Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics最新文献

Language is a fundamental means of human communication. However, the values of linguistic theories in designing effective public health messages are often overlooked. To address this gap, this commentary essay illustrates the applications of two linguistic theories in persuasive vaccination communications. The first theory is linguistic agency assignment, which refers to the ascription of action or change to different entities in a sentence. Studies have shown that strategic assignments of linguistic agency can effectively improve people's risk perceptions of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and intentions to get vaccinated among native speakers of Chinese and English. The second theory is the foreign language effect, which refers to the varying perceptions of bilingual speakers when processing the same information in their first or second language. Studies have shown that a strategic choice of language varieties can improve bilingual speakers' self-control, trust in the COVID-19 vaccine, and intentions to receive the vaccine. These studies point to the utilities of applying linguistic theories to improve people's perceived risk of HPV and perceived effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. Public health researchers and practitioners in Hong Kong should consider integrating these linguistics theories in their health messaging designs and further testing them in experimental studies.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanghai, China, from October to December 2022. Participants aged 40 years or older were recruited from seven community health centers (CHCs). Vaccine hesitancy was defined as participants who had neither received the HZ vaccine nor expressed intention to receive it. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviors and vaccine hesitancy were collected using a structured questionnaire. A PMT-based HZ vaccination intention scale consisting of five dimensions (Intrinsic Rewards, Extrinsic Rewards, Self-Efficacy, Response Efficacy, and Response Costs) was developed. Group comparisons between the vaccine hesitancy and non-hesitancy groups were made using the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy, and a nomogram was constructed to summarize these associations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the degree of association between the PMT dimensions and vaccine hesitancy.

Among 1,492 participants (median age 53; 64.2% female), 80.5% of participants reported HZ vaccine hesitancy. Hesitancy was significantly associated with older age, peri-urban residence, employment and no history of HZ infection (p < .01). Among the PMT dimensions, lower Self-Efficacy (p=0.025), higher Response Costs (p < .001), and stronger Intrinsic Rewards (p = .002) and Extrinsic Rewards (p < .001) significantly contributed to hesitancy, while Response Efficacy (p = .230) showed no clear association. The adjusted multivariate logistic regression model had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.788, with Self-Efficacy and Extrinsic Rewards showing notable individual contributions (AUC = 0.713 and 0.696, respectively).

HZ vaccine hesitancy is shaped by psychological and contextual factors. Public health strategies should prioritize perceived rewards, self-efficacy, and response costs. The tools developed in this study may guide targeted interventions in primary care. Future research should validate them across populations and assess their predictive utility in real-world settings.

Neuroblastoma stands as a major concern in pediatric oncology because it develops from neural crest cells as a neuroendocrine cancer. Nanoparticle-based vaccine delivery approaches the therapeutic activity of immune cells only toward tumor cells without inflicting damage to healthy tissues like those sustained by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Neuroblastoma treatment faces two major barriers: penetrating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and using nanoparticle technology. The promising developments for neuroblastoma treatment emerge from mRNA COVID-19 vaccine research and brain cancer vaccine clinical trials especially through phase I autologous dendritic cell vaccine studies. Future research needs to develop optimized nanoparticles which can trigger the release of mRNA or peptides based on tumor-specific pH and enzyme signals. The BBB can be opened temporarily through ultrasound and receptor-mediated transport approaches, which enhance vaccine delivery to brain tissues. New immunotherapeutic approaches for pediatric malignancies emerge from these recent findings to yield future success.

This study aims to examine the parents' COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy after the end of the zero-COVID-19 policy in South China, and to identify the pathway of psychological distress affecting vaccine hesitancy based on the "3C" model (confidence, complacency, and convenience). A city-wide cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents of children in primary and junior middle schools from five districts of Shenzhen City, China. Information about demographic characteristics, health conditions for the children, parents' psychological distress, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was collected. Multi-variable logistic and linear regression models were applied to detect potential associations. Overall, 3127 parents were included (average age: 38.331 ± 5.757 years). Among their in-school children, the uptake rate of the COVID-19 vaccine for ≥1 dose, ≥2 doses, and ≥3 doses were 98.2%, 94.9%, and 11.0%, respectively by April 2023. The overall rate of parents' vaccine hesitancy was 43.6%. Parents with anxiety (OR: 1.685, 95%CI: 1.250 ~ 2.272), depression (OR: 1.507, 95%CI: 1.105 ~ 2.054), and a high-stress level (OR: 1.162, 95%CI: 1.000 ~ 1.350) were more likely to report vaccine hesitancy. For parents' COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, stress affected all "3C" dimensions (confidence: β = 0.099, complacency: β = 0.138, and convenience: β = 0.117, all P < .001), while depression affected two dimensions (complacency: β = 0.068, P < .001, convenience: β = 0.042, P = .021) and anxiety only affected one dimension (complacency: β = 0.074, P < .001). This study identifies a significant proportion of Chinese parents reporting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for their in-school children after the end of zero-COVID-19 policy. Immediate mental healthcare services and tailored health education based on the "3C" model should be provided to parents with psychological distress.

Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03962816).https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03962816.

In a previous phase 3 clinical trial, a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) induced robust immune responses in participants aged 2 years and older. We conducted this study to evaluate the immune persistence of a single dose of PPV23 6 years after vaccination. In this follow-up study, 600 participants aged 2 years and older (referred to the age of vaccination) who had received a single dose of either test vaccine or control vaccine in the previous clinical trial were enrolled in a 3:1 ratio. Blood samples were collected to determine anti-capsular immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels against 23 serotypes with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 598 subjects were included for immune persistence analysis. Six years after vaccination, the geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of IgG antibodies to most serotypes remained higher than prior to vaccination in both groups (1.1-1.8 folds vs.1.1-1.7 folds), although there was a significant decrease compared to 28 days. The results suggested PPV23 could provide protection 6 years after vaccination. Considering the significant decrease of antibody level, the revaccination in high-risk population may be needed.Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT03480763.

Pregnant women are at elevated risk of severe influenza-related complications and maternal influenza vaccination protects mothers and infants. Nevertheless, the global maternal influenza vaccination rates remain critically low. This cross-sectional survey, conducted in Shanghai during 2023-2024, applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to evaluate the attitudes and determinants of seasonal influenza vaccination among 3219 pregnant women. Only 10.9% (351/3219) accepted the vaccination, while 89.1% (1851/3219) declined, including 35.4% (1017/3219) who expressed uncertainty. Key facilitators of acceptance included higher education (graduate degree and above: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.49) and a greater total influenza knowledge score (aOR = 1.07). Strong HBM constructs, including perceived susceptibility (aOR = 1.53), perceived severity (aOR = 1.66), and belief in vaccine benefit (aOR = 2.55) significantly predicted vaccine uptake. The most influential factor was cues to action (aOR = 8.55). Conversely, safety concerns for maternal and fetal health dominated hesitancy, overshadowing other barriers. As the first HBM-based study to assess the attitude to influenza vaccination among pregnant women in China, these findings revealed low baseline awareness and confidence among Shanghai's population of pregnant women. This study highlighted an urgent need to strengthen provider-patient communication to amplify "cues to action," and integrated vaccination advocacy into routine prenatal care. Addressing these barriers could align vaccination rates with global maternal health priorities, leveraging dual protection for mothers and infants.

The acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine has increasingly replaced the whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine due to its superior safety profile. However, the aP vaccine is less effective at preventing infection and transmission of Bordetella pertussis, highlighting the need for more effective aP vaccines. Current aP vaccines do not elicit the robust cellular immunity necessary to eliminate intracellular bacteria and do not induce sufficient mucosal immunity to prevent bacterial colonization in the upper respiratory tract. Incorporating novel adjuvants represents a promising avenue for the future development of pertussis vaccines. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap in understanding the application of novel adjuvants. In this article, we summarize the currently approved pertussis vaccines, focusing on the types of antigens and adjuvants used, and discuss the mechanisms of novel adjuvants. This provides valuable insights into the roles of adjuvants in pertussis vaccines, laying a foundation for designing next-generation pertussis vaccines with improved adjuvant systems.

We report and analyze three cases of disseminated BCG infection in infants after BCG vaccination that occurred between 2022 and 2024 in Chaoyang District, Beijing, which were the only three monitored during the clinical application we conducted. All the patients had primary immunodeficiency disease (PID). Two cases had defects in the JAK3 and TNFRSF13B genes; one case had multiple gene defects in CR2, IFNAR2, TLR2, and exon 13 of DOCK11. Disseminated BCG infection is a rare adverse reaction after BCG vaccination. It occurs almost exclusively in immunodeficient infants or children. Although it rarely occurs, it is necessary to pay more attention to clinical practice because of its serious consequences.

Successful cancer immunotherapy requires novel approaches that overcome intratumoral immunosuppression and peripheral tolerance. In a recent manuscript describing intravenously administered mRNA-loaded lipid particle aggregates (RNA-LPAs), we demonstrate the ability to reprogram both the tumor microenvironment and periphery enabling cancer-specific immunity simultaneously generated to compete against immunologically 'cold' malignancies like glioblastoma.