The impact of time since vaccination and study design on validity in parental recall of childhood vaccination status in the All Our Families cohort

Lifetime prevalence of owner-reported medical conditions in the 25 most common dog breeds in the Dog Aging Project pack

Introduction

Large scale data on the prevalence of diverse medical conditions among dog breeds in the United States are sparse. This cross-sectional study sought to estimate the lifetime prevalence of medical conditions among US dogs and to determine whether purebred dogs have higher lifetime prevalence of specific medical conditions compared to mixed-breed dogs.

Methods

Using owner-reported survey data collected through the Dog Aging Project (DAP) Health and Life Experience Survey for 27,541 companion dogs, we identified the 10 most commonly reported medical conditions in each of the 25 most common dog breeds within the DAP cohort. Lifetime prevalence estimates of these medical conditions were compared between mixed-breed and purebred populations. The frequency of dogs for whom no medical conditions were reported was also assessed within each breed and the overall mixed-breed and purebred populations.

Results

A total of 53 medical conditions comprised the top 10 conditions for the 25 most popular breeds. The number of dogs for whom no medical conditions were reported was significantly different (p = 0.002) between purebred (22.3%) and mixed-breed dogs (20.7%). The medical conditions most frequently reported within the top 10 conditions across breeds were dental calculus (in 24 out of 25 breeds), dog bite (23/25), extracted teeth (21/25), osteoarthritis (15/25), and Giardia (15/25).

Discussion

Purebred dogs in the DAP did not show higher lifetime prevalence of medical conditions compared to mixed-breed dogs, and a higher proportion of purebred dogs than mixed-breed dogs had no owner-reported medical conditions. Individual breeds may still show higher lifetime prevalence for specific conditions.

Validity of university students' self-reported vaccination status after a meningococcal B outbreak

After an outbreak of meningococcal B (MenB) disease at a university, we surveyed students regarding their vaccination status 2 months and 20 months after campus-led vaccination campaigns and compared students' self-report to vaccination records. Nearly all participants accurately reported the number of vaccine doses at both visits. Among those who received two doses of the vaccine, accurate recall of the timing of MenB vaccination was 85.7% (95% CI: 82.7-88.6) in the short term and 62.9% (95% CI: 56.0-69.8) in the long term. After the outbreak, only one-third reported feeling 'very confident' in their MenB disease and vaccine knowledge. Our findings suggest that the validity of self-reported vaccination status among university students in an outbreak setting is high, but that if the duration of protection is unknown and additional doses of vaccine may be needed, documented vaccination records may be preferred over self-report to assess timing of vaccine receipt.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination intentions among mothers of children aged 9 to 12 years: a survey of the All Our Families cohort

BACKGROUND

Acceptance of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is critical to achieving high levels of immunization. The objectives of this study were to understand mothers' SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intentions to explore reasons for and against SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

METHODS

Participants from the All Our Families pregnancy longitudinal cohort whose children had reached ages 9-12 years were invited in May-June 2020 to complete a survey on the impact of COVID-19. The survey covered topics about the impact of the pandemic and included 2 specific questions on mothers' intentions to vaccinate their child against SARS-CoV-2. Current responses were linked to previously collected data, including infant vaccine uptake. Multinomial regression models were run to estimate associations between demographic factors, past vaccination status and vaccination intention. Qualitative responses regarding factors affecting decision-making were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

The response rate was 53.8% (1321/2455). A minority of children of participants had partial or no vaccinations at age 2 (n = 200, 15.1%). A total of 60.4% of mothers (n = 798) intended to vaccinate their children with the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 8.6% (n = 113) did not intend to vaccinate and 31.0% (n = 410) were unsure. Lower education, lower income and incomplete vaccination history were inversely associated with intention to vaccinate. Thematic analysis of qualitative responses showed 10 themes, including safety and efficacy, long-term effects and a rushed process.

INTERPRETATION

Within a cohort with historically high infant vaccination, a third of mothers remained unsure about vaccinating their children against SARS-CoV-2. Given the many uncertainties about future SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, clear communication regarding safety will be critical to ensuring vaccine uptake.

Identifying Missed Opportunities for Routine Vaccination among People Who Use Drugs

In the US, adult immunization coverage remains low, especially among vulnerable populations, as recent hepatitis A outbreaks have demonstrated. We studied the vaccination history variation among the US adults who use drugs by implementing a community-engaged research survey to identify reported immunization coverage, missed opportunities (MO), and places where immunizations might be delivered. Our analysis of a sample of 1127 participants recruited at community syringe exchanges in three cities identified higher overall vaccination receipt in Los Angeles compared to Atlanta or Las Vegas (e.g., HAV receipt 52.2% LA, 42.1% LV, 41.4% Atlanta). Overall, fewer participants reported having received HAV (45.9%), HBV (47.5%), or influenza (47.6%) vaccines than MMR (57.1%) or Td/Tdap (61.1%). Across sites, HAV receipt was higher for participants incarcerated ≥ 5 years (54.2% vs. 43.6% for those incarcerated < 5 years, 49.4% no incarceration history, p = 0.02). HBV receipt was higher among participants who were not intravenous drug users (56.1% vs. 46.0%, p = 0.03). Additionally, income >$20k predicted higher rates of MMR receipt (67.0% vs. 56.5%, p = 0.009), as did stable housing (62.8% vs. 54.3%, p = 0.01). To address the need to expand vaccine coverage among vulnerable adults, delivering vaccine at sites where persons who use drugs access services, or in correctional facilities, may be warranted.

Childhood Immunization in Ethiopia: Accuracy of Maternal Recall Compared to Vaccination Cards

Health surveys conducted in low- and middle-income countries typically estimate childhood vaccination status based on written vaccination cards, maternal recall (when cards are not available), or a combination of both. This analysis aimed to assess the accuracy of maternal recall of a child's vaccination status in Ethiopia. Data came from a 2016 cross-sectional study conducted in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' (SNNP) Region of Ethiopia. Vaccine doses received by a given 12-23-month-old child were recorded from both a vaccination card and based on maternal recall and then compared. Concordance, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and Cohen's Kappa were calculated. Estimates of full immunization coverage were similar when collected via vaccination card (75%) and maternal recall (74%). For fully vaccinated children, comparison of maternal recall versus vaccination card showed high concordance (96%), sensitivity (97%), specificity (93%), PPV (98%), NPV (92%), and Kappa (90%). Accuracy of maternal recall of a child's vaccination status is high in the SNNP region of Ethiopia. Although determination of vaccination status via vaccination card is preferred since it constitutes a written record, maternal recall can also be used with confidence when vaccination cards are not available.