Vaccine
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Review
Systematic review of the incremental costs of interventions that increase immunization coverage.
Achieving and maintaining high vaccination coverage requires investments, but the costs and effectiveness of interventions to increase coverage remain poorly characterized. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify peer-reviewed studies published in English that reported interventions aimed at increasing immunization coverage and the associated costs and effectiveness of the interventions. We found limited information in the literature, with many studies reporting effectiveness estimates, but not providing cost information. ⋯ The cost function estimates the non-vaccine cost per dose of interventions to increase absolute immunization coverage by one percent, through either campaigns or routine immunization. The cost per dose per percent increase in absolute coverage increased with higher baseline coverage, demonstrating increasing incremental costs required to reach higher coverage levels. Future studies should evaluate the performance of the cost function and add to the database of available evidence to better characterize heterogeneity in costs and generalizability of the cost function.
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Despite widespread utilization of influenza vaccines, effectiveness (VE) has not been routinely measured in Latin America. ⋯ Influenza vaccine provided moderate protection against severe influenza illness among fully vaccinated young children and older adults, supporting current vaccination strategies.
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Vaccination is a safe and effective way to prevent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and related cancers; however, HPV vaccine uptake remains low in the US. After the 2011 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation for routine HPV vaccination of adolescent males, several studies have examined predictors for initiating the vaccine series in this population of interest, particularly with regard to provider recommendations. This study examined racial and ethnic differences for HPV vaccine initiation and provider recommendation in male adolescents. ⋯ Approximately half of parents reported receiving a provider recommendation for vaccination, with no significant difference in the odds of receiving a provider recommendation across racial/ethnic groups. Despite similar frequency of recommendations across racial and ethnic groups, male adolescents who are racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to initiate vaccination. Future research should focus on developing tailored interventions to increase HPV vaccine receipt among males of all racial/ethnic groups.
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While progress towards a Group A Streptococcus (GAS) vaccine has been stalled by a combination of scientific, regulatory, and commercial barriers, the problem persists. The high and globally-distributed burden of disease attributable to GAS makes vaccination an imperative global public health goal. Advances across a range of scientific disciplines in understanding GAS diseases have made the goal a realistic one and focused attention on the need for coordinated global action. ⋯ Topics discussed included: (1) gaps in current knowledge of global GAS epidemiology, burden of disease, and molecular epidemiology; (2) contribution of pre-clinical models to candidate vaccine evaluation and new immunological assays to address GAS immunology knowledge gaps; (3) status and future of the GAS vaccine development pipeline; and (4) defining a pathway to licensure, policy recommendations and availability of a vaccine. The meeting determined to establish a GAS vaccine working group to coordinate preparation of a global vaccine values proposition, preferred product characteristics, and a technical research and development roadmap. A new global GAS vaccine consortium will drive strategic planning to anticipate requirements for licensure, prequalification, and policy recommendations.