NJIN Monthly Newsletter
February 2022
In this edition of the NJIN monthly newsletter, we discuss several vaccine-related topics, including an opportunity to have a conversation with NJ's Commissioner of Health Judith Persichili, new findings on college student HPV knowledge, and an opportunity to learn more about pneumococcal immunization from a CDC representative.
COVID-19 Related Articles and Resources
FREE Webinar:
A Conversation with the Commissioner of Health...
COVID-19 Vaccine and Disease in Children
Judith M. Persichili, RN, BSN, MA

NJ Commissioner of Health
Please join the NJIN and NJAAP team in welcoming NJ Commissioner of Health Judith M. Persichilli, RN, BSN, MA on Thursday, February 17th at 12:00 PM ET.
 
This conversation will include:

  • Vaccinating Children Under 5 Years Old
  • Vaccine uptake in New Jersey
  • Covid-19 Disease in Children Including MIS-C

Commissioner Persichilli will be joined by a panel of highly accomplished healthcare professionals including Margaret "Meg" Fisher, MD, FAAP of NJDOH, and Jeanne Craft, MD, FAAP of the New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, amongst others!
Resources and FAQs from the New Jersey Department of Health
The New Jersey Department of Health frequently updates its COVID-19 information hub, which provides a variety of resources for providers, vaccine advocates, and the general public. Learn more about the great resources NJDOH offers by clicking the button below.
Frequency of Adverse Events in the Placebo Arms
of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 5 million deaths worldwide and led to tremendous physical, mental, and economic hardships. Several vaccines have been developed and tested within remarkably short periods. Currently, public vaccination programs have already succeeded in reducing the number of new infections in several countries. However, a substantial proportion of the population (internationally estimated at approximately 20%) intends to refuse vaccination. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization claimed vaccination hesitancy as a global health threat; this threat is particularly salient in the case of COVID-19. Therefore, counteracting the underlying motivations for vaccination hesitancy is crucial to overcoming this worldwide crisis.
COVID-19 Boosters Remain Safe, Continue to Offer High Levels of Protection Against Severe Disease Over Time and During Omicron and Delta Waves
Data from two recently released CDC reports show COVID-19 vaccine boosters remain safe and continue to be highly effective against severe disease over time.

In the first study, CDC reviewed data from two of its vaccine safety monitoring systems, v-safe and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). They found that people 18 years and older who received the same mRNA vaccine brand for all their vaccinations experienced fewer adverse reactions following the booster dose than they did after their second dose of the mRNA vaccine. Ninety-two percent (92%) of reports to VAERS were not considered serious, and headache, fever, and muscle pain were among the most commonly reported reactions. V-safe data found that medical care was rarely received after a booster dose.
Featured Articles and Resources
Improving Vaccination Rates in Older Adults and At-Risk Groups: Focus on Pertussis
Despite the implementation of effective pediatric vaccination programs, pertussis remains a global health problem. Disease epidemiology has changed over time, shifting towards the adolescent and adult populations. In adults, the true burden of pertussis is greatly underestimated, and pertussis vaccine coverage rates are suboptimal, including for individuals with chronic conditions. Here, we report the outcomes of a virtual international scientific workshop to assess the evidence on the burden of pertussis in older adults and identify potential solutions to improve the uptake of pertussis vaccines. In adults, pertussis is underdiagnosed in part due to atypical or milder clinical presentation and the lack of testing and case confirmation.
Repeated Seasonal Influenza Vaccines Also Provide Kids
Better Protection Against Future Flu Pandemics
Researchers at McMaster University have found that children who receive years of season-specific flu vaccines develop antibodies that also provide broader protection against new strains, including those capable of causing pandemics. The same ability does not exist in adults.

The findings reported on February 3rd, 2022, in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, could inform the design of a universal influenza virus vaccine for children, who are especially vulnerable to serious complications from flu, such as pneumonia, dehydration, and, in rare cases, death.

"Little is known about how seasonal flu vaccination impacts the immune responses in children, who are a major source of flu transmission and a very high-risk group," explains Matthew Miller, lead author of the study and Associate Professor at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research. "Understanding how seasonal vaccination and different vaccine formulations shape childhood immunity is critical for effective prevention."
HPV infection and vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study of College Students’ Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes in Villanova, PA
The choice to be vaccinated is multifaceted, and factors that are thought to play a role include knowledge about the vaccine and disease, health care provider recommendations, perceptions about the risks of diseases, perceptions about vaccination effectiveness, and socioeconomic status. The investigators were interested in understanding more about these factors as they specifically relate to HPV vaccination status among college students. Therefore, the survey tool was designed to assess several potential factors that may drive these decisions. One such factor was knowledge about HPV infection itself, and to this end, participants were surveyed on their knowledge and awareness about HPV infection. The majority of participants correctly identified that HPV affects both males and females (95.8%), is a sexually transmitted disease (69.9%), and is capable of causing cancer (76.9%).

However, a much lower percentage of participants understood that HPV could be spread by skin-to-skin contact, with only 29.6% of participants responding correctly to this question (55.1% incorrectly) and 15.3% of participants unsure. Interestingly, participants (both male and female) who responded correctly to all eight knowledge questions were not significantly more likely to be vaccinated for HPV (with at least one dose; p = 0.12).
Bavarian Nordic Announces Breakthrough Therapy Designation for its RSV Vaccine Candidate for Older Adults
On February 14th, 2022, Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the Company's vaccine candidate, MVA-BN RSV, for active immunization for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in adults aged 60 years or older. 

A Breakthrough Therapy Designation is designed to expedite the development and regulatory review of medicines that are intended to treat a serious condition. The designation has been granted upon the assessment of preliminary clinical evidence for MVA-BN RSV, indicating that the vaccine candidate may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy on a clinically significant endpoint. The designation provides an option to work more closely with the FDA for the development and review of MVA-BN RSV. 
Upcoming Education Opportunities
February General Membership Meeting Education:

Pneumococcal Immunization Update
Presented by: Miwako Kobayashi, MD, MPH of CDC

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 16th, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Please note:

Dr. Kobayshi's presentation will begin after the NJIN General Membership meeting's business portion has concluded. By clicking the button below, you will be registering for the General Membership meeting in its entirety.