To compare and analyze COVID-19 control outcomes, including case severity, vaccination, and excess mortality, across 6 nations (USA, UK, China, Russia, Japan, and South Africa) from January 2020 to December 2022.

This study utilized data from the “Our World in Data” dataset to characterize the epidemiological features of COVID-19 across 6 countries. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were employed to examine the associations between Stringency Index (SI), vaccination coverage, and epidemiological outcomes.

The USA had the highest median cases per million and the UK the highest deaths per million, while China reported the lowest for both. Hospitalization and ICU rates were highest in the UK and the USA, respectively, and lowest in Japan. Vaccination coverage was highest in China and lowest in South Africa. Excess mortality was highest in Russia and lowest in Japan. Generalized linear models indicated a negative association between the SI and cases in China (β = −40, P = 0.015), which became stronger after adjusting for vaccination (β = −311, P < 0.001), but positive associations were observed in the USA, UK, and South Africa. SI was negatively associated with excess mortality in most countries.

Effective pandemic control is highly context-dependent. The relationships among vaccination, variant prevalence, and health care burden were complex, shaped by implementation context, public compliance, and health care capacity.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Saskatchewan, resulting in high per capita case counts and COVID-19-related deaths. While vaccination mandates have been a key strategy to control the pandemic, their impact in Saskatchewan remains poorly documented. This study assessed the effect of COVID-19 vaccine mandates on the incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Saskatchewan during the first year following vaccine rollout.

A single-group interrupted time series analysis with multiple intervention points was conducted using aggregated daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates as outcome variables. The models accounted for confounding effects of daily total vaccine doses administered and public health countermeasures, including the stringency index and economic support index, from April 1, 2020 to January 20, 2022. Average daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates were estimated for the pre-vaccine rollout period (April 1 to December 14, 2020), and the post-rollout period (December 15, 2020 to January 20, 2022). In addition, nine supplementary initiatives were introduced during the implementation phase. All estimated effects reflected cumulative changes in trend relative to the pre-vaccination period.

Cumulatively, COVID-19 incidence increased faster than the pre-vaccination trend, likely driven by successive variant surges from wild-type to Omicron, while COVID-19–related deaths remained stable across the same period. The implementation of vaccine rollout, prioritization of vaccines for high-risk populations, and proof-of-vaccination policy were effective in reducing daily COVID-19 incidence and deaths in Saskatchewan. Economic support and an increased number of daily vaccine doses administered were also associated with an improved provincial COVID-19 response. Conversely, surges in COVID-19 incidence and deaths occurred following the introduction of the centralized virtual booking system and booster doses. These surges may reflect accessibility challenges, increased testing, emergence of immune-escape variants, relaxation of public health measures before achieving herd immunity, and waning immunity over time.

Economic support, policy measures, and vaccination efforts played important roles in managing public health crises, hence the need for an integrated approach to managing public health crises. However, temporary surges following certain interventions underscore the need for accessible, adaptable strategies that account for variant emergence, immunity waning and public adherence.

Many countries have permitted community pharmacists to administer vaccines to increase the immunization rate. The policy of Thailand has recently expanded and permitted pharmacists to play a role in immunization.

The objective of this study was to survey the opinion and readiness of community pharmacists as immunizers.

This study was a prospective, mixed-methods questionnaire and semi-structured interview. The study included community pharmacists in Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand. A Likert scale questionnaire to evaluate readiness, opinions, and barriers to providing vaccines was distributed online. The volunteer pharmacists were interviewed about their opinions, distress, and benefits of vaccination services.

An online survey was completed by 146 pharmacists, and 12 community pharmacists agreed to be interviewed. More than 65% of respondents agreed that vaccination services in community pharmacies are easily accessible to patients. Approximately 46% of pharmacist respondents were willing to be immunizers, and 45% of respondents showed readiness with the availability of pharmacy space for handling vaccinations, their storage, and disposing of sharp objects. Almost all of the respondents showed readiness with knowledge of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) and management. However, most of the concerns were vaccine administration skills, the conflict with other professionals, and the cost of setup and management. The pharmacists required training in vaccine administration skills before providing the service.

The community pharmacies were willing and ready to provide vaccination services for the National List of Essential Vaccines. Vaccine administration skills were the main barriers to vaccination. The training should be done in faculty classes or workshops.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed millions of people worldwide, continues to be marked by waves of reinfections. We aimed to assess the incidence and clinical characteristics of reinfection in COVID- 19 cohort.

A single-center descriptive study was conducted. Data were collected from all patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via PCR from March 18, 2020, the onset of the first major COVID-19 wave, until the end of 2020. All PCR-positive patients were followed-up, and those who had SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity again at least 90 days after the initial onset were contacted via telemedicine.

5814 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 with PCR positive in the first wave were included. The incidence of reinfection among the cohort of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the initial wave of COVID-19 was 0.73%. Among healthcare workers, the 1-year reinfection rate was 2.14%, 3.9 times higher than non-healthcare workers. We observed that the clinical course was milder and less complicated in patients who had reinfection. In cases of reinfection among fully vaccinated individuals, statistically significantly fewer symptoms were observed.

We observed that healthcare workers are at approximately four times greater risk of reinfection. Reinfections generally presented with a milder clinical course.

To examine opinions about incentives for vaccination against COVID-19.

A qualitative study was conducted in spring 2022. The study population consisted of pairs of university students and their parents throughout Serbia. The qualitative content analysis was applied.

A total of 18 participants (9 student-parent pairs) were included. The following themes were identified: 1) Attitudes about financial incentives for vaccination, 2) Non-financial incentives for vaccination, and 3) Suggestions to enhance vaccination coverage. Theme 1 comprised several subthemes: General response to money, Dissatisfaction with financial incentives, Satisfaction with financial incentives and Amount of money to change people’s opinion. Most parents and some students expressed a clear dissatisfaction and disapproval of the concept of financial incentives for compliance with vaccination. Financial offers would not make our participants change their position on whether to receive the vaccine, as no major differences in attitude towards vaccinations between the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated study participants was observed. Non-financial incentives were more acceptable compared to financial ones, but they were also seen as beneficial for some and not others.

Financial incentive programs’ potential for inefficiency and public mistrust make other methods to boost vaccine uptake better public health choices for now.

The objectives of this study were to determine how university and surrounding area characteristics are associated with student vaccination rates and vaccine exemption stringency.

This study collected data from publicly available university-associated and government-associated websites. The university and surrounding area characteristics were evaluated to elucidate how they impact student vaccination rates and ease of exemption from vaccine mandates using statistical correlations and linear regression.

Lower student-to-faculty ratios and stricter university exemption strategies were significantly correlated with higher vaccination rates. Schools that did not allow for personal exemptions to vaccine mandates had significantly higher vaccination rates as compared to schools without vaccine mandates. Certain university and surrounding area characteristics, such as regional location and surrounding area vaccination rates, might serve as underlying factors in inconsistent vaccination rates on university campuses.

Associations were seen between some of the explanatory variables and student vaccination rates. However, more research needs to be conducted to better understand how these discussed factors affect university vaccination rates. This will allow public health professionals to be more prepared as new health concerns arise in the future.

The purpose of this study was to measure and examine the levels of IgG, IgM, and Spike antibody induced by inactivated vaccines, including CoronaVac and BBIBP-CorV.

Two groups of healthy adults over 18 years old (50 participants per group), who had previously received 1 dose of either BBIBP-CorV or CoronaVac and receiving either a homologous booster of BBIBP-CorV or a heterologous booster of CoronaVac. Serum IgG, IgM, and Spike antibody levels against SARS-COV-2 were measured using magnetic particle chemiluminescence immunoassay and the ELISA method.

The results showed that both spike antibody and IgG/IgM antibodies elicited by a CoronaVac booster following 1 dose of BBIBP-CorV were significantly higher than those elicited by either a homologous BBIBP-CorV booster or a heterologous BBIBP-CorV booster. The Spike antibody against SARS-COV-2 induced by the heterologous CoronaVac booster reached 200.3, which is substantially greater than that induced by the homologous BBIBP-CorV booster (127.5 pg/mL). Conversely, the Spike antibody against SARS-COV-2 induced by the heterologous BBIBP-CorV booster reached 53.93 pg/mL, which is substantially greater than that induced by the homologous CoronaVac booster (9.60 pg/mL).

In summary, CoronaVac is immunogenic as a booster dose following 1 dose of BBIBP-CorV and is immunogenically superior to both the homologous booster and the heterologous BBIBP-CorV booster.