Background: Vaccination hesitancy and skepticism among parents hinders progress in achieving full vaccination coverage. Swedish measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage is high however some areas with low vaccination coverage risk outbreaks. This study aimed to explore factors influencing the decision of Somali parents living in the Rinkeby and Tensta districts of Stockholm, Sweden, on whether or not to vaccinate their children with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Method: Participants were 13 mothers of at least one child aged 18 months to 5 years, who were recruited using snowball sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted in Somali and Swedish languages and the data generated was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Both written and verbal informed consent were obtained from participants. Results: Seven of the mothers had not vaccinated their youngest child at the time of the study and decided to postpone the vaccination until their child became older (delayers). The other six mothers had vaccinated their child for MMR at the appointed time (timely vaccinators). The analysis of the data revealed two main themes: (1) barriers to vaccinate on time, included issues surrounding fear of the child not speaking and unpleasant encounters with nurses and (2) facilitating factors to vaccinate on time, included heeding vaccinating parents’ advice, trust in nurses and trust in God. The mothers who had vaccinated their children had a positive impact in influencing other mothers to also vaccinate. Conclusions: Fear, based on the perceived risk that vaccination will lead to autism, among Somali mothers in Tensta and Rinkeby is evident and influenced by the opinions of friends and relatives. Child Healthcare Center nurses are important in the decision-making process regarding acceptance of MMR vaccination. There is a need to address mothers’ concerns regarding vaccine safety while improving the approach of nurses as they address these concerns.

Background and aimMeasles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) coverage is low in an area in the Northern part of Stockholm, Sweden. The overall aim of this study was to explore the perceptions, views, and experiences of child health clinic nurses related to vaccine hesitancy in Rinkeby and Tensta.MethodsThe study focused specifically on hesitancy towards measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted in Swedish with female nurses who were directly responsible for vaccination programmes. Their thoughts and experiences were sought using probing and question rephrasing techniques. Transcripts of the data were analysed using content analysis.ResultsFour themes emerged, namely hesitancy among Somali parents, lack of confidence in the MMR vaccine, loss of confidence in other vaccines due to mistrust of the MMR vaccine, and complacency regarding vaccination in general.ConclusionThere is a strong influence of fear of vaccine-induced autism among parents in the Somali community in areas of Stockholm, that requires continued attention by the health care providers.

No abstract

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains one of the leading causes of deformity worldwide. Among various therapeutic options for PAD, stem cell-based therapies hold some great promises. Nonetheless, the therapeutic efficacy faces the limitation of poor survival of donor cells. The aim of this work: Isolation of the rat bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs) and adipose tissue MSCs (AD-MSCs) and assessing their growth kinetics and their role in improvement of angiogenesis after induction of acute hind limb ischemia through ligation of the femoral artery of the adult male albino rat. Material and Methods: The rat bone marrow and the adipose tissue were isolated from 10 male adult albino rats. They cultured and expanded through 6 passages. Acute lower limb ischemia was done by ligation of unilateral left sided femoral artery of an adult male albino rat. Both BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs, were injected immediately following ischemia in the semimembranosus muscle. BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs biological characteristics evaluated for cell therapy (morphology, flow cytometric analysis, colony-forming unit-fibroblast assay, proliferation capacity at passages 2, 4 and 6, population doubling time (PDT) and cell growth curves). Evaluation of muscle regeneration and angiogenesis was assessed through H&E staining of the tissue, Masson Trichrome to assess fibrosis, CD31 immunostaining for new blood vessel formation and electron microscopic examination for the cells ultrastructure. Results: BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs attached to the culture flask and displayed spindle-shaped morphology, more evident in AD-MSCs. Proliferation rate of AD-MSCs in the analyzed passages was more than BM-MSCs. The increase in the population doubling time (PDT) of both types of MSCs occurs with the increase in the number of passages. Light , electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry showed the better ability of AD-MSCs in improving the ischemic limb through their angiogenetic capacity than BM-MSCs. Conclusion: Rat AD-MSCs have growth kinetic advantages in the proliferative capacity,colony-forming unite fibroblast, population doubling time and angiogenic capacity when transplanted in a rat model of a hind limb ischemia more than that of BM-MSCs Personal non-commercial use only. EJA

Background: The bone marrow has been considered as a main source for isolation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). They are still the most frequently investigated cell type and often identified as the gold standard. However, a similar cell population has been also isolated from other tissues such as adipose tissue. Unlike bone marrow, the adipose tissue is abundantly accessible source of stem cell that can give a good yield in culture. Aim of the work: Was isolation of the rat bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs) and adipose tissue MSCs (AD-MSCs) and assessing their growth kinetics. Material and Methods: The rat bone marrow and adipose tissue were isolated from 10 male adult albino rats and cultured and expanded through 6 passages. BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs biological characteristics evaluated for cell therapy (morphology, flow cytometric analysis, colony-forming unit-fibroblast assay, proliferation capacity at passages 2, 4 and 6, population doubling time (PDT) and cell growth curves). Results: BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs attached to the culture flask and displayed spindle-shaped morphology, more evident in AD-MSCs. Proliferation rate of AD-MSCs in the analyzed passages was more than BM-MSCs. The increase in the PDT of both types of MSCs occurred with the increase in the number of passages. Conclusion: The rat AD-MSCs have growth kinetic advantages in the proliferative capacity, colonyforming unite fibroblast and population doubling time more than that of BM-MSCs. these advantages should be considered when choosing a stem cell source for specific clinical application.