On May 20, 2022, World Health Organization (WHO) Position Paper on Understanding the Behavioural and Social Drivers of Vaccine Uptake (BeSD) was published. This review introduced the BeSD toolkit, interventions to increase vaccine uptake, and offered WHO's position and recommendation. Based on immunization practice, this position paper had some implications for improving the vaccination coverage in China: (1) To promote the BeSD toolkit localization; (2) To integrate the measurement and monitoring of BeSD into multisectoral routine efforts; (3) To enhance the diversity and professionalization of immunization practitioners; (4) To design and carry out implementation research scientifically.
Humans ; Immunization Programs ; Immunization Schedule ; Health Policy ; World Health Organization ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

Organization (WHO) estimates that 257 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Highest HBV prevalence was found in the WHO Western Pacific Region (6.2%) and in the WHO African Region (6.1%). The HBV vaccine is the best protection against chronic HBV infection and its complications. Globally, routine infant immunization against HBV has increased with an estimated coverage of 84% in 2017. Nevertheless, in many countries further efforts are needed to implement this coverage and ensure national immunization programs for people at major risk for HBV infection. Therapeutic vaccination in chronic HBV infected patients can cause anti-HBV immune responses able to remove and/or cure infected hepatocytes. It shows promising results in murine model and human trials, but these results need to be consolidated by further multicenter clinical studies. In particular, the efficacy of therapeutic vaccine seems to improve by combination therapies.]]>
Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunization Programs ; Immunotherapy ; Infant ; Prevalence ; Vaccination ; World Health Organization

Global Health ; Hepatitis B ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunization Programs ; Vaccination ; World Health Organization

OBJECTIVES: The pandemic of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus has required decision-makers to act in the face of the substantial uncertainties. In this study, we evaluated the potential impact of the pandemic response strategies in the Republic of Korea using a mathematical model. METHODS: We developed a deterministic model of a pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in a structured population using the demographic data from the Korean population and the epidemiological feature of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009. To estimate the parameter values for the deterministic model, we used the available data from the previous studies on pandemic influenza. The pandemic response strategies of the Republic of Korea for novel influenza A (H1N1) virus such as school closure, mass vaccination (70% of population in 30 days), and a policy for anti-viral drug (treatment or prophylaxis) were applied to the deterministic model. RESULTS: The effect of two-week school closure on the attack rate was low regardless of the timing of the intervention. The earlier vaccination showed the effect of greater delays in reaching the peak of outbreaks. When it was no vaccination, vaccination at initiation of outbreak, vaccination 90 days after the initiation of outbreak and vaccination at the epidemic peak point, the total number of clinical cases for 400 days were 20.8 million, 4.4 million, 4.7 million and 12.6 million, respectively. The pandemic response strategies of the Republic of Korea delayed the peak of outbreaks (about 40 days) and decreased the number of cumulative clinical cases (8 million). CONCLUSIONS: Rapid vaccination was the most important factor to control the spread of pandemic influenza, and the response strategies of the Republic of Korea were shown to delay the spread of pandemic influenza in this deterministic model.
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; Disaster Planning/*organization & administration ; *Disease Outbreaks ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Immunization Programs/organization & administration ; *Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human/drug therapy/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; *Models, Theoretical ; Quarantine/organization & administration ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology

OBJECTIVEThe expanded programme on immunization (EPI) is an important part of the social commonwealth projects providing health care service by the government, which benefits communities. Government has the responsibility for EPI's financing which should be covered by the national budget. It is essential that the cost of EPI service be scientifically estimated to provide propriety information for policy makers.

METHODSThis study, using the cost accounting theory of health economics, to calculate EPI service cost at different levels. 3 provinces, 3 prefectures, 9 counties, 18 towns and 12 villages were selected from three provinces Guizhou, Heilongjiang and Zhejiang from the western, central and eastern regions of the country.

RESULTSThe average costs for one EPI-targeted child in Guizhou, Heilongjiang and Zhejiang, were 15.68 Yuan, 29.00 Yuan and 31.09 Yuan, and the costs for one dose were 10.99 Yuan, 18.64 Yuan and 16.51 Yuan, respectively. The costs for complete immunization program for one child were 131.88 Yuan, 242.32 Yuan and 280.67 Yuan, respectively. The main factors affecting the cost would include the average personnel cost (salary and benefit cost) by different economic levels of areas, the number of EPI items developed, and the number of total doses for one child.

CONCLUSION(1) Obvious differences were found between different areas. (2) The proportion of the cost was not reasonably set because of the shortage of input. (3) Guideline for different areas to compensate the working item cost according to the number of the items should be formulated.

China ; epidemiology ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Health Expenditures ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Immunization Programs ; economics ; organization & administration ; Population Surveillance ; methods ; Program Evaluation ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Vaccination ; statistics & numerical data

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus, GBS) is a leading causal organism of neonatal invasive diseases and severe infections in the elderly. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of GBS infections and improvement in personal hygiene standards, this pathogen is still a global health concern. Thus, an effective vaccine against GBS would augment existing strategies to substantially decrease GBS infection. In 2014, World Health Organization convened the first meeting for consultation on GBS vaccine development, focusing on the GBS maternal immunization program, which was aimed at reducing infections in neonates and young infants worldwide. Here, we review the history of GBS infections, the current vaccine candidates, and the current status of immunogenicity assays used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of GBS vaccines.
Aged ; Diagnosis ; Global Health ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Immunization Programs ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Polysaccharides ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Treatment Outcome ; Vaccines ; Vaccines, Conjugate ; World Health Organization

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection and is associated with the development of cervical cancer. The purpose of this report is to provide the literature evidences on selecting the HPV vaccine for national immunization program (NIP) in Korea. To complete these tasks, we reviewed domestic and foreign literature on the current status of HPV infection, efficacy and effectiveness of HPV vaccine, safety of vaccine and cost effectiveness analysis of vaccination business. Given that the median age of first sexual intercourse is continuing to fall, this may have serious implications for HPV infection and cervical cancer incidence at the age of 20s. The World Health Organization recommends that the HPV vaccination should be included in the NIP being implemented in each country. Both the bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines have a 90% or greater preventive efficacy on cervical intraepithelial lesion 2–3 and cervical cancer by the HPV 16 or HPV 18. In the future, if HPV vaccination rate as part of NIP increases, it is expected that the incidence of HPV infection, genital warts, and cervical precancerous lesions will be decreased in the vaccination age group. Therefore, in order to increase the HPV vaccination rate at this point in Korea, social consensus and efforts such as the introduction and promotion of HPV vaccine to the NIP according to appropriate cost-effectiveness analysis are required.
Coitus ; Commerce ; Condylomata Acuminata ; Consensus ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; Humans* ; Immunization Programs* ; Immunization* ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Papillomavirus Infections* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaccination* ; Vaccines ; World Health Organization

OBJECTIVES: In this article, we aim to share our experience in the hospital reorganization made to conduct the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaign, based on the principles of flexibility and adaptability. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive study. METHODS: The data concerning the organization of the vaccination campaign were taken from the operative protocol developed by the hospital dedicated task force, composed by experts in hygiene, public health, occupational medicine, pharmacists, nurses, hospital quality, and disaster managers. Data about the numbers of vaccine administered daily were collected by the Innovation and Development Operative Unit database. RESULTS: Vaccinations against COVID-19 started across the EU on the 27th of December 2020. The first phase of the vaccination campaign carried out in our hospital was directed to healthcare workers immunization including medical residents, social care operators, administrative staff and technicians, students of medicine, and health professions trainees. The second phase was enlarged to the coverage of extremely fragile subjects. Thanks to the massive employment of healthcare workers and the establishment of dynamic pathways, it was possible to achieve short turnaround times and a large number of doses administered daily, with peaks of 870 vaccines per day. From the 27th of December up to the 14th of March a total of 26,341 doses of Pfizer have been administered. 13,584 were first doses and 12,757 were second doses. From the 4th to the 14th of March, 296 first doses of Moderna were dispensed. It was necessary to implement adequate spaces and areas adopting anti-contagion safety measures: waiting area for subjects to be vaccinated, working rooms for the dilution of the vaccine and the storage of the material, vaccination rooms, post-vaccination observation areas, room for observation, and treatment of any adverse reactions, with an emergency cart available in each working area. CONCLUSIONS The teaching hospital of Pisa faced the beginning of the immunization campaign readjusting its spaces, planning an adequate hospital vaccination area and providing an organization plan to ensure the achievement of the targets of the campaign. This represented a challenge due to limited vaccine doses supplied and the multisectoral teams of professionals to coordinate in the shortest time and the safest way possible. The organizational model adopted proved to be adequate and therefore exploited also for the second phase aimed to extremely fragile subjects.
2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273 ; BNT162 Vaccine ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage* ; Hospitals, Teaching/organization & administration* ; Humans ; Immunization Programs/organization & administration* ; Italy/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2/immunology*

Rotavirus (RV) is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis and one of the most common causes of hospital infections in infants and young children worldwide. RV vaccines, administered first at 6 weeks of age, have been developed by 2 pharmaceutical companies in the United States and United Kingdom. They were approved for safety and efficacy in 2006 and were recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be included in all national immunization programs in 2009. Since then, the incidence of RV infections has been decreasing. However, RV vaccines are not indicated for newborns, and therefore, the vaccines cannot be used to protect newborns from RV infections. Neonatal RV strains are different from those in other age groups. Although neonatal RV strains primarily cause asymptomatic infections, they can also lead to serious complications such as severe diarrhea, dehydration, metabolic acidosis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and even death. Additionally, they can cause serious outbreaks in newborn nurseries, neonatal intensive care units, and postpartum care facilities. I reviewed the literature, including our own study, on neonatal RV infections to determine the characteristics of neonatal RV infection and its prevention in newborns.
Acidosis ; Asymptomatic Infections ; Child ; Cross Infection ; Dehydration ; Diarrhea ; Disease Outbreaks ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gastroenteritis ; Great Britain ; Humans ; Immunization Programs ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Nurseries ; Postnatal Care ; Rotavirus Infections* ; Rotavirus* ; United States ; Vaccines ; World Health Organization