Background Evidence regarding effects of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination beyond 2 years is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between RSV vaccination and clinical outcomes for up to three years among those aged ≥60 years. Methods This retrospective cohort study used the TriNetX US platform, a multicenter database of electronic medical records of patients who underwent nucleic acid tests for RSV between October 2025 and March 2026. The study outcomes included medically attended RSV infection, hospitalization, and critical outcomes (i.e., ICU admission or death) temporally associated with RSV infection. Propensity score matching was used to calculate vaccine effectiveness. Interpretation After matching, 9897 medically attended participants from each cohort were included. Vaccine effectiveness was 44.5% [32.5%, 54.4%] for medically attended RSV infections, 53.6% [35.5%, 66.7%] for hospitalization, and 64.7% [32.1%, 81.7%] for critical outcomes. Vaccine effectiveness within 2 years and after 2–3 years of vaccination was 54.0% [38.2%, 65.7%] and 33.1% [12.8%, 48.7%] for medically attended RSV infection, and 50.0% [20.2%, 68.7%] and 44.4% [9.7%, 65.8%] for hospitalization, respectively. Conclusion Our study revealed the association of a single-dose RSV vaccination with fewer RSV infection for up to three years among those aged ≥60 years.
Background Zero-dose children, defined by absence of a first diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-containing dose, are the priority of the Immunization Agenda 2030. Measles cases include many unvaccinated children, but those too young for vaccination are rarely separated from those the programme could have reached. We describe the magnitude, age, and geographic distribution of measles zero-dose status among confirmed cases in Punjab, Pakistan. Methods We analysed 19,569 laboratory-confirmed and epidemiologically linked measles cases among 73,223 surveillance records, epidemiological week 1 of 2022 to week 25 of 2026. Measles zero-dose meant no measles-containing dose through routine or campaign immunization. Cases were split into vaccine-ineligible (under 9 months) and eligible (9 months or older). Analyses included trend tests, Spearman correlation, and adjusted Poisson regression. Results Of 19,569 cases, 9706 (50%) were zero-dose, and 5740 of these (59%) were infants under 9 months. Among 13,825 vaccine-eligible cases, 3963 (29%; 95% CI 28–29) were zero-dose: 21% in 2022, 40% in 2024, and 17% in 2026. Dera Ghazi Khan (59%) and Lodhran (52%) had the highest district shares, unrelated to administrative MCV1 coverage (rho = −0.24, p = 0.15). Case fatality was 0.71% in zero-dose and 0.26% in vaccinated eligible cases (adjusted relative risk 2.65, 95% CI 1.52–4.60). Conclusions About three in ten cases were too young for vaccination, and about three in ten of the rest had never received a measles dose. Cases over-represent unvaccinated children, so these proportions guide field investigation, not prevalence. District prioritisation should combine counts and proportions, not administrative coverage.
Background Despite the adoption of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) targeting pneumococcal serotype 3 (ST3), ST3 remains a major contributor to the pneumococcal disease burden among older adults. We describe the burden of ST3-attributable invasive pneumococcal disease (ST3-IPD) in adults aged ≥65 years (65+) in Europe, the United States (US), and Australia, and the potential of MAPS technology-based pneumococcal vaccines to address ST3-IPD. Methods We used 2018–2023 surveillance data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System to calculate the percentage of ST3 and other serotypes targeted by 13-valent PCV (PCV13) among IPD cases by year. We also reviewed preclinical/clinical results of MAPS technology-based pneumococcal vaccines, which combine capsular polysaccharides of prevalent serotypes with conserved Streptococcus pneumoniae carrier proteins to elicit multifaceted pneumococcal-specific immune responses. Results In each of the three surveillance systems, the percentage of ST3 among IPD cases in adults 65+ increased from 2018 to 2023 and was much higher than the percentage of any other PCV13-targeted serotype. In an experimental mouse model, MAPS complexes offered significantly better protection against highly lethal ST3 infections compared to PCV13. In a clinical study, an investigational 24-valent MAPS technology-based pneumococcal vaccine showed significantly greater functional antibody responses against ST3 versus PCV13, especially in adults 65+ at increased risk of IPD. Conclusions While current PCV national immunization programs have reduced the overall Streptococcus pneumoniae IPD prevalence, ST3 continues to remain a major cause of IPD in older adults in Europe, the US, and Australia, highlighting suboptimal protection against this vaccine serotype, which necessitates innovative preventive strategies. Next-generation technologies like MAPS technology offer the potential to induce higher immune responses, enabling it to control ST3 more effectively and improve public health outcomes.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is common and capable of causing various reproductive cancers and genital warts. Late age adolescents and young adults are especially vulnerable to HPV infection. The HPV vaccine remains publicly controversial despite its efficacy and safety profile. This descriptive cross-sectional study characterized HPV and HPV vaccine-related opinions, knowledge, and attitudes of enrolled students (n = 147) at Arizona State University in 2024 using knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey methods. Purposive and convenience sampling across campus via flyer distribution, faculty advertisement, and online recruiting methods took place in the months leading up to a campus-wide HPV vaccination event. Study results revealed that approximately half (49.7%) of participants had received the HPV vaccine, but 22.4% were unsure of their vaccine status entirely. Half of survey participants were able to correctly respond to a knowledge question about the prevalence and personal risk of HPV when prompted. Findings concerning HPV prevalence knowledge was based on a specific survey item rather than an overall knowledge score. Among participants who had not gotten vaccinated or expressed reluctance to get vaccinated against HPV, fear of side effects and belief that one is not at risk for HPV were the most frequently selected justifications. Findings demonstrate that a significant proportion of students were unsure of their HPV vaccination status. Future research could focus on gendered differences among young adults related to knowledge of HPV prevalence and factors that impact HPV vaccine uptake.
