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Vaccines, Volume 12, Issue 12 (December 2024) – 4 articles

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23 pages, 3823 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Safety and Efficacy of New DIVA Inactivated Vaccines Against Lumpy Skin Disease in Calves

by Gaetano Federico Ronchi, Mariangela Iorio, Anna Serroni, Marco Caporale, Lilia Testa, Cristiano Palucci, Daniela Antonucci, Sara Capista, Sara Traini, Chiara Pinoni, Ivano Di Matteo, Caterina Laguardia, Gisella Armillotta, Francesca Profeta, Fabrizia Valleriani, Elisabetta Di Felice, Giovanni Di Teodoro, Flavio Sacchini, Mirella Luciani, Chiara Di Pancrazio, Michele Podaliri Vulpiani, Emanuela Rossi, Romolo Salini, Daniela Morelli, Nicola Ferri, Maria Teresa Mercante and Mauro Di Ventura Show full author list Hide full author list

Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1302; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121302 (registering DOI) - 21 Nov 2024

Abstract

Background: Lumpy skin disease virus (Poxviridae family—Capripoxvirus genus) is the aetiological agent of LSD, a disease primarily transmitted by hematophagous biting, affecting principally cattle. Currently, only live attenuated vaccines are commercially available, but their use is limited to endemic areas. There is a need for safer vaccines, especially in LSD-free countries. This research aims to develop and test a safe and efficacious inactivated vaccine. Moreover, in this study, we used keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as a positive marker to distinguish infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). Methods: Lumpy skin disease virus was propagated on primary lamb testis cells and Madin–Darby bovine kidney cells (PLT and MDBK, respectively), and four inactivated vaccines were produced. The vaccines differed from each other with the addition or not of KLH and in cells used for virus propagation. To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity, the vaccines and two placebos were administered to six groups comprising six male calves each, and antibody response was investigated using both an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a serum neutralization (SN) test. In addition, the LSD/ϒ-interferon test and KLH (IgM-IgG) ELISA were performed on the collected samples. Furthermore, the use of KLH allowed us to distinguish vaccinated animals in the ELISA results, without any interference on the strength of the immune response against the LSDV. Finally, the efficacy of one of four vaccines was investigated through a challenge, in which one group of vaccinated animals and one animal control group were infected with a live field strain of LSDV. Results: Four out of the six control animals showed severe clinical signs suggestive of LSD, and, therefore, were euthanized for overcoming the predetermined limit of clinical score. By contrast, the vaccinated animals showed only mild symptoms, suggesting a reduction in severe disease notwithstanding the incapability of the vaccine in reducing the virus shedding. Conclusion: The vaccines produced were safe and able to elicit both a humoral and a cellular immune response, characteristics that, together with the demonstrated efficacy, make our vaccine a good candidate for countering the LSD spread in disease-free countries, thus also facilitating disease containment throughout the application of a DIVA strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Veterinary Vaccines)

14 pages, 441 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Attitude Towards Vaccination Among University Students at a Spanish University: Relationships with Sociodemographic and Academic Variables

by Francisco Javier Pérez-Rivas, Laura Esteban-Gonzalo and David García-García

Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121301 (registering DOI) - 21 Nov 2024

Abstract

Objectives: This descriptive, cross-sectional study examines the attitude towards vaccination of students at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) and explores its relationship with sociodemographic and academic variables using a bivariate analysis and linear and logistic regression. Methods: The attitude towards vaccination of 3577 students of different disciplines was assessed using an online version of the Questionnaire on Attitudes and Behaviours towards Vaccination. In addition, all students were asked if they sought information produced by anti-vaccination groups and whether they identified as “anti-vaccine”. Results: In general, the students showed a favourable attitude towards vaccination. Older students, those in paid employment, and those undertaking non-health-related studies had less favourable attitudes. Spanish-born and female students showed more positive attitudes than foreign-born and non-binary/male students, respectively. Only a small proportion of students identified as anti-vaccine. Conclusions: Despite these positive results, the need for interventions targeting specific groups with less favourable attitudes, such as older students, employed students, and those in non-health-related fields, is clear. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acceptance and Hesitancy in Vaccine Uptake)

27 pages, 1709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Safety, Immunogenicity and Protective Activity of a Modified Trivalent Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine for Combined Protection Against Seasonal Influenza and COVID-19 in Golden Syrian Hamsters

by Ekaterina Stepanova, Victoria Matyushenko, Daria Mezhenskaya, Ekaterina Bazhenova, Tatiana Kotomina, Alexandra Rak, Svetlana Donina, Anna Chistiakova, Arina Kostromitina, Vlada Novitskaya, Polina Prokopenko, Kristina Rodionova, Konstantin Sivak, Kirill Kryshen, Valery Makarov, Larisa Rudenko and Irina Isakova-Sivak

Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121300 (registering DOI) - 21 Nov 2024

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 are currently cocirculating with similar seasonality, and both pathogens are characterized by a high mutational rate which results in reduced vaccine effectiveness and thus requires regular updating of vaccine compositions. Vaccine formulations combining seasonal influenza and SARS-CoV-2 strains can be considered promising and cost-effective tools for protection against both infections. Methods: We used a licensed seasonal trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (3×LAIV) as a basis for the development of a modified 3×LAIV/CoV-2 vaccine, where H1N1 and H3N2 LAIV strains encoded an immunogenic cassette enriched with conserved T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2, whereas a B/Victoria lineage LAIV strain was unmodified. The trivalent LAIV/CoV-2 composition was compared to the classical 3×LAIV in the golden Syrian hamster model. Animals were intranasally immunized with the mixtures of the vaccine viruses, twice, with a 3-week interval. Immunogenicity was assessed on day 42 of the study, and the protective effect was established by infecting vaccinated hamsters with either influenza H1N1, H3N2 or B viruses or with SARS-CoV-2 strains of the Wuhan, Delta and Omicron lineages. Results: Both the classical 3×LAIV and 3×LAIV/CoV-2 vaccine compositions induced similar levels of serum antibodies specific to all three influenza strains, which resulted in comparable levels of protection against challenge from either influenza strain. Protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge was more pronounced in the 3×LAIV/CoV-2-immunized hamsters compared to the classical 3×LAIV group. These data were accompanied by the higher magnitude of virus-specific cellular responses detected by ELISPOT in the modified trivalent LAIV group. Conclusions: The modified trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine encoding the T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 can be considered a promising tool for combined protection against seasonal influenza and COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Influenza Vaccine: 2nd Edition)

17 pages, 5223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geospatial Variation in Vaccination Coverage and Zero-Dose Prevalence at the District, Ward and Health Facility Levels Before and After a Measles Vaccination Campaign in Nigeria

by C. Edson Utazi, Iyanuloluwa D. Olowe, H. M. Theophilus Chan, Winfred Dotse-Gborgbortsi, John Wagai, Jamila A. Umar, Sulaiman Etamesor, Brian Atuhaire, Biyi Fafunmi, Jessica Crawford, Adeyemi Adeniran and Andrew J. Tatem

Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121299 - 21 Nov 2024

Abstract

Many measles endemic countries with suboptimal coverage levels still rely on vaccination campaigns to fill immunity gaps and boost control efforts. Depending on local epidemiological patterns, national or targeted campaigns are implemented, following which post-campaign coverage surveys (PCCSs) are conducted to evaluate their performance, particularly in terms of reaching previously unvaccinated children. Due to limited resources, PCCS surveys are designed to be representative at coarse spatial scales, often masking important heterogeneities in coverage that could enhance the identification of areas of poor performance for follow-up via routine immunization strategies. Here, we undertake geospatial analyses of the 2021 measles PCCS in Nigeria to map indicators of coverage measuring the individual and combined performance of the campaign and routine immunization (RI) at 1 × 1 km resolution and the ward and district levels in 13 states. Using additional geospatial datasets, we also produced estimates of numbers of unvaccinated children during the campaign and numbers of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) zero-dose children before and after the campaign at these levels and within health facility catchment areas. Our study revealed that although the campaign reduced the numbers of MCV zero-dose children in all the districts, areas of suboptimal campaign and RI performance with considerable numbers of zero-dose children remained. Our analyses further identified wards and health facility catchment areas with higher numbers of unvaccinated children within these areas. Our outputs provide a robust evidence base to plan and implement follow-up RI strategies and to guide future campaigns at flexible and operationally relevant spatial scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Human Vaccines and Public Health)

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