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WHO Guidelines on Post approval Changes- Appendix 2+3 Reporting procedures and data requirements for quality changes to antigens + finished products
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Effectiveness of XBB.1.5 Monovalent COVID-19 Vaccines During a Period of XBB.1.5 Dominance in EU/EEA Countries, October to November 2023: A VEBIS-EHR Network Study.
No full textUsing a common protocol across seven countries in the European Union/European Economic Area, we estimated XBB.1.5 monovalent vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19 hospitalisation and death in booster-eligible ≥ 65-year-olds, during October-November 2023. We linked electronic records to construct retrospective cohorts and used Cox models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and derive VE. VE for COVID-19 hospitalisation and death was, respectively, 67% (95%CI: 58-74) and 67% (95%CI: 42-81) in 65- to 79-year-olds and 66% (95%CI: 57-73) and 72% (95%CI: 51-85) in ≥ 80-year-olds. Results indicate that periodic vaccination of individuals ≥ 65 years has an ongoing benefit and support current vaccination strategies in the EU/EEA.</p
Potential determinants of the decline in mpox cases in Belgium: A behavioral, epidemiological and seroprevalence study.
No full textOBJECTIVES: The 2022 mpox epidemic reached a peak in Belgium and the rest of Europe in July 2022, after which it unexpectedly subsided. This study investigates epidemiological, behavioral, and immunological factors behind the waning of the epidemic in Belgium.
METHODS: We investigated temporal evolutions in the characteristics and behavior of mpox patients using national surveillance data and data from a prospective registry of mpox patients in the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp). We studied behavioral changes in the population at risk using a survey among HIV-preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users. We determined the seroprevalence of anti-orthopoxvirus antibodies among HIV-PrEP users across four-time points in 2022.
RESULTS: Mpox patients diagnosed at the end of the epidemic had less sexual risk behavior compared to those diagnosed earlier: they engaged less in sex at mass events, had fewer sexual partners, and were less likely to belong to the sexual network’s central group. Among HIV-PrEP users there were no notable changes in sexual behavior. Anti-orthopoxvirus seroprevalence did not notably increase before the start of national vaccination campaigns.
CONCLUSION: The observed changes in group immunity and behavior in the population at greater risk of exposure to mpox seem unable to explain the waning of the mpox epidemic. A change in the profile of mpox patients might have contributed to the decline in cases.</p
Holography-based aerobiological monitoring: a 2-year intercomparison campaign versus the standard Hirst method in Brussels, Belgium
No full textAround 10% of the Belgian population is allergic to the pollen emitted by trees of the Betulaceae family (birch, alder, hazel and hornbeam) and an estimated 18% to grass pollen. To prevent and treat respiratory symptoms and reduce the allergy burden, pollen grain concentrations have been continuously monitored using the standard Hirst method with a volumetric spore trap. However, this offline method can only provide results retrospectively, from 1 day to 1 week, and previous evaluation studies have shown certain limitations in terms of sampling efficiency and measurement accuracy. Recently, several automatic real-time instruments have been developed to allow the identification and quantification of airborne pollen. After a 2-year campaign performed in Brussels (Belgium), daily concentrations of 13 pollen taxa measured by the Swisens Poleno Jupiter were compared to the measurements of the Hirst method. The highest intraseasonal correlation values between both methods were found for Betula, Fraxinus and Poaceae. While some pollen taxa showed similar seasonal kinetics but with scaling discrepancies, other pollen taxa frequently presented out-of-season false positive peaks as results from the automatic monitor. In all, the holography-based monitoring in real conditions appeared to be relatively reliable within the seasons of most allergenic pollen taxa. Further improvements are expected by training the identification algorithm with reference datasets generated from pollen collected in the local environment.</p
EU Call - Call for proposals on advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence in health (DI-g-24-76)
No full textOne Pager
For evaluating the relevance and feasibility of belgian participation in EU calls</p
International collaboration to improve knowledge on myotonic dystrophy type 2
No full textBackground:
The TREAT-NMD Global Registry Network is a global collaboration of neuromuscular disease registries, including myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2), which aims to facilitate collaborative research and clinical trials.
Objectives:
This study aimed to assess DM2 patients included in the network, and to analyse their socio-demographic and clinical features.
Methods:
Data were collected through email surveys sent to 16 TREAT-NMD myotonic dystrophy core member registries. 10 registries enrolled DM2 patients.
Results:
The total number of DM2 cases was 1,720, with the Czech, German, and USA registries enrolling the most patients (445, 430, and 339 cases, respectively). The highest rates were seen in Czechia and Serbia (4.2 and 2.0 registered per 100,000 population, respectively). High DM2:DM1 ratios were seen in Central Europe. The median age at registry entry was 51 years. Symptom onset occurred before age 20 in 14% of cases. One fifth of patients used an assistive device to walk, and 4% were non-ambulatory. Insertion of a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was reported in 4% of subjects, while 7% used non-invasive ventilation.
Conclusions:
This represents the largest DM2 cohort assembled to date, providing demographic and clinical data for future research and trial recruitment, illustrating TREAT-NMD’s international reach and the importance of capturing DM2 data.</p
