A New Conceptual Framework for Enhancing Vaccine Efficacy in Malnourished Children.

Background: Malnourished children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often exhibit reduced vaccine efficacy, particularly for oral vaccines like polio and rotavirus, due to impaired immune responses. Nutritional deficiencies, such as in vitamin A and zinc, along with environmental factors like poor sanitation, exacerbate this issue. Existing research has explored the individual impacts of malnutrition on vaccine outcomes, but a comprehensive framework that integrates nutritional, immune, and environmental factors has been lacking.

Political engagement: a key pillar in revitalisation of polio and routine immunisation programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Immunisation is a high priority for improving health outcomes. Yet, in many low-income and middle-income countries, achieving coverage targets independently is hindered by lack of domestic resources and reliance on partners' support. Both the 2001 Abuja Declaration and 2016 Addis Declaration were key political commitments to improving immunisation coverage; however, many signatories have yet to meet international targets.

Healthcare workers' willingness to receive COVID-19 booster dose and associated factors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The COVID-19 booster dose is considered an important adjunct for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic due to reports of reduced immunity in fully vaccinated individuals. The aims of this study were to assess healthcare workers' intention to receive the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine and to identify predictive factors among healthcare workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare workers selected in two provinces, Kasai Oriental, and Haut-Lomami.

Nutritional Status Link with Polioseronegativity Among Children from Poliomyelitis Transmission High-Risk Area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Background: Malnutrition is identified as a risk-factor for insufficient polioseroconversion in the context of a vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) outbreak prone region. To assess the prevalence of malnutrition and its link to poliovirus insufficient immunity, a cross-sectional household survey was conducted in the regions of Haut- Lomami and Tanganyika, DRC.

Methods: In March 2018, we included 968 healthy children aged 6 to 59 months from eight out of 27 districts.

Prediction Model with Validation for Polioseronegativity in Malnourished Children from Poliomyelitis Transmission High-Risk Area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Background: Malnutrition is identified as a risk factor for insufficient polio seroconversion in the context of a vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) outbreak-prone region. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), underweight decreased from 31% (in 2001) to 26% (in 2018). Since 2004, VDPV serotype 2 outbreaks (cVDPV2) have been documented and were geographically limited around the Haut-Lomami and Tanganyika Provinces.

A Successful National and Multipartner Approach to Increase Immunization Coverage: The Democratic Republic of Congo Mashako Plan 2018-2020.

Background: The immunization system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces many challenges, including persistent large-scale outbreaks of polio, measles, and yellow fever; a large number of unvaccinated children for all antigens; minimal and delayed funding; and poor use of immunization data at all levels. In response, the Expanded Programme on Immunization within the Ministry of Health (MOH) collaborated with global partners to develop a revitalization strategy for the routine immunization (RI) system called the Mashako Plan.

Mashako Plan Design And Development: The Mashako Plan aimed to increase full immunization coverage in children aged 12-23 months by 15 percentage points overall in 9 of 26 provinces within 18 months of implementation.

Corrigendum to "Examination of scenarios introducing rubella vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo" [Vaccine: X 9 (2021) 100127].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.

Examination of scenarios introducing rubella vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: Rubella vaccine has yet to be introduced into the national immunization schedule of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); the current burden of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is unknown and likely to be high. An important consideration prior to introducing rubella containing vaccine (RCV) is the potential inverse relationship between RCV coverage and CRS incidence. Increasing RCV coverage will also increase in the average age of infection.

Increasing Ebola transmission behaviors 6 months post-vaccination: Comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated populations near 2018 Mbandaka Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: In 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared its 9th and 10th Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) outbreaks, in the Equateur province (end: July 2018), and in the eastern provinces including North Kivu (end: June 2020). The DRC Ministry of Health deployed the rVSV-vectored glycoprotein (VSV-EBOV) vaccine in response during both outbreaks.

Methods: A cohort of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals from the Equateur province were enrolled and followed prospectively for 6 months.

Measles antibody levels among vaccinated and unvaccinated children 6-59 months of age in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2013-2014.

Background: Measles is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and 89-94% herd immunity is required to halt its transmission. Much of the World Health Organization African Region, including the DRC, has vaccination coverage below the 95% level required to eliminate measles, heightening concern of inadequate measles immunity.

Methods: We assessed 6706 children aged 6-59 months whose mothers were selected for interview in the 2013-2014 DRC Demographic and Health Survey.

[Technical support and the immunization program performance in Côte d'Ivoire].

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of a technical support aiming to improve vaccine program performance in the 10 health districts (HDs) of Côte d'Ivoire, in which the largest numbers of children not vaccinated against measles were registered.

Method: These HDs benefited between June 2016 and May 2017, from four quarterly supportive supervisions along with technical support in health logistics and data management and quality. We had followed the evolution of the key indicators in each targeted HD and compared them to the other HDs.

Changes in childhood vaccination coverage over time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Despite increased vaccination rates, the burden, morbidity and mortality associated with vaccine preventable diseases remains high. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), potentially unreliable data and geographically varied program provision call for a better understanding of vaccination coverage and its changes over time at the country and province level. To assess changes in the proportion of children who were fully vaccinated over time in the DRC, vaccination histories for children 12-59 months of age were obtained from both the 2007 and 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).

Vaccination coverage and factors influencing routine vaccination status in 12 high risk health zones in the Province of Kinshasa City, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 2015.

Introduction: Vaccination coverage of the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B- type b (pentavalent) vaccine for the City-Province of Kinshasain the years 2012 - 2014 wasbelow the national objective of 92%, with coverage less than 80% reported in 12 of the 35 health zones (HZ). The purpose of this study was to discern potential contributing factors to low vaccination coverage in Kinshasa.

Methods: We conducted a multi-stage cluster household study of children 6 - 11 months in households residing in their current neighborhood for at least 3 months in the 12 high risk HZ in Kinshasa.

Prevalence of Rubella Antibodies Among Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: While generally mild in children, rubella infection in early pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, fetal death or congenital rubella syndrome. Rubella vaccination is not yet available as a part of routine immunization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the burden of infection is unknown.

Methods: In collaboration with the 2013-2014 DRC Demographic and Health Survey, a serosurvey was carried out to assess population immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Evidence of Mumps Infection Among Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: Mumps is an acute viral infection and while the infection is usually mild, complications can lead to permanent sequelae including brain damage and deafness. The burden of mumps is currently unknown the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we therefore assessed susceptibility to mumps infection among children 6-59 months of age.

Methods: In collaboration with the 2013-2014 DRC Demographic and Health Survey, we conducted a serosurvey to assess population immunity to vaccine preventable diseases.