Journal Content Recommendation
01
A Practical Guide to Full Value of Vaccine Assessments
This article was published in Vaccines. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Full Value of Vaccine Assessments (FVVA) framework to guide the assessment and dissemination of vaccine value. The FVVA framework provides a comprehensive evaluation of the value of vaccines by synthesizing evidence to understand the public health need for a vaccine. The FVVA framework provides a “synthesis of evidence to inform the public health need for a vaccine, describing the supply and demand aspects, its market, and its impact from a health, financial, and economic perspective.” In the figures presented in the article, the first column represents “elements that provide the rationale for a vaccine (i.e., high-level global public health need), methodology of the FVVA”, and “synthesis of both the overall findings of the FVVA and key evidence and research gaps.” The second column provides an in-depth analysis of vaccine characteristics and their development progress, covering “key challenges in, and potential barriers to, vaccine development as well as an up-to-date evaluation of the vaccine pipeline.” In addition, the FVVA framework defines the impact and value of vaccines, including the burden of disease, vaccine health impact, and cost-effectiveness analyses. These analyses are based on high-standard guidelines such as the GATHER, CHEERS, and ISPOR models of good research practice.
FVVA involves a range of stakeholders, “vaccine research and development (R&D) community; funders of research and vaccine implementation; vaccine market experts; global policy makers; regulatory authorities, national policy makers and programme managers; immunisation partner organisations; and civil society organisations.” FVVA has been applied in the evaluation of a wide range of vaccines, such as Group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaccine, Group A Streptococcus (GAS) vaccine, Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, and Influenza vaccine, and provided significant support for these vaccine development.
The FVVA framework supports vaccine investment and introduction decisions by comprehensively assessing the value of vaccines and providing key information to global and national decision-makers. Its standardized templates and assessment methodologies ensure consistency and objectivity in assessments and help promote vaccines internationally and nationally. The primary goal of FVVA is to accelerate the development and implementation of vaccines that meet country needs. With new vaccine technologies and opportunities arising from the COVID-19 epidemic, the FVVA framework will continue to play an important role in equitable vaccine introduction and implementation.
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020201
02
Access to highly effective long-acting RSV-monoclonal antibodies for children in LMICs—reducing global inequity
This study was published in The Lancet Global Health. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), hospitalization, and death in infants and young children, “with the highest burden of severe disease in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).” Although significant progress has been made in preventive measures such as RSV vaccines and long-acting monoclonal antibodies (mAb), considerable gaps remain in the accessibility of these interventions in LMICs. The study aims to explore strategies to improve access to long-acting RSV mAb protection for children in LMICs to reduce global health disparities.
The study begins with an overview of RSV prevention interventions, focusing on two novel strategies: the maternal pre-conjugated RSV vaccine and the long-acting RSV mAb (nirsevimab). Clinical studies have found “nirsevimab to have a high efficacy (76–80%) against severe RSV-LRTI and medically attended RSV-LRTI through 150 days in preterm and full-term infants, and in young children with underlying conditions.” However, the use of long-acting RSV mAb in LMICs is not yet widespread, leading to further global health disparities.
To improve the accessibility of long-acting RSV mAb in LMICs, the study proposes the following strategies: (1) “public-health-oriented access-to-medicine mechanisms, such as voluntary licensing and technology transfer to multiple manufacturers,” to ensure “at-scale access to affordable therapy in LMICs”. (2) Multi-stakeholder collaborations, including “originator pharmaceutical companies and public health organisations”, the WHO, and other stakeholders, should strengthen their cooperation to promote the use of long-acting RSV mAb in LMICs. (3) WHO recommendations would “facilitate the development of a regulatory pathway through WHO prequalification, which might be necessary for biosimilar manufacturers.” (4) “Public sector finance and procurement mechanisms, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance,” can play a key role in promoting the accessibility of long-acting RSV mAb, encouraging the adoption of biosimilars.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00258-4
03
Disparities in HPV Vaccination Among Adolescents by Health Care Facility Type
This study was published in JAMA Pediatrics. HPV prevalence stands high in the United States, but national vaccination rates fall short of the “Healthy People 2030 target” (80%). The study investigates the associations between various provider types, HPV vaccination rates, and clinician recommendations for adolescents in the United States. The cross-sectional study used data from the 2020 National Immunization Survey–Teen, including adolescents aged 13 to 17. Healthcare facility types included “public, hospital-based, private, mixed (more than 1 type), and other facilities (eg, military health care facility; Women, Infants, and Children clinic; school-based health center; pharmacy).” Main outcomes and measures of the HPV vaccination was defined as “the receipt of at least 1 dose of the HPV vaccine and completion as receipt of at least 2 or 3 doses, depending on age of initiation”, and parent- or guardian-reported clinician recommendations, they were categorized as “yes” or “no.”
The results showed that “A total of 20 162 adolescents (mean [SD] age, 14.9 [1.4] years; 51.0% male) were included”, of whom 51.0% were male. Of the adolescents enrolled in the study, “81.4% of adolescents, and 75.1% initiated and 58.6% completed the HPV vaccine series.” The results of the adjusted model showed that adolescents who received recommended vaccinations at public institutions had lower probabilities of initiating and completing HPV vaccinations and obtaining clinical recommendations for HPV vaccines, compared to adolescents who received recommended vaccinations at private institutions. The study revealed differences in HPV vaccination among adolescents in different healthcare settings, suggesting that “a greater focus is needed on vaccine recommendations and uptake in public facilities.”
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.2383
04
A scoping review of global COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among pregnant persons
This study, published in the journal npj vaccines, aimed to investigate pregnant women’s attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccination, the causes of vaccine hesitancy, and the variations in these attitudes among pregnant women living in different countries. The present study used a scoping review methodology, collecting data using the 5Cs Vaccine Hesitancy Framework: “Confidence, Complacency, Constraints, Collective Responsibility, and Calculation”, and searching the PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, and SCOPUS databases for English-language articles on pregnant women’s attitudes and hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine published between 2019 and 2022.
A total of 44 articles were extracted from the study, finding “A lack of confidence in the vaccination” in all extracts, mainly attributed to a lack of vaccine-related information and mistrust of vaccines and medical personnel. At the same time, the willingness to vaccinate primarily stems from the desire to protect themselves and their families. In addition, there are differences in the causes of vaccine hesitancy between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, mainly due to concerns about vaccine safety, trust in the healthcare system, and the influence of cultural background.
Studies have shown that pregnant women’s hesitancy to receive the COVID-19 vaccine stems mainly from concerns “including but not limited to low health literacy, affordability, accessibility, and availability”. Although the motivations for vaccine hesitancy differ between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, overall strategies should include including pregnant women in clinical trials, improving health literacy and information access among pregnant women, building trusting healthcare relationships, counseling on COVID-19 vaccination in prenatal care, and considering cultural differences to increase vaccination rates further.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00913-0
Content Editor: Linjing(Grace) Zhang
Page Editor: Ziqi Liu
