Mpox Epidemiology and Vaccine Effectiveness, England, 2023.

Reported mpox cases in England continued at a low but steady frequency during 2023. Of 137 cases reported in 2023, approximately half were acquired overseas and half were in vaccinated persons. Estimated effectiveness of 2-dose vaccine was 80%, and no vaccinated mpox patient was hospitalized.

Persistent elevation in incidence of pneumonia in children in England, 2023/24.

Since November 2023, the absolute number of attendances at emergency departments for pneumonia among children aged 5-14 years in England have been above expected levels for the time of year. This increased signal peaked during March 2024 but then persisted into early summer 2024 despite decreases in prevalence of seasonal respiratory pathogens. Record linkage between emergency department and laboratory databases points to this unusual activity being driven largely by .

Effectiveness of the Sanofi/GSK (VidPrevtyn Beta) and Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5) bivalent vaccines against hospitalisation in England.

Background: The Sanofi/GSK AS03-adjuvanted (VidPrevtyn Beta) vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5) bivalent vaccine were offered to adults aged 75 years and over in England from 3rd April 2023. This is the first time an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine has been administered as part of a UK COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Use of a meningococcal group B vaccine (4CMenB) in populations at high risk of gonorrhoea in the UK.

The meningococcal group B vaccine, 4CMenB, is a broad-spectrum, recombinant protein vaccine that is licensed for protection against meningococcal group B disease in children and adults. Over the past decade, several observational studies supported by laboratory studies have reported protection by 4CMenB against gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhoea is a major global public health problem, with rising numbers of diagnoses and increasing resistance to multiple antibiotics.

Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation estimated using a test-negative case-control study design, and comparative odds of hospital admission and severe outcomes with COVID-19 sub-lineages BQ.1, CH.1.1. and XBB.1.5 in England.

Background: Since the first emergence of Omicron BA.1 in England in November 2021, numerous sub-lineages have evolved. In September 2022, BA.

Serum HCoV-spike specific antibodies do not protect against subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents.

SARS-CoV-2 infections in children are generally asymptomatic or mild and rarely progress to severe disease and hospitalization. Why this is so remains unclear. Here we explore the potential for protection due to pre-existing cross-reactive seasonal coronavirus antibodies and compare the rate of antibody decline for nucleocapsid and spike protein in serum and oral fluid against SARS-CoV-2 within the pediatric population.

National public health response to an outbreak of toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae among asylum seekers in England, 2022: a descriptive epidemiological study.

Background: In July, 2022, an increase in diphtheria cases caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C diphtheriae) was reported among asylum seekers arriving by small boats to England. Rising case numbers presented challenges for case and contact management in initial reception centres, prompting changes to national guidance and implementation of population-based control measures. This study aimed to describe the outbreak of toxigenic C diphtheriae among asylum seekers arriving by small boats to England during 2022 by use of national surveillance data.

Paediatric acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology: a national investigation and adenoviraemia case-control study in the UK.

Background: An increase in acute severe hepatitis of unknown aetiology in previously healthy children in the UK in March, 2022, triggered global case-finding. We aimed to describe UK epidemiological investigations of cases and their possible causes.

Methods: We actively surveilled unexplained paediatric acute hepatitis (transaminase >500 international units per litre) in children younger than 16 years presenting since Jan 1, 2022, through notifications from paediatricians, microbiologists, and paediatric liver units; we collected demographic, clinical, and exposure information.

High attack rate in a large care home outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86, East of England, August 2023.

We investigated an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86 in an East of England care home.

Increased reports of severe myocarditis associated with enterovirus infection in neonates, United Kingdom, 27 June 2022 to 26 April 2023.

Enteroviruses are a common cause of seasonal childhood infections. The vast majority of enterovirus infections are mild and self-limiting, although neonates can sometimes develop severe disease. Myocarditis is a rare complication of enterovirus infection.

Effects of BNT162b2 Messenger RNA Vaccine and ChAdOx1 Adenovirus Vector Vaccine on Deaths From COVID-19 in Adults Aged ≥70 Years.

We estimated the risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated patients. The risk of death was reduced 44% after 1 dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine, 55% after 1 dose of the Oxford-Astrazeneca ChAdOx1 vaccine, and 69% after 2 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine. This is above the protection provided against infection.

Transmission dynamics and effect of control measures on the 2022 outbreak of mpox among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in England: a mathematical modelling study.

Background: The 2022 global outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) spread primarily among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with the initial cluster being identified in England in May, 2022. Understanding its epidemiological characteristics and the reasons for its downturn in July, 2022, will help to control future outbreaks.

Methods: We collated data for all diagnosed mpox cases (3621) from England from May 1, 2022, to Nov 16, 2022.

Nasal mucosal IgA levels against SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal coronaviruses are low in children but boosted by reinfection.

Repeated coronavirus infections in childhood drive progressive maturation of systemic immune responses into adulthood. Analyses of immune responses in children have focused primarily upon systemic assessment but the importance of mucosal immunity is increasingly recognised. We studied virus-specific antibody responses in contemporaneous nasal swabs and blood samples from 99 children (4-15 years) and 28 adults (22-56 years), all of whom had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation and death of people in clinical risk groups during the Delta variant period: English primary care network cohort study.

Background: COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be highly effective against hospitalisation and death following COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness estimates against severe endpoints among individuals with clinical conditions that place them at increased risk of critical disease are limited.

Methods: We used English primary care medical record data from the Oxford-Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre sentinel network (N > 18 million).

Trends in laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis (2012-2019): national observational study, England.

Background: Bacterial meningitis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to describe the epidemiology, aetiology, trends over time and outcomes of laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis in England during 2012-2019.

Methods: UK Health Security Agency routinely receives electronic notifications of confirmed infections from National Health Service hospital laboratories in England.

Duration of protection of ancestral-strain monovalent vaccines and effectiveness of bivalent BA.1 boosters against COVID-19 hospitalisation in England: a test-negative case-control study.

Background: Bivalent BA.1 booster vaccines were offered to adults aged 50 years or older and clinically vulnerable people as part of the 2022 autumn COVID-19 booster vaccination programme in England. Previously, all adults in England had been offered a primary course consisting of two doses of either ChAdOx1-S or monovalent mRNA vaccine and an mRNA monovalent booster vaccine.