Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) has a low and unpredictable incidence, presenting challenges for real-world evaluations of meningococcal vaccines. Traditionally, meningococcal vaccine impact is evaluated by predicting counterfactuals from pre-immunization IMD incidences, possibly controlling for IMD in unvaccinated age groups, but the selection of controls can influence results. We retrospectively applied a synthetic control (SC) method, previously used for pneumococcal disease, to data from 2 programs for immunization of infants against serogroups B and C IMD in England and Brazil. Time series of infectious/noninfectious diseases in infants and IMD cases in older unvaccinated age groups were used as candidate controls, automatically combined in a SC through Bayesian variable selection. SC closely predicted IMD in absence of vaccination, adjusting for nontrivial changes in IMD incidence. Vaccine impact estimates were in line with previous assessments. IMD cases in unvaccinated age groups were the most frequent SC-selected controls. Similar results were obtained when excluding IMD from control sets and using other diseases only, particularly respiratory diseases and measles. Using non-IMD controls may be important where there are herd immunity effects. SC is a robust and flexible method that addresses uncertainty introduced when equally plausible controls exhibit different post-immunization behaviors, allowing objective comparisons of IMD programs between countries.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwab266 | DOI Listing |
Infect Dis Model
March 2025
Mathematical Sciences, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
This paper examines a recently developed statistical approach for evaluating the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in terms of deaths averted. The statistical approach makes predictions by comparing death rates in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. The statistical approach is preferred for its simplicity and straightforwardness, especially when compared to the difficulties involved when fitting the many parameters of a dynamic SIRD-type model, which may even be an impossible task.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine X
January 2025
Minpapi Association, Tokyo, Japan.
Background: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rate among Japanese high school girls remains critically low, reflecting ongoing public apprehension and misinformation. This study explores the relationship between information presentation and attitudes toward HPV vaccination in Japan.
Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of female high school students aged 15 to 16 and mothers of daughters of similar age across Japan.
J Infect
January 2025
MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK; School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Computer Science, Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK. Electronic address:
Background: COVID-19 symptoms may persist beyond acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, as ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 [OSC] (symptom duration 4-12 weeks) and post-COVID syndrome [PCS] (symptom duration ≥12 weeks). Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 decreases OSC/PCS in individuals subsequently infected with SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination. Whether vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, or any other vaccinations (such as against influenza) affects symptoms in individuals already experiencing OSC/PCS, more than natural symptom evolution, is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLancet Infect Dis
January 2025
Geneva Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Médecins Sans Frontières, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address:
Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of acute viral hepatitis, particularly in Asia and Africa, where HEV genotypes 1 and 2 are prevalent. Although a recombinant vaccine, Hecolin, is available, it has not been used to control outbreaks. The licensed three-dose regimen might pose challenges for it to be an impactful outbreak control tool.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHum Vaccin Immunother
December 2025
School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Focusing on vaccines available to adults and not in the immunization schedule, this study investigates the preferences and factors influencing adults in selecting vaccination clinic locations. It aims to provide strategic insights for boosting vaccination rates by analyzing adults' decision-making factors. This contributes to developing more efficient, patient-focused vaccination strategies that tackle vaccine hesitancy and improve access to vaccination sites.
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