The association of adverse events with bivalent human papilloma virus vaccination : A nationwide register-based cohort study in Finland

Background: A bivalent HPV vaccine (Cervarix®; HPV2, GlaxoSmithKline) was introduced into the Finnish national vaccination programme (NVP) in November 2013 for girls aged 11–13 years with a catch-up for 14–15 year-olds. We evaluated the association between HPV2 and selected autoimmune diseases and clinical syndromes by conducting a nation-wide retrospective register-based cohort study. Methods: First life-time occurrences of the relevant ICD-10 codes in girls aged 11–15 years between Nov-2013 and Dec-2016 were obtained from the national hospital discharge register. Population denominators were obtained from the Population Information System and vaccination records from the National Vaccination Register. Registers were linked using unique personal identity codes. Association between HPV2 and 38 selected outcomes were studied using Cox regression, with age as the main time-scale and the first vaccination dose as the time-dependent exposure. The hazard ratios (HR) with 95%CI were assessed according to the time since exposure (entire follow-up, 0-180/181-365/>365 days). Results: Of 240 605 girls eligible for HPV2 vaccination, 134 615 (56%) were vaccinated. After adjustment for geographical area (6 hospital districts), country of origin (Finnish-born/not) and number of hospital contacts from 9 through 10 years of age, HRs ranged from 0.34 (95%CI 0.11–1.05) to 8.37 (95%CI 0.85–82.54) and HPV2 vaccination was not statistically significantly associated with a higher risk of any outcome during the entire follow-up. Conclusions: This study found no significantly increased risk for the selected outcomes after the HPV vaccination in girls 11–15 years of age. These results provide valid evidence to counterbalance public scepticism, fears of adverse events and possible opposition to HPV vaccination and consequently can contribute to increase HPV vaccination coverage in Finland as well as elsewhere.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Similar Antibody Levels in 3-Year-Old Children Vaccinated Against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella at the Age of 12 Months or 18 Months

Background. Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations have been offered to Finnish children at 14-18 months and 6 years of age. In May 2011, the recommended age for the first vaccine dose was lowered to 12 months because of the European measles epidemic. Methods. Fingertip capillary blood samples were collected from 3-year-old Finnish children vaccinated once with MMR vaccine at 11-19 months of age. The immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to all 3 MMR antigens were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neutralizing antibodies and the avidity of antibodies were measured for measles virus. Results. From April through October 2013, 187 children were enrolled. Equally high proportions of the samples were seropositive for measles virus, mumps virus, or rubella virus antibodies, and there were no significant differences in the IgG antibody concentrations in children vaccinated at 11-13 months of age, compared with those vaccinated at 17-19 months of age. However, among children vaccinated at 11-13 months of age, boys had lower antibody concentrations than girls. Neutralizing measles virus antibody titers were above the threshold for protective immunity in all 78 samples analyzed. The measles virus antibody avidity indexes were high for all children. Conclusions. MMR induces similar antibody responses in 12-month-old children as compared to 18-month-old children, but in boys increasing age appears to improve the antibody responses.Peer reviewe

2015/16 seasonal vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation with influenza a(H1N1)pdm09 and B among elderly people in Europe: Results from the I-MOVE+ project

We conducted a multicentre test-negative caseâ\u80\u93control study in 27 hospitals of 11 European countries to measure 2015/16 influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against hospitalised influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and B among people aged â\u89¥ 65 years. Patients swabbed within 7 days after onset of symptoms compatible with severe acute respiratory infection were included. Information on demographics, vaccination and underlying conditions was collected. Using logistic regression, we measured IVE adjusted for potential confounders. We included 355 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 cases, 110 influenza B cases, and 1,274 controls. Adjusted IVE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 42% (95% confidence interval (CI): 22 to 57). It was 59% (95% CI: 23 to 78), 48% (95% CI: 5 to 71), 43% (95% CI: 8 to 65) and 39% (95% CI: 7 to 60) in patients with diabetes mellitus, cancer, lung and heart disease, respectively. Adjusted IVE against influenza B was 52% (95% CI: 24 to 70). It was 62% (95% CI: 5 to 85), 60% (95% CI: 18 to 80) and 36% (95% CI: -23 to 67) in patients with diabetes mellitus, lung and heart disease, respectively. 2015/16 IVE estimates against hospitalised influenza in elderly people was moderate against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and B, including among those with diabetes mellitus, cancer, lung or heart diseases

Survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis Frozen in Skim Milk- Tryptone-Glucose-Glycerol Medium

In STGG (skim milk, tryptone, glucose, glycerol) medium at −80°C, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis isolates survived for at least 3 years, and the same species have survived in nasopharyngeal swabs for at least 1.5 years. At −20°C, S. pneumoniae and M. catarrhalis survived for 1.5 years, but H. influenzae survived for only 2 months