Background
Infants with influenza, particularly those younger than 1 year of age, are at high risk of developing a severe case or of dying. Recently, owing to the spread of pandemic influenza A ...(H1N1) 2009, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended maternal immunization to reduce the risk of influenza infection in pregnant women and infants. Such reporting is rare in Japan. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effect on the newborn of influenza vaccination of pregnant women in Japan.
Methods
The study included 200 infants who were born to healthy mothers at Kobayashi Ladies Clinic during influenza season from November 2010 to April 2011. The incidence of fever and laboratory‐confirmed influenza was assessed in the infants for the 6 months after their birth.
Results
Of the 200 infants, four were excluded from this study due to loss to follow up. The 106 infants in the group whose mothers received the influenza vaccine (vaccinated group) before parturition were compared with the 90 infants in the group whose mothers did not receive the influenza vaccine (non‐vaccinated group). Fever was noted in 36 infants (34.0%) in the vaccinated group and in 47 infants (52.2%) in the non‐vaccinated group (P < 0.007), and the incidence of influenza was 0 (0%) and 5 (5.6%), respectively (P = 0.019). The incidence of fever and influenza among infants was significantly lower in the vaccinated group compared with the non‐vaccinated group.
Conclusions
Maternal influenza immunization should be actively recommended in Japan to protect newborns from influenza viruses.
To evaluate the changes in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) collected between 2019 and 2022, we analyzed RSV-A and RSV-B strains from various prefectures in Japan before and after the COVID-19 ...pandemic. RT-PCR-positive samples collected from children with rapid test positivity at outpatient clinics in 11 prefectures in Japan were sequenced for the ectodomain of the G gene to determine the genotype. Time-aware phylogeographic analyses were performed using the second hypervariable region (HVR) of the G gene from 2012 to 2022. Of 967 samples, 739 (76.4%) were found to be RSV-positive using RT-PCR. RSV peaked in September 2019 but was not detected in 2020, except in Okinawa. Nationwide epidemics occurred with peaks in July 2021 and 2022. The genotype remained the same, ON1 for RSV-A and BA9 for RSV-B during 2019-2022. Phylogeographic analysis of HVR revealed that at least seven clusters of RSV-A had circulated previously but decreased to two clusters after the pandemic, whereas RSV-B had a single monophyletic cluster over the 10 years. Both RSV-A and RSV-B were transferred from Okinawa into other prefectures after the pandemic. The RSV epidemic was suppressed due to pandemic restrictions; however, pre-pandemic genotypes spread nationwide after the pandemic.
Abstract The incidence of reported cases with pertussis has increased in young adults in Japan and the lack of additional booster immunizations containing pertussis components is suspected to be one ...of the causal reasons. Instead of DT immunization at 11–12 years of age, safety and immunogenicity were investigated using 0.2 ml and 0.5 ml of DTaP. 176 subjects in DTaP 0.5 ml, 178 in DTaP 0.2 ml, and 197 in DT 0.1 ml groups were enrolled in clinical trial. The relative risk of local reactions in the DTaP 0.2 ml group compared to the DT 0.1 ml group was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.97–1.30), and that of the DTaP 0.5 ml to the DT 0.1 ml group was 1.34 (95% CI: 1.18–1.53). The relative risks of local pain and heat were 1.62 (95% CI: 1.33–1.98) and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.19–2.13), respectively, in the DTaP 0.5 ml group compared to the DT 0.1 ml group. Sero-positive rates against PT and FHA were 54% and 82% before immunization and increased to >95% for both after vaccination with no significant difference in GMT. Instead of the scheduled DT program, 0.2 ml of DTaP was acceptable and demonstrated efficient immunogenicity.
Abstract To compare the incidence of aseptic meningitis associated with symptomatic natural mumps infection and in mumps vaccine recipients, we conducted a prospective comparative study. Consecutive ...samples of 1051 children with mumps were enrolled by 10 pediatricians and 21,465 vaccine recipients by 143 pediatric primary care practitioners, from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2003. Parents used a daily diary to record symptoms during the period of illness (15 days) or 30-day period following immunization. Mumps infection was confirmed by virus isolation and/or detection of mumps virus genome in salivary and CSF samples. The incidence of aseptic meningitis was 13/1051 (1.24%) in patients with symptomatic natural mumps infection and was estimated to be 0.7–1.1% of overall infection in considering asymptomatic infection, and 10/21,465 (0.05%) in vaccine recipients. Although aseptic meningitis is a clear side effect of the mumps vaccine, the incidence is considerably lower than among those with symptomatic natural infection. Our results provide an informative data for consideration to resume mumps vaccine as a part of routine immunization schedule for Japanese children.
Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of aseptic meningitis after mumps vaccination in younger children compared with older children. Methods This prospective cohort ...study included a total of 21,465 children under 18 years of age who had received the first dose of three of the Japanese mumps monovalent vaccine. We compared the cumulative incidence of aseptic meningitis for 30 days after vaccination among the following age groups: ≤1, 2, 3–4, and ≥5 years old. We also investigated the cumulative incidence of salivary gland swelling, a fever (≥38 °C) lasting at least 3 days during the 10 to 25 days following immunization, vomiting of 3 times or more, headache, and seizure. Results A total of 10 aseptic meningitis, 551 salivary gland swelling, 844 fevers, 669 vomiting, 757 headaches, and 29 seizure cases were identified. The cumulative incidence of aseptic meningitis increased with age (0.016%, 0.021%, 0.066%, and 0.096%, respectively). Statistical significance was observed between children ≥3 years old and those <3 years of age 0.078% vs. 0.018%, RR 4.35 (95% CI 1.05–18.2), p = 0.04. The cumulative incidence of salivary gland swelling also increased with age (1.8%, 3.0%, 3.5%, and 4.5%, respectively). For non-specific adverse events, the cumulative incidence of fever or seizure decreased with age. In contrast, the cumulative incidence of headache increased with age. The cumulative incidence of vomiting was similar among children ≤4 years of age; however, that in those children ≥5 years old was significantly lower. Conclusions The first dose of mumps vaccine that is currently available for use in Japan may be administered in children less than 3 years of age in order to complicate a less aseptic meningitis after immunization.
Recently developed construction machinery continues to advance from machines only capable of performing a stated task or function to machinery that provides automatic feedback regarding where and how ...the equipment is being used and the unit's current status. A number of such construction machines equipped with optional computerized construction features have even proved capable of interpreting construction designs and automatically regulating tools such as bulldozer blades. These new developments have led to conventional approaches to construction-such as continually interrupting operations in order to take measurements and check the project's finished status-no longer being necessary, thereby allowing for extremely effective and streamlined operations. In this study I will present specific examples of the application of this information technology to construction machinery and consider how such construction machinery will continue to advance.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and 7-valent pneumococcal (PCV7) vaccines both became recommended in Japan in 2010. In this study, cytokine production was investigated in peripheral blood ...mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cultures stimulated with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids combined with acellular pertussis vaccine (DPT), Hib, and PCV7 separately or concurrent different combinations, all as final off-the-shelf vaccines without the individual vaccine components as controls. Higher IL-1β levels were produced when cultures were stimulated with PCV than with DPT or Hib, and the concurrent stimulation including PCV7 enhanced the production of IL-1β. Although Hib induced higher levels of IL-6, no significant difference was observed in IL-6 production with the concurrent stimulation. The concurrent stimulation with Hib/PCV7 and DPT/Hib/PCV7 produced higher levels of TNF-α and human G-CSF. Cytokine profiles were examined in serum samples obtained from 61 vaccine recipients with febrile reactions and 18 recipients without febrile illness within 24 h of vaccination. No significant difference was observed in cytokine levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-γ, MIP-1, TNF-α, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in sera between the two groups. However, significantly higher levels of human G-CSF were observed in recipients with febrile illness than in those without febrile reactions. Further investigations of the significance of elevated serum G-CSF levels are required in vaccine recipients with febrile illness.
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