𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐨-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧?
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭.

Zero-dose children, those who have never received a single routine vaccine, are disproportionately found in the places our data systems struggle most: remote communities, conflict zones, urban slums, and nomadic populations.

We spent months reviewing how #geospatial tools are being used to map these children. We looked at 102 studies, 68 countries, and a rapidly growing field of #spatial science applied to immunisation, led by Ann Njogu.

👉The science is advancing fast: 70% of studies published in just the last four years
👉 Sophisticated methods exist to generate high-resolution estimates of vaccine coverage

But:
►Evidence is concentrated in a handful of countries, esp. Nigeria, Ethiopia and India
► The most marginalised populations are consistently left out of models
► We're still not speaking the same language; ZD definitions vary widely across studies
►Over-reliance on household surveys (DHS)
► Routine data (DHIS2) that could power real-time monitoring sits largely untapped
► Advanced geospatial modelling is dominated by a handful of well-resourced academic groups

The result? The countries that need geospatial evidence the most are the least equipped to produce or act on it.

✮ Reaching ZD children requires not just better tools but also investment in local capacity, open and reproducible methods, and stronger partnerships between academic groups and national programmes.

Because you can't reach children you can't find

Preprint: https://lnkd.in/efGsmjCM

This work is part of the REACH-OUT Project with contributions from many colleagues: Moses Musau, Swati Srivastava, Emma Clarke-Deelder, PhD, Caroline Mudereri, Felix Rubuga, Yvonne Opanga, GASHAIJA Absolomon, Hassan Sibomana, Jeanine Condo, Frank Badu Osei (PhD), Lenka Beňová, Justine Blanford, Aleksandra Torbica, Alessia Melegaro, Carlo Federici and others.

#ZeroDoseChildren #GlobalHealth #Immunization #Geospatial #PublicHealth #Vaccines

🌏 Big news from the Pacific — and a reminder of why investing in digital foundations matters.

Fiji just launched its first-ever nationwide digital immunization record system — replacing paper-based records that were routinely lost, duplicated, or inaccessible when families moved between islands.

The system covers 220 immunization sites and supports approximately 500 healthcare workers, ensuring every child has a secure vaccination record accessible from anywhere in the country - including in areas with limited connectivity. No small feat in a maritime archipelago.

But this is not just a digital upgrade. It's digital infrastructure.

By replacing paper with a secure nationwide digital system, Fiji is building a more resilient and efficient healthcare system - one that can withstand disease outbreaks and climate-related emergencies alike.

This investment is being built as underlying Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Health. When you build foundational systems that are interoperable, scalable, and country-owned, the returns compound. The same infrastructure powering immunization records today can anchor a multi-country telehealth programme across the Pacific tomorrow — connecting patients in remote atolls to clinical expertise and cutting costs across the system.

This is what UNICEF's advocates for globally: stop funding isolated pilots. Invest in systems that make every intervention stronger, cheaper, and more resilient.

Read more at https://lnkd.in/dcPEttGF

Congratulations to Fiji's Ministry of Health, #UNICEF Pacific, and the Government of Japan. 🇫🇯

#DigitalHealth #DigitalPublicInfrastructure #DPI #HealthSystems #SanteSuite #Gavi #WorldBank #Pacific #Immunization #DigitalTransformation #HealthForAll

As vaccine-preventable diseases continue to rise in the United States, we are presented with an opportunity to increase transparency and build trust among those who are hesitant to get vaccinated. Research has shown that when presented with credible information and visible evidence, confidence in vaccines grows.

This is why strong systems and trusted partnerships are so important. The Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI), a program of The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., works alongside health leaders around the world to strengthen vaccination programs and ensure that life-saving innovations reach people safely and efficiently.

When we lead with evidence and come together, we create a healthier world for all. Read more of what PIVI's Dr. Joe Bresee has to say in this recently published op-ed: https://bit.ly/4sGx4hH

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀.

Many graduate students weaken their thesis by confusing 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 with 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆—yet the two serve fundamentally different academic purposes.

𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 is initiated to solve an 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 It focuses on 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, often within the 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, where researchers may also 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 in the research process. This approach is practical, intervention-based, and solution-oriented.

𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆, by contrast, involves 𝗶𝗻-𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 of a 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. It emphasizes 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, is 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀, and 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. Researchers typically 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 in the research setting.

Misunderstanding this distinction leads to flawed methodology, weak research design, and inconsistent findings—common issues in rejected proposals.

📲 If you need thesis help, WhatsApp DocAdeson on: +14243487554

♻️ find this useful? follow + like + repost + comment.

#DrAdeson
#AcademicResearch
#ResearchMatters
#ResearchCommunity
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#PhDLife
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Great quote from our latest episode — new one drops tomorrow morning!

https://lnkd.in/gaPhAndN

I recently participated in the "Sustaining the Gains in Childhood Vaccination" meeting with state and local immunization managers hosted by the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins BSPH.

There, we discussed the many challenges local immunization managers are currently facing and proposed practical, actionable solutions.

While at the meeting, I also had the opportunity to highlight the work of Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)'s Vaccine Integrity Project, whose staff are conducting independent evidence reviews of several key vaccines.

Thank you to the staff at IVAC for hosting this important discussion and giving me the opportunity to showcase the Project's work.

More information about the Project can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eGmYwQVq

Another from #philipmcmillan that LinkedIn should have removed.

Kenya is projected to save about Ksh4 billion (USD 30milliom) in healthcare costs through continued rotavirus vaccination, according to findings reported by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the One Health Trust.

The analysis shows that the rotavirus vaccine is not only protecting children from severe diarrhoeal disease but also significantly reducing hospital admissions and the overall financial burden on the health system.

Experts explain that by preventing thousands of cases that would otherwise require treatment, the country is easing pressure on hospitals while freeing up resources for other critical health needs.

The findings also suggest that sustained immunisation efforts could continue to deliver long-term economic and public health benefits, especially for young children who are most vulnerable to rotavirus infections.

Journée internationale du fact-checking : face aux infox, les faits comptent.


ℹ️ Les manipulations de l’information se diffusent aujourd’hui à grande vitesse. Elles fragilisent les sociétés, alimentent les tensions et s’inscrivent dans une véritable guerre informationnelle, où la bataille se joue aussi dans le champ des perceptions.


Face à cette réalité, la France agit.


À travers son opérateur CFI, agence française de développement médias par exemple, le ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères soutient celles et ceux qui, partout dans le monde, vérifient les faits et déconstruisent les infox.


🌐 En 2025, l’accompagnement de 25 000 personnes dans le cadre de projets de CFI a permis de soutenir des réseaux de vérification qui rassemblent aujourd’hui plus de 300 fact-checkers dans 14 pays.


Cette action s’inscrit dans la durée : former, relier, structurer des écosystèmes capables de faire face aux manipulations de l’information.


💡 Elle s’appuie aussi sur le développement d’outils innovants.


🔎 Parmi eux, askVera, une solution française gratuite d’intelligence artificielle, permet de vérifier plus facilement la fiabilité d’une information. Déployée notamment en Afrique francophone, elle est déjà utilisée pour répondre aux enjeux de vérification au quotidien.


Soutenir le fact-checking, c’est renforcer la capacité de chacun à s’informer librement et de manière éclairée.

Building Vaccine Confidence: Effective Communication Strategies for Health Workers

The document is a World Health Organization training module designed to help health workers effectively communicate about vaccination with caregivers and patients. It emphasizes the importance of building vaccine confidence, defined as trust in vaccines, health systems, and health workers. The module highlights that health workers play a critical role in influencing vaccination decisions and must be well-informed and confident themselves.

It explains how perceptions of risks and benefits shape vaccination decisions, noting that vaccines are generally safe and highly effective, while serious adverse reactions are rare. Clear communication about both disease risks and vaccine benefits is essential.

The module introduces a three-step conversation approach: presume vaccination, identify patient perceptions, and respond appropriately. It encourages the use of motivational interviewing techniques, such as asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and providing tailored information. Overall, the goal is to foster trust, address concerns, and guide individuals toward informed vaccination decisions.

#VaccineConfidence #PublicHealth #HealthcareWorkers #Immunization #HealthCommunication #PatientCare #GlobalHealth #WHO #PreventiveCare

World Health Organization Centers for Disease Control and Prevention NextGen Antimicrobial Stewards Initiative

Measles outbreak in Bangladesh has escalated rapidly, raising serious concern among health experts as infections continue to climb sharply this year compared to 2025.

Health authorities report that at least 38 children have died, with warnings that the number could rise further if the outbreak is not brought under control. Hospitals are also reporting a growing number of cases within a short period, putting added pressure on the healthcare system.

Experts say the surge is being driven by delays in routine vaccination and gaps in immunization coverage, with nearly 500,000 children still missing full protection. Because measles is extremely contagious and requires about 95% vaccination coverage to prevent spread, even small disruptions can quickly lead to large outbreaks.

The situation reflects a wider global concern, as several countries including the U.K and U.S are now seeing a resurgence of measles following setbacks in vaccination programs in recent years.

Une fake new est en train de prendre de l'ampleur dans les milieux antivax et complotistes :

Suite à une plainte du mouvement complotiste coronasceptique Massvoll!, Swissmedic aurait confirmé que les vaccins covid ne protègent pas les autres en infligeant une amende aux groupes chaînes de pharmacie de Galenica et Coop Vitality qui ont utilisé le slogan "protégez-vous et les autres" durant la campagne de vaccination contre le covid, selon la Weltwoche du 2 avril 2026. Je cite ce journal (orienté fake news) :

"Swissmedic confirme: la vaccination contre le Covid ne protège pas « les autres » – et inflige des amendes à des chaînes de pharmacies qui prétendaient le contraire pour publicité médicamenteuse trompeuse"

Or, cela est très certainement faux (en attendant les réponses de Swissmedic au journaliste de Bluewin), car il s'agirait plutôt d'une amende pour non-respect de la législation de la publicité. En effet, sur le site de Swissmedic, on trouve :

"En outre, conformément à l’art. 5, al. 1 OPuM et à l’art. 16, al. 1 OPuM, toutes les indications figurant dans la publicité doivent être conformes à la dernière information sur le médicament approuvée par Swissmedic ; les indications et les possibilités d’emploi non autorisées par Swissmedic (utilisation dite « off-label » ou hors indication) d’un médicament ne doivent pas faire l’objet de publicité." (source : https://lnkd.in/epfRdVQy)

Donc le même slogan "protégez-vous et les autres" serait aussi illicite pour le vaccin contre la rougeole alors que l'on sait avec certitude qu'il réduit drastiquement la transmission, mais cela ne figure pas dans la notice ni dans l'information professionnelle approuvée par Swissmedic (sur SwissmedicInfo).

Il s'agit en outre d'un cas typique du biais de confirmation, très répandu dans les milieux antivax et complotiste : seules les informations qui répondent à nos attentes sont retenues, et interprétées de manière à ce qu'elles y répondent.

Et pendant ce temps Boiron peut continuer de faire de la publicité pour ses granules de sucre Oscillococcinum en disant qu'elles protègent du virus de la grippe, car Swissmedic, contre toutes les évidences scientifiques, a validé cette fake new dans la notice.

L'article de Bluewin sur l'amende aux chaînes de pharmacies (et qui ne creuse malheureusement pas du tout le sujet) :
https://lnkd.in/eGNGUKjt

Many thanks President Julius Maada Bio for highlighting how the #GaviLeap reform will accelerate Sierra Leone’s goals to further boost immunisation coverage, protect children against deadly diseases and strengthen health systems. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance looks forward to supporting your journey to self reliance.

Can Everything that Counts be Counted?

We've gotten very good at counting things in global health. Doses delivered. People reached. Percentage coverage. These numbers matter — but they're not the same as understanding.

Most M&E frameworks I encounter are fundamentally counting frameworks. They tell us whether something happened. Rarely do they tell us why.

This matters more than we tend to acknowledge. When a vaccination campaign succeeds, we celebrate the coverage numbers. But without understanding the mechanism — what shifted in people's motivation, their confidence, their sense that vaccination was easy and socially approved — we can't reliably replicate that success. We got lucky, or we got good, and we can't tell the difference.

The Fogg Behavior Model offers one useful lens here: behavior happens when motivation, ability, and a prompt align. If your M&E isn't measuring those intermediate steps, you're testing whether a key opened a lock — without learning anything about how the key works.

In my own work evaluating HPV vaccination campaigns in Nigeria and Bangladesh, the most important finding wasn't the vaccination rate. It was why the rate changed — through shifts in caregiver motivation and perceived ability, not through increases in factual knowledge. That distinction has direct implications for how you design the next campaign.

Global health has a replication problem. Part of the reason is that we invest in doing, and in counting what we've done — but not in understanding. Until we treat behavioral mechanisms as core M&E outputs, not optional research add-ons, we'll keep rebuilding the wheel.

What counts isn't always what can be counted. And what can be counted isn't always what counts.

#GlobalHealth #BehavioralScience #MandE #VaccineUptake #HPV #BehavioralInsights #PublicHealth #EvidenceBasedPolicy #ImplementationScience #HealthCommunication

The World Economic Forum and the United Nations both ranked false and misleading information as top-tier global risks. The combination of rapid dissemination of poor quality information through social and digital media, amplified by the power of generative AI and the erosion of trust in public health agencies are reshaping the global health landscape.

In a new opinion piece, Scott C. Ratzan MD, Carolina Batista MD and Lawrence Gostin, chairs of the Nature Medicine Commission on Quality of Health Information for All, argue that quality health information is a fundamental determinant of health.

They define quality health information as “scientifically sound, accessible, clear, understandable and essential for appropriate decision-making that improves health.”

Quality health information shapes health and well-being in profound ways: in clinical settings, health behaviors, scientific innovation and broader socio-economic, commercial and political contexts.  It is vital to understand the power of information and the urgency of developing effective tools to improve the health information environment.

Read now in Nature Medicine (link 👇)

#healthliteracy #globalhealth #qualityofinformation #misinformation #genAI

A story told with Adobe Spark

Go beyond basic vaccinology and learn how vaccines are evaluated in the real world. Join LSHTM’s Epidemiological Evaluation of Vaccines short course to explore methods for assessing vaccine efficacy, safety and policy across global settings.

A study finds that vaccine-hesitant older adults are more willing to accept hypothetical COVID shots when they are described as preserving their freedom and autonomy rather than as complying with government recommendations.

https://lnkd.in/e6ta7DiF

With Parthasarathy Krishnamurthy and Ye Hu of University of Houston, Jess Steier of Unbiased Science, Elisabeth Marnik of the Evidence Collective, David Higgins, MD, MPH of University of Colorado Anschutz.

Before vaccines, death and disability stalked children.

Then shots turned once-common infections into something doctors only read about in textbooks.

But when immunization rates drop, plagues from the past can come roaring back, as measles has in American communities where parents decided not to vaccinate their children.

Imagine what would happen if even the people who wanted shots couldn’t get them.

Stanford epidemiologists Mathew Kiang and Nathan Lo modeled that scenario. We used their findings to illustrate what a future without vaccines could look like.

Read the full story: https://propub.li/41EbQVD

(Illustrations by Daniel Zender for ProPublica)

13 % de mortalité en moins.

Et si ce n’était que le début ?

On parle souvent du vaccin antipaludique comme d’une innovation.

Mais une innovation ne vaut que par son impact.

Quatre ans après son introduction dans les pays pilotes (Ghana, Kenya, Malawi), les données montrent :

✔️ 13 % de réduction de la mortalité

✔️ 22 % de réduction des hospitalisations pour paludisme grave
(Source : évaluation phase pilote du vaccin antipaludique)

🔆 13 %.
 
Ce chiffre peut sembler modeste.
 
Mais en santé publique, 13 % signifie :
 
– des milliers d’enfants qui rentrent à la maison
– des hospitalisations évitées
– des systèmes de santé moins saturés

Comme on le dit souvent :
“Une petite brèche peut sauver un village entier.”

La vraie question n’est pas :
Le vaccin fonctionne-t-il ?
Les données répondent déjà.

La vraie question est :
 
Sommes-nous capables d’atteindre une couverture suffisante pour amplifier cet impact ?
 
Parce qu’un vaccin introduit ne sauve pas des vies.

Un vaccin complété, oui.

Et c’est là que commence le vrai défi.


#VaccinAntiPaludique
#MortalitéInfantileRéduite

The agency’s 2023 decision to place 19 peptides on the “unsafe” list was supported by numerous documented safety concerns, former officials said. Even though demand for peptide therapies has exploded since then, there’s been little new science.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government launches a child vaccination portal for families 🧒💉
For Tokyo families, timely vaccine information can help prevent severe illness.
As of March 27, parents can check routine vaccinations by age and local subsidy information in one place.

[My take] (context, not an official view):
Vaccines help the body build immunity, and since Edward Jenner’s 1796 smallpox work, they have spread worldwide. They helped bring diseases such as rabies, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, tuberculosis, and polio under control, and smallpox was ultimately eradicated. Vaccine hesitancy has existed since Jenner’s time and still survives in new forms online.
Appropriate vaccination remains important for protecting children, adults, and communities through herd immunity.
This is a reminder that trusted public communication matters as much as funding.

[Press Release Summary]
TMG launched a child vaccination portal with practical guidance for families.
The site organizes routine vaccines by age and explains their purpose.
It includes local subsidy information provided through wards and municipalities.
Parents and family members can use it for eligible children.
Coverage starts at two months, and the portal opened March 27, 2026.

What about your city?
Does it offer one clear vaccine portal for families?
Pick one: yes / partly / no — and how does it compare with Tokyo’s approach?
Share one practice your city uses to improve vaccine awareness and access.

Source: https://lnkd.in/ehb87Ztf (The source is in Japanese—use the language selector in the top-right.)

Follow for Tokyo policy & city innovation updates in English (1-minute summaries + context + source links).
#Tokyo #PublicHealth #UrbanInnovation #PublicPolicy #CityLeadership

Shame on the osteopathic accreditation council and those medical schools that have caved into bullying from Trump and Kennedy.

It won't be long before this administration is relegated to the dustbin of history and then what, will these schools reinstate DEI policies?

Is medical education now going to dictated to by politicians who want to impose their political views?

🚨 New publication 🚨 Economic evaluation of national immunization program vaccines in China: a systematic review

A new systematic review led by Harbin Medical University and China National Health Development Research Center analyses 41 studies on vaccines in China’s national immunization program.

The takeaway: vaccines are not just life-saving—they are consistently highly cost-effective investments.

What stands out:
📊 Every study confirms vaccines are cost-effective vs no vaccination
💰 Some vaccines (like hepatitis B) show exceptionally high economic returns
🌍 Strong value across multiple vaccines and settings
⚠️ Significant variation in methods highlights the need for better standardisation
📉 GDP-based thresholds may not reflect real-world resource trade-offs

Read more here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCBSBRxP

Authors: Jiannan Sun, Xu Jin, Haofei Li, Lan Zhou, Ling Jie Cheng, Runhong Li, Jiaxuan Shi, Yiyin Cao, Jinmei Li, Xiuzhi Cai, Tiemin Zhai, Weidong Huang