scholarly journals Adherence to Immunization: Rebuttal of Vaccine Hesitancy

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Tamar Etzioni-Friedman ◽  
Amos Etzioni
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Near Future ◽  
New Vaccines

Immunizations have been saving the lives of millions of people since they were first used by Edward Jenner in 1796, and new vaccines are being developed all the time. Hopefully, a new vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be developed in the near future, and perhaps even one for human immunodeficiency virus. Although the effectiveness of vaccinations has been proven over the years and adverse effects to currently available vaccinations are extremely rare, many people continue to defer immunizations for themselves and their families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this phenomenon, known as “vaccine hesitancy,” is a major public health problem globally. This review summarizes the unproven adverse effects of various vaccines and stresses the importance of enforcing vaccination policies to minimize vaccine hesitancy. Every effort should be made to improve existing vaccines and to produce new ones, according to carefully designed scientific preclinical and clinical trials. This is particularly important in today’s era, in light of the global transparency regarding vaccination development, and the potential for future pandemics such as COVID-19.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Attitude among Healthcare Workers in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110133
Author(s):  
Samar Fares ◽  
Merihan M. Elmnyer ◽  
Shimaa Sabry Mohamed ◽  
Radwa Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, especially the frontline worriers. To get shielded through this war, the world is racing to reach and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination hesitancy is one of the significant obstacles to global health. Objectives This study aimed to assess the perception and attitude of healthcare workers in Egypt toward COVID-19 vaccines, acknowledge the determinants of their attitude, and the factors that could increase the acceptance of the vaccine. Methods an observational web-based anonymous survey was conducted on 385 Egyptian healthcare workers in different governorates. The questionnaire-based on Vaccine Hesitancy Survey Questions of the World Health Organization was available in Arabic and English languages and was tested for reliability. Results Regarding vaccination decision, 51% of the participants were undecided, 28% refused, and 21% accepted vaccination. Reasons for vaccine acceptance mainly were risks of COVID-19 (93%), safety (57.5%), and effectiveness (56.25%) of the vaccine. Simultaneously, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy were the absence of enough clinical trials (92.4%) and fear of side effects of the vaccine (91.4%). The leading factor that could increase vaccination acceptance among the participants was to get sufficient and accurate information about the available vaccines. The participants revealed a high mean level of concern for COVID-19 vaccines’ safety (3.8 of 5) that differs significantly among the different study groups ( P-value .002). Conclusion Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, only approximately 21% of Egyptian healthcare workers in our study accepted the COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy represents a major barrier to implementing vaccination programs.

scholarly journals 1.C. Workshop: How are digital solutions contributing to enhance immunization programmes and policies?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Childhood Vaccination ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Immunization Programmes

Abstract As vaccine hesitancy and decreasing immunization coverage have been identified by the World Health Organization as global alarming health threats, it is of crucial importance to exploit the potential offered by digital solutions to enhance immunization programmes and ultimately increase vaccine uptake. We have previously developed and published a conceptual framework outlining how digitalization can support immunization at different levels: i) when adopted for health education and communication purposes, ii) in the context of immunization programmes delivery, and iii) in the context of immunization information systems management. The proposed workshop is co-organized by the EUPHA Digital health section (EUPHA-DH) and EUPHA Infectious diseases control section (EUPHA-IDC) and aims at discussing the current AVAILABILITY, USE and IMPACT of digital solutions to support immunization programmes at the international, national and local level, as well as, debating on how technical infrastructures on one side and normative and policy frameworks on the other side enable their implementation. We plan to have a rich set of contributions covering the following: the presentation of a conceptual framework identifying and mapping the digital solutions' features having the potential to bolster immunization programmes, namely: i) Personalization and precision; ii) Automation; iii) Prediction; iv) Data analytics (including big data and interoperability); and v) Interaction; the dissemination of key results and final outputs of a Europe-wide funded project on the use of Information & Communication Technology to enhance immunization, with particular reference to the use and comparative impact of email remainders and personal electronic health records, as well as the results of an international survey conducted to map and collect best practices on the use of different digital solutions within immunization programmes at the national and regional level; the firsthand experience of the United Kingdom NHS Digital Child Health Programme which developed, implemented and is currently evaluating a number of solutions to increase childhood vaccination uptake in England, including an information standard and information sharing services developed to ensure that the details of children's vaccinations can be shared between different health care settings the perspective and experience of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for Europe and of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the global level of what has worked so far in the digitalization of immunization programmes around the world, what recommendations were developed and which barriers identified at the technical normative and policy level Key messages Digitalization has great potential to support immunization programmes but its practice and impact need to be measured. Country-level and international experiences have created qualitative and quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of digital intervention aimed at increasing vaccine uptake.

scholarly journals From Syphilis to Autism, How the Anti-Vaccination Movement of Today is an Echo of the Past

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh Beaveridge
Keyword(s):  
Personal Narratives ◽  
World Health ◽  
Statistical Characteristics ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
The World ◽  
The One ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The 19Th Century

Introduction: The anti-vaccination movement has led to decreased vaccination rates and increased vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases in the general population. In order to better understand the anti-vaccination movement of today, the anti-vaccination movement that emerged in the 19th century is examined and measured against the one observed in the 20th century. Discussion: Though the population of the 19th and 20th centuries differ in many regards and our knowledge of vaccine and immune mechanisms are far greater; the anti-vaccination movement seen today stands on the same pillars as that of the 1800s with the sentiment of fear at its core. Though the façade of these pillars has been altered to suit the world today, both movements exploited the influence of prominent public figures, maintained false associations with dire vaccine consequences and emphasized these through the use of visual media, repetition and personal narratives. The persistence of the anti-vaccination movement lies largely in the use of personal stories which are more impactful and memorable then the statistical characteristics of scientific study. Conclusion: The pro-vaccination movement must respond to the tactics used by the anti-vaccination movement and create accessible, understandable and equally impactful communication strategies in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and counter the efforts of the current anti-vaccination movement. Relevance: Vaccine hesitancy was listed amongst the top 10 global health threats in 2019 by the World Health Organization. In order to shift the negative rhetoric surrounding vaccines, the anti-vaccination movement of today and its historic roots need to be understood.

scholarly journals Trajectories and Determinants of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals in The Netherlands

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 3832
Author(s):  
Amy Hofman ◽  
Marlou A. M. Limpens ◽  
Tosca O. E. de Crom ◽  
Mohammad Arfan Ikram ◽  
Annemarie I. Luik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Population Based ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Health Organization

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem, and there are concerns this might have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of physical activity over a 6-week period after the first restrictive measures and to explore determinants of these trajectories in a population-based cohort of middle-aged and elderly in the Netherlands (n = 5777). We observed that at least 59% of participants did not meet the World Health Organization recommendations for physical activity. Using latent class trajectory analyses over three time points, we identified five distinct trajectories, including four steady trajectories at different levels (very low, low, medium and high) and one increasing trajectory. Using multinomial logistic regression analyses, we observed that, compared to the ‘steadily high’ trajectory, participants in the ‘steadily very low’ trajectory were more often older, lower educated, reporting poorer physical health, more depressive symptoms, consuming a less healthy diet, smoking, and lower alcohol use, and were less often retired. A similar pattern of determinants was seen for those in the increasing trajectory, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Concluding, we observed low levels of physical activity that generally remained during the pandemic. The determinants we described can help identify groups that require additional preventive interventions.

Antidepressants

2012 ◽  
pp. 1185-1198
Author(s):  
Zubin Bhagwagar ◽  
George R. Heninger
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Antidepressant Drugs ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Primary Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Health Organization

Major depressive disorder is a serious, recurrent illness which levies a crippling toll on individuals, families, and society in general. The importance of depression as a major public health problem is emphasized by findings from the World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease survey in showing that in 1990 it was the fourth largest cause of burden of disease (i.e. years of life lost due either to premature mortality or to years lived with a disability). It has been estimated that by the year 2020 it is expected to be the second largest cause of burden of disease. Depression is underdiagnosed and frequently under-treated, and depressed individuals have a much higher risk for suicide. The primary treatment for depression involves the use of antidepressant drugs, and it is therefore important that clinicians become familiar with and adept in utilizing this important group of compounds. Although primarily used for the treatment of depression, drugs within this category also have a number of other important uses. A thorough understanding of the pharmacology of antidepressants will aid the clinician in the selective use of these drugs for patients with depression as well as patients with a number of other disorders.

scholarly journals Incidence and Risk Factors for Severe Pneumonia in Children Hospitalized with Pneumonia in Ujjain, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4637
Author(s):  
Sunil Kumar Kasundriya ◽  
Mamta Dhaneria ◽  
Aditya Mathur ◽  
Ashish Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Open Defecation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Poor Ventilation ◽  
Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease ◽  
Health Organization

Childhood pneumonia is a major public health problem. The aim of this prospective hospital-based study is to determine the incidence and risk factors for community-acquired severe pneumonia in children in Ujjain, India. The study includes 270 children, 161 (60%) boys and 109 (40%) girls, aged between 2 months and 5 years with World Health Organization defined and radiologically confirmed severe pneumonia. Considering the 270 children, 64% (95% confidence interval (CI) 57.9–69.4) have severe pneumonia. The following are identified as risk factors for severe pneumonia from the generalized logistic regression model: Born premature (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 7.50; 95% CI 2.22–25.31; p = 0.001); history of measles (AOR 6.35; 95% CI 1.73–23.30; p = 0.005); incomplete vaccination (AOR 2.66; 95% CI 1.09–6.48; p = 0.031); acyanotic congenital heart disease (AOR 9.21; 95% CI 2.29–36.99; p = 0.002); home treatment tried (AOR 3.84; 95% CI 1.42–10.39; p = 0.008); living in a kuchha house (AOR 3.89; 95% CI 1.51–10.01; p = 0.027); overcrowding (AOR 4.50; 95% CI 1.75–11.51; p = 0.002);poor ventilation in living area (AOR 16.37; 95% CI 4.67–57.38; p < 0.001); and practicing open defecation (AOR 16.92; 95% CI 4.95–57.85; p < 0.001). Awareness of these risk factors can reduce mortality due to severe pneumonia.

Suicide and Attempted Suicide in Pakistan

Crisis ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 172-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murad Moosa Khan
Keyword(s):  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Mortality Statistics ◽  
Current State ◽  
Criminal Offenses ◽  
The World ◽  
Islamic Countries ◽  
Health Organization

Suicide and attempted suicide are understudied subjects in Pakistan, an Islamic country where they are considered criminal offenses. National suicide statistics are not compiled nor are suicide mortality statistics reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although there are strong religious sanctions against suicide, there are no clear principles against attempted suicide in Islam. Despite this, Pakistan, like many other Islamic countries, has punitive laws against attempted suicide. This has led to both suicide and attempted suicide being underdiagnosed and underreported. Data on suicide and attempted suicide are also difficult to obtain. This article gives an overview of the current state of suicide and attempted suicide in Pakistan, in the context of existing religious and legal factors, highlighting the main findings of the few studies carried out over the last 50 years. It is important that researchers in Islamic countries like Pakistan not be deterred by the apparent low rates of suicide in these countries, but conduct further research in this important yet neglected public-health problem.

scholarly journals Hepatitis C Worldwide and in Brazil: Silent Epidemic—Data on Disease including Incidence, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iara Fabricia Kretzer ◽  
Andrea do Livramento ◽  
Joel da Cunha ◽  
Sabrina Gonçalves ◽  
Iraci Tosin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
The World ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
Health Organization

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is endemic worldwide and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 150 million chronic carriers worldwide. The infection is a leading cause of liver diseases like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); thus, HCV infection constitutes a critical public health problem. There are increasing efforts worldwide in order to reduce the global impact of hepatitis C through the implementation of programmatic actions that may increase the awareness of viral hepatitis and also improve surveillance, prevention, and treatment. In Brazil, about 1,5 million people have been chronically infected with HCV. The country has a vast territory with uneven population density, and hepatitis C incidence rates are variable with the majority of cases concentrated in the most populated areas. Currently, the main priorities of Brazilian Ministry of Health's strategies for viral hepatitis management include the prevention and early diagnosis of viral hepatitis infections; strengthening of the healthcare network and lines of treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, viral hepatitis, and AIDS; improvement and development of surveillance, information, and research; and promotion of universal access to medication. This review aims to summarize the available data on hepatitis C epidemiology and current status of efforts in prevention and infection control around the world and in Brazil.

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