Vaccines

COVID-19 remains a substantial public health challenge in the Netherlands. Next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1283, is approved in the European Union, with potential for higher relative vaccine efficacy compared with originally-licensed COVID-19 vaccines. Its potential public health and economic impact, in adults [≥]60 years and high-risk 18-59 years, was modelled versus no vaccination and originally-licensed mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2, adapting a published static Markov model with 1-year tim...

BackgroundInitial reports from the Netherlands indicate a decline in routine childhood vaccination uptake during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with emerging evidence of reduced parental vaccine confidence. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination uptake. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective nationwide cohort study including all children born in the Netherlands in 2016-2024. First-dose DTaP-IPV vaccination status by age six mon...

BackgroundComprehensive data on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its associated risk factors among patients with gastrointestinal symptoms remain limited. Generating this evidence would help inform clinical management and improve antibiotic stewardship. H. pylori infection affects a substantial proportion of the global population, with prevalence varying widely across regions. In Uganda, previous studies have documented the presence of H. pylori infection. However, data specif...

Since the cessation of real-time monitoring of COVID-19 hospitalizations in early 2024, the burden of and vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe COVID-19 in the Netherlands was largely unknown. Recently, hospitalization data from 2024 were made available for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. These data were linked to the population registry, vaccination registry and healthcare use data (for classification into medical risk groups). We analyzed the n...

Background and ObjectiveThe dysbiosis of human gut microbiome has been increasingly seen to have a relation in the development of autoimmune diseases, with specific microbial signatures having causative association with specific conditions. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one such autoimmune ailment. This paper proposes a predictive tool that can identify the IBD status of an individual based on the composition of the gut microbiome using machine learning and AI agents driven techniques. The...

BackgroundThe SARS-CoV-2 LP.8.1 subvariant was incorporated into the 2025-2026 U.S. COVID-19 vaccines (mRNA-1273.251 and mRNA-1283.251). We evaluated immunogenicity and safety of these vaccines against vaccine-matched and emerging variants in individuals aged [≥]65 and those aged 12-64 years at high-risk of severe COVID-19. MethodsData were generated from: (1) two independent, ongoing, phase 3b/4, open-label, single-arm studies in which participants received a single dose of 50-{micro}g mRNA...

BackgroundIn lung transplantation, de novo immunodominant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies recognizing HLA-DQ antigens (dn-iDSA-DQ) are predominant and can induce chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). We previously developed a method to measure the active concentration of dn-iDSA-DQ. We aimed to determine whether this new quantitative biomarker is associated with transplantation outcomes. MethodsThis retrospective multicentre cohort study included 90 lung transplant recipients (LTRs) dev...

BackgroundIron metabolism disorder is highly prevalent before and after heart transplantation (HTx). The impact of pretransplant and posttransplant iron disorder on posttransplant outcomes is unclear. ObjectivePretransplant serum levels of key regulator proteins of iron metabolism (hepcidin, interleukin-6, erythroferrone) were tested for prediction of the composite outcome 1-year posttransplant all-cause mortality (ACM) or [≥]moderate acute cellular rejection (ACR). Furthermore, serum levels...

Vaccination frequently elicits suboptimal immunogenicity in organ transplant recipients, particularly those on long-term immunosuppressive therapy, highlighting the need for improved understanding of immunosuppression mechanisms and optimized vaccination strategies. This study enrolled a cohort of 132 individuals and observed significantly lower antibody levels in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) compared to non-transplant controls (non-KTRs). Antibody levels were inversely associated with bo...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESSeasonal influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of influenza and severe complications among children 6 months and older. Since 2010, reported numbers of influenza-associated pediatric deaths among children aged <18 years have ranged from 37 during the 2011-2012 season to 289 during 2024-2025. We estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against pediatric death from 2016-2017 through 2024-2025. METHODSWe conducted a case-cohort analysis comparing cu...

BackgroundSerotype 3 (S3) has remained a major cause of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) despite its inclusion in 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). In October 2023, a 15-valent PCV (PCV15) including S3 was introduced into the Catalan universal childhood immunization program. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective pre-post surveillance study to compare pediatric IPD incidence in Catalonia during a pre-PCV15 period (October 1, 2022-September 30, 2023) and two post-PCV15 periods (Oct...

BackgroundMeasles is a highly contagious infectious disease and a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. In developing country like Ethiopia, effective immunization is a proven strategy for reducing measles related illness and deaths. However, measles second dose vaccination drop out has become a major public health concern. In a densely populated city such as Addis Ababa drop rate tends to be higher than the minimum acceptable threshold, leading to increased number of cas...

BackgroundThere is a need for synthetic peptide-based serologic assays that exploit avidity to replace whole antigens while enabling low-cost diagnostics in resource-limited settings. ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a polymeric peptide-based ELISA leveraging avidity to enhance signal. MethodA 15-member SARS-CoV-2 peptide library corresponding to multiple epitope clusters and proteins was screened by indirect ELISA using pooled sera from RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients to ide...

A number of vaccines and long-acting monoclonal antibodies have been shown to be effective in the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. However, an immune correlate of protection for RSV has not yet been identified. We conducted a systematic review to identify published reports of immunogenicity and/or efficacy in vaccines and long-acting monoclonal antibodies against RSV and performed a meta-analysis on extracted data to identify any relationship between antibody increase and...

The emergence of vaccine covered serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a serious concern worldwide. We investigated the unexpected rise of serotype 4 causing IPD primarily in non-vaccinated young adults after the COVID-19 pandemic that further spread to adults [&ge;] 65 years in recent years. For this purpose, we conducted a retrospective study of serotype 4 IPD cases (n=827) reported in Spain between 2009 and 2024. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to assess clonal lineag...

Despite the availability of vaccinations and screenings, cervical cancer (CC) remains a major global health challenge. Understanding the factors influencing adherence to CC prevention strategies is essential, particularly among overlooked groups such as middle-aged and/or underprivileged women. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a population comprising 379 women (aged 37-64 years, recruitment: 2019-2023) from Valencia (Spain), representing diverse socioeconomic profiles, ...

BackgroundHigh-dose inactivated influenza vaccination (HD-IIV) demonstrates superior effectiveness versus standard-dose vaccination (SD-IIV) in adults aged [&ge;]60 years. A recent meta-analysis integrated complementary evidence sources of representing over 85 million individuals across 14 influenza seasons. MethodsA previously developed model was updated using life-time horizon and societal perspective. Updated parameters included demographics, costs, hospitalization rates, and relative vaccin...

BackgroundEndoscopic resection is the standard treatment for rectal neuroendocrine tumors (r-NETs) [&le;]10 mm, yet the optimal technique remains controversial. Modified endoscopic mucosal resection (m-EMR) has emerged as a potential alternative compared to endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), but existing evidence is largely retrospective and the results of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are inconclusive. AimsTo compare the efficacy and safety of m-EMR versus ESD for r-NETs [&le...

The seasonal circulation of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in countries such as Japan, together with the transient nature of passive immunity conferred to infants via maternal vaccination or monoclonal antibody administration, may warrant a differential strategy for those born during the RSV inter-seasonal period. Maximal effectiveness may be achieved by deferring immunisation of this cohort from birth until entry into their first RSV season using catch-up administration of monoclonal antibod...

BackgroundWith growing efforts aimed at optimizing health care services by reducing "low value care", medical deprescribing represents a critical policy challenge at the intersection of clinical quality, fiscal sustainability, and environmental stewardship. Despite growing evidence of its benefits, France lacks a comprehensive national framework for systematic medication review and deprescribing implementation. ObjectiveTo identify areas of consensus and divergence among key French stakeholders...