksson, Christopher Garimoi Orach, Charlotte Tawiah, Md Ali Imam, Ane B. Fisker, Yeetey Enuameh, Joy E. Lawn, Hannah Blencowe, Peter Waiswa, Hannah Bradby, Mats Malqvist
Summary: Disclosure of APOs within social networks in countries like Uganda, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, and Bangladesh is a community concern, with key decision makers including men, spiritual leaders, and traditional leaders. Efforts to improve APOs reporting could benefit from guidance by the diffusion of innovation theory, emphasizing the importance of community role models in disseminating information. Health workers should adopt a more supportive response to APOs, like the social networks do, to encourage more bereaved women to seek care.
BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Peter Aaby, Sebastian Nielsen, Ane B. Fisker, Line M. Pedersen, Paul Welaga, Syed M. A. Hanifi, Cesario L. Martins, Amabelia Rodrigues, Konstantin Chumakov, Christine S. Benn
Summary: Oral polio vaccine (OPV) has beneficial non-specific effects (NSEs) in reducing non-polio child mortality. OPV coadministered with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine is associated with lower mortality compared to DTP-only, while absence of OPV is associated with higher mortality. Early use of OPV also reduces infant mortality.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Marcia Melo Medeiros, Anna Cacilia Ingham, Line Moller Nanque, Claudino Correia, Marc Stegger, Paal Skyt Andersen, Ane Baerent Fisker, Christine Stabell Benn, Miguel Lanaspa, Henrique Silveira, Patricia Abrantes
Summary: This study found that revaccination with oral polio vaccine (OPV) led to changes in the composition of gut and upper respiratory bacterial microbiotas in infants. Two months after revaccination, OPV-revaccinated infants had a more abundant and diversified microbiome with a reduced proportion of potentially pathogenic/opportunistic bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Line M. Nanque, Ane Baerent Fisker
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Andreas Moller Jensen, Sanne Marie Thysen, Oides Furtado, Claudino Correia, Stephane Helleringer, Jacob von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Ane Baerent Fisker
Summary: The objective of this study is to compare stillbirth and mortality estimates derived using two different methods: the method assuming full information and the prospective method. Child mortality and stillbirth rates may be underestimated in low-income countries due to incomplete reporting of child deaths. The study compares estimates based on complete information with estimates based on prospective data.
TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marzanna Marianna Sorensen, Ane Baerent Fisker, Christine Dalgard, Kristoffer Jarlov Jensen, Flemming Nielsen, Christine Stabell Benn, Philippe Grandjean, Amalie Timmermann
Summary: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of infant serum-PFAS concentrations. The study found that the location of residence was the most important determinant of serum-PFAS concentrations among Guinea-Bissau infants, indicating a potential role of diet as affected by the global spread of PFAS, but further research is needed to explore reasons for the regional differences in PFAS exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anshu Varma, Sanne M. Thysen, Justiniano S. D. Martins, Line M. Nanque, Aksel K. G. Jensen, Ane B. Fisker
Summary: A non-blinded cluster-randomized trial was conducted in rural Guinea-Bissau to evaluate the effect of measles vaccine campaigns (C-MV) targeting children aged 9-59 months. The study found that C-MV did not reduce overall mortality or hospital admission rates.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Christine S. Benn, Peter Aaby
Summary: Measles vaccine may have beneficial effects beyond preventing measles infection, possibly due to measles-induced immune amnesia or beneficial non-specific immune training effects. Epidemiological studies support the hypothesis of immune amnesia, but there are also contradictory observations.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Anne Marie Rosendahl Madsen, Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, Sebastian Nielsen, Thomas Benfield, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Lars Skov Dalgaard, Christine Dam, Sisse Bolm Ditlev, Gulia Faizi, Mihnaz Azizi, Zainab Nadhim Hameed, Isik Somuncu Johansen, Poul-Erik Kofoed, Tyra Grove Krause, Gitte Schultz Kristensen, Ellen Christine Leth Loekkegaard, Christian Backer Mogensen, Libin Mohamed, Emilie Sundhaugen Oedegaard, Anne Ostenfeld, Marcus Kjaer Soerensen, Christian Wejse, Mihai G. Netea, Peter Aaby, Christine Stabell Benn
Summary: In a randomized clinical trial among Danish health care workers, BCG vaccination had no overall effect on absenteeism, COVID-19 incidence, hospitalization risk, or self-reported infectious diseases. BCG revaccination was associated with increased COVID-19 incidence, but reduced hospitalization risk.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sabine M. Damerow, Diana Yeung, Justiniano S. D. Martins, Ishaan Pathak, Yue Chu, Li Liu, Ane B. Fisker
Summary: A study in Guinea-Bissau found that inadequate communication between mothers and healthcare providers during childbirth is the main reason for misclassification of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths in household surveys. This misclassification leads to an overestimation of neonatal mortality.
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)