Immunomodulatory cancer therapy is witnessing the rise of viral immunotherapy. The oncolytic influenza A virus, although promising in preclinical investigations, remains to be implemented in clinical practice. Recent progress in genetic engineering, coupled with experiential insights, offers opportunities to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the influenza A virus. This review explores the use of the influenza virus, its attenuated forms, and associated vaccines in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting their respective advantages and challenges. We further elucidate methods for engineering influenza viruses and innovative approaches to augment them with cytokines or immune checkpoint inhibitors, aiming to maximize their clinical impact. Our goal is to provide insights essential for refining influenza A virus-based viral tumor immunotherapies.
Humans ; Neoplasms/immunology* ; Immunotherapy/trends* ; Influenza A virus/immunology* ; Oncolytic Virotherapy/trends* ; Animals ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Oncolytic Viruses ; Genetic Engineering ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

The influenza virus is classified as a single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus in Orthomyxoviridae family, with epidemiological properties distinct from common cold. Previous studies have found that influenza infection can cause cardiac damage through various pathways, and patients with cardiovascular diseases are at relatively higher risk of adverse disease outcomes. Influenza vaccination has been proven to provide protective effect on patients with cardiovascular diseases. Currently, there is insufficient emphasis placed by cardiologists and cardiovascular disease patients on the prevention of influenza infection, leading to a low influenza vaccination rate in China. Therefore, based on the current clinical research progress and relevant guidelines, combined with the safety, feasibility and health economic benefits of influenza vaccinating in patients with cardiovascular diseases, as well as clinical experience from experts, this article proposes expert opinions on influenza vaccination in common cardiovascular diseases aiming to raise awareness of influenza prevention and benefiting patients.
Humans ; Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control* ; Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage* ; Influenza, Human/prevention & control* ; Vaccination ; Expert Testimony

OBJECTIVE: Despite the global decrease in influenza infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, seasonal influenza remains a significant health issue. South Korea, known for its robust pandemic response and high influenza vaccination rates, offers a unique context for examining changes in vaccination trends during the pandemic. Using nationally representative data, we aimed to understand the impact of the pandemic on influenza vaccination behavior over a 12-year period and to identify vulnerable groups. METHODS: We analyzed influenza vaccination rates in South Korea between 2011-2022, focusing on pandemic-related impacts. The data of 2,426,139 adults (≥ 19 years) from the Korea Community Health Survey were used to assess demographic and sociological factors influencing vaccination behaviors. RESULTS: We observed an increase in influenza vaccination rates during the pre-COVID-19 period from 2011-2013 (weighted prevalence: 46.68% [95% confidence interval ( CI): 46.55-46.82]) to 2017-2019 (weighted prevalence: 52.50% [95% CI: 52.38-52.63]). However, a significant decline was observed in 2022, the late-COVID-19 pandemic period (weighted prevalence: 55.78% [95% CI: 55.56-56.01]), compared with the mid-pandemic period in 2021 (weighted prevalence: 59.12% [95% CI: 58.91-59.32]), particularly among populations traditionally prioritized for influenza vaccination, including older adults (≥ 65 years) and patients with chronic diseases and low educational and income levels. CONCLUSION The influenza vaccination rate in South Korea was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, showing a notable decrease among vulnerable demographic groups. This suggests the need for targeted public health strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccination rates, particularly among high-risk populations.
Humans ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology* ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Influenza, Human/epidemiology* ; Aged ; Vaccination/statistics & numerical data* ; Young Adult ; Pandemics ; SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to an increase in demand for pneumococcal and influenza vaccines. Several approaches to improve vaccination rates among different populations were investigated to address this need. Social media may be used as a platform to promote and improve vaccination rates. The study aimed to determine the effect of social media promotion, on the number of patients requesting vaccination in a government tertiary hospital.

The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. A telehealth-based vaccination delivery system was established. The need for vaccination against flu and pneumonia was then promoted on a social media platform during the first month of the study. Posters on the risk of not being vaccinated and safety profile of vaccines were added on the second month. The number of requests for vaccination for each month was compared. Social media metrics of the two months of the study were likewise described.

A total of 23 requests for vaccination were recorded, 11 on the first month and 12 on the second month. When a boost in advertising for the posts was implemented, twice as many requests were made during the third week of the second month as compared to the previous month (5 vs 10). Social media promotion with poster showed higher average in reach, engagement and comments per week than without poster. The mean differences among the social media metrics, however, were not statistically significant.

Promotion with posters resulted in a slight increase in number of vaccination requests. Further increase in requests may require a more refined social media promotional strategy.

BACKGROUND

A community survey on the immunization status of residents in Barangay Pinag-Isang Palad, Old Balara, Quezon City, reflected a low immunization rate of 8% for influenza and 6% for pneumococcal vaccines. Exploring ways to increase awareness on vaccination is important to improve the delivery of primary prevention.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of infomercials versus infographics in promoting influenza and pneumococcal vaccination among residents of Barangay Pinag-Isang Palad.

A quasi-experimental study design using systematic sampling where one group of respondents was assigned to the infomercial intervention, and the other group to the infographics intervention. Each participant completed a self-administered 25-item questionnaire assessing perceived barriers to influenza and pneumococcal vaccination. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare within group changes in scores pre- and post-intervention. Mann-Whitney test was used to determine between group differences in post-intervention scores.

A total of 70 respondents representing 70 households in the barangay participated in the study. Respondents were mostly from the 26-35 age group, females with high school education in the service industry, with < P23,381 average monthly income, and good self-reported health status. Comparison of the pre- and post-intervention mean scores of both groups (infomercial and infographics), showed statistically significant change in post-intervention mean scores from baseline. However, comparison of the post-intervention mean scores between groups was not statistically significant. Identified barriers in both groups were challenges in affordability and accessibility of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.

This study showed that the InfoVax Strategy, using infomercials and infographics, can be effective tools in improving perceptions on influenza and pneumococcal vaccination among residents of Barangay Pinag-Isang Palad. The findings of this study can be applied to communities having similar characteristics. Healthcare providers may improve perceptions on vaccination and subsequent uptake by distributing infographics or playing infomercials aside from public health lectures. Vaccination will help prevent loss of earnings and incrased medication consumption. The local health unit needs to evaluate and address the identified barriers of affordability and accessibility.

Vaccination is the most effective measure for reducing and preventing influenza and related complications. In this study, we analyzed the mutation trend and the antigen dominant site changes of the amino acid sequence of hemagglutinin subunit 1 (HA1) of human influenza A virus (IAV) in the northern hemisphere from 2012 to 2022. According to the HA1 sequences of A/Darwin/6/2021 (H3N2) and A/Wisconsin/588/2019 (H1N1) recommended by the World Health Organization in the 2022 influenza season in northern hemisphere, we employed the mosaic algorithm to design three Mosaic-HA1 antigens through stepwise substitution. Mosaic-HA1 was expressed and purified in 293F cells and then mixed with the alum adjuvant at a volume ratio of 1:1. The mixture was used to immunize BALB/c mice, and the immunogenicity was evaluated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that Mosaic-HA1 induced the production of IgG targeting two types of HA1, the specific IgG titers for binding to H3 protein and H1 protein reached 10⁵ and 10³ respectively. The challenge test showed that Mosaic-HA1 protected mice from H3N2 or H1N1. This study designs the vaccines by recombination of major antigenic sites in different subtypes of IAV, giving new insights into the development of multivalent subunit vaccines against influenza.
Animals ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/genetics* ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice ; Influenza Vaccines/genetics* ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus/genetics* ; Humans ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; Antigens, Viral/genetics* ; Immunoglobulin G/immunology* ; Female ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/prevention & control* ; HEK293 Cells

Objective: To analyze the utilization of adult vaccination among people aged 18 and above in Shandong Province from 2018 to 2022. Methods: Data on vaccination units in 2022 and individual cases of vaccination information for people aged 18 and above were extracted from the Shandong Immunization Information System. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the distribution of adult vaccination units and adult vaccination varieties. The total vaccination amount and vaccination rate were calculated. Results: By the end of 2022, there were 3 948 vaccination units providing adult vaccination in Shandong Province, with 0.36 adult vaccination clinics per 10 000 people. Adult vaccination including RabV(rabies vaccine for human use), InfV(influenza vaccine), HPV(human papillomavirus), HepB(hepatitis B vaccine), PPV23(23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine), MenACYW135(meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine group ACYW135), MMR(measles, mumps and rubella combined attenuated live vaccine), HEV(hepatitise E vaccine), RZV(recombinant zoster vaccine), TV(tetanus vaccine) and HF(haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome vaccine) vaccines were administered, with a cumulative dose of 40.056 9 million and an average of 0.1 doses per person per year from 2018 to 2022. The top three vaccines were RabV, InfV and HPV, accounting for 31.48%, 22.57%, and 15.93% of the total vaccination amount, respectively. The annual vaccination dose for adults increased from 3.477 3 million in 2018 to 13.308 6 million in 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 56.55%. The cumulative 5-year doses of RabV and TV were 15.90 doses per 100 people and 0.21 doses per 100 people. The average annual vaccination rate of InfV was 2.28%. The cumulative full vaccination rates of HPV, HepB, PPV23 and RZV were 12.44%, 1.61%, 0.52% and 0.17%, respectively. The cumulative 5-year doses of RabV and TV were 29.19 doses per 100 people and 0.43 doses per 100 people in the age group of 20 to<30 years old. The vaccination rates of InfV and PPV23 were 9.08% and 1.27% in the age group of 70 to<80 years old. The vaccination rate of RZV was 0.11% in the age group of 50 to<60 years old. The HPV vaccination rate was 18.09% in the age group of 20 to<30 years old, and the HepB, MenACYW135, MMR and HEV vaccination rates were 6.21%, 9.55%, 2.65%, and 2.83% in the 18-19 age group, respectively. Conclusion: There are relatively few types of adult vaccination in Shandong Province, with narrow coverage and low vaccination rates.
Adult ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Aged, 80 and over ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Vaccination ; Phenylbutyrates ; Influenza Vaccines

Objective: To understand the knowledge, attitude and behavior of adult residents on influenza, pneumococcus, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes zoster (HZ), COVID-19, hepatitis B and rabies vaccination in Shandong Province. Methods: From August to September 2022, a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to investigate community-dwelling residents aged 18 years old and above in 12 counties (cities and districts) of Shandong Province. A questionnaire survey was used to collect the basic information of the respondents, such as knowledge, attitude and vaccination behavior of influenza, pneumococcus, HPV, HZ, COVID-19, hepatitis B and rabies vaccine. Analysis of variance was used to compare the differences in the respondents' knowledge and attitude scores of different vaccines. The Chi-square test was conducted to compare the differences in vaccination reasons among different characteristics, and a logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of vaccination behavior. Results: The median age (Q₁, Q₃) of the 2 754 respondents was 39 (29, 57) years ranging from 18 to 94 years, with a number of 1 234 (44.81%) males. The average score of the respondents' understanding of various knowledge about adult vaccines was less than 4 points, with the highest score for understanding which diseases can be prevented by adult vaccines. The average score of consent and necessity for adult vaccines to prevent diseases was greater than 3.6 points. In terms of knowledge demand and trust in information channels, there was a high level of trust in the recommendations of vaccination outpatient staff and clinical doctors [with scores of (4.15±0.79) and (4.02±0.80), respectively]. The highest demand for information on vaccination safety knowledge was (4.18±0.84) points. In recent two years, 52.11% of the population had been vaccinated with other vaccines in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine and rabies vaccine, and 45.44% of the population felt it was necessary to be vaccinated through media publicity. Women, age growth, high education level, and high-income level were the promoting factors for adopting vaccination behavior. Conclusion: Adult residents in Shandong Province have a basic understanding and supportive attitude towards vaccination, but the vaccination behavior rate is still relatively low, with significant differences in sex, age, education level, and income level. It is necessary to further increase efforts in the breadth and depth of adult vaccination promotion and education, as well as promotion strategies targeting different populations.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Influenza, Human ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Rabies Vaccines ; Influenza Vaccines ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Hepatitis B ; Herpes Zoster

Objective: To understand the setting of adult vaccination clinics and the situation of adult vaccination in Shandong province, and provide the date basis for the construction and development of adult vaccination clinics in Shandong province. Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was used to survey the settings, personnel allocation, operation status, and adult vaccination status of child-adult vaccination clinics and adult vaccination clinics. A random sampling survey was conducted for hydrophobia vaccination clinics in 12 counties (cities, districts) of Shandong province. The settings and vaccination status of different types of adult vaccination clinics were compared and analyzed using analysis of variance or χ²-test. Results: Among the investigated counties (cities, districts), the child-adult vaccination clinics, the adult vaccination clinics, and the hydrophobia vaccination clinics accounted for 59.51%, 7.97% and 32.52%, respectively. The construction model could be divided into three models: child-adult vaccination clinic model, child-adult and hydrophobia vaccination clinic model, child-adult, adult and hydrophobia vaccination clinic model. The child-adult vaccination clinics had been set up for a long time (≥3 years accounted for 94.33%) and were set up by public primary medical institutions (public institutions accounted for 93.81% and primary institutions accounted for 92.78%). Each vaccination clinic was equipped with full-time and part-time staff of (3.19±3.01) and (3.72±4.32). The adult vaccination clinics had been set up for a short time (≥3 years accounted for 94.33%) and were set up by public/private primary/secondary medical institutions in urban areas (urban areas accounted for 100%, primary institutions accounted for 69.23%, and private institutions accounted for 57.69%). Each vaccination clinic was equipped with full-time and part-time staff of (2.46±2.87) and (3.08±3.53). The coverage of influenza vaccine (InfV), human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) and hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) reached 100%, 98.45% and 97.42% in children-adult vaccination clinics, and 88.46%, 84.62% and 73.08% in adult vaccination clinics, respectively. The hydrophobia vaccination clinics only provided rabies vaccine for human use (RabV) and tetanus vaccine (TV) vaccination simultaneously. A total of 819.8 thousand doses of adult vaccines were administered in 2021. The adult inoculation doses of RabV, lnfV and HPV accounted for 42.60%, 27.47% and 17.54% of the total inoculation doses, respectively. The inoculation doses of InfV, HPV and RabV accounted for 49.33%, 21.97% and 13.80% of child-adult vaccination clinics, respectively. The inoculation doses of HPV, HepB and RabV accounted for 49.36%, 15.40% and 14.71% of adult vaccination clinics, respectively. The proportion of RabV reached 94.44% in the hydrophobia vaccination clinics alone. Conclusion: Adult vaccination is at the initial stage in Shandong province. The children's vaccination clinic is mainly responsible for adult vaccination. The variety of adult vaccines is relatively concentrated, and the adult vaccination rate is lower. The construction and publicity of adult vaccination should be further strengthened.
Adult ; Humans ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Rabies ; Influenza Vaccines ; Vaccination ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Papillomavirus Vaccines

Objective: To understand the current situation of vaccination services for adults in China, explore how to establish a stable and efficient vaccination service system for adults, and provide reference for formulating corresponding policies. Methods: The vaccination information systems of nine provinces in China were used to obtain information on urban and rural vaccination of influenza vaccine, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23), and human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) from 2019 to 2021. The indicator, vaccination rate/full vaccination rate, was used for statistical description. Results: The vaccination rate/full vaccination rate of the three vaccines in eastern China was generally higher than that in central and western China. The vaccination rate/full vaccination rate in urban areas was generally higher than that in rural areas. From 2019 to 2021, the vaccination rates of influenza vaccine among people aged 60 years and above in urban and rural areas were 2.96%, 6.29%, 6.14% and 1.29%, 2.58%, 2.94%, respectively. The vaccination rates of the PPV23 among people aged 60 years and above in urban and rural areas increased year by year, with rates of 0.38%, 1.05%, 1.15% and 0.14%, 0.49%, 0.59%, respectively. From 2019 to 2021, the HPV coverage of female adults aged 27-45 years in urban and rural areas increased year by year, with rates of 0.46%, 0.93%, 1.88% and 0.17%, 0.40%, 1.08%, respectively. Conclusion: The vaccination rates of influenza vaccine,PPV23 vaccine and HPV vaccine for adults in China are relatively low, with higher rates in the eastern region than in the central and western regions, and higher rates in urban areas than in rural areas. It is recommended to formulate corresponding health and economic policies and explore a suitable vaccination service system for adults in China to improve vaccination rates.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Vaccination ; China ; Papillomavirus Vaccines/therapeutic use*