The study aimed to determine influenza vaccine uptake among medical students and their intention to receive a hypothetical Ebola or COVID-19 vaccine. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed in 2015 and 2020 on 675 medical students at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. In 2020, the influenza vaccination coverage was 36.5%, and students were almost five times more likely to be vaccinated than in 2015 (OR = 4.8; 95% CI: 3.1–7.5). In 2020, the survey was conducted during the first university campaign targeted at free influenza vaccinations for all students, as well as during the first lockdown in Poland due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, clinical students (4th–6th study year) were significantly more often vaccinated than preclinical students (p < 0.001), in contrast to 2015. A majority—67.0% and 94.6%—of students expressed their intention to receive a hypothetical Ebola or COVID-19 vaccine, respectively. Among the medical students, influenza vaccination status was a predictor of the intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Influenza vaccine uptake among medical students has increased significantly, but it is still not optimal; thus, further educational efforts are needed to convince those who are hesitant regarding vaccines. A high number of students reported their intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and it is crucial to support their positive attitude about it.
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease, characterized clinically by esophageal disfunction. Topical corticosteroids (tCS), predominantly fluticasone and budesonide, are considered the effective first line treatment, as well as an option of maintenance therapy in EoE. The way that tCS are administered significantly affects their effectiveness. There is still no ready-to-use steroid drug to be applied topically to the esophagus in children—a few experimental viscous slurries (mainly of budesonide) have been shown in trials to be more effective than steroids administered via metered dose inhalers (MDIs) and swallowed. The best examined steroid solvent of all is sucralose, a high-intensity artificial sweetener. Although it has been shown in a critical review that it is non-toxic and safe for all consumers, there are still some concerns among patients about its potential adverse effect on humans. Due to that fact, we developed a new viscous formulation and evaluated its effectiveness in the treatment of children with EoE. In an open, prospective, single-center study, we administered our new formulation of viscous budesonide twice daily for 8 weeks in patients with an active EoE. After treatment, we performed a control gastroscopy with the collection and evaluation of histopathological samples. We have proven our formulation effectiveness at 64%, as far as histological remission is concerned. We have also shown a reduction in the mean endoscopic reference score (EREFS) from 3.1 points at the beginning of the study to 1.6 points at the end of the study. Bearing in mind how important the acceptance of the solvent is for long-time compliance, especially among children, we also decided to assess the taste of the formulation. Therefore, we asked 46 adults and 10 children to swallow a sample of the solvent and fill in a short anonymous questionnaire about its taste, smell, consistency and easiness of swallowing. General acceptance for the proprietary solvent was high, reaching 7.5/10 among adults and 6.5/10 in children. To be able to compare the results of our preliminary experience, we reviewed the studies which evaluated substances that have been used so far as steroid solvents for the treatment of EoE. The overall effectiveness of the oral viscous budesonide (OVB) ranged from 65% to 90%, which is consistent with the results obtained in our study. Unfortunately, the high heterogeneity of the studies did not allow us to draw reliable conclusions.
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