Vaccine
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Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a serious acute demyelinating disease, an increased risk of which was found after the 1976 swine flu vaccinations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has been conducting active surveillance for GBS after influenza vaccinations of Medicare Fee-For-Service beneficiaries since 2009. ⋯ Our primary analysis finding of no excess GBS risk during both seasons was reassuring. The slightly elevated GBS risk, although in the expected range, in the 8-21 day window after all seasonal and high dose vaccines, but not after standard dose vaccines is hypothesis-generating because the difference may be due to vaccine factors such as antigen amount or strains in various seasons or due to host factors.
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Multicenter Study
Prevalence and predictors of influenza vaccination among residents of long-term care facilities.
Influenza is a respiratory illness which results in significant morbidity and mortality, especially in the older population. Older people living in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) have a significantly higher risk of infection and complications from influenza. Influenza vaccine is considered the best strategy to prevent infection in high-risk populations. ⋯ Compared with previous Australian studies on LTCF vaccination rates, the overall vaccination rate was high in these LTCFs (83.6% versus 66-84%), but it varied across different sites. Reasons for varying vaccination rates should be explored further - for example, lower rates in non-Caucasians with diverse cultural backgrounds. Better understanding the causes of under-vaccination can help improve vaccination programs in LTCFs.
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In Ireland seasonal influenza and pertussis vaccination during pregnancy is recommended and every year national campaigns are organised to raise awareness and improve uptake. We estimated influenza and pertussis vaccine uptake and identified factors associated with vaccination status in pregnant women in 2017/18. We conducted a face-to-face omnibus survey, with quota sampling, among women aged 18-55 years and collected socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported vaccination status, awareness of vaccine campaigns, and attitudes towards vaccination. ⋯ General practitioner (GP) recommendation was the main reason for receiving influenza vaccine (39.2%), and 71.8% of women were recommended pertussis vaccination from their GPs. The survey reports moderate uptake of vaccines among pregnant women, inequalities in uptake by SES and identifies GPs as primary source for vaccine recommendation. We recommend multifaceted campaigns, by engaging GPs, to target all socio-economic groups.
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Immunisation is one of the most successful interventions for controlling infectious diseases but relies on continuous high coverage. Parental vaccine refusal and logistical barriers to access are threats to the success of immunisation programs, with resultant population immunity gaps leading to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. In Indonesia, coverage of childhood vaccines is suboptimal, with poor coverage of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine leading to a large diphtheria outbreak in 2017. ⋯ Our findings highlight the complexities in decision making for parents who decide not to vaccinate their children. In the Indonesian context, public health education and engagement of religious leaders to bridge the gap between religious beliefs and vaccine acceptance are needed to address vaccine refusal. Future research on the influence of social networks on vaccine hesitancy in the Indonesian context is also warranted. For parents of partially vaccinated children, interventions should focus on barriers of access to community health staff to encourage timely schedule completion.