Public Health Outcomes of Paediatric Influenza Vaccination With An Intranasal Tetravalent Live Attenuated Vaccine In Belgium Using A Dynamic Transmission Model

Background: The goal of this study was to project the number of COVID-19 cases and demand for acute hospital resources for Fall of 2021 in a representative mid-sized community in southwestern Ontario. We sought to evaluate whether current levels of vaccine coverage and contact reduction could mitigate a potential 4th wave fueled by the Delta variant, or whether the reinstitution of more intense public health measures will be required. Methods: We developed an age-stratified dynamic transmission model of COVID-19 in a mid-sized city (population 500,000) currently experiencing a relatively low, but increasing, infection rate in Step 3 of Ontario's Wave 3 recovery. We parameterized the model using the medical literature, grey literature, and government reports. We estimated the current level of contact reduction by model calibration to cases and hospitalizations. We projected the number of infections, number of hospitalizations, and the time to re-instate high intensity public health measures over the fall of 2021 under different levels of vaccine coverage and contact reduction. Results: Maintaining contact reductions at the current level, estimated to be a 17% reduction compared to pre-pandemic contact levels, results in COVID-related admissions exceeding 20% of pre-pandemic critical care capacity by late October, leading to cancellation of elective surgeries and other non-COVID health services. At high levels of vaccination and relatively high levels of mask wearing, a moderate additional effort to reduce contacts (30% reduction compared to pre-pandemic contact levels), is necessary to avoid re-instating intensive public health measures. Compared to prior waves, the age distribution of both cases and hospitalizations shifts younger and the estimated number of pediatric critical care hospitalizations may substantially exceed 20% of capacity. Discussion: High rates of vaccination coverage in people over the age of 12 and mask wearing in public settings will not be sufficient to prevent an overwhelming resurgence of COVID-19 in the Fall of 2021. Our analysis indicates that immediate moderate public health measures can prevent the necessity for more intense and disruptive measures later.

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Monitoring Interest in Herpes Zoster Vaccination: Analysis of Google Search Data (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.10180 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Elyse J Berlinberg ◽

Michael S Deiner ◽

Travis C Porco ◽

Nisha R Acharya

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Herpes Zoster ◽

Vaccine Coverage ◽

Application Programming Interface ◽

The United States ◽

Live Attenuated Vaccine ◽

Attenuated Vaccine ◽

Search Volume ◽

Search Data ◽

Google Search

BACKGROUND A new recombinant subunit vaccine for herpes zoster (HZ or shingles) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration on October 20, 2017 and is expected to replace the previous live attenuated vaccine. There have been low coverage rates with the live attenuated vaccine (Zostavax), ranging from 12-32% of eligible patients receiving the HZ vaccine. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to provide insight into trends and potential reasons for interest in HZ vaccination. METHODS Internet search data were queried from the Google Health application programming interface from 2004-2017. Seasonality of normalized search volume was analyzed using wavelets and Fisher’s g test. RESULTS The search terms “shingles vaccine,” “zoster vaccine,” and “zostavax” all exhibited significant periodicity in the fall months (P<.001), with sharp increases after recommendations for vaccination by public health-related organizations. Although the terms “shingles blisters,” “shingles itch,” “shingles rash,” “skin rash,” and “shingles medicine” exhibited statistically significant periodicities with a seasonal peak in the summer (P<.001), the terms “shingles contagious,” “shingles pain,” “shingles treatment,” and “shingles symptoms” did not reveal an annual trend. CONCLUSIONS There may be increased interest in HZ vaccination during the fall and after public health organization recommendations are broadcast. This finding points to the possibility that increased awareness of the vaccine through public health announcements could be evaluated as a potential intervention for increasing vaccine coverage.

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Translation of the UK Pediatric Influenza Vaccination Programme in Primary Schools to 13 European Countries Using a Dynamic Transmission Model

Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research ◽

10.36469/9802 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 109-124

Author(s):

Laetitia Gerlier ◽

Judith Hackett ◽

Richard Lawson ◽

Sofia Dos Santos Mendes ◽

Martin Eichner

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Primary School ◽

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Programme ◽

European Countries ◽

Transmission Model ◽

Icu Admission ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Dynamic Transmission Model ◽

The Uk

Objectives: To simulate the impact of a pediatric influenza vaccination programme using quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (QLAIV) in Europe by applying coverage rates achieved in the United Kingdom during the 2014–2015 season and to compare the model outcomes to the UK results. Methods: We used a deterministic, age-structured, dynamic transmission model adapted to the demography, contact patterns and influenza incidence of 13 European countries, with a 10-year horizon. The reference strategy was the unchanged country-specific coverage rate, using quadrivalent inactivated vaccine (assumed efficacy against infection from 45% in 1-year-old children to 60% in healthy adults). In the evaluated strategy, 56.8% of 5–10-year-old children were additionally vaccinated with QLAIV (assumed efficacy 80%), as was the case in 2014–2015 in the United Kingdom’s primary school pilot areas. Symptomatic influenza cases and associated medical resources (primary care consultations [PCC], hospitalization, intensive care unit [ICU] admissions) were calculated. The evaluated versus reference strategies were compared using odds ratios (ORs) for PCC in the target (aged 5–10-years) and non-target adult (aged >17 years) populations as well as number needed to vaccinate (NNV) with QLAIV to avert one PCC, hospitalization or ICU admission. Model outcomes, averaged over 10 seasons, were compared with published real-life data from the United Kingdom for the 2014–2015 season. Results: Over 13 countries and 10 years, the evaluated strategy prevented 32.8 million of symptomatic influenza cases (172.3 vs 205.2 million). The resulting range of ORs for PCC was 0.18–0.48 among children aged 5–10-years, and the published OR in the United Kingdom was 0.06 (95% confidence interval [0.01; 0.62]). In adults, the range of ORs for PCC was 0.60–0.91 (UK OR=0.41 [0.19; 0.86]). NNV ranges were 6–19 per averted PCC (UK NNV=16), 530–1524 per averted hospitalization (UK NNV=317) and 5298–15 241 per averted ICU admission (UK NNV=2205). Conclusions: Across a range of European countries, our model shows the beneficial direct and indirect impact of a paediatric vaccination programme using QLAIV in primary school-aged children, consistent with what was observed during a single season in the United Kingdom. Recommendations for the implementation of pediatric vaccination programmes are, therefore, supported in Europe.

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Cost-effectiveness of varicella and herpes zoster vaccination in Sweden: An economic evaluation using a dynamic transmission model

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0251644 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. e0251644

Author(s):

Ellen Wolff ◽

Katarina Widgren ◽

Gianpaolo Scalia Tomba ◽

Adam Roth ◽

Tiia Lep ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Herpes Zoster ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Vaccination Programme ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Transmission Model ◽

Varicella Vaccination ◽

Economic Evaluations ◽

Live Attenuated Vaccine ◽

Attenuated Vaccine ◽

National Vaccination Programme

Objectives Comprehensive cost-effectiveness analyses of introducing varicella and/or herpes zoster vaccination in the Swedish national vaccination programme. Design Cost-effectiveness analyses based on epidemiological results from a specifically developed transmission model. Setting National vaccination programme in Sweden, over an 85- or 20-year time horizon depending on the vaccination strategy. Participants Hypothetical cohorts of people aged 12 months and 65-years at baseline. Interventions Four alternative vaccination strategies; 1, not to vaccinate; 2, varicella vaccination with one dose of the live attenuated vaccine at age 12 months and a second dose at age 18 months; 3, herpes zoster vaccination with one dose of the live attenuated vaccine at 65 years of age; and 4, both vaccine against varicella and herpes zoster with the before-mentioned strategies. Main outcome measures Accumulated cost and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) for each strategy, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Results It would be cost-effective to vaccinate against varicella (dominant), but not to vaccinate against herpes zoster (ICER of EUR 200,000), assuming a cost-effectiveness threshold of EUR 50,000 per QALY. The incremental analysis between varicella vaccination only and the combined programme results in a cost per gained QALY of almost EUR 1.6 million. Conclusions The results from this study are central components for policy-relevant decision-making, and suggest that it was cost-effective to introduce varicella vaccination in Sweden, whereas herpes zoster vaccination with the live attenuated vaccine for the elderly was not cost-effective–the health effects of the latter vaccination cannot be considered reasonable in relation to its costs. Future observational and surveillance studies are needed to make reasonable predictions on how boosting affects the herpes zoster incidence in the population, and thus the cost-effectiveness of a vaccination programme against varicella. Also, the link between herpes zoster and sequelae need to be studied in more detail to include it suitably in health economic evaluations.

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