scholarly journals Tackling Biological Risk in the Workplace: Updates and Prospects Regarding Vaccinations for Subjects at Risk of Occupational Exposure in Italy

Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Durando ◽  
Dini ◽  
Massa ◽  
La Torre
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Healthcare Management ◽  
Occupational Physician ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Biological Risk ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Coverage Rates ◽  
Occupational Settings ◽  
Prevention Plan

Occupational activities may expose workers to a variety of risks. Exposure to biological agents constitutes a traditional risk in numerous occupational settings. Legislative Decree (D.Lgs.) 81/2008 constitutes the main Italian legislative basis for the management and the prevention of biological risk in occupational settings and lists the available vaccinations against each single biological agent. The 2017–2019 National Vaccination Prevention Plan (PNPV) identifies some categories of workers for whom specific vaccinations are indicated. In this context, the occupational physician identifies work processes that are at risk—identifying susceptible workers and providing information on health monitoring—and is responsible for ensuring that vaccinations are carried out. Adequate and thorough evaluation of risk are indispensable to appropriate consultation by the occupational physician in order to enable the employer to provide efficacious vaccinations. Close collaboration among the services of occupational medicine, vaccination clinics, and healthcare management together with the implementation of vaccination programs that are agreed upon at the institutional level provides an opportunity to reduce the number of workers who are susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases, thereby yielding benefits in terms of biological risk management in the workplace and contributing to increasing vaccination coverage rates, which in many cases are currently unsatisfactory.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of Antibodies against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis in Adult At-Risk Patients

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Lise Boey ◽  
Eline Bosmans ◽  
Liane Braz Ferreira ◽  
Nathalie Heyvaert ◽  
Melissa Nelen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Solid Organ ◽  
Recent Infection ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Patients

Patients with chronic diseases are at increased risk of complications following infection. It remains, however, unknown to what extend they are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. We assessed seroprevalence of antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis to evaluate whether current vaccination programs in Belgium are adequate. Antibody titers were assessed with a bead-based multiplex assay in serum of 1052 adults with chronic diseases. We included patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) (n = 172), DM2 (n = 77), chronic kidney disease (n = 130), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 170), heart failure (n = 77), HIV (n = 196) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients (n = 230). Factors associated with seroprevalence were analysed with multiple logistic regression. We found seroprotective titers in 29% for diphtheria (≥0.1 IU/mL), in 83% for tetanus (≥0.1 IU/mL) and 22% had antibodies against pertussis (≥5 IU/mL). Seroprotection rates were higher (p < 0.001) when vaccinated within the last ten years. Furthermore, diphtheria seroprotection decreased with age (p < 0.001). Tetanus seroprotection was less reached in women (p < 0.001) and older age groups (p < 0.001). For pertussis, women had more often a titer suggestive of a recent infection or vaccination (≥100 IU/mL, p < 0.01). We conclude that except for tetanus, the vast majority of at-risk patients remains susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria and pertussis.

scholarly journals The Model of “Informed Refusal” for Vaccination: How to Fight against Anti-Vaccinationist Misinformation without Disregarding the Principle of Self-Determination

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Stefano D’Errico ◽  
Emanuela Turillazzi ◽  
Martina Zanon ◽  
Rocco Valerio Viola ◽  
Paola Frati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Right ◽  
Coverage Rates

Vaccines are arguably a public health success story as well as an incredibly cost-effective medical resource. Despite this, worldwide concerns about their safety are growing, with the risk of increased morbidity and mortality in vaccine-preventable diseases because of vaccine refusal. The global political trend in developed countries is to increasingly reduce mandates and the compulsory nature of vaccination programs. This is due to strong opposition from anti-vaccination movements and groups. While these have existed since the beginnings of vaccinology, they have recently gained a strong foothold through massive exploitation of the media and especially the internet. This has led to widespread misinformation and greater difficulty for governments and health institutions in dealing with parents’ concerns and misconceptions. Common strategies in order to maintain a high degree of public acceptance of vaccines include the enhancement of adverse effect reporting systems, the enrichment of scientific literature, and the dissemination of targeted information to parents and health care providers. Vaccine risk perception, in fact, largely exceeds the evidence and is linked to well-known general population cognitive bias, which must be recognized and corrected. Although there is no doubt about the convenience of universal vaccination, a lively international debate is underway with regard to the legitimacy of mandatory vaccination programs. Most scientists agree that the individual’s right to self-determination should be preserved. The only way to simultaneously protect the right to health is to introduce an informed refusal model, which aims to guarantee the highest coverage rates for vaccination.

Immunizations and vaccines: a decade of successes and reversals, and a call for ‘vaccine diplomacy’

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 331-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J Hotez
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Virus ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Health Gains ◽  
Potential Development ◽  
Respiratory Virus Infections ◽  
New Vaccines

Abstract Over the last decade we have seen extraordinary public health gains due to expansions in global vaccination programs led by United Nations (UN) agencies, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the WHO. These initiatives have reduced childhood deaths from measles, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable diseases by almost one half. There is additional excitement over the potential development and introduction of new vaccines to prevent highly lethal respiratory virus infections, as well as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS and several neglected tropical diseases. However, these successes are under threat due to political instability, conflict and an accelerating antivaccine movement. New initiatives in vaccine diplomacy will be required to combat these challenges.

Effect of COVID-19 on vaccination coverage in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelle Moura Silveira ◽  
Neida Lucia Conrad ◽  
Fábio Pereira Leivas Leite
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Physical Distance ◽  
Disease Notification ◽  
Notification System ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Antigen Vaccine ◽  
Restricted Mobility ◽  
Consistent Information ◽  
The Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations for maintaining physical distance, restricted mobility measures, as well as fear of mass transmission by going to health centers have significantly contributed to the general vaccination coverage, which by and large is decreasing worldwide; thus, favoring the potential re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases. In this study, we have used the existing data on vaccination coverage during the pre-pandemic (2019) as well as the pandemic (2020) period to evaluate the impact of coronavirus outbreaks during the vaccination drive in Brazil. Furthermore, we have accumulated data since 2015 among the different regions of the country to acquire more consistent information. The various vaccines analyzed in our study were meningococcal C conjugate, Triple antigen vaccine, 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate, and BCG; subsequently, the data were obtained from the National Disease Notification System. This study revealed that the ongoing immunization drive saw a steep decline of around 10 to 20% during the (2019–2020) pandemic period in Brazil. These results provide strong evidence towards the decreasing trends following the vaccination programs during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Brazil. Furthermore, our results also highlight the importance of adopting widespread multi-component interventions to improve vaccination uptake rates.

541-P: Social and Biological Risk Factors Threaten Hispanics/Latinos with Type 2 Diabetes, Now at Risk for COVID-19

Diabetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 541-P
Author(s):  
NAMINO M. GLANTZ ◽  
ROSIRENE PACZKOWSKI ◽  
ARIANNA J. LAREZ ◽  
FELICIA GELSEY ◽  
BANRUO YANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Biological Risk

Reasons for Vaccine Rejection in 0 to 2 Years Old Children Registered to Family Health Centers in Konya

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 074-079
Author(s):  
Hasan Kucukkendirci ◽  
Fatih Kara ◽  
Gulsum Gulperi Turgut
Keyword(s):  
Health Personnel ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractObjective According to the 2017 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), ∼1.5 million people die from vaccine preventable diseases. The WHO is working to generate and popularize effective vaccination programs. However, the concept of “vaccine rejection,” which first started in Europe and United States, has started to make an impact in Turkey during the past 10 years. It is therefore seen as a growing danger in future. This study was conducted to determine, detect, and prevent the reasons of vaccine rejection that have increased in recent years.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December at 2015. In all districts of Konya (n = 31), it was aimed to reach all 242 families who rejected vaccination to their 0 to 2 years old babies. Families having more than one child refused to vaccinate all of their children. A questionnaire consisting of 47 questions was prepared by the researchers, using the standard trainings of the Ministry of Health and the literature. A total of 172 families agreed to participate in this study. The questionnaire was applied to the parents using the telephone interview technique. Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation and percentage.Results About 41.3% (n = 71) of the mothers were high school graduates, 50.6% (n = 87) of their fathers were university graduates. About 82.6% (n = 142) of the participants received examination, treatment and follow-up services from family physicians and family health personnel. About 20.9% (n = 36) of the children were the only children of the family. About 55.8% (n = 96) of the families also refused the vaccination for other children. About 83.7% (n = 144) of the unvaccinated children had infants/children follow-up care. While all participants stated that vaccines had side effects, 31.4% (n = 54) of these believed that vaccines cause autism or paralysis in infants. About 62.2% (n = 107) of their mothers did not receive tetanus vaccine during pregnancy. The highest rate of nonvaccination was with the second dose of hepatitis A vaccine, which 96.5% (n = 166) refused. The most accepted vaccine was the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine, which was refused by 18.0% (n = 31). About 79.7% (n = 137) of the participants did not know the reason for the vaccination and 95.9% (n = 165) thought that the vaccines were not required. All participants received information from the health personnel about the vaccines. While 9.9% (n = 17) of the families thought that vaccines cause infertility, 44.8% (n = 77) did not receive vaccination because the vaccines were produced abroad.Conclusion A growing number of families refuse to have their babies vaccinated. The production of vaccines abroad is a major cause of insecurity. There are also beliefs that vaccines cause infertility. Vaccine production in Turkey should be accelerated and public education about vaccines should be reviewed. Training provided to families about vaccines should also be reviewed.

scholarly journals Decreasing vaccine coverage rates lead to increased vulnerability to the importation of vaccine-preventable diseases in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Minoru Fujita ◽  
Felipe Scassi Salvador ◽  
Luiz Henrique da Silva Nali ◽  
Expedito José de Albuquerque Luna
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Coverage Rates

scholarly journals Compulsory vaccination policies: a systematic review about knowledge, attitudes and believes

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Voglino ◽  
M R Gualano ◽  
F Bert ◽  
E Olivero ◽  
M Corezzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Compulsory Vaccination ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Coverage Rates ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination ◽  
Low Coverage

Abstract Background Vaccine hesitancy is a considerable issue in European Countries and leads to low coverage rates. Consequently, the implementation of national immunization programmes including the introduction of compulsory vaccination are required. It is interesting to determine citizens’ knowledge, attitudes and believes about vaccination policies, in order to more effectively define vaccination programs. Methods The present study systematically reviewed published studies evaluating attitudes towards mandatory vaccination programs. PubMed and Scopus scientific databases were searched and 4,198 results were returned, of these 29 met the inclusion criteria. PRISMA statements were followed. Results Twenty-two studies assessed attitudes towards mandatory vaccination programs in general, while 9 papers focused specifically on the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. Most of the studies were performed in Europe and North America. According to the assessed studies, the majority of the population seems to be in favour of compulsory vaccinations, from 53% to 97% for different vaccination programs. More resistance has been recorded for the HPV vaccination: the percentage of agreement for mandatory HPV vaccinations ranged from 27% to 63.5%. Furthermore, some studies investigated healthcare workers’ attitudes towards childhood and adult vaccinations. They pointed out that the general population is generally more in favour of mandatory vaccination policies than healthcare workers. The studies highlighted that the support to mandatory policies increased after their implementations. Conclusions The results presented in this review could be an important starting point to further understand the issue of vaccine hesitancy and support the implementation of effective vaccination strategies in Europe. Key messages Mandatory vaccination policies are generally well accepted among general population. More resistance is recorded for specific vaccination (HPV) or among specific population (healthcare workers).

Vaccine-preventable diseases screening and vaccination programs for healthcare professions students

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Letzgus ◽  
F De Nard ◽  
M Gaiazzi ◽  
S Rivolta ◽  
L Grimoldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Residents ◽  
Organizational Strategies ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Vaccination History ◽  
Healthcare Professions

Abstract Background Students in Healthcare Professions (SHPs) present an increased risk of contracting and transmitting Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs). Our study aimed to investigate the organizational strategies (screening and immunization for VPDs and vaccination promotion among SHPs) implemented by the healthcare facilities accredited with the University of Milan. Methods we sent an e-survey by e-mail to medical residents and first- and last-year students in nursing, midwifery and healthcare assistance. Results among 3397 invited SHPs, 645 participated. We included in the analysis 522 SHPs, distributed in 24 facilities across the Lombardy region (mean age 27,4 years; 69,5% female; 69% medical residents, 28% nursing, 2% healthcare assistance, and 1% midwifery students). Although most participants underwent occupational health visit before the traineeship start (47,5%) or within 6 months (29,5%), others hadn't undergone yet (15,1%). The visits included the collection of vaccination history (72,6%; 64,6% from written documentation), serological tests for VPDs (hepatitis B 76,1%, measles and rubella 58,4%, varicella 54,4%), and screening for latent TB (69,7%). Vaccinations were recommended to 226 participants, but only 173 fully (76,5%) or partially (8%) complied. Full compliance was associated with nudges like in-hospital (Chisq. 18,7; p = 0.00) and free vaccinations (Chisq. 31; p = 0.00). Reported facility vaccination policies included campaigns (posters 37,4%, intranet 39,5%, social media 11,5%, general/personalized letters 30,3%/11,5%), time-off incentives (7,7%), on-site (30,5%) and opinion leaders' vaccinations (9,8%). However, SHPs were often unaware of those strategies (mean 48,6%), and intra-facility answers were sometimes discordant (agreement &lt;70% for facilities with &gt;30 respondents). Conclusions SHPs are often unaware or discordant regarding vaccination policies carried out by traineeship facilities, suggesting the need of inclusive communication strategies. Key messages About half of students in healthcare professions are screened for VPDs after the start of the traineeship. Students in healthcare professions are often unaware of vaccination promotion strategies.

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