Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

JAMA Pediatr 2019 Apr 22. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Importance: The United States has experienced a nationwide resurgence of pertussis since the mid-1970s, despite high estimated vaccine coverage. Short-lived immunity induced by diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines in young children is widely believed to be responsible for this growing burden, but the duration of protection conferred by DTaP vaccines remains incompletely quantified.

Objective: To assess the duration of immunity and the effectiveness of DTaP vaccines in US children. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Apr;98(16):e15281

Immunization Program Office, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Background: Due to the resurgence of pertussis, many countries have revised the pertussis immunization schedules and recommended booster doses of pertussis component vaccine for adolescents and adults. Here we aim to investigate the effectiveness and safety of pertussis component vaccines in adolescents and adults.

Methods: Based on a prospectively registered protocol, we reviewed the literature and selected trials in adolescents and adults using pertussis component vaccine. Read More

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019 Apr 22;7(4):e12223. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Background: Postvaccination fever is a mild adverse event that naturally improves without complications, but is highly prevalent and can be accompanied by febrile convulsions in some cases. These adverse effects may cause parents to delay or avoid vaccinating their children.

Objective: This study aimed to identify postvaccination fever patterns and the ability of antipyretics to affect changes in these patterns from data collected from a mobile app named Fever Coach. Read More

Can Commun Dis Rep 2018 Mar 1;44(3-4):91-94. Epub 2018 Mar 1.

Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, OttawaON.

Background: In Canada, pertussis is an endemic and cyclical disease, with peaks occurring at two- to five-year intervals. Although pertussis incidence varies by age group, unvaccinated or undervaccinated infants are at greatest risk of infection and associated complications. Since the last National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations published in 2014, new evidence on the safety and effectiveness of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and reduced acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine administration in pregnancy has become available. Read More

Rev Esp Salud Publica 2019 Apr 22;93. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

Subdirección General de Promoción de la Salud y Vigilancia en Salud Pública. Dirección General de Salud Pública, Calidad e Innovación. Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social. Madrid. España.

Seroprevalence studies are designed in population samples to assess the level and distribution of immunity induced by natural infection of certain infectious agents or by immunization against them. The purpose of the 2nd Seroprevalence Study in Spain is to assess the prevalence and distribution of immune status against vaccine-preventable diseases and generated by natural infection by other microorganisms. Pathologies specifically included in the study are: poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, varicella, invasive meningococcal disease by serogroup C, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis E, hepatitis C and HIV. Read More

Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2019 Mar 28;16:378-390. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel; Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell (RMSC) Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel; The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel. Electronic address:

Successful gene therapy requires the development of suitable carriers for the selective and efficient delivery of genes to specific target cells, with minimal toxicity. In this work, we present a non-viral vector for gene delivery composed of biocompatible materials, CaCl, plasmid DNA and the semi-synthetic anionic biopolymer alginate sulfate (AlgS), which spontaneously co-assembled to form nanoparticles (NPs). The NPs were characterized with a slightly anionic surface charge (Zeta potential [ζ] = -14 mV), an average size of 270 nm, and their suspension was stable for several days with no aggregation. Read More

J Public Health Res 2019 Mar 11;8(1):1436. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy.

Vaccine hesitancy has increased worldwide with a subsequent decreasing of vaccination rates and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (i.e. measles, poliomyelitis and pertussis) in several developed countries, including Italy. Read More

BMJ Glob Health 2019 30;4(2):e001248. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

United Nations Children's Fund, Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, Amman, Jordan.

Immunisation is a cornerstone to primary health care and is an exceptionally good value. The 14 low-income and middle-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa region make up 88% of the region's population and 92% of its births. Many of these countries have maintained high immunisation coverage even during periods of low or negative economic growth. Read More

Can Bull Med Hist 2019 ;36(1):194-203

Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Ann Ig 2019 Mar-Apr;31(2 Supple 1):54-64

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Infectious Diseases, University of Messina, Italy.

The National Plan for Vaccine Prevention 2017-2019 has expanded the vaccination offer including new vaccines, enlarging the target population and introducing for the first time in Italy a life-course approach to vaccination. A "lifetime immunization schedule" is aimed to reduce the burden and the related costs of vaccine-preventable diseases through effective vaccination programs. However, to counteract the national steady downward trend in the uptake of vaccinations that caused a drop of the vaccination coverage below the 95% threshold to allow herd immunity, it was decided to make 10 vaccinations mandatory by the law 119/2017. Read More

Indian J Community Med 2019 Jan-Mar;44(1):64-65

Department of General surgery, A.N. Magadh Medical College, Gaya, Bihar, India.

Vaccine 2019 May 8;37(19):2586-2599. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

GSK, Wavre, Belgium. Electronic address:

Background: Two conserved pneumococcal proteins, pneumolysin toxoid (dPly) and pneumococcal histidine triad protein D (PhtD), combined with 10 polysaccharide conjugates from the pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D-conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) in two investigational pneumococcal vaccine (PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD) formulations were immunogenic and well-tolerated when administered to Gambian children. Here, we report immunogenicity of the polysaccharide conjugates, and immunogenicity and reactogenicity of co-administered routine vaccines.

Methods: In this phase II, controlled, observer-blind, single-centre study, healthy infants aged 8-10 weeks were randomised (1:1:1:1:1:1) to six groups. Read More

Rev Med Suisse 2019 Apr;15(646):786-790

Laboratoire de bactériologie, Service de médecine de laboratoire, Département diagnostique, HUG, 1211 Genève 14.

Diphtheria is reappearing in a typical cutaneous form where pre-existing skin lesions (wounds or insect bites) become pustular and turn into painful non-healing ulcers. This form is more common among migrants and disadvantaged populations. Lesions can be caused by strains of toxigenic and non-toxigenic Corynebacteria and among them the famous Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Read More

Nat Commun 2019 04 9;10(1):1633. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

WorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.

The success of vaccination programs depends largely on the mechanisms used in vaccine delivery. National immunization programs offer childhood vaccines through fixed and outreach services within the health system and often, additional supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) are undertaken to fill gaps and boost coverage. Here, we map predicted coverage at 1 × 1 km spatial resolution in five low- and middle-income countries to identify areas that are under-vaccinated via each delivery method using Demographic and Health Surveys data. Read More

Lancet 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Routine childhood vaccination is among the most cost-effective, successful public health interventions available. Amid substantial investments to expand vaccine delivery throughout Africa and strengthen administrative reporting systems, most countries still require robust measures of local routine vaccine coverage and changes in geographical inequalities over time.

Methods: This analysis drew from 183 surveys done between 2000 and 2016, including data from 881 268 children in 49 African countries. Read More

Infection 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Department of Orthopedics, Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

We report a rare case of post-traumatic cutaneous diphtheria in a patient referred from a hospital in rural India. The diagnosis of cutaneous diphtheria was confirmed by the isolation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae cultured from the ulcer of the leg, along with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. The patient was kept on isolation and treated with erythromycin for 14 days without antitoxin. Read More

J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

1 Department of Ophthalmology, Fayoum University Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum, Egypt.

Purpose: To compare equal concentrations (0.5%) of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin ophthalmic solutions with regard to conjunctival bacterial reduction as well as anterior chamber penetration.

Methods: One hundred patients were divided into 2 groups. Read More

J Korean Med Sci 2019 Apr 22;34(12):e105. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Department of Family Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Background: Incidence of whooping cough is increasing in Korea. Since 2011, occurrence among adolescents and adults has risen putting vulnerable neonates at risk. National immunization guidelines now include Tdap (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis) vaccination during pregnancy and as a cocooning strategy (i. Read More

Curr Opin Pediatr 2019 Apr 1. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Adolescent providers have a unique opportunity to interface with adolescents during a transformative time period. Optimizing vaccinations may protect teens against preventable but potentially deadly diseases. Healthcare providers must be aware of the evolving vaccination data and up-to-date recommendations for vaccinations. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2019 Apr 27;19(4):392-401. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands. Electronic address:

Background: Maternal tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination offers protection for neonates against clinical pertussis until primary vaccinations, but maternal antibodies also interfere with infants' immune responses to primary vaccinations. We investigated the effect of maternal Tdap vaccination on the pertussis antibody responses of infants starting primary vaccinations at age 3 months.

Methods: In an open-label, parallel, randomised, controlled trial, pregnant women aged 18-40 years with a low risk of pregnancy complications were recruited through independent midwives at 36 midwife clinics in the Netherlands and received Tdap vaccination either at 30-32 weeks of pregnancy (maternal Tdap group) or within 48 h after delivery (control group). Read More

Minerva Ginecol 2019 Mar 29. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Deparment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS - AUSL di Reggio Emilia, Guastalla Civil Hospital, Guastalla, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Background: Italian National Immunization Plan (NIP) 2017-2019 has introduced new recommendations regarding immunization practices during pregnancy. In this cross sectional study, we documented specific knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in a sample of obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYN).

Methods: A total of 68 OBGYN (39. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 Mar 29;68(12):281-284. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

From September 2015 to March 2018, CDC confirmed four cases of cutaneous diphtheria caused by toxin-producing Corynebacterium diphtheriae in patients from Minnesota (two), Washington (one), and New Mexico (one). All patients had recently returned to the United States after travel to countries where diphtheria is endemic. C. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Background: Certain vaccines such as BCG have non-specific effects, which modulate innate immune responses and lead to protection against mortality from unrelated infections (trained immunity). In contrast, in spite of the disease-specific effects, an enhanced overall mortality has been described after diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination in females. This randomized trial aimed to investigate the non-specific immunological effects of BCG and DTP-containing vaccines on the immune response to unrelated pathogens. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 27;9(1):5285. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Mammalian Genetics Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kami-kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan.

Outer hair cells (OHCs) are responsible for the amplification of sound, and the death of these cells leads to hearing loss. Although the mechanisms for sound amplification and OHC death have been well investigated, the effects on the cochlea after OHC death are poorly understood. To study the consequences of OHC death, we established an OHC knockout system using a novel mouse model, Prestin-hDTR, which uses the prestin promoter to express the human diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor gene (hDTR). Read More

Obstet Gynecol 2019 Apr;133(4):739-753

Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; and the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

Vaccines administered to women during pregnancy can provide protection against serious infectious diseases for the mother, for the newborn, or both. Maternal immunization boosts the concentration of maternal antibodies that can be transferred across the placenta to directly protect infants too young to be immunized. In addition, indirect protection through prevention of maternal infection and through breast milk antibodies can be achieved through maternal immunization. Read More

J Family Med Prim Care 2019 Jan;8(1):91-96

Department of Community Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India.

Context: Urban population in India is growing exponentially. The public sector urban health delivery system has so far been limited in its reach and is far from adequate.

Aims: This study aims to estimate routine immunization coverage and associated factors among children (12-23 months and 60-84 months) in the urban Kochi Metropolitan Area of Kerala. Read More

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2019 Mar;21(3):199-202

National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.

Objective: To investigate the status of vaccination in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was performed in 148 children in Hunan province, China who were registered in China's Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Comprehensive Response Information Management System up to December 31, 2016 and were aged <15 years at the time of confirmed diagnosis of HIV infection. The information on vaccination, diagnosis of HIV infection, and diagnosis and treatment of related diseases was collected. Read More

Prev Med 2019 Mar 20;123:278-287. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Institut national de santé publique du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Childhood vaccination efforts in Canada have been negatively impacted by parents' vaccine hesitancy based on their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) about vaccinations. Less understood is the extent to which child vaccination receipt and KAB vary by parents' socioeconomic status (SES). Analyzing different age groups of children and vaccinations, we examine the extent to which (a) family SES (parent education, household income) is a determinant of Canadian parents' vaccination KAB and child vaccination receipt, and (b) whether SES was indirectly associated with receipt via KAB. Read More

Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2019 Jun 9;14:100321. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Pune, India.

Introduction: We conducted a randomized, observer-blind, non-inferiority, parallel-group clinical study of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and type b conjugate (pentavalent) vaccination of infants in India. Goals were to determine whether the seropositivity rate after vaccination via disposable-syringe jet injector (DSJI) was non-inferior to that via needle and syringe (N-S), and to compare the safety of vaccination by the two methods.

Methods: Healthy children received a three-dose series of vaccine intramuscularly by DSJI or N-S beginning at 6-8 weeks of age. Read More

Animal Model Exp Med 2018 Jun 28;1(2):143-151. Epub 2018 Jul 28.

Department of Laboratory Animal Science Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center Fudan University Shanghai China.

Background: Lingual epithelia in the tongue tip are among the most rapidly regenerating tissues, but the mechanism of cell genesis in this tissue is still unknown. Previous study has suggested the existence of multiple stem cell pools in lingual epithelia and papillae. Like K14+ and Sox2+ cells, NTPDase2+ cells have characteristics of stem cells. Read More

Expert Rev Vaccines 2019 Mar 25:1-17. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

a GSK , Wavre , Belgium.

Introduction: Pertussis (whooping cough) is a vaccine-preventable disease; however, neither natural- nor vaccine-induced protection is life-long. Although generally not severe in adults, pertussis can be associated with complications in patients with chronic conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and can be readily transmitted to more vulnerable populations, including neonates before they complete their primary vaccination. Furthermore, as the global population ages, the health and economic burden of the disease is expected to rise. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2019 Apr;38(4):439-443

From the Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ.

Background: DTaP5-HB-IPV-Hib is a fully liquid, hexavalent vaccine containing a 5-antigen pertussis component, approved since 2016 in Europe [Vaxelis; DTaP5-HB-IPV-Hib vaccine: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (5 acellular components: pertussis toxoid [PT], filamentous haemagglutinin [FHA], pertactin (PRN), and fimbriae Types 2 and 3 [FIM]), hepatitis B (recombinant DNA: rDNA), poliomyelitis (inactivated) and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (adsorbed); MCM Vaccine B.V., The Netherlands] for primary and booster vaccination in infants and toddlers against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and invasive diseases caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Public Health/Division of Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a diphtheria/tetanus vaccine booster dose in three different patient groups with rheumatic diseases on a variety of immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory medications compared with healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: We conducted a multi-centre prospective cohort study in Switzerland. We enrolled patients with RA, axial SpA/PsA, vasculitis (Behçet's disease, ANCA-associated vasculitis) and HCs. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2019 Mar 16. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Dirección de Control de Enfermedades Inmunoprevenibles, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina (VR affiliated: 2011-2016; MdVJ affiliated 2011-present; SS affiliated: 2007-2015; CV affiliated: 2007-2016).

Background: In 2011, Argentina experienced the highest pertussis incidence and mortality rates in the last decade; 60% of deaths were among infants aged <2 months. In response, a dose of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine was recommended for all pregnant women at ≥20 weeks of gestation. Although recent studies suggest maternal Tdap vaccination is effective at preventing infant disease, no data have come from low or middle-income countries, nor from ones using whole-cell pertussis vaccines for primary immunization. Read More

Eur J Hum Genet 2019 Mar 15. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, IBUB, IRSJD, CIBERER, Barcelona, Spain.

DPH1 variants have been associated with an ultra-rare and severe neurodevelopmental disorder, mainly characterized by variable developmental delay, short stature, dysmorphic features, and sparse hair. We have identified four new patients (from two different families) carrying novel variants in DPH1, enriching the clinical delineation of the DPH1 syndrome. Using a diphtheria toxin ADP-ribosylation assay, we have analyzed the activity of seven identified variants and demonstrated compromised function for five of them [p. Read More

Lancet 2019 Mar 11;393(10177):1254-1260. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

The economic crisis in Venezuela has eroded the country's health-care infrastructure and threatened the public health of its people. Shortages in medications, health supplies, interruptions of basic utilities at health-care facilities, and the emigration of health-care workers have led to a progressive decline in the operational capacity of health care. The effect of the crisis on public health has been difficult to quantify since the Venezuelan Ministry of Health stopped publishing crucial public health statistics in 2016. Read More

Emerg Microbes Infect 2019 ;8(1):211-217

a National Consiliary Laboratory for Diphtheria , Oberschleißheim , Germany.

Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans may cause both respiratory and cutaneous diphtheria in humans. As a zoonotic emerging pathogen it has been isolated from a wide variety of animals living in captivity, such as livestock, pet, zoo and research animals and additionally in a large number of different wild animals. Here we report the isolation of tox-positive C. Read More

J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc 2019 Mar 13:1078390319831763. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

4 Lacey Eden, MS, FNP, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.

Background: Adults who suffer with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) rarely access medical care to receive preventive vaccines.

Aims: To increase the rate of vaccines among the SPMI population in an outpatient community mental health center (CMHC).

Methods: A review of the literature identified a gap between the general population and SPMI clients in receiving preventive vaccinations. Read More

Drugs 2019 Apr;79(5):579-583

Springer, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, 0754, New Zealand.

Tagraxofusp (tagraxofusp-erzs) [Elzonris™] is an intravenously administered CD123-directed cytotoxin (composed of human interleukin-3 and a truncated diphtheria toxin payload) that was developed by Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. for the treatment of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). In December 2018, tagraxofusp received its first global approval in the USA for the treatment of BPDCN in adults and in paediatric patients aged 2 years and older. Read More

J Pediatr Surg 2019 Feb 23. Epub 2019 Feb 23.

Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Electronic address:

Purpose: Necrotizing enterocolitis is associated with decreased intestinal perfusion and ischemia. Paneth cells, specialized epithelial cells, have been shown to regulate the intestinal vasculature and disruption of these cells has been associated with NEC. We hypothesized that Paneth cell disruption in immature mice intestine would decrease the perfusion of the intestinal microvasculature. Read More

BMC Med 2019 Mar 12;17(1):58. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Background: Between August and December 2017, more than 625,000 Rohingya from Myanmar fled into Bangladesh, settling in informal makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar district and joining 212,000 Rohingya already present. In early November, a diphtheria outbreak hit the camps, with 440 reported cases during the first month. A rise in cases during early December led to a collaboration between teams from Médecins sans Frontières-who were running a provisional diphtheria treatment centre-and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with the goal to use transmission dynamic models to forecast the potential scale of the outbreak and the resulting resource needs. Read More

Women Birth 2019 Mar 7. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Monash Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University,McMahons Road, Frankston, VIC, Australia.

Problem: Inactivated influenza vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus acellular pertussis vaccine are routinely recommended during pregnancy to protect women and their babies from infection. Additionally, the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for infants within the first week of life; however, little is known about midwives' experiences of recommending and delivering these immunisations.

Background: Midwives are a trusted source of vaccine information for parents and the confident provision of information about immunisation during antenatal clinic visits has been found to increase the uptake of antenatal and childhood vaccines. Read More

Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2019 Apr 5;28(4):515-520. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Sanofi Pasteur Asia Pacific, Taguig, Philippines.

Purpose: Meningococcal disease is a major global health concern due to its severe and sudden clinical manifestations, devastating long-term sequelae, and predominance in younger age groups. This study evaluated the safety of a quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-D; Menactra) in participants aged 9 months to 55 years in Vietnam.

Methods: This was an open-label, single-arm study conducted between June and December 2016. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019 19;9:31. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.

The development of new effective vaccines strongly depends on adjuvants and formulations able to stimulate not only strong humoral responses against a certain pathogen but also effector as well as memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Dubensky et al., 2013). However, the majority of vaccines licensed for human use or currently under clinical investigation fail to stimulate efficient cellular responses. Read More

J Pharm Biomed Anal 2019 May 21;169:30-40. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Shimadzu Scientific Instrument Company, Beijing, 100010, China.

A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) was developed to determine simultaneously the bioactive proteins including pertussis toxin (PT) subunits, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin (PRN) and fimbriae (FIM) in diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis combined vaccine (DTaP). The trypsin digestion conditions were investigated in detail using PT reference to achieve satisfactory results in detection of the peptides on LC-MS/MS with a Bio-C18 column. The performance of the described method was evaluated using reference proteins and the results showed a wide linear range (0. Read More

Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol 2019 Dec;47(1):696-705

a Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management , SVKM's NMIMS , Mumbai , India.

In recent years, the application of vaccines shows limitations, including the high number of vaccine administrations and the fear of safety and effectiveness. In this regard, advanced vaccine products have been developed, like the combined vaccines, or are under development, such as nucleic acid vaccines (DNA and RNA), polymer-based vaccines, etc. Moreover, the possible use of traditional, like aluminium hydroxide and aluminium phosphate, or innovative adjuvants, like monophosphoryl lipid A, polysaccharides and nanoparticulate system, may further increase vaccine effectiveness. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Mar 1;37(14):1964-1971. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Department of Infectious Disease Surveillance Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.

In Japan, the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) was changed to 2 types of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), the standalone conventional IPV (cIPV) and the Sabin-derived IPV combined with diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP-sIPV), for routine immunization in 2012. We evaluated polio vaccination coverage and the seroprevalence of poliovirus antibodies using data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (NESVPD) from 2011 to 2015. Several years before the introduction of IPV in 2012, OPV administration for children was refused by some parents because of concerns about the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Mar 27;37(14):1972-1977. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Immunization Service Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA 30329, United States.

Background: Infants younger than 6 months are at increased risk of complications and mortality from pertussis infection. In October 2012, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices revised its recommendation to include a Tdap dose during each pregnancy, ideally between 27 and 36 weeks gestation.

Objective: Assess trends in Tdap vaccination coverage among privately insured pregnant women from 2009 to 2016 including timing of Tdap vaccination (before, during, or after pregnancy), trimester of vaccination for women vaccinated during pregnancy, and missed vaccination opportunities for unvaccinated women. Read More

Indian Pediatr 2019 Feb;56(2):101-104

Mangla Hospital and Research Center, Shakti Chowk, Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, India. Correspondence to: Dr Vipin M. Vashishtha, Director and Consultant Pediatrician, Mangla Hospital and Research Center, Shakti Chowk, Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, 246 701, India.

Adolescent immunization is one of the important yet a neglected field in India. There is no adolescent-specific schedule in the government's Universal Immunization Program. Though a separate adolescent immunization schedule exists for the private sector, there is almost no data on the coverage rates of the adolescent vaccines. Read More