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Summan A, Nandi A, Laxminarayan R. Analysis of anthropometric outcomes in Indian children during the COVID-19 pandemic using National Family Health Survey data. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:127. [PMID: 38951653 PMCID: PMC11217468 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00543-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disruptions in food, health, and economic systems during the COVID-19 pandemic may have adversely affected child health. There is currently limited research on the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on stunting, wasting, and underweight status of young children. METHODS We examine the short-term associations between the pandemic and anthropometric outcomes of under-5 children (n = 232,920) in India, using data from the National Family Health Survey (2019-2021). Children surveyed after March 2020 are considered as the post-COVID group, while those surveyed earlier are considered as pre-COVID. Potential biases arising from differences in socioeconomic characteristics of the two groups are mitigated using propensity score matching methods. RESULTS Post-COVID children surveyed in 2020 and 2021 have 1.2% higher underweight rates, 1.2% lower wasting rates, 0.1 lower height-for-age z-scores (HAZ), and 0.04 lower weight-for-height z-scores as compared with matched pre-COVID children. Post-COVID children surveyed in 2020 have 1.6%, 4.6%, and 2.4% higher stunting, underweight, and wasting rates, respectively, and 0.07 lower HAZ, as compared with matched pre-COVID children. Reductions in nutritional status are largest among children from households in the poorest wealth quintiles. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate a trend towards a recovery in child anthropometric outcomes in 2021 after the initial post-pandemic reductions. The resilience of health and food systems to shocks such as COVID-19 should be strengthened while immediate investments are required to decrease child malnutrition and improve broader child health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Summan
- One Health Trust, 5636 Connecticut Avenue NW, PO Box 42735, Washington, DC, 20015, USA
| | - Arindam Nandi
- One Health Trust, 5636 Connecticut Avenue NW, PO Box 42735, Washington, DC, 20015, USA.
- The Population Council, 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY, 10017, USA.
| | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- One Health Trust, Obeya Pulse, First Floor, 7/1, Halasur Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560042, India
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
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Russel WA, Perry J, Bonzani C, Dontino A, Mekonnen Z, Ay A, Taye B. Feature selection and association rule learning identify risk factors of malnutrition among Ethiopian schoolchildren. FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 3:1150619. [PMID: 38455884 PMCID: PMC10910994 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1150619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies have sought to identify risk factors for malnutrition in populations of schoolchildren, depending on traditional logistic regression methods. However, holistic machine learning (ML) approaches are emerging that may provide a more comprehensive analysis of risk factors. Methods This study employed feature selection and association rule learning ML methods in conjunction with logistic regression on epidemiological survey data from 1,036 Ethiopian school children. Our first analysis used the entire dataset and then we reran this analysis on age, residence, and sex population subsets. Results Both logistic regression and ML methods identified older childhood age as a significant risk factor, while females and vaccinated individuals showed reduced odds of stunting. Our machine learning analyses provided additional insights into the data, as feature selection identified that age, school latrine cleanliness, large family size, and nail trimming habits were significant risk factors for stunting, underweight, and thinness. Association rule learning revealed an association between co-occurring hygiene and socio-economical variables with malnutrition that was otherwise missed using traditional statistical methods. Discussion Our analysis supports the benefit of integrating feature selection methods, association rules learning techniques, and logistic regression to identify comprehensive risk factors associated with malnutrition in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A. Russel
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
| | - Jim Perry
- Department of Computer Science, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
| | - Claire Bonzani
- Department of Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
| | - Amanda Dontino
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
| | - Zeleke Mekonnen
- Institute of Health, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Ahmet Ay
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
- Department of Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
| | - Bineyam Taye
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
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Summan A, Nandi A, Shet A, Laxminarayan R. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunization coverage and timeliness in India: retrospective analysis of the National Family Health Survey of 2019-2021 data. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. SOUTHEAST ASIA 2023; 8:100099. [PMID: 36285007 PMCID: PMC9584865 DOI: 10.1016/j.lansea.2022.100099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health systems globally. We estimated the effect of the pandemic on the coverage and timeliness of routine childhood immunization in India through April 2021. Methods We used data from India's National Family Health Survey 2019-2021 (NFHS-5), a cross-sectional survey which collected immunization information of under-five children from a nationally representative sample of households between June 2019 and April 2021. We used a mother fixed-effects regression model - accounting for secular trends and confounding factors - to compare COVID-affected children with their COVID-unaffected siblings (n = 59,144). Children who were eligible for a vaccine after January 30, 2020 (date of the first COVID case in India) were considered as the COVID-affected group and those eligible for a vaccine before this date were included in the COVID-unaffected group. Coverage of the following vaccine doses was considered-Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), hepatitis B birth dose (hepB0), DPT1 (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, first dose), DPT2, DPT3, polio1, polio2, polio3, and measles first dose (MCV1). Indicators of vaccine coverage and vaccine timeliness (defined as receiving a dose within 45 days of minimum eligibility age) were separately examined. Findings Immunization coverage was lower in COVID-affected children as compared with unaffected children, ranging from 2% lower for BCG and hepB0 to 9% for DPT3 and 10% for polio3. There was no significant difference in MCV1 coverage. Coverage reduction was greater for vaccines doses given in later age groups. The rate of timely receipt of polio and DPT vaccine doses was 3%-5% lower among COVID-affected children relative to unaffected children. Among population subgroups, COVID-affected male children and those from rural areas experienced the highest reduction in vaccine coverage. Interpretation Children in India experienced lower routine immunization coverage and greater delays in immunization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arindam Nandi
- One Health Trust, Washington, DC, USA,The Population Council, 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY, 10017, USA,Corresponding author. The Population Council, 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY, 10017, USA
| | - Anita Shet
- International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- One Health Trust, New Delhi, India,High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, NJ, USA
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Laupèze B, Doherty TM. Maintaining a 'fit' immune system: the role of vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:256-266. [PMID: 36864769 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2185223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Conventionally, vaccines are thought to induce a specific immune response directed against a target pathogen. Long recognized but poorly understood nonspecific benefits of vaccination, such as reduced susceptibility to unrelated diseases or cancer, are now being investigated and may be due in part to "trained immunity'. AREAS COVERED We discuss 'trained immunity' and whether vaccine-induced 'trained immunity' could be leveraged to prevent morbidity due to a broader range of causes. EXPERT OPINION The prevention of infection i.e. maintaining homeostasis by preventing the primary infection and resulting secondary illnesses, is the pivotal strategy used to direct vaccine design and may have long-term, positive impacts on health at all ages. In the future, we anticipate that vaccine design will change to not only prevent the target infection (or related infections) but to generate positive modifications to the immune response that could prevent a wider range of infections and potentially reduce the impact of immunological changes associated with aging. Despite changing demographics, adult vaccination has not always been prioritized. However, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has demonstrated that adult vaccination can flourish given the right circumstances, demonstrating that harnessing the potential benefits of life-course vaccination is achievable for all.
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Dhaliwal BK, Rattani A, Chandrashekhar R, Bloom DE, Shet A, Seth R. Caregiver perceptions of the broader societal benefits of vaccination: A path toward sustainable vaccine advocacy in India. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2022; 2:None. [PMID: 36531293 PMCID: PMC9748304 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade growing public health evidence suggests that, in addition to health-related benefits, there are also social and economic benefits of vaccination. Research to understand how caregivers in low-and-middle-income countries perceive these social and economic benefits, or if these benefits factor into their vaccination decisions for their children, has been limited. Leveraging qualitative strategies to gain more nuanced insights into caregiver perceptions of vaccination benefits has also been significantly underexplored. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 caregivers of children, at which point we reached saturation, in Mewat District, Haryana, an area in India with low vaccination coverage. Interview results suggest that caregivers of children associate positive health outcomes with vaccination programs, and some additional social and economic benefits beyond improved health outcomes. Caregivers also shared how local advocacy and gaps in vaccination programs can affect their perceptions of vaccination benefits. Qualitatively exploring the perceived benefits provides a unique understanding of the value that caregivers assign to vaccination and complements existing knowledge on factors that dissuade caregivers from vaccination. These insights will allow researchers to better identify and design context-specific advocacy strategies to strengthen vaccination programs in communities with low vaccine uptake and acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baldeep K. Dhaliwal
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ananya Rattani
- Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha, E-10, Green Park Main, New Delhi, India
| | | | - David E. Bloom
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anita Shet
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rajeev Seth
- Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha, E-10, Green Park Main, New Delhi, India
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Dhaliwal BK, Chandrashekhar R, Rattani A, Seth R, Closser S, Jain A, Bloom DE, Shet A. Community perceptions of vaccination among influential stakeholders: qualitative research in rural India. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:2122. [PMID: 34794415 PMCID: PMC8600485 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12188-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In India and other low- and middle-income countries, multiple family and community members are influential in caregivers’ perceptions of vaccination. Existing literature indicates the primary caregiver, typically the mother, is instrumental in vaccine decision-making, but this may vary in contexts. We investigated the role of stakeholders in India who influence caregivers’ vaccination perceptions, as this is essential to developing strategies to promote vaccine acceptance and improve uptake. Methods This research was conducted in 2019 in Mewat District in Haryana, an area in India with extremely low vaccination coverage. We conducted six focus group discussions with 60 participants in the following categories: fathers of children under-5 years old, expectant mothers, mothers-in-law, community health workers, and community influencers such as locally elected officials and religious leaders. Results Our results highlighted four themes that influence vaccine uptake. First, while caregivers associated vaccination with reductions in specific diseases, they also noted that vaccination services brought broad health gains, including improved nutrition, antenatal guidance, and social support. Second, community health workers critically influenced, positively or negatively, caregivers’ vaccination perceptions. Third, community health workers faced gaps in their education such as limited training on vaccine side-effects, placing them at a disadvantage when dealing with families. Finally, we found that mothers-in-law, fathers, and religious leaders influence caregivers’ perceptions of vaccination. Conclusions Communication of broader benefits of vaccines and vaccination services by community health workers could be impactful in increasing vaccine acceptance. Vaccine uptake could potentially be improved by facilitating community health workers’ ownership over vaccine acceptance and uptake by involving them in the design and implementation of interventions to target mothers and mothers-in-law. A ‘bottom-up’ approach, leveraging community health workers’ knowledge to design interventions, and giving a voice to key members of the household and society beyond mothers alone, may sustain health improvement in low vaccine coverage areas. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12188-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baldeep K Dhaliwal
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 415 N. Washington Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Riti Chandrashekhar
- Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha, E-10, Block X, Green Park Extension, New Delhi, India
| | - Ananya Rattani
- Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha, E-10, Block X, Green Park Extension, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajeev Seth
- Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha, E-10, Block X, Green Park Extension, New Delhi, India
| | - Svea Closser
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anika Jain
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David E Bloom
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anita Shet
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 415 N. Washington Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
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7
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Ignis IO, Tomini S. Vaccination Coverage: Vaccine-Related Determinants & Anthropometric Measures in Children Resident in a Rural Community in Nigeria. Curr Drug Saf 2021; 17:199-210. [PMID: 34719376 DOI: 10.2174/1574886316666211029153212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccination of children has played a significant role in reducing early childhood morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases; however, some factors act as deterrents in achieving adequate coverage in this susceptible population. AIMS & OBJECTIVES The study, therefore, aimed to identify vaccine-related determinants of childhood vaccination as well as determine the relationship between childhood vaccination status and body weight, height, and a child's body mass index (BMI). METHODS The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design in which 608 caregiver-child pair was recruited sequentially by using a two-stage sampling technique. Structured questionnaires based on the SAGE vaccine hesitancy model were used to interview the participants. Elicited data was analyzed and categorical variables were presented in tables and charts as frequencies, while a chi-square test was used to test the association between the independent and dependent variables. Pearson's correlation analysis was also done to determine the correlation between vaccination status and weight, height, and BMI of children. RESULT The study showed that vaccination coverage was suboptimal (70.56%) in children and was below the expected target of 80%. Although a few (183, 30.10%) of the respondents claimed they would prevent the vaccination of their children due to the fear of needles, the majority (87.50%) will be willing to accept more vaccine doses for their children if there were no pain. While factors such as the experience of adverse reaction (X2 = 13.22, df = 2, p<0.001), crying from pain (X2 = 11.33, df = 2, p<0.001) and the scientific evidence of safety (X2 = 34.63, df = 2, p<0.001) were significantly associated with a complete vaccination status, vaccination status was positively correlated with the weight (r=0.160, p<0.001), height (r=0.081, p=0.023) and BMI (r=0.214, p<0.001) of children in the rural community. CONCLUSION Vaccination uptake and coverage can be significantly improved in children by designing and implementing interventional programs that target pharmaceutical and vaccine-specific factors acting as barriers in these rural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iribhogbe Osede Ignis
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State. Nigeria
| | - Sonila Tomini
- Public Health, University of Roehampton, London. United Kingdom
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8
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Summan A, Nandi A, Deo S, Laxminarayan R. Improving vaccination coverage and timeliness through periodic intensification of routine immunization: evidence from Mission Indradhanush. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2021; 1502:110-120. [PMID: 34263929 PMCID: PMC9291841 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Only an estimated 62% of Indian children under the age of 2 years are fully immunized. We examined the association between India's Mission Indradhanush (MI)-a periodic intensification of the routine immunization program-which was implemented in phases across districts between March 2015 and July 2017, and routine vaccination coverage and timeliness among children. We used data from a 2015 to 2016 national survey of children (n = 29,532) and employed difference-in-difference regressions to examine binary indicators of receipt of 11 vaccines and whether vaccines were received at recommended ages. The full immunization rate was 27% higher among children under 2 years old residing in MI phase 1 and 2 districts (intervention group) as compared with those residing elsewhere (control group). The rate of receiving all vaccines at recommended ages was 8% higher in the intervention group. Receiving doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) birth dose, OPV dose 1 (OPV1), OPV2, OPV3, bacillus Calmette-Guérin, and hepatitis B birth dose vaccines were 9%, 9%, 11%, 16%, 5%, and 19% higher in the intervention group than the control group, respectively. More research is required on the cost-effectiveness of investing in MI-type programs as compared with routine immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Summan
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Washington, DC
| | - Arindam Nandi
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Washington, DC
| | - Sarang Deo
- Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India
| | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, New Delhi, India.,High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
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Bloom DE, Cadarette D, Ferranna M. The Societal Value of Vaccination in the Age of COVID-19. Am J Public Health 2021; 111:1049-1054. [PMID: 33856880 PMCID: PMC8101582 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2020.306114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, academics and policymakers have increasingly recognized that the full societal value of vaccination encompasses broad health, economic, and social benefits beyond avoided morbidity and mortality due to infection by the targeted pathogen and limited health care costs. Nevertheless, standard economic evaluations of vaccines continue to focus on a relatively narrow set of health-centric benefits, with consequences for vaccination policies and public investments.The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates in stark terms the multiplicity and magnitude of harms that infectious diseases may inflict on society. COVID-19 has overtaxed health systems, disrupted routine immunization programs, forced school and workplace closures, impeded the operation of international supply chains, suppressed aggregate demand, and exacerbated existing social inequities.The obvious nature of the pandemic's broad effects could conceivably convince more policymakers to identify and account for the full societal impacts of infectious disease when evaluating the potential benefits of vaccination. Such a shift could make a big difference in how we allocate societal resources in the service of population health and in how much we stand to gain from that spending.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Bloom
- The authors are with the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Daniel Cadarette
- The authors are with the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Maddalena Ferranna
- The authors are with the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
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Moss WJ, Shendale S, Lindstrand A, O'Brien KL, Turner N, Goodman T, Kretsinger K. Feasibility assessment of measles and rubella eradication. Vaccine 2021; 39:3544-3559. [PMID: 34045102 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This report addresses the epidemiological aspects and feasibility of measles and rubella eradication and the potential resource requirements in response to the request of the Director-General at the Seventieth World Health Assembly held on May 31, 2017. A guiding principle is that the path toward measles and rubella eradication should serve to strengthen primary health care, promote universal health coverage, and be a pathfinder for new vision and strategy for immunization over the next decade as laid out in the Immunization Agenda 2030. Specifically, this report: 1) highlights the importance of measles and rubella as global health priorities; 2) reviews the current global measles and rubella situation; 3) summarizes prior assessments of the feasibility of measles and rubella eradication; 4) assesses the progress and challenges in achieving regional measles and rubella elimination; 5) assesses additional considerations for measles and rubella eradication, including the results of modelling and economic analyses; 6) assesses the implications of establishing a measles and rubella eradication goal and the process for setting an eradication target date; 7) proposes a framework for determining preconditions for setting a target date for measles and rubella eradication and how these preconditions should be understood and used; and 8) concludes with recommendations endorsed by SAGE.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Moss
- International Vaccine Access Center, Departments of Epidemiology and International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Stephanie Shendale
- Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ann Lindstrand
- Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Katherine L O'Brien
- Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nikki Turner
- Division of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tracey Goodman
- Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Katrina Kretsinger
- Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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Monetary Valuation of Children's Cognitive Outcomes in Economic Evaluations from a Societal Perspective: A Review. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8050352. [PMID: 33946651 PMCID: PMC8146900 DOI: 10.3390/children8050352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive ability in childhood is positively associated with economic productivity in adulthood. Expected gains in economic output from interventions that protect cognitive function can be incorporated in benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analyses conducted from a societal perspective. This review summarizes estimates from high-income countries of the association of general cognitive ability, standardized as intelligence quotient (IQ), with annual and lifetime earnings among adults. Estimates of the association of adult earnings with cognitive ability assessed in childhood or adolescence vary from 0.5% to 2.5% per IQ point. That range reflects differences in data sources and analytic methods. We take a conservative published estimate of a 1.4% difference in market productivity per IQ point in the United States from a recent study that controlled for confounding by family background and behavioral attributes. Using that estimate and the present value of lifetime earnings calculated using a 3% discount rate, the implied lifetime monetary valuation of an IQ point in the United States is USD 10,600-13,100. Despite uncertainty and the exclusion of non-market productivity, incorporation of such estimates could lead to a fuller assessment of the benefits of public health and clinical interventions that protect the developing brains of fetuses, infants, and young children.
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12
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Association of basic vaccination with cognitive and learning ability among children: insights from the India Human Development Survey, 2004-05 and 2011-12. J Biosoc Sci 2021; 54:243-256. [PMID: 33436127 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932020000760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Basic vaccination is important to protect children from infectious diseases and illnesses. Adequate levels of vaccination coverage reduce the morbidity and mortality burden among children and promote their physical and mental development. This study aimed to assess the association between basic childhood vaccination and the cognitive and learning ability of school children in India. Nationally representative follow-up data on 6183 children from the Indian Human Development Surveys conducted in 2004-05 and 2011-12 (IHDS I & II) were analysed. Children aged 8-10 years who had received all basic vaccines by the age 12 months performed better in a maths test than partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.48, 2.35). Similarly, fully vaccinated children performed better in writing tasks than partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children (OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.44, 2.18). Likewise, fully vaccinated children had better reading skills than fully unvaccinated children (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.09). The results suggest that enhancing child vaccination coverage can have significant benefits beyond health and can potentially improve the long-term educational outcomes of children.
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13
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Glover RE, van Schalkwyk MCI, Akl EA, Kristjannson E, Lotfi T, Petkovic J, Petticrew MP, Pottie K, Tugwell P, Welch V. A framework for identifying and mitigating the equity harms of COVID-19 policy interventions. J Clin Epidemiol 2020; 128:35-48. [PMID: 32526461 PMCID: PMC7280094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic. Governments have implemented combinations of "lockdown" measures of various stringencies, including school and workplace closures, cancellations of public events, and restrictions on internal and external movements. These policy interventions are an attempt to shield high-risk individuals and to prevent overwhelming countries' healthcare systems, or, colloquially, "flatten the curve." However, these policy interventions may come with physical and psychological health harms, group and social harms, and opportunity costs. These policies may particularly affect vulnerable populations and not only exacerbate pre-existing inequities but also generate new ones. METHODS We developed a conceptual framework to identify and categorize adverse effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures. We based our framework on Lorenc and Oliver's framework for the adverse effects of public health interventions and the PROGRESS-Plus equity framework. To test its application, we purposively sampled COVID-19 policy examples from around the world and evaluated them for the potential physical, psychological, and social harms, as well as opportunity costs, in each of the PROGRESS-Plus equity domains: Place of residence, Race/ethnicity, Occupation, Gender/sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital, Plus (age, and disability). RESULTS We found examples of inequitably distributed adverse effects for each COVID-19 lockdown policy example, stratified by a low- or middle-income country and high-income country, in every PROGRESS-Plus equity domain. We identified the known policy interventions intended to mitigate some of these adverse effects. The same harms (anxiety, depression, food insecurity, loneliness, stigma, violence) appear to be repeated across many groups and are exacerbated by several COVID-19 policy interventions. CONCLUSION Our conceptual framework highlights the fact that COVID-19 policy interventions can generate or exacerbate interactive and multiplicative equity harms. Applying this framework can help in three ways: (1) identifying the areas where a policy intervention may generate inequitable adverse effects; (2) mitigating the policy and practice interventions by facilitating the systematic examination of relevant evidence; and (3) planning for lifting COVID-19 lockdowns and policy interventions around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Glover
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH.
| | - May C I van Schalkwyk
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH
| | - Elie A Akl
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Elizabeth Kristjannson
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Tamara Lotfi
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | | | - Mark P Petticrew
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH
| | - Kevin Pottie
- Department of Family Medicine, Bruyere Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Peter Tugwell
- Department of Medicine, Bruyere Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Vivian Welch
- Bruyere Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
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Arsenault C, Harper S, Nandi A. Effect of vaccination on children’s learning achievements: findings from the India Human Development Survey. J Epidemiol Community Health 2020; 74:778-784. [DOI: 10.1136/jech-2019-213483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundBeyond the prevention of illness and death, vaccination may provide additional benefits such as improved educational outcomes. However, there is currently little evidence on this question. Our objective was to estimate the effect of childhood vaccination on learning achievements among primary school children in India.MethodsWe used cohort data from the India Human Development Survey. Vaccination status and confounders were measured among children who were at least 12 months old at baseline in 2004–2005. In 2011–2012, the same children completed basic reading, writing and math tests. We estimated the effect of full vaccination during childhood on learning achievements using inverse probability of treatment-weighted logistic regression models and results reported on the risk difference scale. The propensity score included 33 potential community-, household-, mother- and child-level confounders as well as state fixed effects.ResultsAmong the 4877 children included in our analysis, 54% were fully vaccinated at baseline, and 54% could read by the age of 8–11 years. The estimated effect of full vaccination on learning achievements ranged from 4 to 6 percentage points, representing relative increases ranging from 6% to 12%. Bias analysis suggested that our observed effects could be explained by unmeasured confounding, but only in the case of strong associations with the treatment and outcome.ConclusionThese results support the hypothesis that vaccination has lasting effects on children’s learning achievements. Further work is needed to confirm findings and elucidate the potential mechanisms linking vaccines to educational outcomes.
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Koniushevska AA, Parkhomenko TA, Sharunova MV, Kazantsev AB, Yakovenko DV. Epidemiology and features of the measles course in children during the outbreak of 2018–2019 in the city of Mariupol. REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN BIOSYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.15421/022010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2017, Ukraine ranked in the top three among European countries in terms of measles incidence, and ranked first in measles growth in 2018. High morbidity, mortality and development of complications make the problem of knowing features of the measles clinical course, timely diagnosis and active prevention highly relevant. The purpose of the research is to study the dynamics of the incidence and clinical features of measles in children during the outbreak of 2018–2019 in the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region. A peculiarity of the measles outbreak in 2018–2019 in Mariupol is prevalence of the disease in preschool children (60.4%), including 30.2% – those under one year of age; low vaccination rate: 52.3% of children unvaccinated; only 22.2% of children were vaccinated twice, according to the schedule. In all age groups, a moderately severe measles course prevailed (69.8%). The clinical course of measles in preschool and school age children had definitive features. Thus, Belsky–Filatov–Koplik spots were observed three times more frequently in preschool children than in schoolchildren (63.9% and 23.3%, respectively). Abdominal pain and diarrhea were only observed in children under 6 years of age (30.2%). Skin pigmentation was absent in children under one year of age and was detected in preschool and school-age children (69.8%). Skin sloughing was only observed in schoolchildren (10.4%). Severe disease course occurred in patients of all ages (29.3%), but children aged under one year and preschool children with severe disease were two times more numerous than those of the school age. Among the observed complications, the vast majority were associated with the respiratory organs: pneumonia (38.3%), subcutaneous emphysema (1.7%), bronchitis (53.2%), laryngitis (3.3%), otitis media (5%). No fatalities were observed. The city should form a commitment to immunization, restore public trust in vaccination, using all forms and means of information, and develop a program to implement the vaccination schedule into practice.
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Nandi A, Kumar S, Shet A, Bloom DE, Laxminarayan R. Childhood vaccinations and adult schooling attainment: Long-term evidence from India's Universal Immunization Programme. Soc Sci Med 2020; 250:112885. [PMID: 32143089 PMCID: PMC7103780 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Routine childhood vaccines are among the most cost-effective life-saving interventions. In addition, vaccines have been linked with reduced stunting and improved health and other outcomes in later life. However, evidence on such long-term benefits remain inadequate. In this study, we examined the associations between the initiation and implementation of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) in India and schooling attainment among adults. We obtained district-level data on the rollout of the UIP in 1985-1990 and matched those with data from the National Family Health Survey of India, 2015-2016. Adults who were born in the five years before and after the rollout period (1980-1995) and always lived in the same location were included in the analysis (n=109,908). We employed household, village or city ward, district, and state fixed-effects linear regression models, which incorporated a wide range of socioeconomic and demographic indicators and community-level infrastructure, amenities, and access to healthcare. We compared schooling attainment in years among individuals who were born during or after the UIP was implemented in their districts (intervention group) with those who were born before UIP implementation (control group). In household fixed-effects analysis, intervention group adults attained 0.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02, 0.33; p<0.05) more schooling grades as compared with control group adults from the same household. In village or city ward, district, and state fixed-effects analysis, intervention group adults attained 0.23 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.32; p<0.001), 0.29 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.38; p<0.001), and 0.25 (95% CI: 0.1, 0.39; p<0.01) additional schooling grades, respectively, compared to the control group. In subgroup analyses, positive associations between UIP implementation and schooling grades were observed among women and among rural, urban, and richer households. Our results support the association of vaccines with improved school attainment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Nandi
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, 1400 Eye St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, 20005, USA.
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Economics and International Business, College of Business Administration, Sam Houston State University, SHB 237F, Huntsville, TX, 77340, USA.
| | - Anita Shet
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 415 N. Washington Street, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA.
| | - David E Bloom
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building I 12th Floor, Suite 1202, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, B-25, Lajpat Nagar II, New Delhi, Delhi 110024, India; Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
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Nandi A, Shet A. Why vaccines matter: understanding the broader health, economic, and child development benefits of routine vaccination. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:1900-1904. [PMID: 31977283 PMCID: PMC7482790 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2019.1708669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The direct benefits of childhood vaccination in reducing the burden of disease morbidity and mortality in a cost-effective manner are well-established. By preventing episodes of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccination can also help avert associated out-of-pocket medical expenses, healthcare provider costs, and losses in wages of patients and caregivers. Studies have associated vaccines positively with cognition and school attainment, suggesting benefits of long-term improved economic productivity. New evidence suggests that the measles vaccine may improve immunological memory and prevent co-infections, thereby forming a protective shield against other infections, and consequently improving health, cognition, schooling and productivity outcomes well into the adolescence and adulthood in low-income settings. Systematically documenting these broader health, economic, and child development benefits of vaccines is important from a policy perspective, not only in low and middle-income countries where the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases is high and public resources are constrained, but also in high-income settings where the emergence of vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to benefits gained from reducing vaccine-preventable diseases. In this paper, we provide a brief summary of the recent evidence on the benefits of vaccines, and discuss the policy implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Nandi
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy , Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anita Shet
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD, USA
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