Evaluating the direct effect of vaccination and non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

Background: Across Europe, countries have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination. Evaluating the effectiveness of such interventions is of particular relevance to policy-makers.

Methods: We leverage almost three years of available data across 38 European countries to evaluate the effectiveness of governmental responses in controlling the pandemic.

A Comparison of Items and Constructs of Standardized Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Well-Being Measures.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the internal constructs of the concepts being measured by EQ-5D-5L (a health-related quality of life measure that can produce preference-based utility values) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12, a mental well-being measure) and to understand to what extent the items of EQ-5D-5L and GHQ-12 associate with each other.

Methods: We used data from 12 701 respondents participating in a Belgian survey in 2022. Correlation coefficients between GHQ-12 and EQ-5D-5L were calculated at both the aggregate and item levels.

Pneumococcal vaccination coverage and adherence to recommended dosing schedules in adults: a repeated cross-sectional study of the INTEGO morbidity registry.

Background: Since 2014, Belgium's Superior Health Council has recommended pneumococcal vaccination for adults aged 19-85 years at increased risk for pneumococcal diseases with a specific vaccine administration sequence and timing. Currently, Belgium has no publicly funded adult pneumococcal vaccination program. This study investigated the seasonal pneumococcal vaccination trends, evolution of vaccination coverage and adherence to the 2014 recommendations.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Registration and Care Provision of Mental Health Problems in General Practice: Registry-Based Study.

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in general practice remains uncertain. Several studies showed an increase in terms of mental health problems during the pandemic. In Belgium, especially during the first waves of the pandemic, access to general practice was limited.

COVID-19 surveillance in the Flemish school system: development of systematic data collection within the public health school system and descriptive analysis of cases reported between October 2020 and June 2021.

Background: The age-specific distribution of SARS-CoV-2 cases in schools is not well described. Reported statistics reflect the intensity of community transmission while being shaped by biases from age-dependent testing regimes, as well as effective age-specific interventions. A case surveillance system was introduced within the Flemish school and health-prevention network during the 2020-2021 school year.

Change in COVID19 outbreak pattern following vaccination in long-term care facilities in Flanders, Belgium.

Introduction: Long term care facilities for elderly (LTCFs) in Europe encountered a high disease burden at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, these facilities were the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines in many European countries. A limited COVID-19 vaccine supply early 2021 resulted in a majority of residents and healthcare workers (HCWs) in LTCFs being vaccinated compared to a minority in the general population.

Incidence rates and trends of childhood urinary tract infections and antibiotic prescribing: registry-based study in general practices (2000 to 2020).

Background: To improve the management of childhood urinary tract infections, it is essential to understand the incidence rates, testing and treatment strategy.

Methods: A retrospective study using data from 45 to 104 general practices (2000 to 2020) in Flanders (Belgium). We calculated the incidence rates (per 1000 person-years) of cystitis, pyelonephritis, and lab-based urine tests per age (< 2, 2-4, 5-9 and 10-18 years)) and gender in children and performed an autoregressive time-series analysis and seasonality analysis.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the incidence of diseases and the provision of primary care: A registry-based study.

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on healthcare but uncertainty remains about the extent to which primary care provision was affected. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the impact on primary care provision and the evolution of the incidence of disease during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in Flanders (Belgium).

Methods: Care provision was defined as the number of new entries added to a patient's medical history.

Individual factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in between and during pandemic waves (July-December 2020).

Background: A year after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, the global rollout of vaccines gives us hope of ending the pandemic. Lack of vaccine confidence, however, poses a threat to vaccination campaigns. This study aims at identifying individuals' characteristics that explain vaccine willingness in Flanders (Belgium), while also describing trends over time (July-December 2020).