Pertussis Vaccination During Pregnancy: Regional Situation and Impact of Implementation on National Immunization Programs in Latin America.

Background: Infants face a high risk of morbidity and mortality from pertussis early in life, leading to the adoption of maternal vaccination. This study aimed to review the characteristics of the maternal pertussis vaccination in Latin American (LATAM) countries and evaluate their impact on pertussis absolute mortality and case fatality rate (CFR) in infants under 1 year old.

Methods: LATAM countries with maternal tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination in their National Immunization Programs were included.

Safety and immunogenicity of a bivalent norovirus vaccine candidate in infants from 6 weeks to 5 months of age: A phase 2, randomized, double-blind trial.

As infants suffer significant morbidity and mortality due to norovirus-related acute gastroenteritis (AGE), we assessed four formulations of the bivalent virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate (HIL-214) in Panamanian and Colombian infants. 360 infants aged 6 weeks to 5 months were randomly allocated to 8 groups to receive three doses of HIL-214 or two doses of HIL-214 and one dose of placebo (Days 1, 56 and 112), where HIL-214 doses contained 15/15, 15/50, 50/50 or 50/150 μg of GI.1/GII.

Lower respiratory tract infections following respiratory syncytial virus monoclonal antibody nirsevimab immunization versus placebo: Analysis from a Phase 3 randomized clinical trial (MELODY).

Background: Nirsevimab is an extended half-life, highly potent neutralizing monoclonal antibody against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion protein, with efficacy in preventing RSV-associated medically attended (MA) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and medically vulnerable children (aged ≤24 months). This post-hoc exploratory analysis examined the incidence of LRTI from RSV and other respiratory pathogens during a 2:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study of nirsevimab, in healthy-term and late-preterm (i.e.

Long term T cell response and safety of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children.

As robust cellular responses are important for protection against dengue, this phase 2 study evaluated the kinetics and phenotype of T cell responses induced by TAK-003, a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine, in 4-16-year-old living in dengue-endemic countries (NCT02948829). Two hundred participants received TAK-003 on Days 1 and 90. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot assay [ELISPOT] and intracellular cytokine staining were used to analyze T cell response and functionality, using peptide pools representing non-structural (NS) proteins NS3 and NS5 matching DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4 and DENV-2 NS1.

Regional molecular epidemiology of dengue and the potential optimization of its control through the use of vaccines. Report of the Arbovirus Committee of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, SLIPE.

Introduction: Dengue disease represents a large and growing global threat to public health, accounting for a significant burden to health systems of endemic countries. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) currently recommend the use of TAK-003 dengue vaccine in high dengue burden and transmission settings for countries considering vaccination as part of their integrated management strategy for prevention and control of Dengue.

Areas Covered: This paper describes the main conclusions of a workshop held by the Arbovirus Committee of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SLIPE) in November 2023, to generate consensus recommendations on the introduction of this new vaccine in the region.

Immunogenicity, Safety, and Efficacy of a Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine in Children and Adolescents: An Analysis by Age Group.

Background: Dengue is an increasing threat to global health. This exploratory analysis evaluated the immunogenicity, safety, and vaccine efficacy (VE) of a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003) in participants enrolled in the phase 3 DEN-301 trial (NCT02747927), stratified by baseline age (4-5 years, 6-11 years, or 12-16 years).

Methods: Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive 2 doses of TAK-003, administered 3 months apart, or placebo.

Corrigendum to "Safety and immunogenicity of mRNA-LNP COVID-19 vaccine CVnCoV in Latin American adults: A phase 2 randomized study" [Vaccine: X 11 (2022) 100189].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.

Effect of the Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine TAK-003 on Sequential Episodes of Symptomatic Dengue.

In the pivotal phase 3 efficacy trial (NCT02747927) of the TAK-003 dengue vaccine, 5 of 13,380 TAK-003 recipients and 13 of 6,687 placebo recipients experienced two episodes of symptomatic dengue between the first dose and the end of the study, ∼57 months later (patients received the second dose 3 months after the first dose). Two of these participants experienced repeat infection with the same serotype (i.e.

Safety and Immunogenicity of a ChAd155-Vectored Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine in Healthy RSV-Seropositive Children 12-23 Months of Age.

Background: Safe and effective respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines remain elusive. This was a phase I/II trial (NCT02927873) of ChAd155-RSV, an investigational chimpanzee adenovirus-RSV vaccine expressing 3 proteins (fusion, nucleoprotein, and M2-1), administered to 12-23-month-old RSV-seropositive children followed up for 2 years after vaccination.

Methods: Children were randomized to receive 2 doses of ChAd155-RSV or placebo (at a 1:1 ratio) (days 1 and 31).

Meningococcal disease in North America: Updates from the Global Meningococcal Initiative.

This review summarizes the recent Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI) regional meeting, which explored meningococcal disease in North America. Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) cases are documented through both passive and active surveillance networks. IMD appears to be decreasing in many areas, such as the Dominican Republic (2016: 18 cases; 2021: 2 cases) and Panama (2008: 1 case/100,000; 2021: <0.

Persistence of protective anti-poliovirus antibody levels in 4-year-old children previously primed with Picovax®, a trivalent, aluminium-adjuvanted reduced dose inactivated polio vaccine.

Background: To meet the demand for effective and affordable inactivated polio vaccines (IPVs), a reduced dose, aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH))-adjuvanted IPV vaccine was developed (IPV-Al, Picovax®) and evaluated in clinical trials. The present trial is an extension of two previous trials (a primary and a booster trial). The aim was to evaluate the persistence of seroprotective antibodies (poliovirus type-specific antibody titre ≥ 8) in 4-year-old children who previously received IPV-Al as primary and booster vaccine doses and to determine the potential booster response and safety profile of an additional dose of IPV-Al.

Building Programs to Eradicate Toxoplasmosis Part I: Introduction and Overview.

Purpose Of Review: Review building of programs to eliminate infections.

Recent Findings: Morbidity and mortality from toxoplasmosis led to programs in USA, Panama, and Colombia to facilitate understanding, treatment, prevention, and regional resources, incorporating student work.

Summary: Studies foundational for building recent, regional approaches/programs are reviewed.