Publications by authors named "Ates Kara"

Background/objectives: The rapid evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the emergence of variants with enhanced transmissibility and immune evasion, challenging existing vaccines. This study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of inactivated bivalent vaccine formulations incorporating the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain (ERAGEM) with either Delta or Omicron (BA.5) variants.

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Introduction: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is an alternative for post-exposure prophylaxis if a vaccine is contraindicated and intramuscular immunoglobulin is unavailable. We retrospectively examined the effect of IVIG administration time on measles development in measles-contact infants younger than 6 months of age.

Methodology: Contact tracing of measles cases was performed by the Istanbul Public Health Directorate (IPHD) between August 24, 2012, and June 16, 2013.

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Article Synopsis
  • In Turkey, a single-dose varicella vaccine was introduced in February 2013, aiming to reduce hospitalizations related to chickenpox among children under 18 years old.
  • A study analyzed hospitalization data from 2008 to 2018, comparing rates before and after the vaccine's introduction, finding a significant decrease in hospitalizations (3.79 to 2.87 per 100,000 children per year).
  • The most notable reduction was in children aged 1-5 years, with a 60.2% drop in hospitalizations post-vaccine, demonstrating the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing severe cases of varicella.
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  • This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of family physicians, pediatricians, and obstetricians/gynecologists in Turkey regarding vaccines during pregnancy.
  • Results showed that while a high percentage of physicians recommended the Td vaccine, many felt they lacked sufficient information about vaccination practices.
  • Ultimately, the study highlighted the need for improved physician education on maternal vaccinations and suggested including specific vaccines in the standard immunization schedule for newborns in Turkey.
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  • - The study analyzed data from a randomized trial in Türkiye involving 1,266 volunteers aged 18-55 to assess how previous COVID-19 infections affected adverse events after receiving the TURKOVAC vaccine compared to CoronaVac.
  • - Among participants, 27.7% had a history of COVID-19, with local and systemic adverse events (AEs) occurring in 37.3% and 39% of individuals, respectively, and slightly higher rates were noted shortly after vaccination.
  • - Following the second dose, 1,203 participants were evaluated, showing similar rates of local and systemic AEs for those with and without prior COVID-19 infection, with both TURKOVAC and CoronaVac exhibiting comparable
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  • Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral infection in children caused by enteroviruses and coxsackieviruses, with no specific treatment options available.
  • A clinical study with 208 children investigated the effects of EPs® 7630, an herbal medicine, on HFMD symptoms, revealing significantly shorter illness duration and lower hospitalization rates in the treatment group compared to controls.
  • The results suggest that EPs® 7630 is a potentially effective and safe herbal treatment for HFMD, with only minor side effects reported.
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Vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time and warrants booster doses. We investigated the long-term (32 weeks) immunogenicity and safety of a third, homologous, open-label booster dose of TURKOVAC, administered 12 weeks after completion of the primary series in a randomized, controlled, double-blind, phase 2 study. Forty-two participants included in the analysis were evaluated for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) (with microneutralization (MNT) and focus reduction (FRNT) tests), SARS-CoV-2 S1 RBD (Spike S1 Receptor Binding Domain), and whole SARS-CoV-2 (with ELISA) IgGs on the day of booster injection and at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 thereafter.

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Objectives: Septic arthritis (SA) is a serious bacterial infection that must be treated efficiently and timely. The large number of culture-negative cases makes local epidemiological data important. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the etiology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic approach of SA in children in Turkiye, emphasizing the role of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques in the diagnosis.

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Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis, remains one of the most widespread, contagious, and vaccine-preventable diseases. It results in notable morbidity and mortality as well as severe medical, social, and economic burden. Despite high global vaccine coverage, pertussis continues to be a significant epidemiologic problem, with outbreak episodes every few years just as in the pre-vaccination era.

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  • The study investigates multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MISC) related to COVID-19, focusing on comparing clinical and laboratory characteristics of children hospitalized in ICU versus those who were not.
  • Conducted from June 2021 to January 2022, the observational study included 601 patients, with 157 requiring ICU care, revealing significant differences in demographics, lab results, and disease features.
  • Key findings showed that older age groups and higher levels of certain inflammatory markers increased the likelihood of ICU admission, highlighting the severe impact of MISC on children's health.
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The immunogenicity of vaccines decreases over time, causing a need for booster doses. This study aimed to present the long-term (Day 84) immunogenicity results of the double-blind, randomized, controlled, phase II Hybrid COV-RAPEL TR Study (NCT04979949), in which the TURKOVAC or CoronaVac vaccines were used as a booster after the second dose of primary vaccination with CoronaVac. A total of 190 participants from the Hybrid COV-RAPEL TR Study, who had both Day 28 and Day 84 immunogenicity results, were included.

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Background: The prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) has been increasing worldwide. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of MRSA in community-acquired S.

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This multi-center point prevalence study evaluated children who were diagnosed as having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On February 2nd, 2022, inpatients and outpatients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were included in the study from 12 cities and 24 centers in Turkey. Of 8605 patients on February 2nd, 2022, in participating centers, 706 (8.

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  • - Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a common side effect of antimicrobial therapy, and a study was conducted to examine its prevalence among pediatric patients in a specific region.
  • - The study involved 758 pediatric patients who started oral antibiotics, revealing a 10.4% occurrence rate of diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, particularly higher with cephalosporins and in certain geographic areas of Turkey.
  • - The findings highlighted geographic differences in the rate of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, suggesting that while it's not extremely common, it can vary significantly based on location and type of antibiotic used.
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Background/objective(s)/introduction: TURKOVAC™ is a whole-virion inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed and recently granted emergency use authorization (conditional marketing authorization) in Türkiye. The objective of this study is to assess the spectrum and the distribution of adverse events reported following the administration of the first 150,000 doses as primary and booster vaccine doses in 22 state hospitals of 17 provinces in Türkiye.

Patients/materials And Methods: In this cohort study, a verbal survey was conducted telephone calls between 10 January and 17 January 2022, utilizing a structured questionnaire algorithm on a sample group of 20,000 persons on the third- and seventh-days following vaccination.

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TURKOVAC™ is a whole-virion inactivated COVID-19 vaccine which was developed and granted emergency use and conditional marketing authorization in December 2021 in Türkiye. The objective of this study is to assess the distribution and the severity of allergic adverse events following the administration of the vaccine as the primary or the booster dose in 15 provinces in Türkiye. In this cohort study, between February and May 2022, in the selected 15 provinces having an adequate number of health care personnel in the community health centers to conduct the study, 32,300 people having the first, the second, or the booster dose of the vaccine were invited to the survey.

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Background: Development of safe and effective vaccine options is crucial to the success of fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we report interim safety and immunogenicity findings of the phase 1&2 trials of ERUCoV-VAC, an inactivated whole virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Methods: Double-blind, randomised, single centre, phase 1 and 2 trials included SARS-CoV-2 seronegative healthy adults aged 18-55 years (18-64 in phase 2).

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Protective neutralizing antibody titers reduce in time after COVID-19 vaccinations, as in individuals who have had COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of CoronaVac and TURKOVAC vaccines used as a booster dose after CoronaVac primary vaccination. This double-blind, randomized, controlled, phase II, multicenter study included healthy male and female adults (18-60 years) who were vaccinated with two doses of CoronaVac vaccine and did not exceed the duration of at least 90 days and a maximum of 270 days from the second dose of vaccination.

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Background: Healthcare professionals' vaccine recommendation is the most effective method to increase vaccination rates of the community. The vaccine counseling and recommendation behavior of pharmacists, who are among the easily accessible healthcare professionals, are influenced by their knowledge and attitudes about vaccines.

Aim: It was aimed to investigate community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding commonly used vaccines.

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Introduction: Health care workers (HCWs) are disproportionately exposed to infectious diseases and play a role in nosocomial transmission, making them a key demographic for vaccination. HCW vaccination rates are not optimal in many countries; hence, compulsory vaccination policies have been implemented in some countries. Although these policies are effective and necessary under certain conditions, resolving HCWs' hesitancies and misconceptions about vaccines is crucial.

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Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common childhood infections. Ear pain, the main symptom of AOM, results in parents frequently seeking medical assistance for their children. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of topical 1% lidocaine ear drops administered with oral analgesics with that of oral analgesics alone.

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  • This study investigated the persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in 43 adults and 34 children about 12 weeks post-COVID-19 symptoms using six different serological assays.
  • The Roche Elecsys total antibody test showed the best sensitivity rates (over 90%) compared to other tests, while five IgG-targeting assays showed similar performance between adults and children.
  • Higher antibody levels were found in males and pneumonia patients, indicating the need for further research on how antibody persistence could impact potential re-infections.
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  • The study investigates multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which can lead to severe complications or death, focusing on cases from 25 hospitals in Turkey between April and October 2020.
  • It analyzed the medical records of 101 patients, primarily aged 7, finding high rates of fever, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues, with significant laboratory abnormalities and a notable proportion requiring intensive care.
  • The research underscores the importance of recognizing MIS-C, especially in previously healthy children presenting with persistent fever and other symptoms; most were treated effectively with immunomodulatory therapies, though there were reported fatalities.
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Unlabelled: Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) diagnosis remains difficult because the clinical features overlap with Kawasaki disease (KD). The study aims to highlight the clinical and laboratory features and outcomes of patients with MISC whose clinical manifestations overlap with or without KD. This study is a retrospective analysis of a case series designed for patients aged 1 month to 18 years in 28 hospitals between November 1, 2020, and June 9, 2021.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Ates Kara"

  • - Ates Kara's recent research focuses on pediatric infectious diseases and vaccination strategies in Turkey, exploring topics like the impact of varicella vaccination and the COVID-19 vaccine's safety and immunogenicity.
  • - The studies highlight significant findings, such as the efficacy of a single-dose varicella vaccine in reducing hospitalizations, and the role of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in post-vaccine adverse events.
  • - Kara's work also addresses community health challenges, including the epidemiology of pediatric septic arthritis and the potential treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease, illustrating a commitment to improving pediatric healthcare outcomes in Turkey.

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