Publications by authors named "Marlene M Lugg"
Article Synopsis
- - The Institute of Medicine recommended studies to compare health outcomes between fully vaccinated children and those under-vaccinated due to parental choice, highlighting the issue of misclassifying vaccination status which could skew results.
- - A retrospective cohort study examined vaccination patterns in over 361,000 children, revealing that a significant portion experienced delays or were under-vaccinated, with nearly all vaccine refusals confirmed through medical records.
- - Parent surveys supported the findings, indicating that families of under-vaccinated children often sought alternative medical care, emphasizing the importance of accurate vaccination data in understanding childhood health outcomes.
Background: In addition to antigens, vaccines contain small amounts of preservatives, adjuvants, and residual substances from the manufacturing process. Some parents have concerns about the safety of these ingredients, yet no large epidemiological studies have specifically examined associations between health outcomes and vaccine ingredients, other than thimerosal. This study examined the extent to which the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) could be used to study vaccine ingredient safety in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine for pregnant women during each pregnancy, regardless of prior immunization status. However, safety data on repeated Tdap vaccination in pregnancy is lacking.
Objective: To determine whether receipt of Tdap vaccine during pregnancy administered in close intervals from prior tetanus-containing vaccinations is associated with acute adverse events in mothers and adverse birth outcomes in neonates.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the safety of giving Tdap and influenza vaccines together during pregnancy by comparing adverse events between women who received both vaccines at the same time versus those who received them one after the other.
- Researchers analyzed data from 36,844 pregnancies and found that only a small fraction received both vaccines simultaneously (23%). They discovered no significant increase in fever or other acute medical events in women vaccinated together compared to those vaccinated sequentially.
- Results showed that there were no differences in adverse birth outcomes, like preterm delivery or low birth weight, between the two groups, concluding that giving both vaccines simultaneously is safe for pregnant women.
Article Synopsis
- Undervaccination in children is on the rise, increasing the risk of serious infectious diseases, particularly pertussis (whooping cough).
- A study analyzed the link between undervaccination and pertussis among children aged 3 to 36 months, using case-control data from managed care organizations between 2004 and 2010.
- Results showed that undervaccinated children were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with pertussis, with those missing 3 or more doses being up to 28 times more at risk compared to those who received the recommended vaccinations.
Background: Determining the baseline mortality rate in a vaccinated population is necessary to be able to identify any unusual increases in deaths following vaccine administration. Background rates are particularly useful during mass immunization campaigns and in the evaluation of new vaccines.
Purpose: Provide background mortality rates and describe causes of death following vaccination in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD).
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze patterns of undervaccination in children aged 2 to 24 months and compare healthcare usage between undervaccinated and properly vaccinated kids.
- A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from eight managed care organizations, focusing on children born between 2004 and 2008.
- Results showed that 48.7% of children were undervaccinated at some point, with trends increasing over time; undervaccinated children had fewer outpatient visits but higher hospital admission rates compared to their vaccinated peers.
Article Synopsis
- - Large vaccine safety studies utilize automated diagnoses from medical databases to track potential adverse events after immunization, focusing on diagnostic code density changes from 2001-2009 across various healthcare systems.
- - A consistent increase in diagnostic code density was found across all healthcare settings and age groups, with notable spikes linked to shifts in coding policies or data practices.
- - Understanding these trends in diagnostic code density is crucial for accurate vaccine safety studies, as historical comparisons may misrepresent risks, and ongoing monitoring helps maintain data quality and correct errors promptly.
Article Synopsis
- Studies on influenza vaccine safety and effectiveness using electronic medical records require accurate tracking of vaccination status, which can be problematic for vaccines given in non-traditional settings like workplaces.
- In a comparison of electronic records and self-reported vaccination status among 502 individuals aged 50-79, the medical records showed very high accuracy for confirming vaccination (99% positive predictive value and specificity).
- However, the study found that while the presence of a vaccination record is reliable, the absence of a record is less trustworthy, with a negative predictive value of only 80% and sensitivity of 78%, due in part to vaccinations received outside of traditional healthcare environments.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigated the link between hospital admissions for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and exposure to air pollutants, particularly focusing on patients with or without additional heart conditions like arrhythmia (ARR) or congestive heart failure (CHF).
- - A significant finding showed that carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were associated with increased IHD admissions, with CO having the most substantial impact, particularly among individuals with CHF.
- - The results indicate that individuals with IHD who also have CHF or ARR are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution, suggesting a need for targeted health interventions in this sensitive population.