Vaccine
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In 2016, Australia introduced the "No Jab, No Pay" legislation, which removed the option of non-medical exemptions from the vaccination requirements to receive certain family and child care tax benefits. We aimed to gauge parental support for "No Jab, No Pay" and explore how it has impacted parental attitudes towards vaccination, particularly among families that are reliant on the tax benefits linked to vaccination under "No Jab, No Pay". ⋯ We found that there is widespread support for "No Jab, No Pay" among parents of young children, but parents that depend on the financial benefits or utilize child care services may be disproportionately affected by the policy. Childhood vaccination coverage in Australia could best be improved by increasing access to vaccination services and by imposing significant administrative barriers to obtaining non-medical exemptions.
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Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis among children younger than 5 years in South Korea. Two rotavirus vaccines (RVs), pentavalent human-bovine reassortant vaccine (Rotateq®; RV5) and attenuated human strain originated monovalent vaccine (Rotarix®; RV1), have been available for voluntary vaccination using out-of-pocket payment since 2007 and 2008, respectively. Yet, RVs are not included in the National Immunization Program (NIP), partly because of the low associated mortality rate. ⋯ From the societal perspective, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for adopting RV into the NIP versus no vaccination were 12,432 USD per DALY averted for RV1 and 30,081 USD per DALY averted for RV 5. The weighted average for the ICERs of the two vaccines computed using the market share of each vaccine in the current voluntary use as a weight, was 21,698 USD per DALY averted. The estimated ICER was below 1 × gross domestic product per capita (30,000 USD), which has been a commonly used willingness-to-pay threshold for health care technology assessment in South Korea, suggesting that introducing RVs into the NIP would be cost-effective.
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Safe, effective vaccines are given to pregnant women to protect their infants and/or themselves against certain infectious agents; however, apart from tetanus vaccination, maternal immunization in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains low. Tetanus toxoid vaccine is integrated into antenatal care services in Malawi with high coverage and provides an opportunity to identify factors that facilitate successful immunization delivery to pregnant women in LMICs. ⋯ Lessons from the successful delivery of maternal tetanus immunization in Malawi may be informative for similar countries considering new vaccines for pregnant women or striving to optimize the delivery of those currently provided.
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The quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine MenACWY-CRM has been shown to be immunogenic and well-tolerated in infants and toddlers. We evaluated antibody persistence for up to 4 years after vaccination with MenACWY-CRM in the first years of life and response to a booster dose administered at 60 months of age. ⋯ Primary vaccination of infants/toddlers with MenACWY-CRM resulted in moderate antibody persistence against serogroups C, W and Y for up to 4 years after the last priming dose. Regardless of priming schedule, a MenACWY-CRM booster dose at 60 months of age induced a robust immune response against all serogroups and was well-tolerated in all children.
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Historical Article
Influenza immunisation coverage from 2015 to 2017: A national study of adult patients from Australian general practice.
To assess influenza immunisation rates and coverage in adult patients from Australian general practice and identify whether practice or patients' characteristics are associated with vaccination uptake. ⋯ MedicineInsight data is a useful and low-cost method to monitor influenza immunisation coverage. Independent of the sample used, vaccination coverage among Indigenous people or patients with comorbidities could be improved. Targeted strategies for high-risk groups need to be developed.