bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Waning of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies after vaccination: first results from the CoMoLo follow-up 2021
Authors: Kußmaul C , Schaffrath Rosario A , Allen J , Lange M , Koschollek C , Haller S , Schlaud M ,   RKI CoMoLo Study Team
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
In 2020, the study “Corona-Monitoring Lokal” (CoMoLo) assessed seroprevalences of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in four study locations that were particularly affected by outbreaks in the early stages of the pandemic in Germany. One of the objectives of the 2021 follow-up was to examine the development of immunological parameters over time, including the extent of IgG antibody waning after vaccination.

Methods
Venous blood specimens were collected from a sample of initial study participants over a 2-week period between May and October 2021, with an oversampling of seropositive or previously infected individuals. Levels of IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were measured from serum using Anti-SARS-CoV-2-QuantiVac-ELISA (IgG) tests by Euroimmun. Information on SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations or known infections was collected via online questionnaires or telephone interviews.

Results
A total of 3328 participants (74% response) gave blood specimens for this follow-up study, with questionnaire information available for 2843 (85%) of these. Preliminary analyses suggest that in participants who had received two doses of a vaccine more than 3 weeks before giving blood (n = 1583), IgG levels decreased exponentially by about 9.8% (95%CI 9.1% - 10.4%) with each additional week since the last dose, when controlling for age, sex, and type of vaccine. There was evidence of this waning effect differing by vaccine type. Antibody levels also appear to decline with increasing age, according to preliminary results. Final results of the linear model used to assess the dynamics and predictive factors of antibody levels will be reported.

Conclusions
This follow-up study will add evidence to an improved understanding of antibody waning after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Preliminary results are in line with international studies and may be helpful for discussions on potential benefits of further vaccinations in Germany.

Key messages
• Antibodies induced by COVID-19 vaccination wane over time. The magnitude of this effect differs by vaccine type. Antibodies also decreased with increasing age.
• Our results may be helpful for discussions on potential benefits of further COVID-19 vaccinations in Germany.
Long-term immunity after HBV vaccine: shall we consider a change? A 20-year-follow-up study
Authors: Fonzo M , Amoruso I , Baldovin T , Trevisan A , Bertoncello C 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Introduction
Although vaccines against HBV have been available since the 1980s, the long-term immunity is still debated. When assessing immune persistence, a number of clearly defined variables must be taken into account. Often the expression ‘infant vaccination’ means the administration within the first year of life at any age, but a difference of a few months may imply a different antibody persistence over the years. This study assessed the anti-HBs titre 20 years after the primary vaccination course and estimated the effect of age at 1st dose and time interval between doses on long-term protection.

Methods
Data on age, sex and date of administration were collected. Inclusion criteria: born to negative mother, 3-dose schedule, no previous HBV infection, age at enrolment 18-24 years; age at 1st dose 2-12 months. Titres ≥10IU/l were considered protective. A logistic regression was performed, adjusting for sex, follow-up time and date of 1st dose and analysis.

Results
We included 5,485 participants (64% female). The mean anti-HBsAg increased from 46, 52, 85 to 193IU/l when the 1st dose was administered in the I, II, III or IV trimester of life, respectively. Similarly, the proportion of individuals with titre &lt;10IU/l decreased from 51 to 18% between the two extreme quarters. The risk of a titre &lt;10IU/l decreased with age at the 1st dose (AOR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.78-0.91 per one-month increase) and time between the 2nd and 3rd doses (AOR: 0.89; 95%CI:0.85-0.94).

Conclusions
The mere presence of a titre &lt;10IU/l does not equate lack of protection. However, antibody levels are very different depending on the actual age of vaccination. One-month delay within the first year is associated with a -18% chance of a titre &lt;10IU/l 20 years later. Although this information needs to be combined with local epidemiology and surveillance to obtain an informed risk-benefit balance, the implications from a public health and economic perspective may be diverse and worth considering.

Key messages
• Still within the first year of life, a delay in the administration of the 1st dose of HBV vaccine and a longer time between the 2nd and 3rd dose imply a higher antibody persistence even 20 years later.
• Considering the local circulation of HBV and surveillance, this result could be taken into account to obtain an informed risk-benefit balance.
Looking for methodologies and data pathways used in research to assess the COVID-19 impact: a scientific literature review
Authors: Feteira-Santos R , Nogueira Dr 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
COVID-19 spread worldwide after the surge of a novel coronavirus infecting humans in late 2019, rapidly becoming a pandemic in early 2020. Then, the scientific community started studying SARS-CoV-2 infection to address the uncertainties around the impact of this new disease on the population health and sustain public health measures to mitigate it. As a result, the research on COVID-19 proliferated fast, and the number of related records also multiplied in research databases. By November 2020, one year after starting the outbreak, PubMed counted more than 80 thousand records, which had already tripled by April 2022. Facing that large body of research, the PHIRI WP5 team deployed a literature review to identify research methods and the research paths from the generation and collection of data used to assess the COVID-19 impact on the population's health and well-being. Consequently, this work aims to describe the evidence gathered according to the location where the research was conducted, its design and statistical methods used to analyse the COVID-19 impact. Therefore, the sample of COVID-19-related records indexed in the PubMed database until November 2020, which concomitantly matched the “data” search term, was considered. As a large sample was retrieved (19837 records), automated text analysis and text mining methods were considered to summarise the information. Then, titles and abstracts were screened for inclusion, and more than half of the initial sample was excluded. The main reasons to exclude were not using original data, not being related to the assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the population's health or well-being, or not having complete information on the title and abstract. This work is intended to highlight gaps in the evidence on the COVID-19 impact on the population's health and well-being, leading to further research that could enhance the countries’ preparedness for future pandemics.
2.F. Skills building seminar: Health Data Pipelines: moving away from Excel to scalable, insightful and future-proof infostructure
Authors:   Organised by: EUPHA-DH,   Chair persons: Stefan Buttigieg (EUPHA-DH), Juan Rachadell (Portugal)
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Public Health Data Pipelines are critical in the implementation of scalable Digital Public Health projects as part of the reporting, evaluation and monitoring aspects of any public health intervention. The WHO Europe Programme of Work covering the period 2020 to 2025 puts an emphasis on “developing big-data capacity in surveillance, modelling and policy monitoring”. This workshop will provide an initial insight into the world of Health Data Pipelines and will give you the necessary ingredients to get closer to establishing processes and systems that provide you the right information at the right time and context.

Key messages
• Data Linking is critical in the transition between legacy systems and data sets based on decades old technology to reliable and robust information infrastructure (infostructure).
• Kicking off the necessary internal discussions to consolidate data and processes into health data pipelines do not require advanced technical knowledge.
2.G. Workshop: The development of HTA collaboration in Europe: where we are and where we are going
Authors:   Organised by: EUPHA-HTA; EUPHAnxt,   Chair persons: Chiara de Waure (EUPHA-HTA), Elena Petelos (EUPHA-HTA)
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Health decision-making should be always well-informed. This draws the attention on the need to make the best use of available evidence in respect to different clinical and non-clinical issues to make a value-based allocation of resources. Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a method for supporting evidence-informed health policymaking as it is defined as a multidisciplinary process that uses explicit methods to determine the value of a health technology at different points in its lifecycle. The role of HTA is of utmost importance at European Union level considering that citizens have the right to access healthcare in any EU country with reimbursement by their home country. Therefore, Member States (MS) cooperation in the evaluation of health technologies is envisaged to ensure safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare. Several efforts have been put in place at EU level to make this collaboration possible. The cross-border healthcare directive 2011/24/EU have led to the establishment of a voluntary network of MS to facilitate their cooperation and the exchange of scientific information. This network has been supported by another network, namely the European Health Technology Assessment Network (EUnetHTA) that was launched in 2006 with the aim to increase the contribution of HTA to decision-making in EU MS, strengthen the link between HTA and health policymaking, and reduce the overlap and duplication of HTA efforts by promoting a more effective use of resources. EUnetHTA has created a long-lasting Joint Action that has developed principles, methodological guidelines, as well as functional online tools for the sharing production of HTA. In the meantime, starting from 2018, a proposal for an EU regulation on HTA has been discussed within the European Commission first and the European Council and Parliament later. The discussion led to the approval of the Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 on health technology assessment (HTAR) that entered into force on 11 January 2022 and will apply from 12 January 2025 onwards. The HTAR calls for mandatory participation in and use of joint clinical assessments at MS level opening a new era for HTA at EU level. In order to make public health professionals ready for the challenge, this skill-building seminar will provide the audience with basic knowledge in respect to the objective, the application, the methods, and the history of HTA at European level. After two formal presentations on these issues, a case study will lead the following interactive discussion with the audience.

Key messages
• Health decisions should be informed by the determination of the value of health technologies through shared methods, such as Health Technology Assessment.
• Collaboration on Health Technology Assessment at European level has had a long-lasting story and is now looking out into a new challenging era that will be the EU regulation being implemented.
Why and how can HTA support evidence-informed health policymaking?
Authors: Gutiérrez-Ibarluzea I , Ibargoyen-Roteta N , Benguria-Arrate G , Galnares-Cordero L 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Issue
Health care systems actors are in need to take decisions every day. The basis for a good decision is to consider all the factors, the value of the action, the values that support a “go” or “not go” decision and the intended and unintended consequences that those decisions could entail. Furthermore, understanding decisions implies knowing which the context and the circumstances that surround decisions are.

Description of the issue
HTA should cover all those aforementioned aspects and make it along the life cycle of health technologies. Thus, it should be the pivotal element that health systems should look at when making decisions. Nevertheless, this is not the case in all the countries/regions or health systems. Empirical research (facts) and normative inquiry (values) are not consistently considered and holistic approaches to the determination of value are lacking.

Results
Policymakers, health care systems and HTA bodies are differentially approaching to value determination, and, in most cases, this is not explicitly shared with the stakeholders concerned. The consideration of the implication of life cycle concept is not well addressed and decisions are mainly focused on introduction and implementation, meanwhile decisions on deletion or modification of use are lacking, although relevant for health systems sustainability. Mostly systems failed by individual determination of technologies’ value without considering that they are used on systems in combination to other technologies, by different professionals, applied to different patients and within different contexts.

Lessons
There is a need for a holistic approach of value determination. Likewise, the life cycle concept offers a unique opportunity to promote proactive actions in improving added value generation for technologies under development. Similarly, the assessment of value once solutions are introduced is substantially a way to improve systems’ outcomes and their efficiency.
Building a qualitative systems map: applying systems thinking to the commercial determinants of health and industry influence on health policy
Authors: Bertscher A , Nobles J , Zatonski M , Van Den Akker A , Dance S , Bondy K , Gilmore A , Bloomfield M 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Unhealthy commodities are major drivers of the global burden of noncommunicable diseases. Commercial actors attempt to influence policy to undermine regulation and existing literature draws attention to the underlying macro-level factors that enable this influence. Public health literature also suggests that industry adapts to regulation and such influence may thus be considered a complex adaptive system. Therefore, this study aimed to build a qualitative systems map to help communicate the complexity of industry influence and develop a tool to facilitate the identification of interventions in follow up research.

Methods
In-person group model grouping workshops were adapted for the online environment. A preliminary qualitative systems map was developed by synthesising two recent studies to facilitate workshop discussions and expedite the mapping process. Twenty-three small group system mapping workshops were conducted with a total of 52 stakeholders, representing researchers, civil society, and public officials from various geographical regions.

Results
The qualitative systems map identifies five pathways through which industry influences policy: a) direct access to public sector decisionmakers; b) creation of confusion and doubt about policy decisions; c) prioritisation of commercial growth; d) industry leveraging the legal and dispute settlement processes; and e) industry leveraging policymaking rules and processes. The pathways contribute to perpetuating macro-level factors that enable industry to deploy practices to influence policy.

Conclusions
A system thinking approach can be applied to industry influence on health policy to depict a complex adaptive system. Interventions need to take into consideration the system's complexity and adaptivity. Further research is needed to test, and improve the systems map and identify interventions to achieve systems change.
Corporate capture of public health by food industries in Europe
Authors: Royo Bordonada M 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Corporate capture is the deliberately planned process whereby political decisions respond to a particular interest of a private nature, in detriment to the public interest. The result is an unjust regulation or the absence of regulation where this is necessary for the protection of the common good. Corporate capture of public health has to do with commercial determinants of health, such as alcohol, tobacco, sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods. Capture-related actions are targeted at civil society, experts, public-health officials, civil servants and politicians. These actions range from material (corruption, revolving doors and donations to political parties) to intellectual (distortion of science and professional training), social (control of information and communication) and/or cultural (group identity, status and relationship of the regulator with the representatives of private corporations). The most common capture strategies are aimed at biasing scientific results, creating consumers from an early age, promoting a good image of corporations, questioning the legitimacy and appropriateness of governmental intervention aimed at regulating their activity, controlling professional education; and exerting pressure on governments and international bodies. To illustrate this phenomenon, we present findings from several examples of corporate capture of food policies in Europe. Preliminary results from publicly available information suggest that most of the mentioned tactics were used in Europe in order to block nutritional profiles, health warnings on food and effective food advertising regulations. We suggest implications for how European legislation can better protect European citizens, especially children, from vested interests aimed at promoting the consumption of unhealthy food and beverages.
2.Q. Workshop: Prepared for the unexpected: using foresight to address uncertainty
Authors:   Organised by: RIVM (Netherlands),   Chair persons: Henk Hilderink (EUPHA-FS), Ana Vieira (Netherlands)
Published: October 2022

Abstract

All future trends carry uncertainty in them. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic showed great uncertainty about current and future health impacts and how the virus may directly impact our health. Foresight (as a systematic, participatory, future-intelligence-gathering and medium-to-long term vision-building process aimed at enabling present-day decisions and mobilising joint actions) explicitly addresses uncertainty. Doing a foresight study one has to deal with different sources of uncertainty. Next to commonly known statistical uncertainty, foresight studies have to deal with cognitive uncertainty, i.e. uncertainty related to the limited knowledge that we have regarding the complexity of the underlying system or limited knowledge of what future economic growth will be. A better understanding of the location, level, and nature of the cognitive uncertainties helps assess the robustness of future scenarios. In addition to cognitive uncertainty, normative uncertainty are distinguished. This refers to uncertainty related to differences in what we consider a desirable future. Especially in the field of public health people differ on what they consider to be “good health”. In this workshop, we will focus on the different aspects of uncertainty and how they are considered in existing foresight studies. The workshop will start with an interactive Mentimeter session to better understand how the audience is familiar with foresight and uncertainty. Then, a brief presentation is given as introduction to foresight and a systematic way of accounting for uncertainty, explaining the basic concepts to level understanding of the audience. This is followed by a presentation of a Foresight study (FRESHER) that addresses cognitive uncertainties consistently and systematically. The second foresight study (Dutch PHFS, RVIM) is a good example of how normative uncertainties are considered. Finally, the last presentation (CEG-IST) gives the policy perspective about how policy makers can incorporate uncertainty, as modelled through foresight, into policy evaluation. The workshop will be concluded by a discussion with the three presenters on the lessons learned regarding foresight and uncertainty.

Key messages
• Foresight studies addressing uncertainty are essential to be better prepared for the future.
• Acknowledging different types of uncertainty is needed to support foresight-informed policy making.
Health information system (HIS) assessments as the starting point for HIS strengthening
Authors: Ortiz David 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
One of main the HIS strengthening tools applied by WHO-Euro is the ‘Support tool to assess health information systems and develop and strengthen health information strategies’, which was first published in 2015 and updated in 2021. The support tool comprises two main parts: it provides guidance firstly for performing an overall assessment of the full HIS, and secondly, for the subsequent development of an HIS strategy. The common mode of application of this tool is an external HIS assessment by a WHO team and a subsequent country-led process of HIS strategy development. So far, experience in the field has been gained mainly with the assessment part of the tool, which has been applied in 15 MS. The assessment process starts with a preparatory desk review, followed by a country visit during which semi-structured interviews are held with key HIS stakeholders. The guidance for the interviews consists of a core module and several add-on modules. The aim of the core module is to provide an overview of the functioning of the entire national HIS, while the add-on modules shed more light on specific parts or functions of the HIS, such as noncommunicable diseases monitoring, human resources for health or health data governance. The core module forms the basis of the HIS assessments, and one or several add-on modules can be added to it, according to the needs of the assessed country. The country visit is finalised with a multi-stakeholder debriefing. After the visit, a report is written with a summary of the situation in the country including an HIS maturity score, an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), and recommendations for improvement for the short, medium, and long term. In this presentation, we will explain the methodology of the assessment tool, and reflect on its added value as well as challenges encountered when applying it in practice.