GBS vaccines in the UK: a round table discussion.

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of infant sepsis, meningitis and death despite intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. A vaccine is urgently required, and two candidates are in advanced clinical trials. For successful GBS vaccine implementation, especially if a vaccine is licensed based on an immunological threshold, there must be cross-sector engagement, effective advocacy, robust plans for phase IV studies and equitable access.

Antibody kinetics between birth and three months of life in healthy infants with natural exposure to Group B streptococcus: A UK cohort study.

Introduction: Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) serotype-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in cord blood has been proposed as a correlate of protection against invasive Group B Streptococcus (iGBS) disease. Although protective levels are required in infants throughout the window of vulnerability up to 3 months of age, little is known regarding the kinetics of GBS-specific IgG over this period.

Methods: We enrolled 33 healthy infants born to mothers colonized with GBS.

Vaccine value profile for Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Klebsiella pneumoniae causes community- and healthcare-associated infections in children and adults. Globally in 2019, an estimated 1.27 million (95% Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 0.

Defining and reporting adverse events of special interest in comparative maternal vaccine studies: a systematic review.

Introduction: The GAIA (Global Alignment on Immunisation Safety Assessment in Pregnancy) consortium was established in 2014 with the aim of creating a standardised, globally coordinated approach to monitoring the safety of vaccines administered in pregnancy. The consortium developed twenty-six standardised definitions for classifying obstetric and infant adverse events. This systematic review sought to evaluate the current state of adverse event reporting in maternal vaccine trials following the publication of the case definitions by GAIA, and the extent to which these case definitions have been adopted in maternal vaccine safety research.

Molecular epidemiology of in non-pregnant populations: a systematic review.

(group B , GBS) has recently emerged as an important pathogen among adults. However, it is overlooked in this population, with all global efforts being directed towards its containment among pregnant women and neonates. This systematic review assessed the molecular epidemiology and compared how the lineages circulating among non-pregnant populations relate to those of pregnant and neonatal populations worldwide.

'Unable to have a proper conversation over the phone about my concerns': a multimethods evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on routine childhood vaccination services in London, UK.

Objectives: Investigating the completion rate of 12-month vaccinations and parental perspectives on vaccine services during COVID-19.

Study-design: Service evaluation including parental questionnaire.

Methods: Uptake of 12-month vaccinations in three London general practices during three periods: pre-COVID (1/3/2018-28/2/2019, n = 826), during COVID (1/3/2019-28/2/2020, n = 775) and post-COVID first wave (1/8/2020-31/1/2021, n = 419).

Meeting report: Towards better risk stratification, prevention and therapy of invasive GBS disease, ESPID research meeting May 2022.

The European Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) hosted the third Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Research Session in Athens on 11th May 2022, providing researchers and clinicians from around the world an opportunity to share and discuss recent advances in GBS pathophysiology, molecular and genetic epidemiology and how these new insights can help in improving prevention and control of early- and late-onset GBS disease. The meeting provided a state-of-the-art overview of the existing GBS prevention strategies and their limitations, and an opportunity to share the latest research findings. The first presentation provided an overview of current GBS prevention and treatment strategies.

Optimising the timing of whooping cough immunisation in mums (OpTIMUM) through investigating pertussis vaccination in pregnancy: an open-label, equivalence, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Pertussis vaccination in pregnancy is recommended in many countries to provide protection to young infants. The best timing for this vaccination is uncertain. In the UK, vaccination is recommended between 16 weeks and 32 weeks of gestation.

Gastrointestinal, vaginal, nasopharyngeal, and breast milk microbiota profiles and breast milk metabolomic changes in Gambian infants over the first two months of lactation: A prospective cohort study.

Microbiota composition in breast milk affects intestinal and respiratory microbiota colonization and the mucosal immune system's development in infants. The metabolomic content of breast milk is thought to interact with the microbiota and may influence developing infant immunity. One hundred seven Gambian mothers and their healthy, vaginally delivered, exclusively breastfed infants were included in our study.

Clinical Risk Factors Associated With Late-Onset Invasive Group B Streptococcal Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.

Background: Group B streptococcal (GBS) infection remains one of the most significant causes of late-onset sepsis and meningitis (LOGBS) among young infants. However, transmission routes and risk factors for LOGBS are not yet fully understood.

Methods: We conducted systematic reviews on clinical risk factors previously reported in the literature (prematurity, low birth weight [<2500 g], antenatal colonization, multiple-gestation pregnancy, maternal age <20 years, male infant sex, intrapartum fever, prolonged rupture of membranes) and meta-analyses to determine pooled estimates of risk.

Invasive Group B Streptococcus Disease With Recurrence and in Multiples: Towards a Better Understanding of GBS Late-Onset Sepsis.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a common intestinal colonizer during the neonatal period, but also may cause late-onset sepsis or meningitis in up to 0.5% of otherwise healthy colonized infants after day 3 of life. Transmission routes and risk factors of this late-onset form of invasive GBS disease (iGBS) are not fully understood.

Bronchiolitis: an update on management and prophylaxis.

Bronchiolitis is an acute respiratory illness that is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children less than 2 years of age in the UK. Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common virus associated with bronchiolitis and has the highest disease severity, mortality and cost. Bronchiolitis is generally a self-limiting condition, but can have serious consequences in infants who are very young, premature, or have underlying comorbidities.

Clinical characteristics and complications of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in east London: A retrospective case-control study.

Background: Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children and is associated with neurological complications such as seizures and encephalopathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the presentation and complications of rotavirus compared to non-rotavirus gastroenteritis in UK children.

Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control, hospital-based study conducted at three sites in east London, UK.

Rotavirus-associated mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS)-case report and review of the literature.

Background: Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under the age of 5 years worldwide. It is well recognised that rotavirus can cause signs and symptoms beyond the gastrointestinal tract, including neurological manifestations such as encephalopathy. Mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a clinico-radiological syndrome that has been associated with rotavirus.

Chronic meningitis with intracranial hypertension and bilateral neuroretinitis following Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

A previously well 12-year-old boy presented with a 2-week history of headache, nausea, vomiting and left-sided weakness. He subsequently developed meningism, right abducens nerve palsy, persistent papilloedema and reduced visual acuity in association with a bilateral macular star, consistent with neuroretinitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination indicated chronic meningitis and serological testing confirmed recent Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, although PCR in CSF was negative.

Persistent left superior vena cava: a problem in the transvenous pacing of the heart.

Transvenous pacemaker implantation was impossible from the right side in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) as the two cavae communicated via the coronary sinus and entry into the right heart could not be achieved. Epicardial pacing was instituted.