A framework for monitoring RSV prevention product effectiveness in the United States.

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.

Risk reduction in SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinfection conferred by humoral antibody levels among essential workers during Omicron predominance.

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.

Midlife heart rate variability and cognitive decline: A large longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Autonomic dysfunction is common in dementia, yet its contribution to neurocognitive changes remains unknown. We investigated whether midlife cardiac vagal modulation, indexed by heart rate variability, associates with subsequent cognitive decline in adults without prior coronary heart disease or stroke.

Methods: The sample comprised 2702 (1924 men) individuals initially aged 44-69 years from the UK Whitehall II cohort.

Association of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and reductions in Post-COVID Conditions following SARS-CoV-2 infection in a US prospective cohort of essential workers.

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.

Effectiveness of Bivalent mRNA Vaccines in Preventing Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Increasing Community Access to Testing Program, United States, January-September 2023.

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.

Maintaining prevention focus: the impact of an interdisciplinary taskforce on CAUTI rates during an EMR transition.

We employed an interrupted time series analysis to assess the impact of changing electronic medical records, concurrent with a Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Taskforce, on CAUTI rates. We found that rates increased in most ICUs before returning to baseline. These findings suggest that a multi-faceted approach may reduce CAUTI rates.

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Against Illness and Asymptomatic Infection in 2022-2023: A Prospective Cohort Study.

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.

Cost-effectiveness of vaccinating adults aged 60 years and older against respiratory syncytial virus.

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.

Evaluating Immunologic and Illness Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Children Aged ≥ 5 Years, in a Multisite Longitudinal Cohort.

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.

Association between summertime emergency department visits and maximum daily heat index in rural and non-rural areas of Virginia (2015-2022).

There is growing evidence that high ambient temperatures are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Further evidence suggests differences in rural versus non-rural populations' vulnerability to heat-related adverse health outcomes. The current project aims to 1) refine estimated associations between maximum daily heat index (HI) and emergency department (ED) visits in regions of Virginia, and 2) compare associations between maximum daily HI and ED visits in rural versus non-rural areas of Virginia and within those areas, for persons 65 years of age and older versus those younger than 65 years.

Inducing Platinophilic Interactions in [Pt(SCN)] Salts by Cation Tuning.

A series of simple [Pt(SCN)] salts with a variety of cations was synthesized and characterized using X-ray crystallography to determine factors that could induce platinophilic interactions between [Pt(SCN)] anions, including cation size and shape, charge, and ability to participate in hydrogen bonding. The salts [N(PPh)][Pt(SCN)], [AsPh][Pt(SCN)], and [Co(1,10-phenanthroline)][Pt(SCN)] feature bulky, noncoordinating cations where the [Pt(SCN)] anions are completely separated from each other, with no Pt-Pt interactions present. Salts containing the hydrogen-bonding cations [Co(NH)][Pt(SCN)] and [Co(en)][Pt(SCN)] (en = 1,2-ethylenediamine) display close Pt-Pt distances, with both compounds exhibiting platinophilic interactions with distances of 3.

Prediction of the size and spatial distribution of free-roaming dog populations in urban areas of Nepal.

A factor constraining the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies is limited information on the size and spatial distribution of free-roaming dog populations (FRDPs). The aim of this study was to develop a statistical model to predict the size of free-roaming dog populations and the spatial distribution of free-roaming dogs in urban areas of Nepal, based on real-world dog census data from the Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust (HART) and Animal Nepal. Candidate explanatory variables included proximity to roads, building density, specific building types, human population density and normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI).

Hybrid Immunity and SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies: Results of the HEROES-RECOVER Prospective Cohort Study.

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.

Patient activation in advanced chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Patient activation refers to the knowledge, confidence and skills required for the management of chronic disease and is antecedent to self-management. Greater self-management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) results in improved patient experience and patient outcomes.

Aim: To examine patient activation levels in people with CKD stage 5 pre-dialysis and determine associations with sociodemographic characteristics, treatment adherence and healthcare utilisation.

Longitudinal parental perception of COVID-19 vaccines for children in a multi-site, cohort study.

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.

Building the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness program: Past successes and future directions.

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.