Publications by authors named "Alaya Koneru"

Objective: This report highlights state and local practices for optimizing the pediatric COVID-19 vaccination program for children ages 6 months through 11 years.

Methods: State and local practices designed to optimize pediatric COVID-19 vaccine uptake were identified from a range of sources, including immunization program, CDC, and partner staff; and media stories or program descriptions identified via online searches.

Results: A range of practices were identified across different categories: provider-focused practices, school-based practices, jurisdiction or health department-based activities, community-focused practices involving partners, use of vaccination incentives, and Medicaid-related practices.

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Objectives: To assess trends and programmatic outcomes among infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive women from 2009 to 2017 and case-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program (PHBPP).

Methods: We analyzed 2009-2017 annual programmatic reports submitted by 56 US jurisdictions funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PHBPP to assess characteristics of maternal-infant pairs and achievement of objectives of infant hepatitis B postexposure prophylaxis, vaccine series completion, and postvaccination serologic testing (PVST). We compared the number of maternal-infant pairs identified by the program with the number estimated born to HBsAg-positive women from 2009 to 2014 and 2015 to 2017 by using a race and/or ethnicity and maternal country of birth methodology, respectively.

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HEPATITIS A IS A VACCINE-PREVENTABLE, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE OF THE LIVER CAUSED BY THE HEPATITIS A VIRUS (HAV). THE INFECTION IS TRANSMITTED VIA THE FECAL-ORAL ROUTE, USUALLY FROM DIRECT PERSON-TO-PERSON CONTACT OR CONSUMPTION OF CONTAMINATED FOOD OR WATER. HEPATITIS A IS AN ACUTE, SELF-LIMITED DISEASE THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN CHRONIC INFECTION.

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Objective: A national estimate of births to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive women can help public health programs plan surveillance, educational, and outreach activities to improve identification and management of at-risk women and infants. Stratifying mothers by country of birth allows for the application of region-specific HBsAg prevalence estimates, which can more precisely estimate the number of at-risk infants. The objective of our study was to estimate the number of births to HBsAg-positive women in the United States with more granularity than previous models.

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Introduction: Perinatal transmission is an increasingly important mode of hepatitis C virus transmission. The authors characterized U.S.

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Background: This study was conducted to identify barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, follow-up care, and treatment among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women and clinicians and to explore the acceptability of patient navigators in Tanzania.

Materials And Methods: In 2012, we conducted four focus groups, two with HIV-positive women and two with clinicians who perform cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, follow-up care, and treatment. Transcriptions were analyzed using thematic analysis.

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Objective: To identify barriers to cervical cancer screening and treatment, and determine acceptance toward peer navigators (PNs) to reduce barriers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among women with HIV infection aged 19 years or older attending HIV clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between May and August 2012. Data for sociodemographic characteristics, barriers, knowledge and attitude toward cervical cancer screening and treatment, and PNs were collected by questionnaire.

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The first patients with laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in American Samoa had symptom onset in January 2016 (1). In response, the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDoH) implemented mosquito control measures (1), strategies to protect pregnant women (1), syndromic surveillance based on electronic health record (EHR) reports (1), Zika virus testing of persons with one or more signs or symptoms of Zika virus disease (fever, rash, arthralgia, or conjunctivitis) (1-3), and routine testing of all asymptomatic pregnant women in accordance with CDC guidance (2,3) All collected blood and urine specimens were shipped to the Hawaii Department of Health Laboratory for Zika virus testing and to CDC for confirmatory testing. Early in the response, collection and testing of specimens from pregnant women was prioritized over the collection from symptomatic nonpregnant patients because of limited testing and shipping capacity.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease, primarily spread through blood and vertically from infected mothers to their infants, with a transmission rate of about 5.8% in cases where mothers are solely infected with HCV.
  • Recent data shows a concerning rise in HCV cases among individuals aged 30 and below, leading to an increase in pregnant women with the virus and potential exposure for infants at birth.
  • Between 2011-2014, national rates of HCV detection in women of childbearing age rose by 22%, and the proportion of infants born to HCV-positive mothers increased by 68%, with Kentucky seeing even higher spikes in these rates.
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Background: Ninety percent of perinatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections result in chronic HBV (CHBV), which carries 25% risk of premature death from progressive liver injury, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In 1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Programs (PHBPP) to ensure postexposure prophylaxis for exposed infants and accelerate elimination of perinatal CHBV in the United States. From 2000 to 2009, the annual rates of perinatal CHBV reported by PHBPP (0.

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Introduction: Due to the increasing number of clinical trials conducted globally, there is a need for quality continuing education for health professionals in clinical research manager (CRM) roles. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a distance-based continuing education program for CRMs working outside the United States.

Methods: A total of 692 applications were received from CRMs in 50 countries.

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