Immunization and cardiovascular disease in Latin America. The CorVacc study: rationale and design

Global Pneumococcal Disease and Policies for Control

Community-Acquired Pneumonia Incidence in Adults Aged 18 Years and Older in Goto City, Japan: A Prospective Population-Based Study

Do JAK inhibitors affect immune response to COVID-19 vaccination? Data from the MAJIK-SFR Registry.

Objective: Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases in national and international guidelines.In this study, it was aimed to determine the vaccination rates for influenza and pneumococcal diseases in COPD patients and to determine the demographic and clinical, characteristics that affect the vaccination of the patients. Methods:Our study included 297 COPD patients aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with COPD for at least 1 year according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria.Pulmonary function tests of the patients, staging of the disease, and the Modified Medical Research Council scale were recorded.Results: When the 297 patients included in the study were evaluated according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.In the study, the rate of influenza vaccination in COPD patients in the last year was 29.4% and the rate of pneumococcal vaccination at least once in their lifetime was 34.5%.Vaccination rates of patients aged 65 and over were significantly higher in influenza vaccination (p=0.036).In pneumococcal vaccination, the vaccination rate was statistically high in those with a high education level (p=0.001).It was observed that the vaccination rates were significantly lower in patients with low-income levels in both vaccine groups (p=0.044,p=0.034).When asked about the reason for the unvaccinated patients, they were told that they were not aware of the vaccine (41.3%, 76.0%) in the first place and that their doctor did not recommend it (28.2%,27.6%) in the second place for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines. Conclusion:Influenza and pneumococcal vaccine application rates in patients with COPD were found to be low in our country, in line with the literature.The lack of doctor's advice and lack of knowledge about the vaccine was important factors in unvaccinated individuals.

Streptococcus pneumoniae controlled human infection models: Opportunities and challenges

A new market to save lives from pneumococcal disease

Preventive healthcare use among males with multiple sclerosis

FRI0112 Influence of methotrexate, anti-tnf and rituximab on the immune response to influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in patients with rheumatoïd arthritis: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

In 2002, a mass immunization campaign using the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) was carried out in Nunavik to control an outbreak caused by a virulent clone of serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae. At the same time, the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced for routine immunization of infants, replaced by the 10-valent vaccine (PCV10) in 2009, and the 13-valent vaccine (PCV13) in 2011. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in relation to pneumococcal vaccine use. Retrospective analysis of IPD cases identified by the Quebec Public Health Laboratory during the period 1997-2016. One hundred thirty-two IPD cases were identified during the study period. In adults, serotype 1 incidence decreased following the 2002 PPV23 mass campaign, but breakthrough cases occurred. Following PCV use, the incidence of vaccine-type IPD decreased markedly in children and also in adults but serotypes not covered by conjugate vaccines increased. The overall IPD rate was 43/100,000 person-years in the 1997-1999 pre-vaccine era and 58/100,000 person-years in 2010-2016. The 2002 PPV23 mass immunization campaign may have contributed to control the serotype 1 outbreaks in Nunavik, but its effect was short-lived as IPDs caused by serotypes included in this vaccine continued to occur after 2005. PCV use in children induced important modifications in the epidemiology of IPD, but most of thebenefits were eroded by serotype replacement.

Introduction: Influenza and pneumococcal infections are prevalent diseases in the general population, and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more susceptible to these infections, particularly those on immunosuppressive medications. Preventive measures include annual influenza vaccination and a one-time pneumococcal vaccination followed by re-vaccination 5 years later. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of a health maintenance program (HMP) started in December 2011 aimed at improving compliance with these recommendations. Prior to that date, recommendations for pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations were made at the discretion of the treating gastroenterologist. The HMP included: 1) a check list of health maintenance measures reviewed with the patient at the time of the office visit, and shared with the treating primary care physician; 2) administration of the vaccines in the GI clinic at the time of the office visit; 3) reminder letters sent a few months following the office visit if the vaccinations were not done in the office. Methods: This is a retrospective study looking at IBD patients seen between January 2005 and January 2014, and comparing the compliance with influenza and pneumococcal vaccination before and after the implementation of the HMP. Out of 740 patients seen during this time, we randomly selected to review the data on 200 IBD patients on immunomodulators and/or biologics. Results: The patient’s ages ranged from 20-91 years old with a median age of 35 and a mean age of 38. Of the 200 patients, 128 were seen before and after the implementation of the HMP, and 72 were seen only after the implementation of the program. Of the 128 seen both before and after the HMP implementation, only 12 patients (10%) received the influenza vaccine before the HMP, and 63 (50%) after the HMP implementation, (p< 0.05). In this same group of patients, 40 patients (31%) had the pneumococcal vaccine before the HMP, and 62 (48%) after the HMP implementation, (p<0.05). Of the patients seen only after the implementation of the HMP, 40 patients (56%) had the influenza vaccine and 30 (42%) had the pneumococcal vaccine. Conclusion: Our data shows a significant increase in the proportion of IBD patients vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcal infections after the implementation of a HMP. We believe that explaining the importance of vaccination to patients and administering the vaccines in the GI office improves compliance with these health maintenance measures. Reasons for non-vaccinations despite these measures were not looked at, but could include patient’s refusal due to fear of side effects.

Influenza and pneumococcal diseases are responsible for more deaths than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined. Despite all efforts, the vaccination rate is below target. To assess knowledge and beliefs of family physicians in Lebanon regarding influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, to identify adult immunization barriers, to assess physicians' use of evidence-based strategies to improve adult immunization and identify barriers to implementation of such strategies. All 52 Lebanese family physicians attending the annual family medicine conference in Beirut in November 2009 were asked to fill a self-administered questionnaire that included items inquiring about knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, barriers to these vaccines and their opinions regarding strategies to improve immunization rate. Response rate was 82.7%. Accurate knowledge of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination guidelines was 58.1% and 53.5%, respectively. Thirty-eight physicians (88.4%) believe that influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are important, while 36 (83.7%) recommend influenza vaccine and 33 (76.7%) pneumococcal vaccine. Barriers for recommending vaccines were reported by 14 participants (32.5%). Concerning the influenza vaccine, the most commonly reported barriers were patient's refusal and non-availability of the vaccine, followed by physicians' concerns about efficacy and safety. As for the pneumococcal vaccine, the most frequently reported barriers were patient's refusal, cost and physicians concerns about efficacy. Insufficient time and unknown immunization status were reported to be barriers of lesser importance. Twenty-six physicians (61%) reported physicians' reminders as the most important intervention to promote adult immunization, followed by patient education (48%). Lack of time and availability of electronic medical record were cited as important strategies to increase adult immunization rate. Education and intervention efforts are needed to overcome barriers faced by practitioners and to define the most effective strategies to overcoming these barriers.

Adults aged ≥65 years, adults with certain underlying medical conditions, and persons experiencing homelessness are at increased risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Two new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) and 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), were recently approved for use in US adults. We describe the epidemiology of IPD among Alaska adults and estimate the proportion of IPD cases potentially preventable by new vaccines. We used statewide, laboratory-based surveillance data to calculate and compare IPD incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) among Alaska adults aged ≥18 years during 2011-2020 and estimate the proportion of IPD cases that were caused by serotypes in PCV15 and PCV20. During 2011-2020, 1164 IPD cases were reported among Alaska adults for an average annual incidence of 21.3 cases per 100 000 adults per year (95% CI, 20.1-22.5). Incidence increased significantly during the study period (P < .01). IPD incidence among Alaska Native adults was 4.7 times higher than among non-Alaska Native adults (95% CI, 4.2-5.2). Among adults experiencing homelessness in Anchorage, IPD incidence was 72 times higher than in the general adult population (95% CI, 59-89). Overall, 1032 (89%) Alaska adults with IPD had an indication for pneumococcal vaccine according to updated vaccination guidelines; 456 (39%) and 700 (60%) cases were caused by serotypes in PCV15 and PCV20, respectively. Use of PCV15 and PCV20 could substantially reduce IPD among adults in Alaska, including Alaska Native adults and adults experiencing homelessness.

&#x0D; BACKGROUND Pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae has a high morbidity rate in elderly individuals aged 65 or older. Previous studies have demonstrated that low vaccination rates with the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (pneumovax) are due to a lack of awareness and knowledge about the vaccine in the general population. This study measured the association between the public’s knowledge of the pneumococcal vaccine, vaccination status, the type and number of health care facility visits per participant in the past year and number of advertisements seen for the vaccine. METHODS This study used a survey to test the knowledge of its participants on the pneumococcal vaccine and associated the results with nominal data such as vaccination status and recommendation for vaccination by their primary health care providers. The survey tested the participants using 15 true or false questions that assessed their knowledge on the pneumococcal vaccine and pneumococcal disease. RESULTS No association was found between the knowledge individuals have on the pneumococcal vaccine and whether their health care provider recommended the vaccine (p=0.467). However, a statistical difference in knowledge between individuals who are vaccinated and individuals who are not vaccinated was found (p=0.039 (CHI), p=0.011 (ANOVA)). There was also a positive association found between vaccination status and primary health care provider recommendation for the pneumococcal vaccine (p=0.001). No association was found between vaccination status and number of visits to a primary health care provider in the past year (p=0.149). Using an ANOVA analysis, it was found that there was a difference in number of advertising types seen for each vaccination status group (p=0.011). CONCLUSION Based on the results, it can be concluded that individuals who are vaccinated have more knowledge on the pneumococcal vaccine, but their knowledge is not affected by a recommendation to receive the vaccine from their primary health care provider. This suggests that health care providers are not providing sufficient information about the vaccine to their patients when they recommend it. Despite this knowledge gap, the association between vaccination status and primary health care provider recommendation for the vaccine indicates that individuals are more likely to get vaccinated when their primary health care provider recommends it. However, more visits to the provider annually did not influence the vaccination status of the patient. In addition, results from the ANOVA analysis suggest that participants who saw more vaccine advertisements were more likely to be vaccinated.&#x0D;

Background Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for illness, hospitalization, and death from pneumococcal disease (PD). The CDC currently recommends pneumococcal vaccination for adults ≥65 years and adults ≥19 years with underlying medical conditions who are at greater risk of PD. Identifying differences in pneumococcal vaccination coverage (VCR) and disease incidence is necessary to develop and implement strategies to improve VCR. We estimated VCR and incidence of PD, by age and risk group, among adults ≥18 years in the United States from 2017-2020. Methods This was a retrospective study of administrative claims data from Merative® MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters Database. From 2017-2020, annual incidence rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), non-bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia (NBPP) and all-cause pneumonia (ACP) were estimated by age group (18-49, 50-64, ≥65 years) and risk group (healthy, with chronic medical conditions (CMC) and with immunocompromising conditions (IC)) among adults with at least 2.5 years of continuous enrollment. Adults were considered vaccinated if they had at least one pneumococcal vaccine within 2 prior years to their index date. The percentage of pneumococcal vaccination was reported annually from 2017-2020. Results From 2017-2020, there were approximately 9-10 million patients annually in the study population. Less than 25% of US adults recommended for pneumococcal vaccination were vaccinated (Figure 1). Vaccination rates were highest among those ≥65 years (Figure 1). Annual incidence rates per 100,000 person-years decreased from 2017 to 2020 for IPD, NBPP and ACP (Figure 2). Each year, the incidence of PD was consistently higher among those ≥65 years, and those with IC or CMC. There was a decrease in the incidence of PD in 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion Despite ACIP recommendations, vaccination rates remain low in those recommended to receive a pneumococcal vaccine, specifically among older adults and those with underlying conditions. This analysis underscores the opportunity to improve VCR and prevent PD in US adults, especially those at greatest risk. Disclosures M. Doyinsola Bailey, PHD, MPH, Merck &amp; Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA: Employee|Merck &amp; Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Yi-Ling Huang, PhD, Merck: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Salini Mohanty, DrPH, MPH, Merck &amp; Co., Inc.: Employee|Merck &amp; Co., Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Kelly D. Johnson, PhD, Merck &amp; Co., Inc.: Employee|Merck &amp; Co., Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Nicole Cossrow, PhD, Merck: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company)

This study compared three interventions designed to increase acceptance of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines among elderly hospitalized patients. All individuals 65 and older able to give informed consent (73 patients) who were admitted to one medical floor of an acute care hospital were randomized to one of three groups. All groups received informational pamphlets explaining influenza and pneumococcal disease, their respective vaccines, and indications for their use. The first group received pamphlets only, the second received nursing follow-up, and the third received trained volunteer follow-up. Patients on another medical floor served as controls. The results showed a significant improvement in vaccine acceptance in all three study groups compared to controls for both influenza (78% vs 0%) and pneumococcal (75% vs 0%) vaccines. The differences among the three groups were not significant. No significant differences were found among patients accepting or refusing vaccination with regard to diagnosis, age, length of stay, sex, or having a private physician. We conclude that a simple educational program followed by offering vaccination before hospital discharge can be easily implemented, and dramatically increase immunization rates in this high risk group.