Maintain and increase vaccination coverage in children, adolescents, adults and elderly people: Let's avoid adding epidemics to the pandemic

Bonanni, Paolo; Angelillo, Italo Francesco; Villani, Alberto; Biasci, Paolo; Scotti, Silvestro; Russo, Rocco; Maio, Tommasa; Rosati, Giovanni Vitali; Barretta, M.; Bozzola, Elena; Castiglia, Paolo; Chiamenti, Giampietro; Conforti, Giorgio; Conversano, Michele; Ferro, António; Francia, F; Macrì, Pasquale Giuseppe; Azzari, Chiara

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.10.024

Cited by 28 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…In this context, recently published protocols [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 ] and systematic literature reviews describe the importance of e-Health applied to certain healthcare contexts [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. In particular, these describe how the use of online channels, instant messaging (SMS) or Short-Messages sent via apps to communicate with patients can—(i) facilitate user participation by increasing the attendance rate for health appointments [ 13 ]; (ii) tackle the misinformation prevailing on the web; (iii) improve therapeutic compliance [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]; and (iv) provide remote psychological support in patients with particular clinical conditions [ 31 , 32 ]. Conversely, digital communication tools in Public Health can act as a channel for incorrect and misleading information [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A person’s decision-making process regarding health choices is, indeed, strongly influenced by what they read online, especially in relation to health issues such as vaccination [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pandemic-related interruptions in vaccination services and conflicting information on the Internet about SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have further affected vaccination compliance [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. In particular, a worrying decline in vaccination coverage for DTaP, measles and polio has been observed in at least 68 countries worldwide, since early 2020 [ 28 , 29 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pandemic-related interruptions in vaccination services and conflicting information on the Internet about SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have further affected vaccination compliance [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. In particular, a worrying decline in vaccination coverage for DTaP, measles and polio has been observed in at least 68 countries worldwide, since early 2020 [ 28 , 29 ]. In Italy, during the same period, several regions reported a decrease in childhood and adolescent vaccination coverage for reasons such as—(i) the lack of personnel normally employed in vaccination services, (ii) citizens’ concerns about accessing health services and (iii) unjustified interruptions to active calls for vaccination sessions [ 24 , 29 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Health Communication in COVID-19 Era: Experiences from the Italian VaccinarSì Network Websites

Arghittu

Dettori

Dempsey

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

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In 2013, in a bid to combat Vaccine Hesitancy (VH) and provide information on vaccines by communicating with the general public and the health community (e.g., healthcare workers and public health operators), the Italian Society of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine (S.It.I.) published the national website “VaccinarSì”. The project was subsequently extended to ten Italian Regions. This led to the creation of the VaccinarSì Network, whose websites are publicly owned. The aim of this work was to present the framework of the websites of the VaccinarSì Network and to analyse user behaviour in the pre-COVID-19-era (dating from each website’s publication until 31 January 2020) and in the COVID-19-era (from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2021). Some metrics such as the number of visits to the site (sessions, number of users and average session duration), user behaviour (pages viewed, bounce rate and organic search) and the session acquisition path (direct traffic, referrals and social traffic) were searched, extrapolated and processed with Google Analytics. Qualitative and normally distributed quantitative variables were summarised with their absolute (relative) frequencies and means. Statistical differences between the means of the two periods were evaluated through paired t-test. A two-tailed p-value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. When the total values recorded over the period were compared, an overall increase in metrics was observed—the number of individual users, visits and individual pageviews rose in a statistically significant way. Our study aimed to highlight how combining disciplines such as health education and digital communication via Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) represents the best strategy to support citizens. This approach gives them the tools to become independent and responsible players that are capable of voluntarily and consciously choosing to adhere to vaccination programs. The VaccinarSì Network’s goal for the future is to reach an even wider audience. By building each user’s critical knowledge, this network enables users to be active components of a wider, more empowered community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Health Communication in COVID-19 Era: Experiences from the Italian VaccinarSì Network Websites

Arghittu

Dettori

Dempsey

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Before the last day 15 June 2021, of daily reported cases, the transmission rate in (1) has the form as in (6). After time t D = 15 June 2021, a time t 1 = 1 July 2021 is set such that there is an increasing return to normalcy of social distancing behaviour, and the transmission rate in (1) has the form for…”

Section: The Transmission Rate After the Last Day Of Daily Reported Casesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A COVID-19 Epidemic Model Predicting the Effectiveness of Vaccination in the US

Webb

2021

Infectious Disease Reports

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A model of a COVID-19 epidemic is used to predict the effectiveness of vaccination in the US. The model incorporates key features of COVID-19 epidemics: asymptomatic and symptomatic infectiousness, reported and unreported cases data, and social measures implemented to decrease infection transmission. The model analyzes the effectiveness of vaccination in terms of vaccination efficiency, vaccination scheduling, and relaxation of social measures that decrease disease transmission. The model demonstrates that the subsiding of the epidemic as vaccination is implemented depends critically on the scale of relaxation of social measures that reduce disease transmission.

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“…This means that the use of mAbs for COVID-19 in pediatric patients with chronic diseases could lead to a delay in vaccination, with a reduction in coverage for routine vaccines in the most fragile pediatric population. These concerns can have important implications in a historic moment such as this in which vaccination coverage has dropped significantly because parents skipped the vaccine appointment of their sons as they were afraid of SARS-CoV-2, or vaccination centers postponed the appointments because they were closed [ 28 , 29 ]. On the other hand, COVID-19 vaccines could actually represent the best option for vulnerable children and adolescents because of their cost-effectiveness [ 30 , 31 ], and the use of mAbs for COVID-19 treatment could negatively affect the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccines.…”

Section: Do the Benefits Of Monoclonal Antibody (Mabs) Treatment For Covid-19 In Children And Adolescents Really Outweigh The Risks?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Monoclonal Antibody to Treat COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents: Risk of Abuse of Prescription and Exacerbation of Health Inequalities

et al. 2021

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Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in infected patients are a new class of antiviral agents approved as a type of passive immunotherapy. They should be administered to adults and children (≥12 years old, weighing ≥ 40 kg) with SARS-CoV-2 positivity, and who are suffering from a chronic underlying disease and are at risk of severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. The aim of this manuscript is to discuss the benefit-to-risk of mAb therapy to treat COVID-19 in pediatric age, according to current reports. A problem is that the authorization for mAbs use in children was given without studies previously evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of mAbs in pediatric patients. Moreover, although the total number of children with chronic severe underlying disease is not marginal, the risk of severe COVID-19 in pediatric age is significantly reduced than in adults and the role of chronic underlying disease as a risk factor of severe COVID-19 development in pediatric patients is far from being precisely defined. In addition, criteria presently suggested for use of mAbs in children and adolescents are very broad and may cause individual clinicians or institutions to recommend these agents on a case-by-case basis, with an abuse in mAbs prescriptions and an exacerbation of health inequalities while resources are scarce. Several questions need to be addressed before their routine use in clinical practice, including what is their associated benefit-to-risk ratio in children and adolescents, who are the patients that could really have benefit from their use, and if there is any interference of mAb therapy on recommended vaccines. While we wait for answers to these questions from well-conducted research, an effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine for vulnerable pediatric patients remains the best strategy to prevent COVID-19 and represents the priority for public health policies.

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Maintain and increase vaccination coverage in children, adolescents, adults and elderly people: Let's avoid adding epidemics to the pandemic

Cited by 28 publications

References 7 publications

Health Communication in COVID-19 Era: Experiences from the Italian VaccinarSì Network Websites

Health Communication in COVID-19 Era: Experiences from the Italian VaccinarSì Network Websites

A COVID-19 Epidemic Model Predicting the Effectiveness of Vaccination in the US

Use of Monoclonal Antibody to Treat COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents: Risk of Abuse of Prescription and Exacerbation of Health Inequalities

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