Publications by authors named "Joukje Willemsen"
The current understanding of the RSV-related mortality age distribution in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) relies on a limited number of disease incidence studies reporting wide age bands, and lacking specificity to Gavi-eligible countries. Understanding the age distribution of RSV-related deaths is crucial for the implementation of RSV interventions in LMICs that rely on support from Gavi. This study aims to provide the age profile of RSV mortality specifically in Gavi-eligible countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration have recently approved a maternal vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus. The US Food and Drug Administration limits vaccination to later in pregnancy. Mathematical modeling demonstrates that this vaccination window may reduce the global mortality impact of the vaccine by 12%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study addresses the challenges of selecting a single primary outcome in clinical trials with multiple relevant outcomes, focusing on improving statistical power when analyzing these endpoints, particularly in interventions against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- - Researchers developed a novel method called the weighted average permutation test (wavP) and compared its performance against traditional methods like the Bonferroni correction and the minP permutation test using both simulated data and actual RSV trial data.
- - The results indicate that wavP can enhance power when vaccine efficacy is similar across outcomes, while all methods show equivalent power when efficacy differs significantly, leading to the creation of an R package named PERMEATE to assist in analyzing multiple clinical trial endpoints.
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of childhood mortality in infants below 6 months of age. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), the public health burden is substantial and resources are limited. It is critical to inform decision makers about effectiveness of new interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- To gain licensure, clinical interventions need to show effectiveness through randomized trials, and choosing just one primary outcome can be tough; using multiple related outcomes might enhance statistical power.
- Researchers simulated data from different populations related to a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to test a new permutation-based method for analyzing multiple endpoints.
- The new method often provided better statistical power compared to standard methods like the Bonferroni correction, especially when vaccine efficacy was similar across outcomes, leading to a more effective analysis for clinical trials.
Background: According to the World Health Organization, the global burden of nosocomial infections is poorly characterized as surveillance systems are lacking. Nosocomial infections occur at higher rates in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) than in high-income countries (HICs). Current global RSV burden estimates are largely based on community-acquired infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- RSV is a significant health issue, and understanding its geographical and temporal dynamics can help track resistance against developing treatments.
- A systematic review analyzed 78 studies and nearly 13,000 RSV sequences published between 2015 and 2020, highlighting that many studies lacked data from low- and middle-income countries.
- The review identified three major knowledge gaps: the need for whole-genome data to understand RSV evolution, more data from LMICs, and the importance of global surveillance programs to assess monoclonal antibody effectiveness.
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of pediatric death, with >99% of mortality occurring in low- and lower middle-income countries. At least half of RSV-related deaths are estimated to occur in the community, but clinical characteristics of this group of children remain poorly characterized.
Methods: The RSV Global Online Mortality Database (RSV GOLD), a global registry of under-5 children who have died with RSV-related illness, describes clinical characteristics of children dying of RSV through global data sharing.
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is an important cause of hospitalization and death in young children. The majority of deaths (99%) occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Vaccines against RSV infection are underway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Influenza virus infection is an important cause of under-five mortality. Maternal vaccination protects children younger than 3 months of age from influenza infection. However, it is unknown to what extent paediatric influenza-related mortality may be prevented by a maternal vaccine since global age-stratified mortality data are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF