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Gogoi M, Martin CA, Bird PW, Wiselka MJ, Gardener J, Ellis K, Renals V, Lewszuk AJ, Hargreaves S, Pareek M. Risk of vaccine preventable diseases in UK migrants: A serosurvey and concordance analysis. J Migr Health 2024; 9:100217. [PMID: 38455071 PMCID: PMC10918253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmh.2024.100217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles and rubella cause significant morbidity and mortality globally every year. The World Health Organization (WHO), reported vaccine coverage for both measles and rubella to be 71 % in 2019, indicating an immunity gap. Migrants in the EU/EEA may be at high risk of VPDs due to under-immunisation and poor living conditions. However, there are limited data on VPD seroprotection rates amongst migrants living in the United Kingdom (UK). Methods We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional serosurvey amongst a sample of adult migrants living in Leicester, UK to: (a) determine seroprotection rates for measles, varicella zoster, and rubella in this group; (b) identify risk factors associated with seronegativity and, (c) understand if self-reported vaccine or diseases history is an effective measure of seroprotection. Participants gave a blood sample and completed a questionnaire asking basic demographic details and vaccine and disease history for the three VPDs. We summarised the data using median and interquartile range (IQR) for non-parametric continuous variables and count and percentage for categorical variables. We used logistic regression to establish predictors of seroprotection against these diseases. We examined the reliability of self-reported vaccination/disease history for prediction of seroprotection through a concordance analysis. Results 149 migrants were included in the analysis. Seroprotection rates were: varicella zoster 98 %, rubella 92.6 % and measles 89.3 %. Increasing age was associated with seroprotection (OR 1.07 95 % CI 1.01-1.13 for each year increase in age). Migrants from Africa and the Middle East (aOR 15.16 95 % CI 1.31 - 175.06) and South/East Asia and Pacific regions (aOR 15.43 95 %CI 2.38 - 100.00) are significantly more likely to be seroprotected against measles as compared to migrants from Europe and Central Asia. The proportions of migrants unsure about their vaccination and disease history combined were 53.0 % for measles; 57.7 % for rubella; 43.0 % for varicella. There was no agreement between self-reported vaccination/disease history and serostatus. Conclusion Our findings suggest lower levels of seroprotection against measles in migrants living in Leicester, UK, with younger migrants and those from Europe and Central Asia more likely to lack seroprotection. A high proportion of surveyed migrants were unaware of their vaccination/disease history and self-reported vaccine/disease was a poor predictor of seroprotection against VPDs which is important for clinical decision-making regarding catch-up vaccination in this population. Our results, although derived from a small sample, suggest that there may be gaps in seroimmunity for certain VPDs in particular migrant populations. These findings should inform future qualitative studies investigating barriers to vaccine uptake in migrants and population-level seroprevalence studies aimed at determining individualised risk profiles based on demographic and migration factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuri Gogoi
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
- Development Centre for Population Health, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Christopher A. Martin
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
- Development Centre for Population Health, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Infection and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Paul W. Bird
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Martin J. Wiselka
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Infection and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Judi Gardener
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Kate Ellis
- Department of Infection and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Valerie Renals
- Department of Infection and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Adam J. Lewszuk
- Department of Infection and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Sally Hargreaves
- Migrant Health Research Group, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - Manish Pareek
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
- Development Centre for Population Health, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Infection and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
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Hvidegaard M, Lanng K, Meyer K, Wejse C, Hvass AMF. What Are the Characteristics of Torture Victims in Recently Arrived Refugees? A Cross-Sectional Study of Newly Arrived Refugees in Aarhus, Denmark. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:6331. [PMID: 37510564 PMCID: PMC10378834 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20146331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Torture victims live with complex health conditions. It is essential for the rehabilitation of torture survivors that their traumas are recognized at an early stage. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) the prevalence of reported torture exposure, (ii) the association between demographic characteristics and exposure to torture, and (iii) the association between PTSD and exposure to torture among recently arrived refugees in Aarhus, Denmark. Data were extracted from health assessments of refugees arriving in Aarhus in the years 2017-2019, and 208 cases were included in the analysis. The prevalence of reported torture was 13.9% (29/208). Most torture victims were found among refugees arriving from Iran (17.0% (9/53)), Syria (9.3% (8/86)), and Afghanistan (25.0% (5/20)). Significant associations were found between reported torture exposure and male gender, Southeast Asian origin, and a diagnosis of PTSD. In the study, 24.5% (24/98) of males and 4.5% (5/110) of females had been subjected to torture. However, it is possible that the prevalence of female torture survivors is underestimated due to the taboos surrounding sexual assaults and fear of stigmatization. Nearly half of the torture victims in the study were diagnosed with PTSD (44.8% (13/29)). The results confirm that torture victims constitute a vulnerable group living with severe consequences, including mental illness such as PTSD. Furthermore, understanding the cultural perspectives of the distress among refugees is crucial in providing appropriate healthcare services. This study highlights the importance of addressing the mental health needs of torture survivors and tailoring interventions toward vulnerable refugee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Hvidegaard
- Center for Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Medical Diseases, Gødstrup Regional Hospital, 7400 Herning, Denmark
| | - Kamilla Lanng
- Center for Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Karin Meyer
- DIGNITY-Danish Institute Against Torture, 2100 København, Denmark
| | - Christian Wejse
- Center for Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anne Mette Fløe Hvass
- Center for Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Social Medicine, Aarhus Municipality, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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Bianchi FP, Stefanizzi P, Diella G, Martinelli A, Di Lorenzo A, Gallone MS, Tafuri S. Prevalence and management of rubella susceptibility in healthcare workers in Italy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Vaccine X 2022; 12:100195. [PMID: 36032697 PMCID: PMC9399279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2022.100195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the pre-vaccination era, all adults acquired immunity status due to natural infections during childhood and adolescence, whereas universal mass vaccination has changed the seroepidemiology of rubella among adults, showing lack of immunity in some subgroups. National and international guidelines recommend evaluating all healthcare workers (HCWs) for their immune status to rubella and possibly vaccinating those who are seronegative. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the susceptibility rate to rubella among HCWs in Italy and to explore possible options for the management of those found to be susceptible. Methods Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis, selected from scientific papers available in the MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar (till page 10) databases between January 1, 2015 and November 30, 2021. The following terms were used for the search strategy: (sero* OR seroprevalence OR prevalence OR susceptibilit* OR immunit* OR immunogenict*) AND (healthcare worker* OR health personnel OR physician* OR nurse OR student*) AND (rubella OR german measles OR TORCH) AND (Italy) Results The prevalence of rubella-susceptible HCWs was 9.0 % (95 %CI: 6.4–12.1 %). In a comparison of female vs. male serosusceptible HCWs, the RR was 0.67 (95 %CI = 0.51–0.88). Occupational medicine examinations for rubella screening with possible subsequent vaccination of seronegatives and exclusion of susceptible HCWs from high-risk settings were common management strategies. Conclusions HCWs susceptible to rubella are an important epidemiological concern in Italy, and efforts to identify and actively offer the vaccine to this population should be increased.
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Cetin BS, Orman A. Burkholderia cepacia Complex Infections in Urgently Referred Neonates from Syrian Border Regions to a Hospital in Turkey: A Cross-Border Cluster. Children (Basel) 2022; 9:1566. [PMID: 36291502 DOI: 10.3390/children9101566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is a rare cause of sepsis in neonates, but infections are usually severe. It can be encountered unexpectedly when adequate health care is not provided. In this study, 49 neonatal cases with blood culture-proven BCC bacteremia within the first 72 h following admission to the neonatal intensive care unit between June 2017 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed in detail. All but one of the cases were born in Jarabulus, Al Bab, or Aleppo in Syria and were referred to Turkey due to urgent medical treatment needs. The rate of BCC bacteremia among the neonates transferred from across the border was 16.1% (48/297). The most common coexisting problems in the cases were multiple congenital malformations (12.2%), gastrointestinal system atresia (8.2%), and congenital heart diseases (4.1%). The median age at the time of their admission in Turkey was three days, and the median length of stay in another center before the referral was 11.5 h. The case fatality rate was 14.3%. In this study, a high rate of BCC infection and associated mortality was seen in neonates referred from cross-border regions. For centers accepting cases from conflict-affected regions, it is crucial to be careful regarding early detection of bacteremia, planning appropriate treatments, and preventing cross-contamination risks within the unit.
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Stærke NB, Fløe A, Nielsen MF, Holm M, Holm E, Hilberg O, Wejse C, Hvass AMF. The cascade of care in tuberculosis infection screening and management in newly arrived refugees in Aarhus, Denmark. Travel Med Infect Dis 2022; 49:102388. [PMID: 35753660 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Screening for tuberculosis (TB) disease and infection is often a part of health screening programs offered to refugees, but the yield of screening varies and losses along the steps from screening to treatment completion was reported. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was performed investigating a newly arrived refugee population offered a systematic refugee health assessment in Aarhus, Denmark. Data was collected on screening, referral, diagnosis and treatment for TB disease and infection. RESULTS Among both adults and children IGRA positivity was associated with origin in a high TB incidence country and increasing age. The number needed to screen (NNS) to find one case of TB infection was 7 among adult refugees and 19 among children, while NNS for TB disease was 266 and 164 respectively. The proportion of the eligible population with a valid result was 78.1% for adults and 71.3% for children, while 43.1% and 50% of adults and children with presumed TB infection completed preventive treatment. DISCUSSION Screening for TB disease and infection among refugees in Aarhus had a high yield in terms of diagnosis, however significant losses were seen during screening, follow-up and preventive treatment completion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Breinholt Stærke
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
| | - Andreas Fløe
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mie Fryd Nielsen
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mette Holm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Emma Holm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Ole Hilberg
- Department of Internal Medicine, Sygehus Lillebælt, Beriderbakken 4, 7100, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense, Denmark
| | - Christian Wejse
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark; Center for Global Health (GloHAU), Aarhus University, Bartholins allé 2, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anne Mette Fløe Hvass
- Center for Global Health (GloHAU), Aarhus University, Bartholins allé 2, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Social Medicine, Aarhus Municipality, Fredens torv 6, 8000, Aarhus N, Denmark
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Hvass AMF, Norredam M, Sodemann M, Wejse C. Is there a need of health assessments for resettling refugees? A cross-sectional study of 1431 refugees who arrived in Denmark between 2014 and 2018. J Migr Health 2021; 3:100044. [PMID: 34405189 PMCID: PMC8352093 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmh.2021.100044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Health assessments of newly arrived refugees detected health problems in 64%. Symptoms of PTSD were mentioned in a third of all health assessments. Vitamin D-deficiency was seen in 32% and latent tuberculosis in 15%. 88% of all newly arrived refugees in Aarhus accepted the offer of a health assessment.
Background Refugees have increased health risks due to factors related to their country of origin, the migration itself and the receiving country. Based on systematic general health assessments of newly arrived refugees, we aimed to study the characteristics with regard to background, migration and health needs. Methods All refugees (children/adolescents and adults) arriving in Aarhus, Denmark from 1 January 2014 to 1 November 2018 were offered a general health assessment by a doctor including: medical history, a physical examination and blood samples. Results A cohort of 1431 (of 1618 invited, (88.4%) participants accepted the health assessment. The most commonly found health conditions in children were vitamin D deficiency (28.3%), elevated serum-IgE (34%) and lack of immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases (measles 20.1%, polio 3.9%). In adults, vitamin D deficiency (34.6%), IgE elevation (30%), latent tuberculosis (20.3%) and symptoms of PTSD (15.9%) were most prevalent. We found participants from Southern Asia (Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) to be overrepresented with regard to vitamin D deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and symptoms of PTSD. Furthermore, we found that origin in Africa was associated with latent tuberculosis. In total, 63.8% of examined refugees had one or more health problems requiring further testing, treatment or follow-up. Conclusions A comprehensive health assessment among recently arrived refugees showed multiple health issues to address, and demonstrates the need of systematic health assessments for resettling refugees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Mette F Hvass
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus N, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Social Medicine, Aarhus Municipality, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Marie Norredam
- Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark.,Section for Immigrant Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Morten Sodemann
- Migrant Health Clinic, Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital
| | - Christian Wejse
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus N, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.,Department of Public Health, Center for Global Health, Aarhus University, Bartolins Alle 4, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Quinn V JM, Dhabalia TJ, Roslycky LL, Wilson V JM, Hansen JC, Hulchiy O, Golubovskaya O, Buriachyk M, Vadim K, Zauralskyy R, Vyrva O, Stepanskyi D, Ivanovitch PS, Mironenko A, Shportko V, McElligott JE. COVID-19 at War: The Joint Forces Operation in Ukraine. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2021;:1-8. [PMID: 33762057 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2021.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic disaster of coronavirus erupted with the first confirmed cases in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) novel coronavirus, the disease referred to as coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the outbreak and determined it a global pandemic. The current pandemic has infected nearly 300 million people and killed over 3 million. The current COVID-19 pandemic is smashing every public health barrier, guardrail, and safety measure in underdeveloped and the most developed countries alike, with peaks and troughs across time. Greatly impacted are those regions experiencing conflict and war. Morbidity and mortality increase logarithmically for those communities at risk and that lack the ability to promote basic preventative measures. States around the globe struggle to unify responses, make gains on preparedness levels, identify and symptomatically treat positive cases, and labs across the globe frantically rollout various vaccines and effective surveillance and therapeutic mechanisms. The incidence and prevalence of COVID-19 may continue to increase globally as no unified disaster response is manifested and disinformation spreads. During this failure in response, virus variants are erupting at a dizzying pace. Ungoverned spaces where nonstate actors predominate and active war zones may become the next epicenter for COVID-19 fatality rates. As the incidence rates continue to rise, hospitals in North America and Europe exceed surge capacity, and immunity post infection struggles to be adequately described. The global threat in previously high-quality, robust infrastructure health-care systems in the most developed economies are failing the challenge posed by COVID-19; how will less-developed economies and those health-care infrastructures that are destroyed by war and conflict fare until adequate vaccine penetrance in these communities or adequate treatment are established? Ukraine and other states in the Black Sea Region are under threat and are exposed to armed Russian aggression against territorial sovereignty daily. Ukraine, where Russia has been waging war since 2014, faces this specific dual threat: disaster response to violence and a deadly infectious disease. To best serve biosurveillance, aid in pandemic disaster response, and bolster health security in Europe, across the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) and Black Sea regions, increased NATO integration, across Ukraine's disaster response structures within the Ministries of Health, Defense, and Interior must be reinforced and expanded to mitigate the COVID-19 disaster.
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