scholarly journals Current situation of vaccine injury compensation program and a future perspective in light of COVID-19 and emerging viral diseases

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 652
Author(s):  
Tommie Crum ◽  
Kirsten Mooney ◽  
Birendra R. Tiwari

Background: Vaccines have had a great impact on disease prevention and mortality reduction. Very rarely, vaccines also can result in serious adverse effects. In consideration of this fact, vaccine injury compensation programs have been implemented in many countries to compensate a vaccinee for associated adverse effects. The existing vaccine injury compensation system addresses routine immunization schemes. However, there are rising concerns about the compensation for adverse effects caused by new vaccines such as those developed for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The objective of this article is to review the existing vaccine injury compensation programs in different countries. The review also highlights the necessity to include all upcoming new vaccines for COVID-19 and other emerging viral diseases in the compensation schemes. Methods: Published articles relating to vaccine compensation injury programs, vaccines, injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and deaths resulting from vaccination were searched in data bases. Through a careful review of the abstracts, 25 relevant articles were selected for analysis. Results: We identified 27 countries on four continents with vaccine injury compensation schemes: 17 countries in Europe, 7 countries in Asia, the United States, a Canadian Province and New Zealand. No programs were identified in Africa and in South America. Program design, funding, and eligibility for compensation vary vastly between countries. We identified 17 countries operating well-established vaccine injury compensation programs. However, minimal information is available on numerous other countries. Conclusion: We have identified 27 countries operating vaccine injury compensation programs. In Canada, Quebec is the only province with a scheme; however, discussions are ongoing in Canada for nationwide implementation in light of COVID 19.  Study limitations include limited scientific material, which hindered our research. Additional data concerning payout for each type of injury and the number of claimants related to a specific vaccine injury worldwide could provide a more comprehensive analysis.

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 652
Author(s):  
Tommie Crum ◽  
Kirsten Mooney ◽  
Birendra R. Tiwari

Background: Vaccines have had a great impact on disease prevention and reducing mortality. Very rarely, vaccines also can result in serious adverse effects. In consideration of this fact, vaccine injury compensation programs have been implemented in many countries to compensate a vaccinee for associated adverse effects. The existing vaccine injury compensation system addresses routine immunization schemes. However, there are rising concerns about the compensation for adverse effects caused by new vaccines such as those developed for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review focuses on vaccine injury compensation programs and highlights the necessity to include all upcoming new vaccines for COVID-19 and other emerging viral diseases in the compensation schemes. Methods: Published articles relating to vaccine compensation injury programs, vaccines, injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and deaths resulting from vaccination were searched in data bases. Through a careful review of the abstracts, 25 relevant articles were selected for analysis. Results: We identified 27 countries on four continents with vaccine injury compensation schemes: 17 countries in Europe, 7 countries in Asia, the United States, a Canadian Province and New Zealand. No programs were identified in Africa and in South America. Program design, funding, and eligibility for compensation vary vastly between countries. We identified 17 countries operating well-established vaccine injury compensation programs. However, minimal information is available on numerous other countries. Conclusion: We conclude that the vaccine injury compensation programs are available in limited number of countries across four continents - mostly in Europe. Lack of standard approach and scope of injury prevention and compensation programs across the countries exists. Some important limitations include limited scientific material, which hindered our research. Therefore, additional data concerning payout for each type of injury and the number of claimants related to a specific vaccine injury worldwide could provide a more comprehensive analysis.


Eye ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwin Venkatesh ◽  
Ravi Patel ◽  
Simran Goyal ◽  
Timothy Rajaratnam ◽  
Anant Sharma ◽  
...  

AbstractEmerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are an increasing threat to public health on a global scale. In recent times, the most prominent outbreaks have constituted RNA viruses, spreading via droplets (COVID-19 and Influenza A H1N1), directly between humans (Ebola and Marburg), via arthropod vectors (Dengue, Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, Crimean Congo) and zoonotically (Lassa fever, Nipah, Rift Valley fever, Hantaviruses). However, specific approved antiviral therapies and vaccine availability are scarce, and public health measures remain critical. Patients can present with a spectrum of ocular manifestations. Emerging infectious diseases should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of ocular inflammatory conditions in patients inhabiting or returning from endemic territories, and more general vigilance is advisable in the context of a global pandemic. Eye specialists are in a position to facilitate swift diagnosis, improve clinical outcomes, and contribute to wider public health efforts during outbreaks. This article reviews those emerging viral diseases associated with reports of ocular manifestations and summarizes details pertinent to practicing eye specialists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 622
Author(s):  
Arne Krüger ◽  
Ana Paula de Jesus Santos ◽  
Vanessa de Sá ◽  
Henning Ulrich ◽  
Carsten Wrenger

Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules which are submitted to a process denominated SELEX. SELEX uses reiterative screening of a random oligonucleotide library to identify high-affinity binders to a chosen target, which may be a peptide, protein, or entire cells or viral particles. Aptamers can rival antibodies in target recognition, and benefit from their non-proteic nature, ease of modification, increased stability, and pharmacokinetic properties. This turns them into ideal candidates for diagnostic as well as therapeutic applications. Here, we review the recent accomplishments in the development of aptamers targeting emerging viral diseases, with emphasis on recent findings of aptamers binding to coronaviruses. We focus on aptamer development for diagnosis, including biosensors, in addition to aptamer modifications for stabilization in body fluids and tissue penetration. Such aptamers are aimed at in vivo diagnosis and treatment, such as quantification of viral load and blocking host cell invasion, virus assembly, or replication, respectively. Although there are currently no in vivo applications of aptamers in combating viral diseases, such strategies are promising for therapy development in the future.


Author(s):  
Jutta Lindert ◽  
Kimberley C. Paul ◽  
E. Lachman Margie ◽  
Beate Ritz ◽  
Teresa Seeman

AbstractLimited research is available on the relationship between social stress and risk of declining cognition. We sought to examine whether social stress has adverse effects on risk of declining episodic memory and executive functioning in aging individuals. We used data from the MIDUS study, a national probability sample of non-institutionalized, English speaking respondents aged 25–74 living in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. The initial wave (1995) included 4963 non-institutionalized adults aged 32–84 (M = 55, SD = 12.4). We used an analytic sample from MIDUS-II (1996/1997) and MIDUS-III (2013) (n = 1821). The dependent variables are episodic memory and executive functioning, which were assessed with the Brief Test for Cognition (BTACT). The independent variables were social stress variables (subjective social status, family and marital stress, work stress and discrimination). To evaluate episodic memory and executive functioning changes over a time period of 10 years, we estimated adjusted linear regression models. Women report significantly lower subjective social status and more discrimination stress than men across all age groups. Controlling for education and income, age, and baseline episodic memory and executive functioning, lower subjective social status had additional adverse effects on declines in episodic memory in men and women. Marital risk had adverse effects on episodic memory in men but not in women. Daily discrimination had adverse effects on executive functioning on all individuals. Public health strategies should focus on reducing social stress in a socio-ecological perspective. Especially, subjective social status and discrimination stress might be a target for prevention efforts.


Author(s):  
A. Wilder-Smith

Abstract Purpose of review The COVID-19 pandemic poses a major global health threat. The rapid spread was facilitated by air travel although rigorous travel bans and lockdowns were able to slow down the spread. How does COVID-19 compare with other emerging viral diseases of the past two decades? Recent findings Viral outbreaks differ in many ways, such as the individuals most at risk e.g. pregnant women for Zika and the elderly for COVID-19, their vectors of transmission, their fatality rate, and their transmissibility often measured as basic reproduction number. The risk of geographic spread via air travel differs significantly between emerging infectious diseases. Summary COVID-19 is not associated with the highest case fatality rate compared with other emerging viral diseases such as SARS and Ebola, but the combination of a high reproduction number, superspreading events and a globally immunologically naïve population has led to the highest global number of deaths in the past 20 decade compared to any other pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis P F Reay-Jones

Abstract The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a common lepidopteran pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States. This article provides an overview of the life history, ecology, plant injury, and management of H. zea in corn. Leaf injury by H. zea feeding can occur in vegetative stage corn, though this type of injury is rare. The most common type of injury is caused by larval feeding in ears. Because kernel injury is typically limited to the tip of the ear, H. zea is generally not considered an economic pest. The use of transgenic corn hybrids expressing insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner can reduce injury from H. zea, though complete control is not achieved with most Bt traits. Resistance has been reported to several Bt toxins. Because H. zea is a major economic pest in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and because H. zea moths that developed on corn can migrate to cotton, selection pressure on H. zea in Bt corn has major implications for the pest status and injury to Bt cotton. Although the impact of H. zea on yield of field corn is generally negligible, the selection pressure exerted by Bt corn has led to management issues in cotton.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-112
Author(s):  
Alan E. Gross ◽  
Katie J. Suda ◽  
Jifang Zhou ◽  
Gregory S. Calip ◽  
Susan A. Rowan ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Touil ◽  
Z. Cherkaoui ◽  
Z. Lmrabih ◽  
C. Loutfi ◽  
B. Harif ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (9) ◽  
pp. 3492-3494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigesaburo Miyakoshi ◽  
Masahiro Kami ◽  
Koichiro Yuji ◽  
Tomoko Matsumura ◽  
Masaaki Takatoku ◽  
...  

Bortezomib is a novel proteasome inhibitor with significant antimyeloma activity. Its frequent adverse effects are manageable, including gastrointestinal symptoms, peripheral neuropathy, and thrombocytopenia. Severe lung toxicity has not previously been reported. Between June 2004 and September 2005, 13 Japanese patients with multiple myeloma were treated with bortezomib in Toranomon Hospital, Juntendo University School of Medicine, and Jichi Medical School. Four of them developed severe pulmonary complications, and 2 died of respiratory failure without progression of underlying disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report on life-threatening pulmonary adverse effects after bortezomib therapy. Previous clinical studies on bortezomib, mostly in the United States and Europe, have shown low incidences of pulmonary adverse effects. Our study suggests that bortezomib can cause serious lung injury, and that its incidence might vary among different ethnicities. Clinicians need to be alert to the possibility.


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