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In a recent Patient Care[R] Primary View titled 'Vaccination Insights: Navigating COVID-19 and Beyond,' discussants Tina Q. Tan, M.D., and Rodney E. Rohde, M.D., S.M. (A.S.P.C.), S.C.C.M., S.B.C.M., explored insights [...]

Objective To explore beliefs and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine among vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant persons in order to identify reasons for both vaccine hesitancy and vaccine uptake. Methods From June-August 2021, we conducted a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews with pregnant persons (n = 30). Participants were recruited from university-owned obstetric practices during prenatal and ultrasound appointments. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed; transcripts were coded and analyzed to identify themes and subthemes. Results Of the participants, one-third (n = 10) had received the COVID-19 vaccine, while two-thirds (n = 20) were unvaccinated. Primary themes for unvaccinated participants were concern about the paucity of research on the vaccine in pregnancy and potential impact of the vaccine on both fetal development and maternal health. For vaccinated participants, main themes included potential maternal and fetal protection from COVID-19 and anticipated health complications from contracting COVID-19 as their motivations to get vaccinated. While most participants cited healthcare providers as the most trusted source of vaccine information, a majority reported that the internet was their primary source of vaccine information. Many participants wanted to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine from their obstetric providers, and notably, most vaccinated participants reported the importance of their obstetrician in their vaccine decision-making process. Conclusions COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is prevalent among pregnant persons, with concerns for vaccine safety for their fetus, as well as for themselves, being common. Obstetric providers must therefore be prepared to address common concerns with patients during prenatal appointments, taking the time to actively recommend vaccination., Author(s): Anastasia Gibson [sup.1] , Cynthia Rand [sup.2] , Courtney Olson-Chen [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/00trqv719, grid.412750.5, 0000 0004 1936 9166, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical [...]

: Objective: To compare Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage against historical data from the former National HPV Vaccination Program Register and estimate two‐dose vaccination coverage. Methods: Cross‐sectional analysis of registry data for adolescent birth cohorts (1998‐2007). Denominator populations were Medicare enrolments (AIR) and ABS estimated resident populations (HPV register). Results: For adolescents aged Conclusions: Coverage is slightly lower using AIR than HPV register estimates. Moving from three to two doses has slightly improved completion, likely due to the wider dose spacing, but equity gaps remain. Implications for public health: An ongoing focus on equity in vaccine delivery is needed. Systems, reminders and catch‐up opportunities to ensure course completion remain important., In November 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a global strategy calling for all countries to take action to achieve the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health [...]

The burden of seasonal influenza disease in Australian children is substantial, especially for those with medical comorbidities including chronic cardiac, respiratory, neurological and immunosuppressive conditions. Influenza is more likely to [...]

Recent studies have reported the protective efficacy of both natural.sup.1 and vaccine-induced.sup.2-7 immunity against challenge with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in rhesus macaques. However, the importance of humoral and cellular immunity for protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2 remains to be determined. Here we show that the adoptive transfer of purified IgG from convalescent rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) protects naive recipient macaques against challenge with SARS-CoV-2 in a dose-dependent fashion. Depletion of CD8.sup.+ T cells in convalescent macaques partially abrogated the protective efficacy of natural immunity against rechallenge with SARS-CoV-2, which suggests a role for cellular immunity in the context of waning or subprotective antibody titres. These data demonstrate that relatively low antibody titres are sufficient for protection against SARS-CoV-2 in rhesus macaques, and that cellular immune responses may contribute to protection if antibody responses are suboptimal. We also show that higher antibody titres are required for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection in macaques. These findings have implications for the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and immune-based therapeutic agents. Adoptive transfer of purified IgG from convalescent macaques protects naive macaques against SARS-CoV-2 infection, and cellular immune responses contribute to protection against rechallenge with SARS-CoV-2., Author(s): Katherine McMahan [sup.1] , Jingyou Yu [sup.1] , Noe B. Mercado [sup.1] , Carolin Loos [sup.2] [sup.3] , Lisa H. Tostanoski [sup.1] , Abishek Chandrashekar [sup.1] , Jinyan Liu [...]

Context: Mass vaccination serves as a potential solution to combat the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with vaccine hesitancy being a recognized impediment. Collection of data defining the characteristics of healthcare worker (HCW) attitudes towards the vaccine can provide insight into vaccine hesitancy. Objective: To determine HCWs' attitudes regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Study Design and Analysis: This cross-sectional study surveyed the attitudes of HCWs in Michigan using three-point agree/disagree scale questions. t-test and analysis of variance were used to measure HCWs' attitudes towards the COVID-19 virus and vaccines. Population studied: 120 HCWs from Isabella, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Wayne counties in Michigan. Results: Most HCWs received (95.9%) and recommended (98.3%) the COVID-19 vaccine. The top three factors that HCWs cited for recommending a COVID-19 vaccine to a patient are: 1) Efficacy of the vaccine, 2) Current exposure to patients with active COVID-19 infection and risk of virus spread, and 3) Safety of vaccine and long-term follow-up. Being a female HCW (P=0.01) or being a HCW outside of the 55-64 years age range (P=0.036) was associated with increased concern of contracting COVID-19. Regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, our data demonstrated that: 1) HCWs who specialized in family medicine (P=0.028) were more likely to agree that there was adequate testing compared to those who did not specialize in family medicine; 2) White HCWs (P=0.024) were less concerned with the speed of development compared to non-white HCWs; 3) Of all age groups, HCWs aged 55-64 years (P=0.02) were the least concerned about side effects 4) Of all provider types, physicians (P=0.017) were the least concerned about long-term effects. Conclusion: Gender, age, ethnicity, provider type, and medical specialty showed statistically significant differences among attitudes towards the COVID-19 virus and vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy among HCWs can have negative effects on their patients. Focusing educational efforts on HCW demographics who are more likely to have negative attitudes can potentially decrease vaccine hesitancy., Presenters Maya Takagi, BA, Samantha Hess, Karissa Gawronski, Nicholas Haddad, Bernard Noveloso, MD, Stephen Zyzanski, PhD, Nelly Ragina, PhD, Director [...]

Margot Savoy, MD, MPH Chair, Family and Community Medicine Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania This activity was written by [...]