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COVID-19 Vaccination, Role of Vaccines and Global Health

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue invites scholarly contributions centered on advancements and innovations in the realm of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination strategies. Considering the ongoing evolution and global impact of COVID-19, the importance of continuous scientific exploration cannot be overstated.

This issue invites contributions addressing a broad array of topics encompassing emerging vaccine technologies, safety and efficacy evaluations of current and new vaccines, the influence of viral variants on vaccine potency, and the role of immunological responses stimulated by vaccines.

We encourage submissions from a diverse array of academic disciplines, including but not limited to virology, immunology, biologics—including vaccines, targeted specific antibodies, and the exploration of recombinant therapeutic proteins—and nanobiotechnology-driven products for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The objective is to inspire a multi-disciplinary approach that enhances our knowledge and aids in the fight against the enduring pandemic. The ultimate aspiration of this Special Issue is to serve as a holistic academic resource to stimulate novel insights for future research, facilitate strategic policy planning, and refine clinical practice.

Dr. Abu Baker Sheikh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

COVID-19 vaccines
global health
emerging vaccine technologies
vaccine efficacy
immunological responses
vaccine acceptance
health disparities

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

23 pages, 318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of COVID-19 on Pregnancy Outcomes across Trimesters in the United States

by Shiza Virk, Karthik Gangu, Adeel Nasrullah, Aaisha Shah, Zohaa Faiz, Umair Khan, David Bradley Jackson, Anam Javed, Asif Farooq, Briana DiSilvio, Tariq Cheema and Abu Baker Sheikh

Biomedicines 2023, 11(11), 2886; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11112886 - 25 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1096

Abstract

Background: Current knowledge regarding the association between trimester-specific changes during pregnancy and COVID-19 infection is limited. We utilized the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to investigate trimester-specific outcomes among hospitalized pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. Results: Out of 3,447,771 pregnant women identified, those with COVID-19 exhibited higher in-hospital mortality rates in their third trimester compared with those without the virus. Notably, rates of mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury, renal replacement therapy, and perinatal complications (preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and preterm birth) were significantly elevated across all trimesters for COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 was found to be more prevalent among low-income, Hispanic pregnant women. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that COVID-19 during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of maternal mortality and complications, particularly in the third trimester. Furthermore, we observed significant racial and socioeconomic disparities in both COVID-19 prevalence and pregnancy outcomes. These findings emphasize the need for equitable healthcare strategies to improve care for diverse and socioeconomically marginalized groups, ultimately aiming to reduce adverse COVID-19-associated maternal and fetal outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Vaccination, Role of Vaccines and Global Health)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 279 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biodistribution of RNA Vaccines and of Their Products: Evidence from Human and Animal Studies

by Ildus Pateev, Kristina Seregina, Roman Ivanov and Vasiliy Reshetnikov

Biomedicines 2024, 12(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12010059 - 26 Dec 2023

Viewed by 8475

Abstract

Explosive developments in mRNA vaccine technology in the last decade have made it possible to achieve great success in clinical trials of mRNA vaccines to prevent infectious diseases and develop cancer treatments and mRNA-based gene therapy products. The approval of the mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has led to mass vaccination (with mRNA vaccines) of several hundred million people around the world, including children. Despite its effectiveness in the fight against COVID-19, rare adverse effects of the vaccination have been shown in some studies, including vascular microcirculation disorders and autoimmune and allergic reactions. The biodistribution of mRNA vaccines remains one of the most poorly investigated topics. This mini-review discussed the results of recent experimental studies on humans and rodents regarding the biodistribution of mRNA vaccines, their constituents (mRNA and lipid nanoparticles), and their encoded antigens. We focused on the dynamics of the biodistribution of mRNA vaccine products and on the possibility of crossing the blood–brain and blood–placental barriers as well as transmission to infants through breast milk. In addition, we critically assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the detection methods that have been applied in these articles, whose results’ reliability is becoming a subject of debate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Vaccination, Role of Vaccines and Global Health)

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