Objective: To investigate how state-authorized pharmacist immunization privileges influence pharmacist intervention effectiveness in delivering pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccinations and assess the implications these privileges have on vaccination rates.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study of Walgreens vaccination records from August 2011 to March 2012.
Methods: A random sample of patients having a claim for influenza vaccination in the study period was selected. Vaccination uptake rates for pneumococcal disease and herpes zoster were calculated for previously unvaccinated patients at high risk for these conditions. Rates were examined by state-level pharmacist privileges.
Results: For states authorizing immunization by protocol or prescriptive authority, the 1-year pneumococcal vaccination uptake rate for previously unvaccinated, high-risk persons was 6.6%, compared with 2.5% for states requiring a prescription (P <.0001), and 2.8% for states with no authorization (P <.0001). For herpes zoster, the 1-year vaccination uptake rate was 3.3% for states authorizing per protocol/prescriptive authority, compared with 2.8% (not significant, P <.05) for states authorizing by prescription, and 1.0% for states with no authorization (P <.0001). A 148% increase of pneumococcal vaccination and a 77% increase of herpes zoster vaccination would result if all states granted pharmacists full immunization privileges.
Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates that states that offer pharmacists full immunization privileges have higher vaccination uptake rates than states with restricted or no authorization. Considering the suboptimal vaccination rates of pneumonia and shingles and the public health goals of 2020, states with limited or no immunization authorization for pharmacists should consider expanding pharmacist privileges for these vaccinations.
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J Rheumatol
January 2025
SJ Moon, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Objective: This study aimed to assess infection occurrence of infection and risk factors among ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients treated with biologics in a real-world setting.
Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included AS patients from the Korean College of Rheumatology BIOlogics (KOBIO) registry who initiated or switched to biologic agent between December 2012 and July 2023. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of any infection, ranging from mild to severe, classified by organ system.
GMS Hyg Infect Control
December 2024
Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology and Radiology, Bauru Dental School, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil.
Lesions of monkeypox affect the oral mucosa in approximately 70% of infected patients and reported as the first clinical sign of the disease, manifesting as macules, papules, vesicles, or blisters, which are highly contagious and are followed by the appearance of lesions on the face and extremities of the body. These lesions have clinical aspects like recurrent herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and secondary syphilis and should be part of differential diagnoses. The clinical course after initial oral manifestation is shown to support the clinical diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Infect Dis
January 2025
Department of Endocrinology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Background: Diabetes and malignant tumors often lead to abnormal immune function, increasing susceptibility to herpes zoster and severe post-herpetic neuralgia. Renal insufficiency following renal cell carcinoma surgery can be compounded by treatment with nephrotoxic antiviral drugs. There have also been case reports of herpes zoster occurring at the surgical site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHerz
January 2025
Klinik für Kardiologie, Angiologie und internistische Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Kirrberger Str. 1, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland.
Respiratory tract infections with influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and respiratory syncytial (RS) viruses and pneumococci as well as endogenous reactivation of varicella zoster viruses presenting as herpes zoster, are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, such as myocardial infarction or hospitalization for heart failure. Effective prevention of these events, particularly through influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, is well established and cost-effective. Despite guideline recommendations to vaccinate older patients and people at risk, vaccination rates in these population groups remain suboptimal and below average in international comparison.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurol Neurochir Pol
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Zabrze, Poland.
A working group convened by the Section of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology of the Polish Neurological Society, the Polish Society of Family Medicine, and the Polish Society of Vaccinology has developed a consensus on supplementary data to the recommendations of the expert group of the Polish Society of Vaccinology, the Polish Society of Family Medicine, the Polish Dermatological Society, the Polish Association for the Study of Pain, and the Polish Neurological Society, and ECTRIMS/EAN of 2023 with regard to the currently available in Poland recombinant herpes zoster vaccine (RZV). It is intended for the prevention of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in individuals aged > 50 and individuals aged ≥ 18 who belong to herpes zoster risk groups. In Poland it is available with 50% reimbursement exclusively for patients aged 65 and older who have an increased risk of developing herpes zoster.
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