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Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a predominant route of infection for children in Ethiopia. No study has so far reported a nationwide estimate of the risk of MTCT of HBV. We conducted a meta-analysis of surveys and estimated the pooled risk of MTCT of HBV in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Group A Streptococcus causes a wide range of diseases from relatively mild infections including pharyngitis to more severe illnesses such as invasive diseases and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Our aim is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical Strep A vaccine on multiple disease manifestations at the global-level.
The impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) on pneumonia in children is well-documented but data on 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) are lacking. Between 2001 and 2011, Indigenous children in Western Australia (WA) were recommended to receive PPV23 at 18-24 months of age following 3 doses of 7-valent PCV. We evaluated the incremental effectiveness of PPV23 against pneumonia hospitalisation.
Vaccination in pregnancy is the best strategy to reduce complications from influenza or pertussis infection in infants who are too young to be protected directly from vaccination. Pregnant women are also at risk of influenza complications preventable through antenatal vaccination. Both vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant women in Australia, but coverage is not routinely reported nationally.
Staining after silver diamine fluoride (SDF) treatment limits treatment acceptability but is also used as a clinical indicator of lesion stability. Potassium iodide (KI) has been postulated to modify SDF staining. Understanding the natural history and resultant shade of SDF/KI-treated lesions will inform clinical decision-making. This study describes the change in colour of carious lesions in primary teeth treated with SDF and KI.
Regular intramuscular (i.m.) benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injections have been the cornerstone of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis since the 1950s. Patient adherence to IM BPG is poor, largely due to pain, the need for regular injections every 3-4 weeks and health sector delivery challenges in resource-limited settings. There is an urgent need for new approaches for secondary prophylaxis, such as an implant which could provide sustained penicillin concentrations for more than 6 months.
Influenza and COVID-19 infections during pregnancy may have serious adverse consequences for women as well as their infants. However, uptake of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy remains suboptimal. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multi-component nudge intervention to improve influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake among pregnant women.
Respiratory syncytial virus contributes to significant global infant morbidity and mortality. We applied a previously developed statistical prediction model incorporating pre-pandemic RSV testing data and hospital admission data to estimate infant RSV-hospitalizations by birth month and prematurity, focused on infants aged <1 year.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the first major pandemic of the digital age and has been characterised by unprecedented public consumption of spatial and temporal disease data, which can enable greater transparency and accountability of governments to the public for their public health decisions.
The global population has been severely affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, with older age identified as a risk factor, children have been underprioritized. This article discusses the factors contributing to the less severe response observed in children following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including, differing viral entry receptor expression and immune responses.