Cervical cancer prevention efforts in Africa are facing a gap linked to a strain not covered by existing vaccines.

Recent findings show that HPV 35 strain is more common in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions. While it accounts for about 2% of cervical cancer cases globally, studies indicate it is present in between 20% and 30% of invasive cervical cancer cases in some African countries.

Current HPV vaccines target several high-risk strains of the virus, including types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cases worldwide. However, HPV 35 is not included in these vaccine formulations.

The findings were discussed at a high-level “Cervical Cancer-Free Future” meeting convened by the CeHDI - Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion with the United Nations in Geneva, bringing together ambassadors from Barbados, Germany, Guyana and Malawi.

Health data also shows that cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in low- and middle-income countries, with the highest burden in Africa. Global estimates indicate that hundreds of thousands of women die from the disease each year, most of them in developing regions.

Researchers and global health agencies are continuing to study the distribution of HPV genotypes across regions. Ongoing work is also looking at the development of broader vaccines that could cover additional strains.

At the same time, countries are scaling up cervical cancer prevention through HPV vaccination, screening, and early treatment programmes, in line with global targets set by the World Health Organization.

I’m pleased to share our latest publication *** https://lnkd.in/dbETnSVB *** in journal of Conflict and Health, for your academic and/or policy reference. Using qualitative insights, the study examines how trust, resilience, social norms and vaccination attitudes shape child health outcomes (vaccination) in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

KEY FINDINGS - the study highlights several interconnected factors:
•       Misinformation and rumours, including fears that vaccines cause infertility continue to fuel vaccine hesitancy. 
·      Historical mistrust of government programmes, reinforced by events such as the 2003 polio vaccine boycott, still affects community perceptions of immunisation. 
·      Gender dynamics play a critical role: men often act as household decision-makers, while women frequently need permission to access healthcare services for themselves or their children. 
·      Conflict-related insecurity and poverty limit caregivers’ mobility and ability to access healthcare. 
·      Despite these challenges, community resilience and local support networks help caregivers navigate barriers to accessing care.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
✔ Improving vaccination uptake in fragile settings requires addressing trust, misinformation, and social norms, not just vaccine availability.
✔ Engaging fathers, community leaders, and religious figures is essential in contexts where household decision-making is strongly gendered. 
✔ Community-based awareness campaigns and trusted communication channels can play a powerful role in rebuilding confidence in healthcare systems.
✔ Strengthening health system resilience in conflict-affected areas is critical to protecting child health.

#GlobalHealth #Vaccination #Immunization #ChildHealth #Fragile #Conflict #VaccineHesitancy #HealthPolicy #SubSaharanAfrica #HealthEquity #Misinformation #HealthResearch

German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA) Universität Erfurt
World Health Organization Africa CDC National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA)

🗣🗣🗣Most HPV campaigns are failing and not because people don’t care

They’re failing because we’re communicating it the wrong way

When we talk about Human Papillomavirus the message is often reduced to “it is sexually transmitted” or “it causes Cervical Cancer”

✍️But here’s the reality: fear and stigma don’t drive action they drive silence

⚠️In many of our communities, especially across Ghana, these narratives unintentionally delay screening, reduce vaccine uptake, and keep conversations hidden

🔍 Key Insight:
People don’t act on what they don’t fully understand—or what they feel ashamed to discuss

💡 A Shift That Works:
Instead of fear-based messaging, we should:
✔️ Reframe HPV as a common, preventable virus—not a moral issue
✔️ Simplify education into a clear progression model (infection → persistence → disease)
✔️ Use peer-led conversations in trusted spaces (markets, salons, churches)
✔️ Integrate HPV education into routine NCD and maternal health services
✔️ Highlight lesser-known risks like oral HPV-related cancers to engage men
✔️ Focus on protecting the next generation through vaccination

📌 Most importantly, we must normalize the conversation:
HPV prevention should feel as routine as checking blood pressure

As health professionals, communicators and policymakers our role is not just to inform but to design messages people can accept, relate to, and act on

Let’s move from awareness to meaningful behavior change.


#PublicHealth #HealthCommunication #HPV #CervicalCancer #NCDs #PreventiveHealth #GhanaHealth #HealthPromotion

Community Pharmacists Can Bridge the Digital-Physical Divide

In our recently published study in Vaccines (2026), we asked a simple but important question: can community pharmacists do more than dispense medicines? Can they serve as trusted local influencers who drive behavior change?

The answer, at least in the context of HPV vaccination in Nigeria, appears to be a resounding yes.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱
Our behavioral insights–informed campaign trained pharmacists not just to counsel caregivers in person, but to actively engage with their communities on Facebook and Instagram — sharing accurate information about HPV vaccination, addressing concerns, and normalizing vaccine uptake.
Pharmacies also displayed branded materials that visually connected the in-person experience to the digital campaign. The theory of change was built around pharmacists as influencers operating across both the digital and physical worlds simultaneously.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱
At endline, approximately 55% of caregivers in treatment areas reported having seen or heard a pharmacist talking about the HPV vaccine on Facebook or Instagram in the previous three months. And the data tell a striking story about what that exposure meant for vaccination:
✅ Among caregivers NOT exposed to pharmacists on social media: only 33.3% had vaccinated their daughter
✅ Among caregivers who WERE exposed to pharmacists on social media: 78.3% had vaccinated their daughter
That is a 45-percentage-point difference — one of the strongest associations in the entire study.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
Pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare touchpoint in communities across sub-Saharan Africa. This study suggests that when they are equipped to bridge the digital and physical divide — reinforcing online messages in person and amplifying in-person trust online — they can play a powerful role in driving vaccine uptake.

Of course, the study design cannot fully isolate the pharmacist effect from the broader social media campaign. But the consistency of findings across vaccination, motivation, and ability outcomes points to a meaningful contribution.

As countries across the region transition from school-based HPV vaccination campaigns to routine immunization, community pharmacists may be one of our most underutilized assets.

📄 Full paper: https://lnkd.in/gpcHYiim

#HPVVaccination #CervicalCancerPrevention #BehavioralInsights #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #Nigeria #DigitalHealth #VaccineUptake #CommunityHealth #Pharmacists #SocialMedia #RoutineImmunization #LMICs #VaxSocial

Register today for AI in Health Communication: Research, Tools, and Ethical Opportunities for Communicators.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how health information is created, tested, and
delivered. This 1‑hour webinar will provide health communicators with timely updates, practical tools, and emerging opportunities for integrating AI responsibly into research, campaigns, and practice. This webinar is designed for researchers, practitioners, and students and will equip attendees with actionable insights and a clearer understanding of how AI is shaping the future of health communication.
For more info and to register: https://ow.ly/KjUk50YyWB9

Thanks to U.S. leadership in vaccine innovation, we have delivered some of the greatest health victories in history. Here are just a few:

1. Introduction of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth has decreased cases of hepatitis B in children and teens by 99%.
2. Widespread vaccination has fully eradicated smallpox.
3. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles, which is one of the most contagious infectious diseases.

https://lnkd.in/ebyVKaJ8

Sensible à l’idée que la pandémie n’est qu’un vaste complot et que les colorants alimentaires pourraient guérir le cancer, l’élue Les Républicains du Bas-Rhin invite régulièrement charlatans et chantres de l’ésotérisme au Sénat. Le président de groupe a été saisi.

[Dr. Bhattacharya] has delayed publication of a CDC report showing the covid-19 vaccinecut the likelihood of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to two scientists familiar with the decision. The scientists spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
The move has raised concerns among current and former officials that information about the vaccine’s benefits are being downplayed because they conflict with the views of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been an outspoken critic of the shots.
The delay, which has not been previously reported, offers a window into how vaccine policy is being shaped behind the scenes, even as the Trump administration has sought to soften its public posture on controversial actions ahead of the midterm elections.
The report had been scheduled for publication March 19 in the CDC’s flagship scientific journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the scientists said.
Between September and December last year, healthy adults who received the vaccine reduced their likelihood of emergency department and urgent care visits by 50 percent and cut the likelihood of covid-associated hospitalizations by 55 percent, compared with those not receiving a 2025-2026 vaccine dose, according to a summary of the report obtained by The Washington Post.
The report had cleared the agency’s scientific-review process, the scientists said, but now it has been delayed by acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya over concerns about the methodology, the scientists said. The same methodology has long been used by the CDC to evaluate vaccine effectiveness for respiratory viruses, including influenza. A report about flu vaccine effectiveness this past winter — using the same methodology — was published in the MMWR a week earlier."
https://lnkd.in/gUdq9xeX

[VEILLE] 🗯️ "𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐞́𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞.... "
L'abondance de sources est-elle en train de noyer à son tour la crédibilité des informations transmises ?
C'est en question dans cet article fort bien documenté et sourcé de La Revue des médias
Merci Radidja Cieslak ✍️

#veille #source #desinformation #infobésité #IA #outil


https://lnkd.in/eq_6czyW

Vaccines: Types, Safety, and Why Public Trust Matters

Vaccination remains one of the most powerful achievements in modern medicine.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines prevent millions of deaths every year and have dramatically reduced diseases such as polio, measles, and diphtheria.

But despite their success, vaccines are still surrounded by questions, concerns, and sometimes misconceptions.

Types of Vaccines
The main types include:
• Live attenuated vaccines
These contain weakened forms of the pathogen that cannot cause disease in healthy individuals but stimulate a strong immune response.

Examples include measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines.

• Inactivated vaccines
These contain pathogens that have been killed. They cannot replicate but still trigger immune protection.
Examples include the inactivated polio vaccine.

• Subunit, recombinant, or conjugate vaccines
These use specific pieces of the pathogen, such as proteins or sugars, rather than the whole organism.
This approach improves safety while maintaining effectiveness.
Examples include hepatitis B and HPV vaccines.

• mRNA vaccines
A newer technology that uses messenger RNA to instruct cells to produce a harmless piece of the pathogen, prompting the immune system to respond.
Examples include some COVID-19 vaccines.

Common Side Effects
vaccines may cause side effects. However, scientific evidence consistently shows that most vaccine side effects are mild and temporary.
The most commonly reported effects include:
• Pain or swelling at the injection site
• Mild fever
• Fatigue or headache
• Muscle aches
These symptoms usually resolve within a few days and are actually a sign that the immune system is responding.
Serious adverse events are extremely rare, and vaccine safety is continuously monitored through global surveillance systems such as those run by WHO and the CDC.
Public Perception of Vaccines
Public attitudes toward vaccines vary across different communities and cultures.
Scientific studies show that vaccine hesitancy is often driven by misinformation, lack of trust in institutions, or fear of potential risks.
Research published in journals such as The Lancet highlights that transparent communication, strong healthcare systems, and accessible scientific information are key factors in improving vaccine acceptance.

As healthcare professionals, our role is not only to understand vaccines scientifically but also to communicate evidence clearly and responsibly.

Final Thoughts
Vaccines are not just individual protection; they are a collective shield that protects entire communities through herd immunity.

Maintaining public confidence in vaccination programs requires ongoing research, transparency, and effective science communication.

Understanding vaccines is the first step toward protecting global health.

Sources
WHO
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The Lancet – Vaccine confidence research
Nature Reviews Immunology –Vaccine technologies

#HPV Medical and Scientific: Vax can protect men.

“New international research from Japan suggests HPV vaccines benefit men as well as women, finding that vaccinated men have a lower risk of several HPV-related cancers, including oesophageal, head and neck, anal, and penile cancers, based on a large study comparing over 615,000 vaccinated men with nearly 2.3 million unvaccinated men. The findings support calls for vaccination programs to target both sexes, rather than focusing primarily on women.” Cancer Council. Cancer in the News.

Herald Sun, 10/04/2026, Page 10; The Mercury, 10/04/2026, Page 7; The Daily Telegraph, 10/04/2026, Page 19.

#HPV #HPVVaccine

Anti-vaccine influencers often claim that vaccines don’t work and haven’t saved millions of lives, despite all evidence to the contrary. Let's take a look at the Hib vaccines.

Cervical Cancer Awareness: How Science and Prevention are Saving Lives

Cervical cancer is one of the few conditions that we actually have the power to stop before it even starts. Yet, there is still so much confusion about how it happens and why prevention is so effective. It’s not just a medical topic—it’s a conversation every young woman should be part of.

This guide breaks down the journey from a simple virus to a life-saving shield.
Here is the scientific reality behind the protection:

1) The Invisible Trigger:
Most cervical cancers are caused by certain high-risk strains of HPV (like 16 and 18). These viruses don't just stay on the surface; they can enter the DNA of our cells, changing how those cells grow and divide.

2) A Window of Opportunity:
The progression from an HPV infection to cancer isn't instant. It usually takes years. This timeline is actually our greatest advantage—it gives us a massive window for regular screening and early detection to catch changes before they become dangerous.

3) The Molecular Shield:
Think of the HPV vaccine as a training manual for your immune system. It uses harmless "Virus-Like Particles" to teach your body how to create specialized antibodies. These antibodies act like a molecular shield, blocking the virus from ever gaining a foothold in your system.

Science has given us an incredible tool in the form of vaccination and regular screenings. It’s all about taking that proactive step for a healthier, worry-free future.

I’m curious to hear from others in the health and science space—how do you start this conversation with your friends or family? Let’s share ideas below.

#CervicalCancerAwareness #HPVVaccine #WomensHealth #PreventiveHealthcare #Biotechnology #ScienceCommunication #Physiology #Immunology #PublicHealth #Diagnostics #MedicalScience #HealthAwareness

“The value of adult respiratory vaccination in prevention and non-communicable disease (NCD) Management” is explored in a new position statement developed by a global expert advisory panel and endorsed by International Federation of Ageing (IFA), International Longevity Centre (ILC) UK, and FIP.

The statement highlights the growing burden of vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases in ageing populations and the important role of adult immunisation in reducing disease impact and delivering wider socioeconomic benefits. It also outlines key policy recommendations
to strengthen integrated approaches to vaccination against influenza, COVID-19, pneumococcal disease and RSV.

The statement references FIP’s Global pharmacy-based vaccination policy framework report (https://lnkd.in/d9aE-J6p), reinforcing the role of pharmacists in expanding access to immunisation.

This work builds on discussions from the recent FIP Global Vaccination Summit hosted
during March in The Hague, which explored how pharmacy-based vaccination can support ageing populations and address the growing burden of NCDs. 🔗 Learn more and access
the statement here: https://lnkd.in/eiQmNuxi

Post à sauvegarder par les profs, les marketers, les journalistes...

J'ai pioché les nombres d'utilisateurs mensuels actifs des réseaux sociaux en 🇫🇷 France dans les dernières déclarations de transparence des principales plateformes (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, X et Snapchat).

Ces déclarations officielles leur sont imposées dans le cadre du Digital Services Act (DSA), un règlement européen qui encadre l'activité des géants du numérique.

Les chiffres clés que j'ai recensés dans le document ci-dessous portent sur la période juillet-décembre 2025. Et ils sont tous exprimés en "Average Monthly Active Recipients" (AMAR)

Le fait que YouTube, par exemple, revendique 84,1 millions de destinataires actifs alors que le pays compte 69 millions d'habitants (incluant les nourrissons) démontre que l'indicateur AMAR ne mesure pas des "personnes physiques résidentes" au sens classique, mais des "unités de réception de service".

Le concept d'AMAR diverge radicalement de celui de "Monthly Active Users" (MAU) utilisé par les départements marketing ou les investisseurs boursiers.

La disparité entre les chiffres officiels du DSA et les données de marché s'explique par la définition juridique de l'"engagement".

Le DSA définit le destinataire actif d'une plateforme en ligne comme toute personne ayant "engagé" avec le service, soit en demandant l'hébergement d'informations, soit en étant exposé aux informations hébergées et diffusées par son interface... Y compris de manière passive (visionner une vidéo, écouter un fichier audio ou lire un texte), et sans nécessité de posséder un compte ou de s'identifier.

💉 Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health measures—yet barriers to access persist across Europe. The Overcoming Obstacles to Vaccination project has now concluded, offering insights to support EU Member States in addressing these challenges and improving vaccination coverage.

📊 Over three years (2022–2025), the EU4Health-funded initiative brought together a consortium including Kantar Public, EHMA, ifok GmbH, EUREGHA - European Regional and Local Health Authorities, and the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP). In collaboration with national and regional health authorities in all 27 EU Member States, the project examined physical, practical, and administrative barriers to vaccination.

🔍 The work combined:
– A comprehensive mapping of vaccination services across the EU
– Large-scale surveys of citizens and healthcare professionals
– Identification and analysis of practices from Member States
– Study visits and peer learning exchanges
– Pilot implementation of selected practices to assess impact and transferability

📈 Findings highlight the importance of improving access and convenience, strengthening outreach and communication, simplifying administrative pathways, and supporting healthcare professionals in their role as trusted sources of information.

🤝 EHMA contributed across all project activities, including engagement with health authorities, mapping of vaccination services, and the collection and piloting of practices.

📄 The final reports and materials are now available:
– Executive summary: https://lnkd.in/dWF2TYuE
– Final report: https://lnkd.in/d4DTMZ2B
– Annex and project materials: https://lnkd.in/dj-Zu7RF

🌍 The results provide evidence to inform future policy and programme development, supporting more accessible and effective vaccination systems across the European Union.

#EU4Health #Vaccination #PublicHealth #HealthPolicy #Prevention #HealthSystems #EUHealth #DGsante #HealthEquity #Immunisation

Vaccination UK Ltd Vaccines Europe European Vaccines Hub

A new multinational study of 99 million people is being used to claim that COVID-19 vaccines are "dangerous." But what does the data actually say?

Our latest fact check breaks down the GVDN study (PMID: 38350768) to explain the critical difference between relative risk and absolute risk.

While rare side effects were confirmed, the "600% increase" headlines often miss the bigger picture: absolute risk remains extremely low compared to the risks of a COVID-19 infection.

  🔍 Read the full breakdown: https://lnkd.in/eEz76WYw

  #PublicHealth #FactCheck #DataScience #COVID19 #VaccineSafety | 13 comments on LinkedIn

🔷Profil de sécurité confirmé.

🔹Après 5 ans de suivi renforcé et 160 millions de doses administrées en France, l'ANSM ferme l'enquête nationale spécifique dédiée aux vaccins Comirnaty et Spikevax contre la Covid-19.

🔹La surveillance ne s'arrête pas pour autant.
Elle repose désormais sur la remontée des cas par les centres régionaux, les CRPV, et sur l'analyse collégiale du Comité scientifique permanent pour les signaux potentiels.

🔹En cas de signal validé, des mesures seront bien sûr prises en lien avec l'Agence européenne du médicament.

📌 Vous pouvez bien entendu continuer de déclarer des effets indésirables suite à cette vaccination. | 14 comments on LinkedIn

Vaccine maps for the future were once drawn around Rixensart, Lyon, and the Philadelphia suburbs. This week’s issue suggests they now need to be redrawn with Pune, Beijing, and Dakar at the center. Serum Institute’s billion-dose portfolio, China’s COVID-era scale-up, and MADIBA’s planned 300 million-dose facility in Senegal together signal a quiet but consequential inversion of scientific and commercial power. Manufacturing is no longer a secondary function of “Big Pharma North,” but an increasingly strategic asset across Asia and a growing group of LMIC producers.

As mRNA and other platform technologies make production more modular, scalable, and cost-efficient, a new wave of smaller vaccine developers in Latin America and Africa is emerging as credible competition. We invite you to read our feature article and explore the accompanying infographic for a deeper look at these shifts.

This week, we cover 14 recently published articles on current vaccine and vaccination topics.

We also examine SAGE’s risk-based guidance on COVID-19 and typhoid, alongside modelling work highlighting how urban zero-dose populations and lower respiratory infections continue to challenge optimistic narratives. In addition, recent surveillance updates from northeastern Italy highlight ongoing activity of tick-borne diseases, underscoring the continued importance of vigilance around pathogens such as TBEV in endemic regions.

If vaccine production continues to globalize while surveillance systems, equity frameworks, and core program resilience lag behind, we may soon face a paradox: a world where vaccines are manufactured everywhere yet still fail to reach those who need them most.

Enjoy the reading!

We recently made a small change at our house—we moved our recycling trash can. In the new location it worked better to keep the lid open. Why does this matter? I find myself throwing more things into it. It was a very small change in the scheme of things, but having the lid open made enough of a difference that it changed my behavior.

So, why am I sharing this with all of you on Linkedin? Because it made me think about vaccines. For years, only about 1% of kids have received zero vaccines by 2 years of age, so we know most parents support vaccines. Yet, individual vaccine coverage rates are below 99%. We know some of these gaps are due to barriers to vaccination rather than opinions about vaccinations: lack of consistent healthcare, concerns about costs, missed opportunities during visits, appointment times that conflict with work or school schedules, etc.

The small change in our recycling bin—storing it with the lid open—improved my use. Are there small changes that have little or nothing to do with vaccine safety concerns that we can be instituting to improve vaccine coverage, particularly during these turbulent times? Ideas? Experiences? Please share!

CLIMATE CHANGE AND VACCINATION.

In the 21st issue of Vaccines Beat, our Editor’s Corner explores “The Impact of Climate Change on Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Potential of Vaccination as a Mitigation Tool,” examining how shifting ecosystems, vector expansion, and changing transmission patterns are reshaping global disease burden, and highlighting vaccination as a critical, yet underutilized, strategy to mitigate these emerging threats.

Subscribe for free!

Vaccines Beat
Americas Health Foundation

#climatechange
#vaccines

https://lnkd.in/gub3aDv4

Global measles cases are rising again as vaccination gaps widen, triggering outbreaks across multiple regions. Health experts warn that even small declines in immunisation can lead to the rapid spread of this highly contagious disease. Authorities are now scaling up vaccination drives and surveillance to contain the surge and prevent further complications, especially among children.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/gGXSqDvi

#Measles #Vaccination #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #InfectiousDiseases

"What is even more shameful though, is that in addition to minimizing all of these deaths, Polly Tommey and Suzanne Humphries actually seems to be blaming the deaths on the Israeli doctors taking care of these children and not simply on the fact that they have a life-threatening disease.
They actually think that the patients might have been turned away from hospitals because they were unvaccinated or could have been given a measles vaccination, even though they already had measles.

What else?

For some reason, Suzanne Humphries brings Alexander Langmuir into this, cherry-picking a quote that she thinks helps her, but leaving out that he was very much in favor of measles vaccines!

...
Suzanne Humphries even pushes the idea that having measles has benefits…

It doesn’t.

What it does, if you survive, is cause a kind of immune amnesia though!

...

She blames everything for these deaths except the simple fact that measles can be deadly if you are not vaccinated!

It’s no coincidence!"