Effectiveness of #Diphtheria and #Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular #Pertussis #Vaccine in #Children Aged 6 Months–6 Years During a Statewide Pertussis Outbreak — #Alaska, May–November 2024

 

Abstract

Widespread use of pertussis vaccines in children has resulted in a >90% reduction in the number of annual pertussis cases in the United States. After a period of low U.S. pertussis incidence during and shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, incidence increased in 2024. Data on the real-world effectiveness of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) against pertussis during this disease resurgence are limited. In response to documentation of a record high pertussis incidence in Alaska during May–November 2024, DTaP vaccine effectiveness (VE) against pertussis in Alaska children aged 6 months–6 years was evaluated. Adjusted VE was 96.2% among children who had completed the 3-dose primary DTaP series and 85.3% among those who were partially vaccinated. Compared with children who had received ≥3 DTaP doses, the odds of laboratory-confirmed pertussis were approximately 26 times as high in unvaccinated children (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 26.1), and approximately 4 times as high in those who had received 1–2 DTaP doses (adjusted OR = 3.8). These findings reinforce the importance of following pertussis vaccination recommendations to protect for children from the disease and reduce the occurrence of pertussis outbreaks.

Source: 

Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7540a1

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Role of Nonpharmaceutical #Interventions during 1918–1920 #Influenza #Pandemic, #Alaska, #USA

Abstract

Previous studies investigating the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic have provided a comprehensive overview of the spread of the pandemic and possible explanations for high mortality rates in Alaska, USA. Our understanding of the role of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) is limited, however. To gain an overview of various agencies’ efforts to protect communities during the pandemic, we conducted a mixed-method assessment of a large pool of digitized historical newspapers and archival materials covering Alaska’s local and territorial responses to the pandemic. The study encompassed 14 local units of Alaska that implemented NPIs during October 1918–January 1919. Analyses indicated that 8 local units avoided the outbreak by implementing NPIs and that the other 6 units controlled the spread of influenza by implementing NPIs after the virus was introduced. In addition, some Indigenous communities escaped the pandemic by implementing mandatory and voluntary restrictions. Information on NPI effects of could guide future influenza pandemic preparedness and response.

Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/7/24-1048_article

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