Perspectives on the receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine: A survey of employees in two large hospitals in Philadelphia.

2021

2021 Feb 16

1873-2518

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Health care personnel have been identified by the ACIP as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination. We conducted a survey in November-December 2020 at two large, academic hospitals in Philadelphia to evaluate the intention of hospital employees to be vaccinated.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>The survey was sent electronically to all employees (clinical and nonclinical staff) at a children's hospital and an adult hospital. The survey was voluntary and confidential. Questions focused on plans to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when available, reasons why employees would/would not get vaccinated, when employees planned to be vaccinated, vaccine safety and efficacy features that would be acceptable, and past history of receipt of other vaccines by the employee and family. Responses were analyzed using univariate and multiple logistic regression methods.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>A total of 12,034 hospital employees completed the survey (a 34.5% response rate). Overall, 63.7% of employees reported that they planned to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, 26.3% were unsure, and 10.0% did not plan to be vaccinated. Over 80% of those unsure or unwilling to be vaccinated expressed concerns about vaccine side effects and the vaccines' newness. In multivariable logistic regression, persons planning to take a COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to be older, male, more educated, Asian or White, up-to-date on vaccinations, without direct patient contact, and tested for COVID-19 in the past. No significant difference in intention to be vaccinated was found between those with higher versus lower levels of exposure to COVID-19 patients or the number of previous exposures to patients with COVID-19.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>While the majority of hospital employees are planning to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, many are unsure or not planning to do so. Further education of hospital employees about the safety, efficacy, and value of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines is critical to vaccine acceptance in this population.</p>

10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.02.029

Vaccine

33632563

Comparison of immunization systems in Japan and the United States - What can be learned?

2020

2020 Sep 28

1873-2518

<p>Recently, efforts have been made to fill a so-called "vaccine gap" between Japan and other countries; however, more work remains. Concerns about adverse events following immunization (AEFI) resulted in an historically passive approach to policy making in the National Immunization Program (NIP). For example, reports of AEFI following human papillomavirus vaccine (HPVV) in 2013 led the Japanese government to withdraw its proactive recommendations, resulting in a sharp drop in HPVV coverage rate to less than 1.0%. In this report, we review key historical incidents that led to the current immunization system in Japan, compare it to that in the United States, and discuss strategies for improving the Japanese immunization system. By strengthening existing policies and programs, such as National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups and AEFI reporting, compensation laws, and immunization education, the remaining vaccine gap in Japan could be filled.</p>

10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.09.028

33004240

Effect of Haemophilus influenzae type b and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on childhood pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths in Botswana.

2020

2020 Jul 08

1537-6591

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Globally, pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children. Few data exist regarding the effect of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) on the burden of childhood pneumonia in African settings.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We collected data on children 1 to 59 months of age at three hospitals in Botswana. Hib vaccine and PCV-13 were introduced in Botswana in November 2010 and July 2012, respectively. We compared pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths pre-vaccine (January 2009 to October 2010) to post-vaccine (January 2013 to December 2017) using seasonally-adjusted interrupted time-series analyses.</p>

<p><strong>FINDINGS: </strong>We identified 6943 pneumonia hospitalizations and 201 pneumonia deaths. In the pre-vaccine period, pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths increased by 24% (rate: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.64) and 59% (rate: 1.59; 95% CI: 0.87, 2.90) per year, respectively. Vaccine introduction was associated with a 48% (95% CI: 29%, 62%) decrease in the number of pneumonia hospitalizations and a 50% (95% CI: 1%, 75%) decrease in the number of pneumonia deaths between the end of the pre-vaccine period (October 2010) and the beginning of the post-vaccine period (January 2013). During the post-vaccine period, pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths declined by 6% (rate 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.99) and 22% (rate: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.92) per year, respectively.</p>

<p><strong>INTERPRETATION: </strong>Pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths among children declined sharply following introduction of Hib vaccine and PCV-13 in Botswana. This effect was sustained for more than five years after vaccine introduction, supporting the long-term effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing childhood pneumonia in Botswana.</p>

10.1093/cid/ciaa919

Clin. Infect. Dis.

32634831

Interpretation of pediatric chest radiographs by non-radiologist clinicians in Botswana using World Health Organization criteria for endpoint pneumonia.

2020

913-922

2020 Jun

1432-1998

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>In low- and middle-income countries, chest radiographs are most frequently interpreted by non-radiologist clinicians.</p>

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>We examined the reliability of chest radiograph interpretations performed by non-radiologist clinicians in Botswana and conducted an educational intervention aimed at improving chest radiograph interpretation accuracy among non-radiologist clinicians.</p>

<p><strong>MATERIALS AND METHODS: </strong>We recruited non-radiologist clinicians at a referral hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, to interpret de-identified chest radiographs for children with clinical pneumonia. We compared their interpretations with those of two board-certified pediatric radiologists in the United States. We evaluated associations between level of medical training and the accuracy of chest radiograph findings between groups, using logistic regression and kappa statistics. We then developed an in-person training intervention led by a pediatric radiologist. We asked participants to interpret 20 radiographs before and immediately after the intervention, and we compared their responses to those of the facilitating radiologist. For both objectives, our primary outcome was the identification of primary endpoint pneumonia, defined by the World Health Organization as presence of endpoint consolidation or endpoint effusion.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Twenty-two clinicians interpreted chest radiographs in the primary objective; there were no significant associations between level of training and correct identification of endpoint pneumonia; concordance between respondents and radiologists was moderate (κ=0.43). After the training intervention, participants improved agreement with the facilitating radiologist for endpoint pneumonia from fair to moderate (κ=0.34 to κ=0.49).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Non-radiologist clinicians in Botswana do not consistently identify key chest radiographic findings of pneumonia. A targeted training intervention might improve non-radiologist clinicians' ability to interpret chest radiographs.</p>

10.1007/s00247-020-04625-0

Pediatr Radiol

32524176

Tailored Messages Addressing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Concerns Improves Behavioral Intent Among Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

2020

2020 Mar 18

1879-1972

<p><strong>PURPOSE: </strong>The aim of the study was to determine whether supplementing a bundled recommendation (recommendation for all 11- to 12-year-old platform vaccines) with tailored messaging that addressed one versus all parental concerns improved human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent among mothers.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We conducted a Web-based randomized controlled trial, randomizing mothers who did not intend to vaccinate their 11- to 14-year-old child against HPV to (1) bundled recommendation video ("control"); (2) control&nbsp;+ video addressing the top HPV vaccine concern; or (3) control&nbsp;+ ≥1 videos addressing all concerns. Outcomes were HPV vaccination intent (1&nbsp;= extremely unlikely and 10&nbsp;= extremely likely) and strength of main concern (1&nbsp;= a little concerned and 10&nbsp;= very concerned). We assessed differences in intervention effects using generalized linear models for vaccine intent and mixed models for the strength of main concern.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Of the 762 mothers, 51% had a female child, 82% of children were white, and 90% were non-Hispanic. The mean intent to vaccinate postintervention ranged from 3.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]&nbsp;= 3.1-3.8) in the control group to 4.2 (95% CI&nbsp;= 3.9-4.6) in the all-concerns group (p&nbsp;= .01). The mean strength of the concerns declined pre- to postintervention by .1 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;-.1 to .3) in the control group (p&nbsp;= .42), .6 (95% CI&nbsp;= .4-.9) in the top concern group (p &lt; .001), and .7 (95% CI&nbsp;= .5-1.0) in the all-concerns group (p &lt; .001). However, the mean strength of the main concerns postintervention remained high (≥7.0 for each group).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Tailored messages addressing all concerns improved HPV vaccination intent and reduced the strength of the main concern more than bundled messages alone, but intent remained low and strength of the main concerns remained high in this vaccine-hesitant population.</p>

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.01.024

J Adolesc Health

32199723

Impact of school-entry vaccination requirement changes on clinical practice implementation and adolescent vaccination rates in metropolitan Philadelphia.

2020

1-11

2020 Jan 24

2164-554X

<p>In 2017, Pennsylvania amended school-entry vaccination requirements including reduction of the provisional period from eight months to the first five days of school and requirement of meningococcal-conjugate vaccine (MCV4) for students entering 12th grade. This cross-sectional study evaluates the impact of these new requirements on clinical practice and vaccination rates among requirement-eligible adolescents within a large pediatric network in metropolitan Philadelphia. We surveyed providers from 24 pediatric primary care facilities across five Southeastern Pennsylvania counties to assess strategies for timely vaccination of children, facilitators and barriers to implementation of these strategies, and attitudes toward the new school vaccine requirements. Vaccination rates post-five-day grace period among eligible 12-18-year-old adolescents were calculated using aggregate electronic health record data and compared pre- and post-policy implementation (2016 vs. 2017) using two-sample tests of proportion. Overall, providers were supportive of the new vaccination requirements and reported that their facilities were equipped to accommodate the increased demand for vaccination visits prior to the beginning of the school year. There were modest increases in Tdap and MCV4 vaccination rates among 12-13-year-old adolescents by mid-September and a significant increase for MCV4 among 17-18-year-old adolescents ( &gt; .001) in all regions. There were also statistically significant increases ( &gt; .001) in MenB and HPV vaccination rates in this older age group. Our results suggest that these amended school-entry vaccination requirements may help improve timely vaccination rates for both required and non-required vaccines, increasing protection among students at the beginning of the school year.</p>

10.1080/21645515.2020.1712934

Hum Vaccin Immunother

31977274

Japanese physicians' attitudes and intentions regarding human papillomavirus vaccine compared with other adolescent vaccines.

2019

193-200

2019 06

2405-8521

<p><strong>INTRODUCTION: </strong>Japan has experienced extremely low human papillomavirus vaccine (HPVV) coverage following the suspension of proactive governmental recommendations in 2013. Several studies have reported that recommendations from physicians increase adolescents' vaccine acceptance. In this survey, we evaluated the attitudes and intentions of Japanese physicians related to adolescent immunizations, particularly HPVV.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional study using a mailed questionnaire targeting 330 Japanese physicians including 78 pediatricians, 225 internists and 27 obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in Kawasaki City, Japan in 2016. The survey measured physicians' reported frequency of educating adolescents about vaccines as well as their own perceptions and intentions related to adolescent immunizations.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Valid responses were obtained from 148 (45%) physicians. Though 53% agreed that the HPVV should be recommended, only 21% reported educating about HPVV. The majority of respondents (90%) agreed that they would restart HPVV for adolescents if the government reinstated its recommendation.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Although Japanese physicians reported support for adolescent immunizations, they were less likely to recommend or discuss HPVV compared with other adolescent vaccines. Responses indicated this was, at least in part, due to the lack of governmental support for HPVV, indicating that their recommendations would improve with government endorsement of the vaccine.</p>

10.1016/j.pvr.2019.04.013

Papillomavirus Res

31051270

Resurgence of measles in the United States: how did we get here?

2019

2019 Nov 26

1531-698X

<p><strong>PURPOSE OF REVIEW: </strong>In September 2019, the United States was at risk of losing measles elimination status due to several large-scale outbreaks resulting in more than 1200 confirmed cases across 31 states. This resurgence caps approximately 10 years of increasing incidence, marked by a highly publicized outbreak in 2015 associated with Disneyland when an infected traveler from the Philippines unknowingly spread the virus to susceptible park visitors and the recently ended large outbreak in undervaccinated Orthodox Jewish communities in New York City and Rockland counties. This review highlights current literature elucidating factors associated with current trends in measles epidemiology in the United States, the public health implications of current measles outbreaks and a path forward for addressing challenges contributing to the resurgence of measles in the United States and globally.</p>

<p><strong>RECENT FINDINGS AND SUMMARY: </strong>As the most highly transmissible vaccine preventable disease, measles is especially sensitive to changes in herd immunity, the impact of vaccine refusal and globalization. Results highlight the confluence of these factors in current outbreaks, provide tools to predict outbreak risk, demonstrate the growing impact of misinformation and evaluate the impact of policy approaches for outbreak control and prevention.</p>

10.1097/MOP.0000000000000845

Curr. Opin. Pediatr.

31790030

Psychological Reactance Impacts Ratings of Pediatrician Vaccine-Related Communication Quality, Perceived Vaccine Safety, and Vaccination Priority among U.S. Parents.

2019

2019 Nov 18

2164-554X

<p>Physician communication surrounding vaccination is important in driving patient compliance with schedules and recommendations, but patient psychological factors suggest that communication strategies may have differential effects on patients. This paper investigates how psychological reactance, defined as an individuals' propensity to restore their autonomy when they perceive that others are trying to impose their will on them, impacts perceptions about physician communication and perceptions and prioritizations of vaccination. We propose and describe the results of a study that was conducted to assess the relationship between individual differences in reactance, perceived quality of pediatrician communication, perceptions of vaccination safety, and vaccination prioritization using a sample of parents. We recruited 300 parent participants via the online platform Prolific Academic in which they completed a computer-mediated survey. Results show that compared to those who are low in psychological reactance, those high in psychological reactance place less of a priority on vaccination, and that this relationship is driven by evaluations of physician communication quality and perceived vaccine safety. Our findings suggest that physicians should not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach when interacting with patients and should tailor messaging to patients based on psychological factors including reactance.</p>

10.1080/21645515.2019.1694815

Hum Vaccin Immunother

31738632

The prevalence and clinical characteristics of pertussis-associated pneumonia among infants in Botswana.

2019

444

2019 Nov 16

1471-2431

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>There are scant data on the prevalence and clinical course of pertussis disease among infants with pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries. While pertussis vaccination coverage is high (≥90%) among infants in Botswana, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection affects nearly one-third of pregnancies. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical course of pertussis disease in a cohort of HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU), HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU), and HIV-infected infants with pneumonia in Botswana.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We recruited children 1-23 months of age with clinical pneumonia at a tertiary care hospital in Gaborone, Botswana between April 2012 and June 2016. We obtained nasopharyngeal swab specimens at enrollment and tested these samples using a previously validated in-house real-time PCR assay that detects a unique sequence of the porin gene of Bordetella pertussis.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>B. pertussis was identified in 1/248 (0.4%) HUU, 3/110 (2.7%) HEU, and 0/33 (0.0%) HIV-infected children. All pertussis-associated pneumonia cases occurred in infants 1-5 months of age (prevalence, 1.0% [1/103] in HUU and 4.8% [3/62] in HEU infants). No HEU infants with pertussis-associated pneumonia were taking cotrimoxazole prophylaxis at the time of hospital presentation. One HUU infant with pertussis-associated pneumonia required intensive care unit admission for mechanical ventilation, but there were no deaths.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>The prevalence of pertussis was low among infants and young children with pneumonia in Botswana. Although vaccination against pertussis in pregnancy is designed to prevent classical pertussis disease, reduction of pertussis-associated pneumonia might be an important additional benefit.</p>

10.1186/s12887-019-1820-0

BMC Pediatr

31733643