this report was posted as an MMWR Early Release on the MMWR website (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr).COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) have been shown to be highly protective against COVID-19associated hospitalizations (1-3). Data are limited on the level of protection against hospitalization among disproportionately affected populations in the United States, particularly during periods in which the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, predominates (2). U.S. veterans are older, more racially diverse, and have higher prevalences of underlying medical conditions than persons in the general U.S. population (2,4). CDC assessed the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19associated hospitalization among 1,175 U.S. veterans aged ≥18 years hospitalized at five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) during February 1-August 6, 2021. Among these hospitalized persons, 1,093 (93.0%) were men, the median age was 68 years, 574 (48.9%) were non-Hispanic Black (Black), 475 were non-Hispanic White (White), and 522 (44.4%) had a Charlson comorbidity index score of ≥3 (5). Overall adjusted vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was 86.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 80.4%-91.1%) and was similar before (February 1-June 30) and during (July 1-August 6) SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant predominance (84.1% versus 89.3%, respectively). Vaccine effectiveness was 79.8% (95% CI = 67.7%-87.4%) among adults aged ≥65 years and 95.1% (95% CI = 89.1%-97.8%) among those aged 18-64 years. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19-associated hospitalization in this older, racially diverse population of predominately male U.S. veterans. Additional evaluations of vaccine effectiveness among various age groups are warranted. To prevent COVID-19-related hospitalizations, all eligible persons should receive COVID-19 vaccination.
A qualitative study among gay and bisexual men examining shigellosis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices revealed low knowledge levels, limited concern about shigellosis, and mixed intention to engage in prevention behaviors.
Background: Shigellosis, an acute diarrheal disease, is the third most common bacterial infection in the United States. Shigellosis most commonly affects children younger than 5 years; however, clusters and outbreaks of shigellosis have been reported among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Evidence suggests that knowledge of shigellosis among MSM is low, indicating health promotion outreach is needed for this population.
Methods:To inform the development of shigellosis-related health communication materials and strategies, 6 focus groups were conducted in 2017, in Atlanta, GA among 24 self-identified gay and bisexual men. Participants were asked about their preferences and recommendations for health communication materials.Results: Participants indicated they would prefer a range of physical and virtual materials placed in diverse locations where the community would see them. Respondents recommended health messages be simple, quick to read, and concise with limited word counts. Participants also advised the use of diverse images that were inclusive of couples of varying sexual orientations to reduce stigma. Participants advocated for the use of humor and provocative images to increase user engagement.
Conclusions:The results emphasize the potential benefits of conducting formative research when designing health communication materials. Incorporating messaging preferences of MSM in the development of shigellosisrelated health communication materials could enhance their relevance for the target population while also avoiding unintended consequences associated with stigmatizing MSM.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.