The Belgian Rexist Movement Before the Second World War: Success and Failure

Belgium in the 1930s was no different from the rest of Europe. It was in a crisis-financial, political, and, as it appeared to some, social. Unemployment reached a peak for the decade in 1934 (with 183,000 out of a population of about 8,092,000). Yet in the first half of the 1930s, the government had no working policy for either inflation or unemployment. Furthermore, the nature of Belgian politics at the time made Parliament ineffectual. Since the First World War, Belgium had been run by the Union Nationale, a coalition of the three strongest parties in the nation, the Catholics, the Socialists, and the Liberals (in the November, 1919 elections, the results in the Parliamentary House were 71 seats, 70 seats, and 34 seats, respectively). Although such a union guaranteed that a plurality of Belgian opinion would be heard, and protected against anyone party- and ideology- unfairly superseding others, it also made the process of change very slow. For instead of being able to work on proposals for policies, the party representatives spent most of their time concentrating on compromising with each other. Enacting new legislation was a trying process. As a result, it seemed to some Belgians that the government was not doing its job. The younger generation of Belgians who had just reached the voting age of twenty-one were particularly aggravated by this stale and sluggish political system. Many of them wanted to have a voice in politics beyond their ballot, and were impatient to effect change within their country. Some sought out political youth groups, such as the Socialist youth, while others turned to more socially and religiously active groups, such as Catholic action. The Belgian Rexist movement emerged out of the latter. The future Rexists were a group of university and secondary school students who wanted to bring moral and religious reform to their nation. The proselytizing aspect of Catholic action appealed to them because it offered them the chance to actively bring reform to society around them, and to immediately measure their results. At the same time, they realized that only through politics, only through entering the political arena could they accomplish the societal reforms they wanted on a grand scale. The history of the Rexist movement is the history of its attempting to bring Catholic activism for moral and religious reform to Belgium through political channels. It is also the history of the Belgian form of fascism. For in the process of its political development, Rex would be swayed by an ideology which was growing fast in all of Europe, and which seemed to offer an answer for some of the other Europeans who were searching for a way to reform their society: fascism. Because of Belgiums\u27 historical and geographical situation. and because of the political tensions unfolding in Europe in the 1930s, the evolution of fascism in Rex would be important

Study of Healthcare Personnel with Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses in Israel (SHIRI): study protocol

Abstract Background The Study of Healthcare Personnel with Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses in Israel (SHIRI) prospectively follows a cohort of healthcare personnel (HCP) in two hospitals in Israel. SHIRI will describe the frequency of influenza virus infections among HCP, identify predictors of vaccine acceptance, examine how repeated influenza vaccination may modify immunogenicity, and evaluate influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing influenza illness and missed work. Methods Cohort enrollment began in October, 2016; a second year of the study and a second wave of cohort enrollment began in June 2017. The study will run for at least 3 years and will follow approximately 2000 HCP (who are both employees and members of Clalit Health Services [CHS]) with routine direct patient contact. Eligible HCP are recruited using a stratified sampling strategy. After informed consent, participants complete a brief enrollment survey with questions about occupational responsibilities and knowledge, attitudes, and practices about influenza vaccines. Blood samples are collected at enrollment and at the end of influenza season; HCP who choose to be vaccinated contribute additional blood one month after vaccination. During the influenza season, participants receive twice-weekly short message service (SMS) messages asking them if they have acute respiratory illness or febrile illness (ARFI) symptoms. Ill participants receive follow-up SMS messages to confirm illness symptoms and duration and are asked to self-collect a nasal swab. Information on socio-economic characteristics, current and past medical conditions, medical care utilization and vaccination history is extracted from the CHS database. Information about missed work due to illness is obtained by self-report and from employee records. Respiratory specimens from self-collected nasal swabs are tested for influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, and coronaviruses using validated multiplex quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. The hemagglutination inhibition assay will be used to detect the presence of neutralizing influenza antibodies in serum. Discussion SHIRI will expand our knowledge of the burden of respiratory viral infections among HCP and the effectiveness of current and repeated annual influenza vaccination in preventing influenza illness, medical utilization, and missed workdays among HCP who are in direct contact with patients. Trial registration NCT03331991 . Registered on November 6, 2017.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146186/1/12879_2018_Article_3444.pd

The Belgian Rexist Movement before the Second World War: Success and Failure

Belgium in the 1930s was no different from the rest of Europe. It was in a crisis-financial, political, and, as it appeared to some, social. Unemployment reached a peak for the decade in 1934 (with 183,000 out of a population of about 8,092,000). Yet in the first half of the 1930s, the government had no working policy for either inflation or unemployment. Furthermore, the nature of Belgian politics at the time made Parliament ineffectual. Since the First World War, Belgium had been run by the Union Nationale, a coalition of the three strongest parties in the nation, the Catholics, the Socialists, and the Liberals (in the November, 1919 elections, the results in the Parliamentary House were 71 seats, 70 seats, and 34 seats, respectively). Although such a union guaranteed that a plurality of Belgian opinion would be heard, and protected against anyone party- and ideology- unfairly superseding others, it also made the process of change very slow. For instead of being able to work on proposals for policies, the party representatives spent most of their time concentrating on compromising with each other. Enacting new legislation was a trying process. As a result, it seemed to some Belgians that the government was not doing its job. The younger generation of Belgians who had just reached the voting age of twenty-one were particularly aggravated by this stale and sluggish political system. Many of them wanted to have a voice in politics beyond their ballot, and were impatient to effect change within their country. Some sought out political youth groups, such as the Socialist youth, while others turned to more socially and religiously active groups, such as Catholic action. The Belgian Rexist movement emerged out of the latter. The future Rexists were a group of university and secondary school students who wanted to bring moral and religious reform to their nation. The proselytizing aspect of Catholic action appealed to them because it offered them the chance to actively bring reform to society around them, and to immediately measure their results. At the same time, they realized that only through politics, only through entering the political arena could they accomplish the societal reforms they wanted on a grand scale. The history of the Rexist movement is the history of its attempting to bring Catholic activism for moral and religious reform to Belgium through political channels. It is also the history of the Belgian form of fascism. For in the process of its political development, Rex would be swayed by an ideology which was growing fast in all of Europe, and which seemed to offer an answer for some of the other Europeans who were searching for a way to reform their society: fascism. Because of Belgiums\u27 historical and geographical situation. and because of the political tensions unfolding in Europe in the 1930s, the evolution of fascism in Rex would be important

Prospective cohort study of influenza vaccine effectiveness among healthcare personnel in Lima, Peru: Estudio Vacuna de Influenza Peru, 2016-2018

© 2020 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Background: The Estudio Vacuna de Influenza Peru (VIP) cohort aims to describe the frequency of influenza virus infection, identify predictors of vaccine acceptance, examine the effects of repeated influenza vaccination on immunogenicity, and evaluate influenza vaccine effectiveness among HCP. Methods: The VIP cohort prospectively followed HCP in Lima, Peru, during the 2016-2018 influenza seasons; a fourth year is ongoing. Participants contribute blood samples before and after the influenza season and after influenza vaccination (for vaccinees). Weekly surveillance is conducted to identify acute respiratory or febrile illnesses (ARFI). When an ARFI is identified, participants self-collect nasal swabs that are tested for influenza viruses by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Influenza vaccination status and 5-year vaccination history are ascertained. We analyzed recruitment and enrollment results for 2016-2018 and surveillance participation for 2016-2017. Results: In the first 3 years of the cohort, VIP successfully contacted 92% of potential participants, enrolled 76% of eligible HCP, and retained \u3e90% of participants across years. About half of participants are medical assistants (54%), and most provide “hands-on” medical care (76%). Sixty-nine percent and 52% of participants completed surveillance for \u3e70% of weeks in years 1 and 2, respectively. Fewer weeks of completed surveillance was associated with older age (≥50 years), being a medical assistant, self-rated health of fair or poor, and not receiving the influenza vaccine during the current season (P-values \u3c.05). Conclusions: The VIP cohort provides an opportunity to address knowledge gaps about influenza virus infection, vaccination uptake, effectiveness and immunogenicity among HCP

1935. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Reduces the Occurrence of Post-COVID Conditions in U.S. Children Aged 5-17 Years Following Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Infection, July 2021-September 2022

Abstract Background An estimated 1-3% of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection will develop Post-COVID Conditions (PCC). This study evaluates mRNA COVID-19 vaccine impact on likelihood of PCC in children. Methods A multi-site cohort of children enrolled 7/21/2021-9/1/2022 underwent weekly SARS-CoV-2 screening tests and were surveyed via self- or parental report 12/1/2022-5/31/2023 regarding PCC (defined as ≥1 new or on-going symptoms lasting ≥ 1 month after infection). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate the occurrence of PCC by vaccination status among children aged 5–17 years whose first PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in-study with Omicron variant, who completed the survey >60 days from infection, and who were vaccine age-eligible at time of infection per ACIP recommendations. Vaccination status was categorized as vaccinated (at least primary series completed >14 days before infection) and unvaccinated (no vaccine doses before infection). Vaccination status was verified through vaccine registry and/or medical records. Results Of 622 participants surveyed, 5% (n=28) had PCC (Table 1) and 67% (n=474) were vaccinated (Table 2). Surveys were completed a median (IQR) of 203.7 days (119.0–293.0) after infection. Children with non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity and good/fair/poor self-rated baseline health were more likely to report PCC. Children aged 12-18 years, Non-Hispanic Asian and White children, those reporting symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and those with excellent/very good self-rated baseline health were more likely to report vaccination When comparing children with and without PCC symptoms, COVID-19 mRNA vaccination was associated with a decreased likelihood of >1 PCC symptom (aOR 0.66, 95% CI 0.43-0.99), >2 PCC symptoms (aOR 0.52, 95% 0.32-0.83), and respiratory PCC symptoms (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.87) (Table 3). Figure 1.Relative Risk of Post-COVID Conditions among Patients who Received Paxlovid, Ages ≥50 (N=564,303)Figure 2.Relative Risk of Post-COVID Conditions among Patients who Received Paxlovid, Ages 18-49 (N=292,818)Figure 3.Relative Risk of Post-COVID Conditions among Patients who Received Paxlovid, Ages 12-17 (N=17,178) Conclusion In this study, mRNA COVID-19 vaccination appeared to be protective against PCC in children following Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection. The adjusted ORs correspond to an estimated 34%, 48%, and 47% reduced likelihood of >1, >2, and respiratory PCC symptoms among vaccinated children, respectively. These findings support COVID-19 vaccination for children and may encourage increased pediatric vaccine uptake. Disclosures Lisa Gwynn, MBA, MSPH, Merck: Honorari

Longitudinal parental perception of COVID-19 vaccines for children in a multi-site, cohort study

Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake is not well understood. Among parents of a prospective cohort of children aged 6 months-17 years, we assessed COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and uptake over 15 months. The PROTECT study collected sociodemographic characteristics of children at enrollment and COVID-19 vaccination data and parental KAPs quarterly. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the effect of KAPs on vaccine uptake; McNemar's test for paired samples was used to evaluate KAP change over time. A total of 2,837 children were enrolled, with more than half (61 %) vaccinated by October 2022. Positive parental beliefs about vaccine safety and effectiveness strongly predicted vaccine uptake among children aged 5-11 years (aOR 13.1, 95 % CI 8.5-20.4 and aOR 6.4, 95 % CI 4.3-9.6, respectively) and children aged 12+ years (aOR 7.0, 95 % CI 3.8-13.0 and aOR 8.9, 95 % CI 4.4-18.0). Compared to enrollment, at follow-up parents (of vaccinated and unvaccinated children) reported higher self-assessed vaccine knowledge, but more negative beliefs towards vaccine safety, effectiveness, and trust in government. Parents unlikely to vaccinate their children at enrollment reported more positive beliefs on vaccine knowledge, safety, and effectiveness at follow-up. The PROTECT cohort allows for an examination of factors driving vaccine uptake and how beliefs about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccines change over time. Findings of the current analysis suggest that these beliefs change over time and policies aiming to increase vaccine uptake should focus on vaccine safety and effectiveness

Humoral Immune Response to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Among Children 5-11 in a Multisite Prospective Cohort study, September 2021-September 2022

Abstract Background The PROTECT study is a longitudinal cohort study initiated in July 2021 with weekly testing for SARS-CoV-2 in four states: Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Utah. This study aims to examine the protective effect of vaccine-elicited antibody response against post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods Participants, children aged 5-11, had serum collected 14-59 days after second dose of monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Vaccine-elicited antibodies were measured by area under the curve (AUC) and endpoint titer by ELISA (RBD and S2) and surrogate neutralization (SN) assays against ancestral (WA1) and Omicron (BA.2). Results Among 79 vaccinated participants, (33 [41.7%] female; median age 8.8 [SD 1.9] years), 48 (60.8%) were from Tucson, Arizona, 64 (81.0%) were non-Hispanic white, 63 (80.8%) attended school in person, 68 (86.1%) did not have any chronic conditions, 56 (72.7%) did not take daily medications; and 47 (59.5%) were infected after vaccination. Uninfected children had higher AUCs after vaccination against WA1 (p = 0.0093) and Omicron (p = 0.018). The geometric mean SN titer above the limit of detection was 346.0 for WA1 and 39.7 for Omicron, an 8.7-fold decrease (p = <0.0001). After adjustment of covariates in the WA1-specific model, we observed a 47% reduction in the odds of a post-vaccination infection for every standard deviation increase of RBD AUC (aOR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.97) and a 69% reduction in the odds of infection for every three-fold increase in RBD end titer, (aOR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.06, 1.57). Conclusion Children with higher antibody levels experienced lower incidence of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection

2082. Effectiveness of Bivalent mRNA Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children Aged 5-17 years: an Evaluation of Multicenter Prospective Cohorts, United States, September 2022 - January 2023

Abstract Background The bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, composed of mRNA from ancestral and Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains, was recommended for adolescents aged ≥12 years on September 1, 2022, and for children aged 5–11 years on October 12, 2022. However, data demonstrating the effectiveness of bivalent boosters among children and adolescents are limited. During Omicron variant sublineage predominance, September 4, 2022 – February 4, 2023, we conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study at 7 sites in the United States to assess vaccine effectiveness (VE) of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 virus infection among children aged 5–17 years. Methods Participants collected weekly nasal swabs, irrespective of symptoms, and at onset of symptoms if present outside of their weekly swab cadence. Vaccination status was captured from periodic surveys (self-report), supplemented with queries from the state immunization information systems, and abstraction of electronic medical records system, when available. All respiratory swabs were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Symptomatic infection was defined as ≥2 COVID-like illness symptoms within 7 days of specimen collection. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios of infections comparing participants with receipt of a bivalent booster to participants without (either unvaccinated or received monovalent only), adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, underlying health conditions, prior infection status, geographic site, and local virus prevalence. Results Among 3,331 participants aged 5-17 years, adjusted VE against infection was 51% (95% CI: 29–66%). When stratified by age, adjusted VE was 48% (95% CI: 15-68%) for 5-11 year old participants and 55% (95% CI: 17-76%) for 12-17 year old participants. Against symptomatic infection, adjusted VE among 5-17 year old participants was 51% (95% CI: 14-72%). Conclusion These results demonstrate that the COVID-19 bivalent booster reduces risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic illness among children and adolescents. All eligible children and adolescents should remain up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations. Disclosures Helen Y. Chu, MD, MPH, Abbvie: Advisor/Consultant|Ellume: Advisor/Consultant|Ellume: Grant/Research Support|Merck: Advisor/Consultant|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant|Vir: Advisor/Consultant Janet A. Englund, MD, Ark Biopharma: Advisor/Consultant|AstraZeneca: Advisor/Consultant|AstraZeneca: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|Meissa Vaccines: Advisor/Consultant|Merck: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Advisor/Consultant|Moderna: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Sanofi Pasteur: Advisor/Consultant Emily T. Martin, PhD, MPH, Merck: Grant/Research Support Arnold Monto, MD, Roche: Advisor/Consultant|Roche: Honorari

Prospective cohort study of influenza vaccine effectiveness among healthcare personnel in Lima, Peru: Estudio Vacuna de Influenza Peru, 2016- 2018

BackgroundThe Estudio Vacuna de Influenza Peru (VIP) cohort aims to describe the frequency of influenza virus infection, identify predictors of vaccine acceptance, examine the effects of repeated influenza vaccination on immunogenicity, and evaluate influenza vaccine effectiveness among HCP.MethodsThe VIP cohort prospectively followed HCP in Lima, Peru, during the 2016- 2018 influenza seasons; a fourth year is ongoing. Participants contribute blood samples before and after the influenza season and after influenza vaccination (for vaccinees). Weekly surveillance is conducted to identify acute respiratory or febrile illnesses (ARFI). When an ARFI is identified, participants self- collect nasal swabs that are tested for influenza viruses by real- time reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction. Influenza vaccination status and 5- year vaccination history are ascertained. We analyzed recruitment and enrollment results for 2016- 2018 and surveillance participation for 2016- 2017.ResultsIn the first 3 years of the cohort, VIP successfully contacted 92% of potential participants, enrolled 76% of eligible HCP, and retained >90% of participants across years. About half of participants are medical assistants (54%), and most provide - hands- on- medical care (76%). Sixty- nine percent and 52% of participants completed surveillance for >70% of weeks in years 1 and 2, respectively. Fewer weeks of completed surveillance was associated with older age (- ¥50 years), being a medical assistant, self- rated health of fair or poor, and not receiving the influenza vaccine during the current season (P- values < .05).ConclusionsThe VIP cohort provides an opportunity to address knowledge gaps about influenza virus infection, vaccination uptake, effectiveness and immunogenicity among HCP.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155966/1/irv12737.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155966/2/irv12737_am.pd