Vaccination Coverage for Medically Indicated Vaccines in a Convenience Sample of Severely Immunocompromised Patients with COVID-19: An Observational Cohort Study.

Background: In recent decades, the number of immunocompromised patients (ICPs) has increased significantly. ICPs have an impaired immune system, making them susceptible to complicated infections. To protect them from infections, ICPs are eligible to receive several medically indicated vaccines.

[Influenza vaccination as secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease].

Influenza infection increases the risk of cardiovascular complications and mortality in patients with heart disease. In patients with coronary artery disease influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce cardiovascular mortality, but high-quality evidence was missing. New trial data from a RCT in patients shortly after myocardial infarction has confirmed the significant reduction of the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cardiovascular death after influenza vaccination.

[Monkeypox, a new pandemic?].

Monkeypox (MPX) is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral zoonotic disease, endemic in Central and West Africa. Human-to-human spread also occurs and is a feature of the current global outbreak.

Immunogenicity of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine followed by the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in people living with HIV on combination antiretroviral therapy.

People living with HIV (PLWH) are at increased risk of pneumococcal infections compared with the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the immunogenicity of the combined pneumococcal vaccination schedule in PLWH. In this prospective cohort study, adult PLWH on antiretroviral therapy and HIV-negative controls received the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) at baseline followed by the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) at Month 2.

Immunogenicity of the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) Followed by the 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) in Adults with and without Immunosuppressive Therapy.

Immunosuppressive therapy increases the risk of pneumococcal disease. This risk can be mitigated by pneumococcal vaccination. The objective of this study was to investigate the immunogenicity of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), followed by the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), in adults with and without immunosuppressive therapy.

[The medicinal treatment of COVID-19: a brief update].

Much has changed in the medical treatment of COVID-19 after the first patient with an infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands was diagnosed in February 2020. On the basis of limited data, at first only off-label use of (hydroxy)chloroquine seemed to be a treatment option. However, now based on the findings of several randomized studies, other medicines have been included in the Dutch guidelines about the treatment of COVID-19.

Immunogenicity of pneumococcal vaccination in HIV infected individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarise the literature regarding the immunogenicity of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPSV) in adult people living with HIV (PLWH) in the era of advanced combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Methods: The systematic review protocol was published online (PROSPERO ID: CRD 42020153137). We searched Medline (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), and the Global Health Library for publications from 2000 to June 11, 2020.

[Vaccination of immunocompromised patients: when and when not to vaccinate].

Immunocompromised individuals are at increased risk of infectious diseases and their complications. The main examples of these are pneumococcal disease and influenza, infections that are both vaccine-preventable. However, responses to vaccination are often impaired in immunocompromised patients.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Invasive Pneumococcal Disease and Community-acquired Pneumonia in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals in a High-income Setting.

Background: Although people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) are at increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), it is unclear whether this remains the case in the setting of early initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), at high CD4 cell counts. This is important, as pneumococcal vaccination coverage in PLWH is low in Europe and the United States, despite longstanding international recommendations.

Methods: We identified all CAP and IPD cases between 2008 and 2017 in a cohort of PLWH in a Dutch HIV referral center.

[Revision of the rabies policy in the Netherlands].

Revision of the rabies policy in the Netherlands The WHO aims to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies deaths in humans by 2030 ('zero by 30'). The Dutch rabies policy advisory board has revised its national rabies guidelines on the basis of the WHO guidelines revised in 2018. In the revised Dutch guidelines, there is increased focus on the importance of instant wound care after potential exposure to the rabies virus.

Influenza vaccination in patients with lung cancer receiving anti-programmed death receptor 1 immunotherapy does not induce immune-related adverse events.

Background: Influenza vaccination is recommended in patients with cancer to reduce influenza-related complications. Recently, more immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were demonstrated in patients with lung cancer who were vaccinated with the trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine during anti-programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) immunotherapy. Confirmation of these findings is essential before recommendations on influenza vaccination may be revoked.

Hospitalization for community-acquired febrile urinary tract infection: validation and impact assessment of a clinical prediction rule.

Background: There is a lack of severity assessment tools to identify adults presenting with febrile urinary tract infection (FUTI) at risk for complicated outcome and guide admission policy. We aimed to validate the Prediction Rule for Admission policy in Complicated urinary Tract InfeCtion LEiden (PRACTICE), a modified form of the pneumonia severity index, and to subsequentially assess its use in clinical practice.

Methods: A prospective observational multicenter study for model validation (2004-2009), followed by a multicenter controlled clinical trial with stepped wedge cluster-randomization for impact assessment (2010-2014), with a follow up of 3 months.

Treatment duration of febrile urinary tract infection: a pragmatic randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled non-inferiority trial in men and women.

Background: In adults with febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI), data on optimal treatment duration in patients other than non-pregnant women without comorbidities are lacking.

Methods: A randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority trial among 35 primary care centers and 7 emergency departments of regional hospitals in the Netherlands. Women and men aged ≥ 18 years with a diagnosis of fUTI were randomly assigned to receive antibiotic treatment for 7 or 14 days (the second week being ciprofloxacin 500 mg or placebo orally twice daily).

Influenza vaccination in adult patients with solid tumours treated with chemotherapy.

Patients with solid tumours receiving chemotherapy are at risk for influenza complications. Yearly influenza vaccination is recommended to patients treated with chemotherapy. However, adherence to vaccination is low, most likely due to lack of data on efficacy, optimal timing and safety of vaccination.

Expression and function of S100A8/A9 (calprotectin) in human typhoid fever and the murine Salmonella model.

Background: Typhoid fever, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, is a major cause of community-acquired bacteremia and death worldwide. S100A8 (MRP8) and S100A9 (MRP14) form bioactive antimicrobial heterodimers (calprotectin) that can activate Toll-like receptor 4, promoting lethal, endotoxin-induced shock and multi-organ failure. We aimed to characterize the expression and function of S100A8/A9 in patients with typhoid fever and in a murine invasive Salmonella model.

Self-rated health and physician-rated health as independent predictors of mortality in elderly men.

Background: When assessing health status, physicians may focus on objective symptoms and diagnoses, whereas individuals may focus more on subjective symptoms, functional limitations and quality of life.

Methods: In the Zutphen Elderly Study, 710 community-living men (aged 64-84 years) were followed until death for 15 years. Self-rated health was assessed through a single-item question.

Cardiovascular disease prevention in rural Nigeria in the context of a community based health insurance scheme: QUality Improvement Cardiovascular care Kwara-I (QUICK-I).

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading contributor to the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. Guidelines for CVD prevention care in low resource settings have been developed but little information is available on strategies to implement this care. A community health insurance program might be used to improve patients' access to care.

Polymorphisms in proinflammatory genes and susceptibility to typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever.

Host genetic factors are thought to contribute to susceptibility and outcome in infectious diseases. A polymorphism in a proinflammatory gene, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFA - 308), was recently found to be associated with susceptibility to typhoid fever. As the observation was made in hospitalized patients, a potential confounder could be that the TNFA polymorphism is associated with the severity of established illness resulting in hospital admission rather than susceptibility to disease.

Intrapleural extravasation of epirubicin, 5-fluouracil, and cyclophosphamide, treated with dexrazoxane.

The extravasation of DNA-binding vesicant drugs, such as epirubicin, is a feared complication of chemotherapy and can lead to extensive damage at injury sites. We describe a 56-year-old woman with breast cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy after a breast-preserving surgical procedure. Due to catheter tip misplacement, epirubicin, 5-fluouracil, and cyclophosphamide were administered intrapleurally.

A survey of the supply and bacteriologic quality of drinking water and sanitation in Jakarta, Indonesia.

We assessed the water supply, water quality and human waste disposal and their association with diarrheal illness in Jatinegara, East-Jakarta, where part of the area has been involved in the Kampung Improvement Program (KIP). Three hundred seventy-eight households, randomly selected in the study area, were visited and questioned about water source, sanitation and diarrheal illness during the previous 3 months. Microbiological quality of drinking water was assessed.