Elimination of cervical cancer: Lessons learned from polio and earlier eradication programs.

This paper reviews definitions of control, elimination, and eradication and considers lessons learned from prior and current elimination/eradication efforts that might inform the current effort to eliminate cervical cancer. This task is complicated by the varying definitions of elimination extant. Lessons for cervical cancer elimination notably include the necessity for political will/champions; the need for a specific target with a time span; the need for program efforts to be guided by surveillance of disease and death (not just coverage); the need for accountability, monitoring, and evaluation at all levels; and the need for ongoing research.

Global Vaccine Action Plan Lessons Learned II: Stakeholder Perspectives.

Introduction: The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), unanimously endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2012, defined an ambitious strategy to improve immunization. At the end of the decade, significant progress has been made but four of the five GVAP goals are likely to be missed. This report describes a set of surveys and interviews relating to GVAP, conducted to inform the immunization strategy for the next decade.

Global Vaccine Action Plan lessons learned III: Monitoring and evaluation/accountability framework.

Introduction: The Monitoring & Evaluation/Accountability (M&E/A) framework of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) was used to report progress annually to the World Health Assembly (WHA).

Methods: Stakeholder feedback was obtained through five reviews consisting of surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted from 2017 to 2019. Participants consisted of individuals involved in the development and implementation of GVAP or its M&E/A process, national immunization managers, academics, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations.

An opportunity to incentivize innovation to increase vaccine safety in the United States by improving vaccine delivery using vaccine patches.

Vaccines represent cost-effective and safe interventions that provide substantial health and economic benefits to individuals and populations. The US vaccine enterprise that supports all aspects of immunization continues to encourage innovation. Despite some limited historical recommendations to create a fund to support investments in vaccine safety, and recent legislation that supports innovation for new vaccines (the 21st Century Cures Act, Public Law 114-255), to date the US lacks financial incentives to fund innovation in vaccine delivery technologies.

Adherence to Timely Vaccinations in the United States.

Objectives: To estimate (1) the proportion of children not adhering to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended early childhood immunization schedule and (2) associations between schedule adherence, sociodemographic characteristics, and up-to-date immunization status by 19 to 35 months of age.

Methods: We used 2014 National Immunization Survey provider-verified vaccination data to classify vaccination patterns as "recommended" (ie, in line with ACIP dose- and age-specific recommendations), "alternate" (ie, in line with either limiting the number of shots per visit or skipping at least 1 vaccine series), or "unknown or unclassifiable" (ie, not in line with ACIP recommendations or clearly limiting shots per visit or vaccine series). We evaluated the association between vaccination patterns and up-to-date status for all ACIP-recommended vaccinations (including rotavirus and hepatitis A vaccines) using Poisson regression.

Performance of the United States Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP): 1988-2019.

The United States (US) highly values the individual and societal benefits of vaccination and invests significantly in vaccine development and use as part of its national vaccine enterprise. In 1986, recognizing the small, but non-zero risks associated with vaccines, the US created a mechanism to collect excise taxes on each dose of vaccine to fund a national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP includes a system for those claiming serious injuries from vaccines to seek compensation, and a process to pay individuals with legitimate claims and their legal counsel.

The Global Vaccine Action Plan - insights into its utility, application, and ways to strengthen future plans.

Background: The pace of global progress must increase if the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) goals are to be achieved by 2020. We administered a two-phase survey to key immunization stakeholders to assess the utility and application of GVAP, including how it has impacted country immunization programs, and to find ways to strengthen the next 10-year plan.

Methods: For the Phase I survey, an online questionnaire was sent to global immunization stakeholders in summer 2017.

The partnership for influenza vaccine introduction (PIVI): Supporting influenza vaccine program development in low and middle-income countries through public-private partnerships.

Influenza vaccination remains the most effective tool for reducing seasonal influenza disease burden. Few Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) have robust, sustainable annual influenza national vaccination programs. The Partnership for Influenza Vaccine Introduction (PIVI) was developed as a public-private partnership to support LMICs to develop and sustain national vaccination programs through time-limited vaccine donations and technical support.

Development of a US trust measure to assess and monitor parental confidence in the vaccine system.

Objective: To develop a Vaccine Confidence Index (VCI) that is capable of detecting variations in parental confidence towards childhood immunizations centered on trust and concern issues that impact vaccine confidence.

Methods: We used a web-based national poll of 893 parents of children <7 years in 2016 to assess the measures created for the Emory VCI (EVCI). EVCI measures were developed using constructs related to vaccine confidence identified by the U.

What Is Needed to Eliminate Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus as Global Health Threats.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause 1.3 million deaths annually. To prevent more than 7 million deaths by 2030, the World Health Organization set goals to eliminate HBV and HCV, defined as a 90% reduction in new infections and a 65% reduction in deaths, and prevent more than 7 million related deaths by 2030.

The National Vaccine Advisory Committee at 30: Impact and opportunity.

Thirty years after passage of legislation that created the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) "to achieve optimal prevention of human infectious diseases through immunization and to achieve optimal prevention against adverse reactions to vaccines," this review reflects NVAC's role and impact on the U.S. vaccine and immunization enterprise as an external advisor to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Measles and Rubella Global Strategic Plan 2012-2020 midterm review report: Background and summary.

Measles, a vaccine-preventable illness, is one of the most infectious diseases known to man. In 2015, an estimated 134,200 measles deaths occurred globally. Rubella, also vaccine-preventable, is a concern because infection during pregnancy can result in congenital defects in the baby.

Measles and rubella eradication.

This article discusses concepts of eradication, some issues relating to vertical and horizontal public health programs, some current issues relating to measles and rubella, and what we need to do about them. It concludes that measles and rubella/CRS can and should be eradicated. A target date should be established in 2020 (or before).

Transition Planning For After Polio Eradication.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has been in operation since 1988, now spends $1 billion annually, and operates through thousands of staff and millions of volunteers in dozens of countries. It has brought polio to the brink of eradication. After eradication is achieved, what should happen to the substantial assets, capabilities, and lessons of the GPEI? To answer this question, an extensive process of transition planning is underway.

Monitoring Results in Routine Immunization: Development of Routine Immunization Dashboard in Selected African Countries in the Context of the Polio Eradication Endgame Strategic Plan.

Background: To monitor immunization-system strengthening in the Polio Eradication Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 (PEESP), the Global Polio Eradication Initiative identified 1 indicator: 10% annual improvement in third dose of diphtheria- tetanus-pertussis-containing vaccine (DTP3) coverage in polio high-risk districts of 10 polio focus countries.

Methods: A multiagency team, including staff from the African Region, developed a comprehensive list of outcome and process indicators measuring various aspects of the performance of an immunization system.

Results: The development and implementation of the dashboard to assess immunization system performance allowed national program managers to monitor the key immunization indicators and stratify by high-risk and non-high-risk districts.

Use of m-Health in polio eradication and other immunization activities in developing countries.

Introduction: Reaching the children that are chronically missed by routine immunization services has been a key pillar of success in achieving progress toward polio eradication. The rapid advancement and accessibility of mobile technology ("mHealth") in low and lower middle income countries provides an important opportunity to apply novel, innovative approaches to provide vaccine services. We sought to document the use and effectiveness of mHealth in immunization programs in low and lower middle income countries.

Protective Effect of Contemporary Pertussis Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Acellular pertussis (aP) and whole-cell (wP) pertussis vaccines are presumed to have similar short-term (<3 years after completion of the primary series) efficacy. However, vaccine effect varies between individual pertussis vaccine formulations, and many originally studied formulations are now unavailable. An updated analysis of the short-term protective effect of pertussis vaccines limited to formulations currently on the market in developed countries is needed.

Immunization equity.

Health inequities are the unjust differences in health among different social groups. Unfortunately, inequities are the norm, both in terms of health status and access to, and use of, health services. Childhood immunizations reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and represent a cost-effective way to foster health equity.

Optimized oral cholera vaccine distribution strategies to minimize disease incidence: A mixed integer programming model and analysis of a Bangladesh scenario.

In addition to improved sanitation, hygiene, and better access to safe water, oral cholera vaccines can help to control the spread of cholera in the short term. However, there is currently no systematic method for determining the best allocation of oral cholera vaccines to minimize disease incidence in a population where the disease is endemic and resources are limited. We present a mathematical model for optimally allocating vaccines in a region under varying levels of demographic and incidence data availability.