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Riccò M, Ferraro P, Zaffina S, Camisa V, Marchesi F, Franzoso FF, Ligori C, Fiacchini D, Magnavita N, Tafuri S. Immunity to Varicella Zoster Virus in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2024). Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:1021. [PMID: 39340051 PMCID: PMC11436139 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12091021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are occupationally exposed to varicella zoster virus (VZV), and their inappropriate vaccination status could contribute to an outbreak involving both professionals and the patients they care for, with a potential impact on the general population. Therefore, since 2007, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all HCWs have evidence of immunity against varicella. The present meta-analysis was therefore designed to collect the available evidence on the seronegative status of VZV among HCWs. PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched without backward limit for articles reporting on the seroprevalence of VZV among HCWs, and all articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in a random-effect meta-analysis model. From 1744 initial entries, a total of 58 articles were included in the quantitative analysis (publication range: 1988 to 2024), for a pooled sample of 71,720 HCWs. Moreover, the included studies reported on seroprevalence data on measles (N = 36,043 HCWs) and rubella (N = 22,086 HCWs). Eventually, the pooled seronegative status for VZV was estimated to be 5.72% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 4.59 to 7.10) compared to 6.91% (95% CI 4.79 to 9.87) for measles and 7.21% (5.36 to 9.64) for rubella, with a greater risk among subjects younger than 30 years at the time of the survey (risk ratio [RR] 1.434, 95% CI 1.172 to 1.756). Interestingly, medical history of either VZV infection/vaccination had low diagnostic performances (sensitivity 76.00%; specificity 60.12%; PPV of 96.12% but PNV of 18.64%). In summary, the available data suggest that newly hired HCWs are increasingly affected by low immunization rates for VZV but also for measles and rubella, stressing the importance of systematically testing test newly hired workers for all components of the measles-pertussis-rubella-varicella vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Riccò
- Servizio di Prevenzione e Sicurezza Negli Ambienti di Lavoro (SPSAL), AUSL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola n.2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Pietro Ferraro
- Occupational Medicine Unit, Direzione Sanità, Italian Railways' Infrastructure Division, RFI SpA, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Zaffina
- Occupational Medicine Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Camisa
- Occupational Medicine Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Marchesi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | | | - Cosimo Ligori
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Daniel Fiacchini
- AST Ancona, Prevention Department, UOC Sorveglianza e Prevenzione Malattie Infettive e Cronico Degenerative, 60127 Ancona, Italy
| | - Nicola Magnavita
- Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvio Tafuri
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
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Bianchi FP, Stefanizzi P, Di Lorenzo A, De Waure C, Boccia S, Daleno A, Migliore G, Tafuri S. Attitudes toward influenza vaccination in healthcare workers in Italy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2265587. [PMID: 37849235 PMCID: PMC10586073 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2265587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the at-risk groups for whom influenza vaccination is strongly recommended. To assess the proportion of Italian HCWs with positive attitudes toward influenza vaccination, we conducted a systematic review of relevant literature and a meta-analysis. Our focus was on the influenza seasons from 2017/18 to 2021/22. The prevalence of favorable attitudes toward vaccination varied, ranging from 12% during the 2017/18 influenza season to 59% in the 2020/21 season. The significant increase in the 2020/21 season can be attributed to adaptations necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2021/22 influenza season, there was a decline in vaccination coverage (37%), likely due to the absence of a robust preventive culture. Various strategies have been employed to enhance HCWs' attitudes to achieve higher vaccination rates, but none of them have demonstrated satisfactory results. Policymakers should consider implementing a policy of mandatory vaccination to ensure elevated vaccination coverage among HCWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paolo Bianchi
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Health Direction, University-General Hospital Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Stefanizzi
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Lorenzo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Chiara De Waure
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Stefania Boccia
- Section of Hygiene, University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, University Cattolica of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health - Public Health Area, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Daleno
- Health Direction, University-General Hospital Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Migliore
- Health Direction, University-General Hospital Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Silvio Tafuri
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Health Direction, University-General Hospital Policlinico, Bari, Italy
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Guarducci G, Mereu G, Golinelli D, Galletti G, Gemmi F, Cartocci A, Holczer N, Bacci L, Sergi A, Messina G, Mari V, Nante N. Factors Influencing the Healthcare Workers' Willingness to Receive the COVID-19 Booster Dose in Tuscany (Italy). Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1751. [PMID: 38140156 PMCID: PMC10748028 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization has defined vaccine hesitancy as behavior influenced by several factors, including trust in the vaccine itself or its provider or the perceived need for vaccination. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among the employees and healthcare professionals of the Central Tuscany Local Health Authority (CT-LHA) in Italy. METHODS From July to October 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted. An online questionnaire was administered to 7000 employees of the CT-LHA. The questionnaire analyzed the factors that influenced receiving the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The sample was stratified by gender, age, type of occupation (healthcare or non-healthcare workers), and seniority. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded. A chi-squared test was performed through STATA. The significance level was set at 95%. RESULTS Of the questionnaires administered, 1885 (26.9%) questionnaires were eligible for the study. In the previous vaccination campaign, the healthcare workers (HCWs) considered the vaccine used by CT-LHA as safe, in contrast to non-healthcare workers (N-HCWs), who considered it less secure (p < 0.05). The HCWs showed a higher propensity for vaccine safety to receive the booster dose than N-HCWs. N-HCWs appeared to be less affected by an updated booster dose than HCWs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The factors studied appear to influence HCWs differently from N-HCWs. Both HCWs and N-HCWs would choose an upgraded mRNA vaccine for the booster dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Guarducci
- Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (D.G.); (G.M.); (N.N.)
| | - Giovanna Mereu
- Department of Technical Health Professions, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, 50121 Florence, Italy;
| | - Davide Golinelli
- Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (D.G.); (G.M.); (N.N.)
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Galletti
- Quality and Equity Unit, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, 50141 Florence, Italy; (G.G.); (F.G.)
| | - Fabrizio Gemmi
- Quality and Equity Unit, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, 50141 Florence, Italy; (G.G.); (F.G.)
| | - Alessandra Cartocci
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Nora Holczer
- General Direction, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, 50121 Florence, Italy (V.M.)
| | - Luca Bacci
- Web Communication and Promotion, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, 50121 Florence, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Sergi
- Healthcare Management, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, 50121 Florence, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Messina
- Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (D.G.); (G.M.); (N.N.)
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Valerio Mari
- General Direction, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, 50121 Florence, Italy (V.M.)
| | - Nicola Nante
- Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; (D.G.); (G.M.); (N.N.)
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
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Riccò M, Corrado S, Marchesi F, Bottazzoli M. Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Vaccination among Tourists in a High-Prevalence Area (Italy, 2023): A Cross-Sectional Study. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:491. [PMID: 37999610 PMCID: PMC10674593 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8110491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) represents a potential health threat for tourists in high-risk areas, including the Dolomite Mountains in northeastern Italy. The present questionnaire-based survey was, therefore, designed in order to assess knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices (KAP) in a convenience sample of Italian tourists visiting the Dolomite Mountains, who were recruited through online discussion groups. A total of 942 participants (39.2% males, with 60.2% aged under 50) filled in the anonymous survey from 28 March 2023 to 20 June 2023. Overall, 24.1% of participants were vaccinated against TBE; 13.8% claimed to have previously had tick bites, but no cases of TBE were reported. The general understanding of TBE was relatively low; while 79.9% of participants acknowledged TBE as a potentially severe disease, its occurrence was acknowledged as high/rather high or very high in the Dolomites area by only 51.6% of respondents. Factors associated with the TBE vaccine were assessed by the calculation of adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals through a logistic regression analysis model. Living in areas considered at high risk for TBE (aOR 3.010, 95%CI 2.062-4.394), better knowledge on tick-borne disorders (aOR 1.515, 95%CI 1.071-2.142), high risk perception regarding tick-borne infections (aOR 2.566, 95%CI 1.806-3.646), a favorable attitude toward vaccinations (aOR 3.824, 95%CI 1.774-8.224), and a tick bite(s) in a previous season (aOR 5.479, 95%CI 3.582-8.382) were characterized as being positively associated with TBE vaccination uptake. Conversely, being <50 years old (aOR 0.646, 95%CI, 0.458-0.913) and with a higher risk perception regarding the TBE vaccine (aOR 0.541, 95%CI 0.379-0.772) were identified as the main barriers to vaccination. In summary, tourists to the high-risk area of the Dolomites largely underestimate the potential occurrence of TBE. Even though the uptake of the TBE vaccine in this research was in line with European data, public health communication on TBE is required in order to improve acceptance of this effective preventive option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Riccò
- Occupational Health and Safety Service on the Workplace/Servizio di Prevenzione e Sicurezza Ambienti di Lavoro (SPSAL), Department of Public Health, AUSL–IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Silvia Corrado
- ASST Rhodense, Dipartimento della donna e Area Materno-Infantile, UOC Pediatria, 20024 Garbagnate Milanese, Italy;
| | - Federico Marchesi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy;
| | - Marco Bottazzoli
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, APSS Trento, 31223 Trento, Italy;
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Riccò M, Ferraro P, Zaffina S, Camisa V, Marchesi F, Gori D. Vaccinating Welders against Pneumococcus: Evidence from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1495. [PMID: 37766171 PMCID: PMC10535919 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Workers occupationally exposed to welding dusts and fumes have been suspected to be at increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Since the 2010s, the United Kingdom Department of Health and the German Ständige Impfkommission (STIKO) actively recommend welders undergo immunization with the 23-valent polysaccharide (PPV23) pneumococcal vaccine, but this recommendation has not been extensively shared by international health authorities. The present meta-analysis was therefore designed to collect available evidence on the occurrence of pneumococcal infection and IPD among welders and workers exposed to welding fumes, in order to ascertain the effective base of evidence for this recommendation. PubMed, Embase and MedRxiv databases were searched without a timeframe restriction for the occurrence of pneumococcal infections and IPD among welders and workers exposed to metal dusts, and articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in a random-effect meta-analysis model. From 854 entries, 14 articles (1.6%) underwent quantitative analysis, including eight retrospective studies (publication range: 1980-2010), and six reports of professional clusters in shipbuilding (range: 2017-2020). Welders had an increased likelihood of developing IPD compared with non-welders (odds ratio 2.59, 95% CI 2.00-3.35, I2 = 0%, p = 0.58), and an increased likelihood of dying from IPD (standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 2.42, 95% CI 1.96-2.99, I2 = 0%, p = 0.58). Serotype typing was available for 72 cases, 60.3% of which were represented by serotype 4, followed by 12F (19.2%) and serotype 8 (8.2%). Although the available data derive from a limited number of studies, available results suggest that pneumococcal vaccination should be recommended for workers exposed to welding fumes, and vaccination strategies should consider the delivery of recombinant formulates in order to combine the direct protection against serotypes of occupational interest with the mucosal immunization, reducing the circulation of the pathogen in occupational settings characterized by close interpersonal contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Riccò
- Servizio di Prevenzione e Sicurezza Negli Ambienti di Lavoro (SPSAL), AUSL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola n.2, I-42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Pietro Ferraro
- Occupational Medicine Unit, Direzione Sanità, Italian Railways’ Infrastructure Division, RFI SpA, I-00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Salvatore Zaffina
- Occupational Medicine Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, I-00152 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (V.C.)
| | - Vincenzo Camisa
- Occupational Medicine Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, I-00152 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (V.C.)
| | - Federico Marchesi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, I-43126 Parma, Italy;
| | - Davide Gori
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, I-40126 Bologna, Italy;
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Invasive Meningococcal Disease and Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccination in Adults and Their Offspring: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Italy (2019). Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030508. [PMID: 36992092 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its effectiveness in preventing invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), pediatric uptake of recombinant meningococcal vaccination for serogroup B meningitis (MenB) is low in Italy. This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) about IMD and the vaccine uptake for MenB from July to December 2019, in a sample collected from a series of local Facebook discussion groups from the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (North-Eastern Italy; 337,104 registered users). A self-administered anonymous web-based questionnaire was used to collect demographics, knowledge status, perceived risk for contracting meningitis, attitude towards the utility of meningococcal vaccine, and willingness to receive/perform MenB vaccine in their offspring. In total, 541 parents returned a fully completed questionnaire (response rate of 1.6% of potential recipients), with a mean age of 39.2 years ± 6.3 (78.1% females). Meningococcal infection was identified as severe or highly severe by most participants (88.9%), while it was recognized as being frequent/highly frequent in the general population by 18.6% of respondents. The overall knowledge status was unsatisfactory (57.6% ± 33.6 of correct answers to the knowledge test). Even though 63.4% of participants were somewhat favorable to MenB/MenC vaccines, offspring’s vaccination towards MenB was reported by only 38.7% of participants. In a binary logistic regression model, the male gender of respondents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.184, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.772 to 5.721), living in a municipality >15,000 inhabitants (aOR 1.675, 95%CI 1.051 to 2.668), reporting a favorable attitude on meningococcus B vaccine (aOR 12.472, 95%CI 3.030 to 51.338), having been vaccinated against serogroup B (aOR 5.624, 95%CI 1.936 to 16.337) and/or serogroup C (aOR 2.652, 95%CI 1.442 to 4.872), and having previously vaccinated their offspring against serogroup C meningococcus (aOR 6.585, 95%CI 3.648 to 11.888) were characterized as positive effectors of offspring’s vaccination. On the contrary, having a higher risk perception on vaccines was identified as the only negative effector (aOR 0.429, 95%CI 0.241 to 0.765). Our results hint towards extensive knowledge gaps on IMD and preventive interventions in the general population, suggesting that a positive attitude towards vaccines and vaccinations could be identified as the main effector also for MenB acceptance. Interventions in the general population aimed at improving confidence, compliance, and acknowledgment of the collective responsibility, as well as preventing actual constraints and the sharing of false beliefs on infectious diseases and their preventive measures, could therefore increase vaccination acceptance in both targeted individuals and their offspring.
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