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Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future

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A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 11151

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kin On Kwok

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Guest Editor

JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: infectious disease epidemiology; infection control; vaccination and mathematical transmission model

Dr. Kin Kit Li

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Guest Editor

Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: physical activity promotion; sport and exercise psychology; vaccination; social gerontology; health communication; time perspective; life course perspectives

Dr. Arthur Tang

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Guest Editor

College of Computing and Informatics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
Interests: simulation and modelling; health informatics

Wan In Wei

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Guest Editor Assistant

JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: epidemiology of infectious diseases; infection control in healthcare settings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccination can be considered an effective approach to prevent infectious diseases.

To this end, this Special Issue will focus on the most up-to-date knowledge and research pertaining to influenza and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in any subgroups in any populations around the world. We invite contributions in research areas including, but not limited to, the following:

Vaccine design, adjuvants, improving vaccine efficacy;
Improving the uptake of vaccination among any subgroups in any populations, in terms of education, communication, monitoring, and experiences of initiatives to improve uptake;
Immune response of both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, as well as natural infections to influenza virus and SARS-coronavirus-2 among individuals;
COVID-19 and influenza vaccine efficacy in individuals;
Modelling vaccination strategies for COVID-19 or influenza/mathematical transmission dynamics model and vaccine strategies.

We welcome reviews, perspectives, short communications, and original research articles. Qualitative research will also be given particular attention.

This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of the immune response to both influenza and COVID-19 vaccination, and of the determinants that lead to improved vaccine or booster uptake among individuals. It also aims to improve our understanding of the immune response to vaccination and natural infection, as well as of vaccine efficacy and vaccination, in order to enable better infection control measures. We also welcome research work related to transmission dynamics models and vaccine strategies.

We look forward to your contributions!

Dr. Kin On Kwok
Dr. Kin Kit Li
Dr. Arthur Tang
Guest Editors
Wan In Wei
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Vaccines 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 2700 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

vaccination
immune response
natural infection
serology
vaccine uptake
vaccine design
efficacy
mathematical modelling

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revisiting Vaccine Hesitancy in Residential Care Homes for the Elderly for Pandemic Preparedness: A Lesson from COVID-19

by Cyrus Lap Kwan Leung, Wan In Wei, Kin-Kit Li, Edward B. McNeil, Arthur Tang, Samuel Yeung Shan Wong and Kin On Kwok

Vaccines 2023, 11(11), 1700; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11111700 - 8 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1108

Abstract

Residents in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) are at high risk of severe illnesses and mortality, while staff have high exposure to intimate care activities. Addressing vaccine hesitancy is crucial to safeguard vaccine uptake in this vulnerable setting, especially amid a pandemic. In response to this, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to measure the level of vaccine hesitancy and to examine its associated factors among residents and staff in RCHEs in Hong Kong. We recruited residents and staff from 31 RCHEs in July–November 2022. Of 204 residents, 9.8% had a higher level of vaccine hesitancy (scored ≥ 4 out of 7, mean = 2.44). Around 7% of the staff (n = 168) showed higher vaccine hesitancy (mean = 2.45). From multi-level regression analyses, higher social loneliness, higher anxiety, poorer cognitive ability, being vaccinated with fewer doses, and lower institutional vaccination rates predicted residents’ vaccine hesitancy. Similarly, higher emotional loneliness, higher anxiety, being vaccinated with fewer doses, and working in larger RCHEs predicted staff’s vaccine hesitancy. Although the reliance on self-report data and convenience sampling may hamper the generalizability of the results, this study highlighted the importance of addressing the loneliness of residents and staff in RCHEs to combat vaccine hesitancy. Innovative and technology-aided interventions are needed to build social support and ensure social interactions among the residents and staff, especially amid outbreaks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

17 pages, 2131 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COVID-19 Vaccination Rate under Different Political Incentive: A Counterfactual Trend Approach Using Nationwide Data

by Denis Mongin, Clement P. Buclin, Stephane Cullati and Delphine S. Courvoisier

Vaccines 2023, 11(7), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071149 - 25 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1277

Abstract

(1) Background: France implemented a COVID-19 certificate in July 2021 to incentivize the population to uptake COVID-19 vaccines. However, little is known about the variation in its impact across age groups and its dependence on socio-demographic, economic, logistic, or political factors. (2) Methods: Using France’s weekly first dose vaccination rate, a counterfactual trend approach allowed for the estimation of the vaccination rate across age groups at a small geographical level before and after the implementation of the health pass. The effect of the health pass was operationalized as the vaccination rate among those who would not be vaccinated without it. (3) Results: Vaccination before the health pass varied greatly among age groups and was mainly influenced by territory (lower in rural and overseas territories when compared to urban and metropolitan ones), political beliefs, and socio-economic disparities. Vaccine logistics played a minor but significant role, while the impact of COVID-19 did not affect the vaccination rate. The health pass increased the vaccination overall but with varying efficiency across groups. It convinced mainly young people politically close to the governmental vaccination strategy and living in urban metropolitan areas with low socio-economical discrepancies. The selected variables explained most of the variability of the vaccination rate before the health pass; they explained, at most, a third of the variation in the health pass effect on vaccination. (4) Conclusions: From a public health perspective, the French health pass increased the overall vaccination, but failed to promote preventive behaviours in all segments of society, particularly in vulnerable communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

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19 pages, 295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Attitudes and Participation Regarding a Pilot COVID-19 Workplace Vaccination Program in Southern Germany Considering the Occupational Health Perspective—A Mixed Methods Study

by Anke Wagner, Kamil Keles, Christine Preiser, Anna T. Neunhöffer, Jana Soeder, Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke, Monika A. Rieger and Esther Rind

Vaccines 2023, 11(6), 1082; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061082 - 9 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1146

Abstract

This mixed methods study retrospectively assessed attitudes and participation of employees, occupational health personnel, and key personnel regarding the rollout of a pilot COVID-19 workplace vaccination program in five German companies in May/June 2021 in Baden-Württemberg (Southern Germany) by combining survey data and qualitative interviews. A total of 652 employees completed a standardized questionnaire and we conducted ten interviews with occupational health personnel and key personnel with other professional backgrounds organizing the pilot workplace vaccination program. Survey data were analyzed descriptively and interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Employees participated widely in COVID-19 vaccinations at their workplaces, and most employees (n = 608; 93.8%) had a full COVID-19 immunization at the time of the survey. The main advantages of the pilot COVID-19 workplace vaccination program were seen in the flexible and time-saving vaccination offer as well as the trust in and long-standing relationship with occupational health physicians. The main disadvantage of the pilot vaccination offer was increased workload for occupational health personnel, especially during the roll-out phase of the program. The pilot COVID-19 workplace vaccination program was predominantly positively assessed, and the important role of occupational health services in managing the COVID-19 pandemic was highlighted. The main criticisms of the COVID-19 workplace vaccination program related to the high organizational and administrative burden. Findings from our study can support the development of future programs for the administration of generally recommended vaccination in the workplace setting in Germany. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

14 pages, 1412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Negative Sentiments Related to Influenza Vaccination from 2017 to 2022: An Unsupervised Deep Learning Analysis of 261,613 Twitter Posts

by Qin Xiang Ng, Dawn Yi Xin Lee, Clara Xinyi Ng, Chun En Yau, Yu Liang Lim and Tau Ming Liew

Vaccines 2023, 11(6), 1018; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061018 - 23 May 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1977

Abstract

Several countries are witnessing significant increases in influenza cases and severity. Despite the availability, effectiveness and safety of influenza vaccination, vaccination coverage remains suboptimal globally. In this study, we examined the prevailing negative sentiments related to influenza vaccination via a deep learning analysis of public Twitter posts over the past five years. We extracted original tweets containing the terms ‘flu jab’, ‘#flujab’, ‘flu vaccine’, ‘#fluvaccine’, ‘influenza vaccine’, ‘#influenzavaccine’, ‘influenza jab’, or ‘#influenzajab’, and posted in English from 1 January 2017 to 1 November 2022. We then identified tweets with negative sentiment from individuals, and this was followed by topic modelling using machine learning models and qualitative thematic analysis performed independently by the study investigators. A total of 261,613 tweets were analyzed. Topic modelling and thematic analysis produced five topics grouped under two major themes: (1) criticisms of governmental policies related to influenza vaccination and (2) misinformation related to influenza vaccination. A significant majority of the tweets were centered around perceived influenza vaccine mandates or coercion to vaccinate. Our analysis of temporal trends also showed an increase in the prevalence of negative sentiments related to influenza vaccination from the year 2020 onwards, which possibly coincides with misinformation related to COVID-19 policies and vaccination. There was a typology of misperceptions and misinformation underlying the negative sentiments related to influenza vaccination. Public health communications should be mindful of these findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

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12 pages, 5000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Attitudes of University Students towards Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Rome, Italy

by Antonio Sciurti, Valentina Baccolini, Erika Renzi, Maria Roberta De Blasiis, Leonardo Maria Siena, Claudia Isonne, Giuseppe Migliara, Azzurra Massimi, Corrado De Vito, Carolina Marzuillo and Paolo Villari

Vaccines 2023, 11(4), 721; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11040721 - 23 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1517

Abstract

Mandatory vaccination (MV) against COVID-19 is a contentious topic. In this study, we used logistic regression models to identify attitudes among Sapienza University students towards MV for COVID-19. We considered three different scenarios: mandatory COVID-19 vaccination (MCV) for healthcare workers (HCWs) (Model 1), for all people aged ≥ 12 years (Model 2), and for admission to schools and universities (Model 3). We collected 5287 questionnaires over a six-month period and divided these into three groups (September–October 2021, November–December 2021, and January–February 2022). MCV for HCWs was the most strongly supported policy (69.8% in favour), followed by MCV for admission to schools and universities (58.3%), and MCV for the general population (54.6%). In a multivariable analysis, the models showed both similarities and differences. There was no association of socio-demographic characteristics with the outcomes, apart from being enrolled in non-healthcare courses, which negatively affected Models 2 and 3. A greater COVID-19 risk perception was generally associated with a more positive attitude towards MCV, although heterogeneously across models. Vaccination status was a predictor of being in favour of MCV for HCWs, whereas being surveyed in November–February 2022 favoured MCV for admission to schools and universities. Attitudes towards MCV were variable across policies; thus, to avoid unintended consequences, these aspects should be carefully considered by policymakers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

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Review

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17 pages, 1401 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Scoping Review of Three Dimensions for Long-Term COVID-19 Vaccination Models: Hybrid Immunity, Individual Drivers of Vaccinal Choice, and Human Errors

by Jack T. Beerman, Gwendal G. Beaumont and Philippe J. Giabbanelli

Vaccines 2022, 10(10), 1716; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10101716 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1771

Abstract

The virus that causes COVID-19 changes over time, occasionally leading to Variants of Interest (VOIs) and Variants of Concern (VOCs) that can behave differently with respect to detection kits, treatments, or vaccines. For instance, two vaccination doses were 61% effective against the BA.1 predominant variant, but only 24% effective when BA.2 became predominant. While doses still confer protection against severe disease outcomes, the BA.5 variant demonstrates the possibility that individuals who have received a few doses built for previous variants can still be infected with newer variants. As previous vaccines become less effective, new ones will be released to target specific variants and the whole process of vaccinating the population will restart. While previous models have detailed logistical aspects and disease progression, there are three additional key elements to model COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the long term. First, the willingness of the population to participate in regular vaccination campaigns is essential for long-term effective COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Previous research has shown that several categories of variables drive vaccination status: sociodemographic, health-related, psychological, and information-related constructs. However, the inclusion of these categories in future models raises questions about the identification of specific factors (e.g., which sociodemographic aspects?) and their operationalization (e.g., how to initialize agents with a plausible combination of factors?). While previous models separately accounted for natural- and vaccine-induced immunity, the reality is that a significant fraction of individuals will be both vaccinated and infected over the coming years. Modeling the decay in immunity with respect to new VOCs will thus need to account for hybrid immunity. Finally, models rarely assume that individuals make mistakes, even though this over-reliance on perfectly rational individuals can miss essential dynamics. Using the U.S. as a guiding example, our scoping review summarizes these aspects (vaccinal choice, immunity, and errors) through ten recommendations to support the modeling community in developing long-term COVID-19 vaccination models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

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Other

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8 pages, 529 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Adults with Trisomy 21 Have Differential Antibody Responses to Influenza A

by Stephanie James, Robert C. Haight, Cassandra Hanna and Lindsey Furton

Vaccines 2022, 10(7), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10071145 - 19 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1529

Abstract

Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. In the past two decades, the life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome has significantly increased from early 20s to early 60s, creating a population of individuals of which little is known about how well they are protected against infectious disease. The goal of this work is to better understand if adults with Down syndrome are well protected against influenza following vaccination. We obtained plasma samples from 18 adults (average age = 31yo) with Down syndrome and 17 age/gender-matched disomic individuals, all vaccinated against influenza. Antibody concentration to influenza A was measured using ELISA and antibody titers were measured using a hemagglutinin inhibition assay. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata Statistical Software. Adults with Down syndrome had a significantly increased concentration of antibodies to a mixture of influenza A viral proteins; however, they had a significantly decreased titer to the Influenza A/Hong Kong compared to disomic controls. These findings suggest that more vigorous studies of B- and T-cell function in adults with Down syndrome with respect to influenza vaccination are warranted, and that this population may benefit from a high-dose influenza vaccine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Vaccines and Vaccination for Influenza and COVID-19: Past, Present and Future)

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