Publications by authors named "Amadea Britton"

During 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations intended for widespread use in the United States to prevent severe RSV illness in infants and older adults. CDC, in collaboration with federal, public health, and academic partners, is conducting evaluations of real-world effectiveness of recommended RSV immunization products in the United States. Similar frameworks for evaluation are being applied to RSV vaccines and nirsevimab, a long-acting preventative monoclonal antibody, to estimate product effectiveness.

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The extent to which semi-quantitative antibody levels confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in populations with heterogenous immune histories is unclear. Two nested case-control studies were designed within the multisite HEROES/RECOVER prospective cohort of frontline workers to study the relationship between antibody levels and protection against first-time post-vaccination infection and reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 from December 2021 to January 2023. All participants submitted weekly nasal swabs for rRT-PCR testing and blood samples quarterly and following infection or vaccination.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted from September 2022 to April 2023 to evaluate how COVID-19 vaccines affect the risk of infection in children under 5 years old.
  • The results showed no significant difference in infection risk between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
  • Although the vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness, they may not prevent the actual infection of the virus in young kids.
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Background: While there is evidence that COVID-19 vaccination protects against development of post-COVID conditions (PCC) after severe infection data are limited on whether vaccination reduces the risk after cases of less-severe non-hospitalized COVID-19 disease with more recent SARS-CoV-2 variant viruses. This study assessed whether COVID-19 vaccination was protective against subsequent development of PCC in persons with predominantly mild initial infections during both Delta and Omicron variant predominance.

Methods: This study utilized a case-control design, nested within the HEROES-RECOVER cohort.

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Background: On September 2, 2022, bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, were recommended to address reduced effectiveness of COVID-19 monovalent vaccines during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant predominance.

Methods: Using national pharmacy-based SARS-CoV-2 testing program data from January 15 to September 11, 2023, this test-negative, case-control design study assessed bivalent COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic infection.

Results: VE against symptomatic infection of a bivalent dose between 2 weeks and 1 month after bivalent vaccination ranged from 46% (95% CI: 38%-52%) for those aged ≥ 65 years to 61% (95% CI 41%-75%) for those aged 12-17 years.

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Background: Previous estimates of vaccine effectiveness (VE) against asymptomatic influenza virus infection based on seroconversion have varied widely and may be biased. We estimated 2022-2023 influenza VE against illness and asymptomatic infection in a prospective cohort.

Methods: In the HEROES-RECOVER cohort, adults at increased occupational risk of influenza exposure across 7 US sites provided weekly symptom reports and nasal swabs for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) influenza testing.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in older adults. In May 2023, two subunit RSV vaccines (Arexvy [GSK] and Abrysvo [Pfizer]) received approval from the U.S.

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Unlabelled: Hybrid immunity, as a result of infection and vaccination to SARS-CoV-2, has been well studied in adults but limited evidence is available in children. We evaluated the antibody responses to primary SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated and unvaccinated children aged ≥ 5 years.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of children aged ≥ 5 was conducted during August 2021-August 2022, at sites in Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Florida.

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Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of respiratory issues and hospitalizations in older adults during fall and winter in the U.S., prompting new vaccination recommendations.
  • For the 2023-2024 season, a single dose of FDA-approved RSV vaccines is now recommended for all adults aged 75 and older, and for those aged 60-74 who are at higher risk for severe RSV.
  • The updated guidelines aim to improve vaccination rates among high-risk groups and include ongoing monitoring of vaccine effectiveness and safety to inform future decisions.
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Background: There are limited data on whether hybrid immunity differs by count and order of immunity-conferring events (infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] or vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]). From a multi-site cohort of frontline workers, we examined the heterogeneity of the effect of hybrid immunity on SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels.

Methods: Exposures included event count and event order, categorized into 7 permutations.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Limited data exists regarding the effectiveness of these vaccines, prompting the need for this research to understand their impact on this age group and inform vaccination strategies.
  • * The analysis involved testing nasal swabs for the virus and comparing infection rates between vaccinated participants and those who were unvaccinated or had received only monovalent vaccine doses, while controlling for various demographic and health factors.
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Objectives: Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake is not well understood. Among parents of a prospective cohort of children aged 6 months-17 years, we assessed COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and uptake over 15 months.

Methods: The PROTECT study collected sociodemographic characteristics of children at enrollment and COVID-19 vaccination data and parental KAPs quarterly.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The CDC recommended an updated COVID-19 vaccine derived from the XBB.1.5 variant for everyone aged 6 months and older to protect against COVID-19, as new variants like JN.1 emerged and spread in fall 2023.
  • - Research analyzed over 9,000 tests, finding that the vaccine effectiveness was about 54% for adults 18 and older, with variations depending on testing methods and timing post-vaccination.
  • - The updated vaccines are effective in protecting against symptomatic infections, and the CDC will keep monitoring their effectiveness, urging all eligible individuals to get vaccinated.
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COVID-19 vaccines were originally authorized in the United States in December 2020 on the basis of safety, immunogenicity, and clinical efficacy data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) data are necessary to provide information on how the vaccines work in populations not included in the RCTs (e.g.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous throughout the United States. Previous studies have shown PFAS exposure to be associated with a reduced immune response. However, the relationship between serum PFAS and antibody levels following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination has not been examined.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a cause of severe respiratory illness in older adults. In May 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccines for prevention of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in adults aged ≥60 years. Since May 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines Adult Work Group met at least monthly to review available evidence regarding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of these vaccines among adults aged ≥60 years.

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Vaccine-induced immunity may impact subsequent responses to drifted epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 variants, but this has been difficult to quantify due to the challenges in recruiting unvaccinated control groups whose first exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is a primary infection. Through local, statewide, and national SARS-CoV-2 testing programs, we were able to recruit cohorts of individuals who had recovered from either primary or post-vaccination infections by either the Delta or Omicron BA.1 variants.

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Background: The PROTECT study is a longitudinal cohort study initiated in July 2021 with weekly testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 4 states: Arizona, Florida, exas, and Utah. This study aims to examine vaccine-elicited antibody response against postvaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Methods: Children aged 5-11 years had serum collected 14-59 days after their second dose of monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 messenger RNA vaccine.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a cause of severe respiratory illness in older adults. In May 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccines for prevention of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in adults aged ≥60 years. Since May 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines Adult Work Group met at least monthly to review available evidence regarding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of these vaccines among adults aged ≥60 years.

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Article Synopsis
  • The CDC has been providing guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine use in the U.S. during the national public health emergency, based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
  • Between August 2022 and April 2023, the FDA approved a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that targets both the original virus and Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains for people aged 6 and older, as well as vaccines for younger children and additional doses for high-risk groups.
  • Currently, there are three approved COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S.: the bivalent mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech, the bivalent mRNA Moderna, and the monovalent Novavax, while mon
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  • New pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV15 and PCV20) have been approved for adults in the U.S., showing safety and immune response benefits over the older PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccines.
  • A systematic review of literature assessed the efficacy and effectiveness of PCV13 and PPSV23 against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) in adults, with a total of 19 studies included from a larger search of over 5,000 titles.
  • Results indicated that PCV13 had varying effectiveness of 47%-68% against PCV13-type IPD and 38%-68% against PP, while PPSV23 showed 45
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  • The study focused on the effectiveness of mRNA monovalent booster doses against new SARS-CoV-2 subvariants BA.2/BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5, which have mutations allowing them to evade immunity better than previous variants.
  • Data from over 760,000 cases and 817,000 controls showed that three vaccine doses provided 45% to 74% effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 in individuals over 12 years old, but this protection decreased to 0% within 5-7 months.
  • For adults aged 50 and older, those who received four doses had ongoing protection against infection, with effectiveness remaining significant at over 3 months
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Background: Despite the disproportionate morbidity and mortality experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, few studies have reported vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates among these communities.

Methods: We conducted a test-negative case-control analysis among AI/AN persons aged ≥12 years presenting for care from January 1, 2021, through November 30, 2021, to evaluate the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19-associated outpatient visits and hospitalizations. Cases and controls were patients with ≥1 symptom consistent with COVID-19-like illness; cases were defined as those test-positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and controls were defined as those test-negative for SARS-CoV-2.

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Article Synopsis
  • On June 18, 2022, ACIP recommended the 2-dose Moderna vaccine for children 6 months-5 years and the 3-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those 6 months-4 years based on safety and limited efficacy data.
  • Studies showed that the effectiveness of Moderna's vaccine in children aged 3-5 was 60% two weeks to two months after the second dose, while Pfizer's vaccine for children aged 3-4 had an effectiveness of 31% within two to four months after the third dose.
  • The CDC later expanded vaccine recommendations to include updated bivalent vaccines for children aged 6 months and older on December 9, 2022, to improve protection against current COVID
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