Pilot Testing and Validation of an Educational Game on Transportation Challenges for Mobility Device Users.

Despite the increasing use of assistive mobility devices, practical education to navigate real-world ground transportation barriers is lacking. The educational board game, called HERL-Town, was developed to teach safe and effective navigation for mobility device users (MDUs) in the community. The study examined the initial validity, reliability, and overall quality of HERL-Town as an educational tool for overcoming transportation barriers in real-world environments.

Sex Differences in the Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Sex impacts individuals' response to vaccination. However, most vaccine studies do not report these differences disaggregated by sex. The aim of this study was to assess sex differences in the immunogenicity and efficacy of influenza vaccine.

Healthcare costs and effects of post-COVID-19 condition in Canada.

Background: As evidence of the long-term health impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to grow across Canada, a key concern is the costs and health impacts of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), especially while the healthcare system remains under substantial strain. The objective of this study is to estimate healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) decrements per PCC case and per acute COVID-19 case by vaccination status.

Methods: First, we conducted a rapid review of the literature to estimate 1) the probability of developing PCC following COVID-19 infection by vaccination status, 2) the probability of each condition commonly associated with PCC, 3) healthcare costs and QALY decrements associated with each condition and 4) the number of PCC cases currently in Canada.

'My feet cannot stand on their own': podoconiosis patient healthcare expenditures and income impacts in Rwanda.

Background: Podoconiosis is a progressive and debilitating form of tropical lymphoedema endemic to Rwanda. Although the physical and psychological consequences are well known, few studies have evaluated the financial burden of podoconiosis.

Methods: This cross-sectional, quantitative study aimed to characterize direct treatment costs and impacts on annual earnings among individuals living with podoconiosis.

Quantifying the economic gains associated with COVID-19 vaccination in the Canadian population: A cost-benefit analysis.

Background: Vaccination has been a key part of Canada's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response. Although the clinical benefits of vaccination are clear, an understanding of the population-level benefits of vaccination relative to the programmatic costs is of value. The objective of this article is to quantify the economic impact of COVID-19 vaccination in the Canadian population between December 2020 and March 2022.

Estimating the Incidence and Economic Cost of Lyme Disease Cases in Canada in the 21st Century with Projected Climate Change.

Background: Lyme disease (LD) is emerging in Canada owing to the range expansion of the tick vector ().

Objectives: Our objective was to estimate future LD incidence in Canada, and economic costs, for the 21st century with projected climate change.

Methods: Future regions of climatic suitability for were projected from temperature output of the North American Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment regional climate model ensemble using greenhouse gas Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.

"I sold my towel and shoes to pay the traditional healer": Care-seeking costs and productivity losses among snakebite victims in Eastern Province, Rwanda.

Snakebite envenomation (SBE) is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and generally over-represented in rural, remote, and impoverished agricultural communities. While poverty is an established risk factor, little research has been done to investigate the economic consequences of SBE. This cross-sectional, quantitative study aimed to measure out-of-pocket spending and lost income when a household member was bitten by a snake.

Sex differences in adverse events following seasonal influenza vaccines: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Despite being a vaccine-preventable disease, influenza remains a major public health threat with vaccine safety concerns reducing vaccine acceptability. Immune responses to vaccines and adverse events may differ between males and females, but most studies do not report results by sex. Using data from clinical trials, we explored sex differences in adverse events following seasonal influenza vaccines.

Economic evaluation of COVID-19 rapid antigen screening programs in the workplace.

Background: Diagnostic testing has been pivotal in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections and reducing transmission through the isolation of positive cases. We quantified the value of implementing frequent, rapid antigen (RA) testing in the workplace to identify screening programs that are cost-effective.

Methods: To project the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths under alternative screening programs, we adapted an agent-based model of COVID-19 transmission and parameterized it with the demographics of Ontario, Canada, incorporating vaccination and waning of immunity.

The effects of low intensity focused ultrasound on neuronal activity in pain processing regions in a rodent model of common peroneal nerve injury.

Background: Non-invasive, external low intensity focused ultrasound (liFUS) offers promise for treating neuropathic pain when applied to the dorsal root ganglion (DRG).

Objective: We examine how external liFUS treatment applied to the L5 DRG affects neuronal changes in single-unit activity from the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in a common peroneal nerve injury (CPNI) rodent model.

Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into two cohorts: CPNI liFUS and CPNI sham liFUS.

Using Health Economics to Inform Immunization Policy Across All Levels of Government.

Publicly funded immunization programs have grown in both complexity and scope, resulting in increased costs and more complex programmatic decision making. Economic evaluations can provide crucial information to support informed decision making. While very few countries have National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups that analyze economic information, many have started to develop processes for this purpose.

A cost analysis of the diagnosis and treatment of malaria at public health facilities and communities in three districts in Rwanda.

Background: Malaria is a potentially fatal disease spread by the bites of Plasmodium-infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Despite long-term efforts to control malaria in Rwanda, malaria incidence increased from 48 to 403 cases/1000 individuals between 2012 and 2016. The diagnosis and treatment of malaria occurs at multiple levels, but the costs of these activities are not well understood.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccine coverage for early childhood vaccines in Alberta, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood vaccination coverage in Alberta, Canada.

Setting: Alberta, a western Canadian province, which has a population of 4.4 million and approximately 50 000 births annually.

The impact of varicella vaccination on paediatric herpes zoster epidemiology: a Canadian population-based retrospective cohort study.

The impact of universal varicella vaccination on herpes zoster (HZ) risk in unvaccinated and vaccinated children, and its long-term influence on HZ epidemiology, remains unknown. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based administrative health data for children born between 1993 and 2018 (n = 924,124). We calculated age-specific cumulative HZ incidence rates by vaccination status for cohorts born before (1993-1999) and after (2000-2018) programme implementation; results were used to calculate relative risk of HZ by age group, vaccination status and vaccine availability period.

COVID-19 infection among international travellers: a prospective analysis.

Objectives: This report estimates the risk of COVID-19 importation and secondary transmission associated with a modified quarantine programme in Canada.

Design And Participants: Prospective analysis of international asymptomatic travellers entering Alberta, Canada.

Interventions: All participants were required to receive a PCR COVID-19 test on arrival.

A Net Benefit Approach for the Optimal Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine.

Objective: The objective of this study was to implement a model-based approach to identify the optimal allocation of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in the province of Alberta, Canada.

Methods: We developed an epidemiologic model to evaluate allocation strategies defined by age and risk target groups, coverage, effectiveness and cost of vaccine. The model simulated hypothetical immunisation scenarios within a dynamic context, capturing concurrent public health strategies and population behavioural changes.

What We Know Now: An Economic Evaluation of Chickenpox Vaccination and Dose Timing Using an Agent-Based Model.

Objectives: The value of chickenpox vaccination is still debated in the literature and by jurisdictions worldwide. This uncertainty is reflected in the inconsistent uptake of the vaccine, where some countries offer routine childhood immunization programs, others have targeted programs, and in many the vaccine is only privately available. Even across the countries that have universal funding for the vaccine, there is a diversity of schedules and dosing intervals.

Screening Algorithms in Dense Breasts: Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality; however, when used to examine women with dense breasts, its performance and resulting benefits are reduced. Increased breast density is an independent risk factor for breast cancer. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), ultrasound (US), molecular breast imaging (MBI), MRI, and contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) each have shown improved cancer detection in dense breasts when compared with 2D digital mammography (DM).

Equity for health delivery: Opportunity costs and benefits among Community Health Workers in Rwanda.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a vital role delivering health services to vulnerable populations in low resource settings. In Rwanda, CHWs provide village-level care focused on maternal/child health, control of infectious diseases, and health education, but do not receive salaries for these services. CHWs make up the largest single group involved in health delivery in the country; however, limited information is available regarding the socio-economic circumstances and satisfaction levels of this workforce.

Seeking the optimal schedule for chickenpox vaccination in Canada: Using an agent-based model to explore the impact of dose timing, coverage and waning of immunity on disease outcomes.

Many countries continue to consider implementing a universal chickenpox vaccine program; however, there is no consensus on the most appropriate and effective timing between vaccine doses. The chickenpox vaccine schedule debate is highlighted in Canada, where there are currently eight different vaccine schedules across the country. The objective of this study was to test the overall effectiveness of chickenpox vaccination, as well as the specific impact of two different vaccine schedules, on chickenpox disease outcomes in Alberta over 75 years.

Is there a difference in the immune response, efficacy, effectiveness and safety of seasonal influenza vaccine in males and females? - A systematic review.

Introduction: Seasonal influenza is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, despite being vaccine-preventable. Sex factors (genes and hormones) seem to impact individuals' susceptibility to infectious diseases and their response to vaccination. However, most vaccine studies do not explicitly assess sex differences in vaccine response, but rather adjust for sex.

Measurement of coverage, compliance and determinants of uptake in a publicly funded rotavirus vaccination programme: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: In June 2015, Alberta, Canada instituted a universal publicly funded rotavirus vaccination programme (Rotarix, RV1), with vaccine doses scheduled for 2 and 4 months of age. Vaccination was restricted so that infants were only allowed to receive first dose between 6 and 20 weeks of age, and second dose before eight calendar months of age. We assessed the coverage and schedule non-compliance of rotavirus vaccination for babies born between June 2015 and August 2016, that is, since the inception of the publicly funded rotavirus vaccination programme, and determined factors associated with rotavirus vaccine uptake.