Impact of a National Immunisation Program on herpes zoster incidence in Australia

Summary Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the National Herpes Zoster (zoster) Immunisation Program in Australia on zoster incidence. Methods: Ecological analysis of zoster incidence related to timing of implementation of the national program in vaccine-targeted (70-79 years) and non-targeted age groups (60-69 and 80-89 years) during January 2013-December 2018 was estimated using interrupted time-series analyses. Results: Prior to program commencement (Jan 2013 to Oct 2016) in patients aged 60-69, 70-79 and 80-89 years, incidence was mostly stable averaging respectively 7.2, 9.6 and 10.8 per 1000 person-years. In the two years following program commencement, incidence fell steadily in those aged 70-79 years, with an estimated decrease of 2.25 (95% CI: 1.34, 3.17) per 1000 person-years per year, with women having a greater decrease than men (2.83 versus 1.68, p-interaction<0.01). In the two non-vaccine-program-targeted age groups there was no evidence of reduction in zoster incidence: 60-69 years, 0.46 (95% CI: -0.46, 1.38) and 80-89 years, 0.11 (95% CI: -1.64, 1.87). Conclusions: Two years after implementation, an estimated 7000 zoster cases were prevented through the national program. With known waning vaccine efficacy, continued surveillance is needed to ensure these early reductions in incidence are sustained.

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Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation in Australia annual report, 2017

Communicable Diseases Intelligence ◽

10.33321/cdi.2019.43.29 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Aditi Dey ◽

Han Wang ◽

Helen Quinn ◽

Rona Hiam ◽

Nicholas Wood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Annual Report ◽

Injection Site Reaction ◽

Reporting Rate ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

National Immunisation ◽

National Immunisation Program ◽

Conjugate Vaccination ◽

Reporting Rates ◽

To Receive

This report summarises Australian passive surveillance data for adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) for 2017 reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration and describes reporting trends over the 18-year period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2017. There were 3,878 AEFI records for vaccines administered in 2017; an annual AEFI reporting rate of 15.8 per 100,000 population. There was a 12% increase in the overall AEFI reporting rate in 2017 compared with 2016. This increase in reported adverse events in 2017 compared to the previous year was likely due to the introduction of the zoster vaccine (Zostavax®) provided free for people aged 70–79 years under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and also the state- and territory-based meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccination programs. AEFI reporting rates for most other individual vaccines in 2017 were similar to 2016. The most commonly reported reactions were injection site reaction (34%), pyrexia (17%), rash (15%), vomiting (8%) and pain (7%). The majority of AEFI reports (88%) described non-serious events. Two deaths were reported that were determined to have a causal relationship with vaccination; they occurred in immunocompromised people contraindicated to receive the vaccines.

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The Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster in the United States During the Era of Varicella and Herpes Zoster Vaccines: Changing Patterns Among Older Adults

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciy953 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 341-344 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rafael Harpaz ◽

Jessica W Leung

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Older Adults ◽

Herpes Zoster ◽

The United States ◽

Administrative Databases ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Incidence Trends ◽

Changing Patterns ◽

Herpes Zoster Incidence

Abstract Historic herpes zoster incidence trends in US adults have been hard to interpret. Using administrative databases, we extended previous descriptions of these trends through 2016. We observed an age-specific transition, with ongoing increases among younger adults but deceleration in older adults. The patterns are not readily explained.

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Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program: Annual Report, 2018

Communicable Diseases Intelligence ◽

10.33321/cdi.2021.45.6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

Author(s):

Susie Roczo-Farkas ◽

Julie E Bines ◽

Keyword(s):

Annual Report ◽

Vaccination Schedule ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Genotype Distribution ◽

Rotavirus Vaccine ◽

Wild Type ◽

National Immunisation ◽

Genotype Analysis ◽

National Immunisation Program ◽

Dominant Genotype

This report, from the Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program and collaborating laboratories Australia-wide, describes the rotavirus genotypes identified in children and adults with acute gastroenteritis during the period 1 January to 31 December 2018. During this period, 690 faecal specimens were referred for rotavirus G- and P- genotype analysis, including 607 samples that were confirmed as rotavirus positive. Of these, 457/607 were wild-type rotavirus strains and 150/607 were identified as rotavirus vaccine-like. Genotype analysis of the 457 wild-type rotavirus samples from both children and adults demonstrated that G3P[8] was the dominant genotype nationally, identified in 52% of samples, followed by G2P[4] (17%). The Australian National Immunisation Program, which previously included both RotaTeq and Rotarix vaccines, changed to Rotarix exclusively on 1 July 2017. Continuous surveillance is needed to identify if the change in vaccination schedule could affect rotavirus genotype distribution and diversity in Australia.

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Disease burden of varicella versus other vaccine-preventable diseases before introduction of vaccination into the national immunisation programme in the Netherlands

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/1560-7917.es.2019.24.18.1800363 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (18) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alies van Lier ◽

Brechje de Gier ◽

Scott A McDonald ◽

Marie-Josée J. Mangen ◽

Maarten van Wijhe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Herpes Zoster ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Immunisation Programme ◽

Current Approach ◽

Published Data ◽

Uncertainty Interval ◽

National Immunisation Programme ◽

Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽

National Immunisation ◽

Life Years

Introduction Estimating burden of disease (BoD) is an essential first step in the decision-making process on introducing new vaccines into national immunisation programmes (NIPs). For varicella, a common vaccine-preventable disease, BoD in the Netherlands was unknown. Aim To assess national varicella BoD and compare it to BoD of other vaccine-preventable diseases before their introduction in the NIP. Methods In this health estimates reporting study, BoD was expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) using methodology from the Burden of Communicable Diseases in Europe (BCoDE)-project. As no parameters/disease model for varicella (including herpes zoster) were available in the BCoDE toolkit, incidence, disease progression model and parameters were derived from seroprevalence, healthcare registries and published data. For most other diseases, BoD was estimated with existing BCoDE-parameters, adapted to the Netherlands if needed. Results In 2017, the estimated BoD of varicella in the Netherlands was 1,800 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 1,800–1,900) DALYs. Herpes zoster mainly contributed to this BoD (1,600 DALYs; 91%), which was generally lower than the BoD of most current NIP diseases in the year before their introduction into the NIP. However, BoD for varicella was higher than for rotavirus gastroenteritis (1,100; 95%UI: 440–2,200 DALYs) and meningococcal B disease (620; 95%UI: 490–770 DALYs), two other potential NIP candidates. Conclusions When considering the introduction of a new vaccine in the NIP, BoD is usually estimated in isolation. The current approach assesses BoD in relation to other vaccine-preventable diseases’ BoD, which may help national advisory committees on immunisation and policymakers to set vaccination priorities.

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