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Two Pharm.D. Students Had A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity To Reconstitute..., Silverman College Of Pharmacy

Archived News and Events

On the first day the COVID-19 vaccine became available, two third-year students, Ashley Dabalsa (’22) and Laura Perez-Gutierrez (’22) had an experience of a lifetime - they were involved in reconstituting for administration the COVID-19 vaccine at Memorial Healthcare System (MHS), which was the first institution that started providing the vaccines today in South Florida.

Conversational Ontology Operator: Patient-Centric Vaccine Dialogue Management Engine For Spoken Conversational Agents, Muhammad Amith, Rebecca Z Lin, Licong Cui, Dennis Wang, Anna Zhu, Grace Xiong, Hua Xu, Kirk Roberts, Cui Tao

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Previously, we introduced our Patient Health Information Dialogue Ontology (PHIDO) that manages the dialogue and contextual information of the session between an agent and a health consumer. In this study, we take the next step and introduce the Conversational Ontology Operator (COO), the software engine harnessing PHIDO. We also developed a question-answering subsystem called Frankenstein Ontology Question-Answering for User-centric Systems (FOQUS) to support the dialogue interaction.

METHODS: We tested both the dialogue engine and the question-answering system using application-based competency questions and questions furnished from our previous Wizard of OZ simulation trials.

RESULTS: Our results revealed that the dialogue …

Less Worthy Lives? We Must Prioritize People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In Covid-19 Vaccine Allocation, Scott D. Landes, Margaret A. Turk, Katherine E. Mcdonald, Maya Sabatello

Population Health Research Brief Series

Individuals with developmental and intellectual disability should prioritized during COVID-19 vaccination allocation.

Dimensions Of Misinformation About The Hpv Vaccine On Instagram: Content And Network Analysis Of Social Media Characteristics., Philip M. Massey, Matthew D. Kearney, Michael K. Hauer, Preethi Selvan, Emmanuel Koku, Amy Leader

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a major advancement in cancer prevention and this primary prevention tool has the potential to reduce and eliminate HPV-associated cancers; however, the safety and efficacy of vaccines in general and the HPV vaccine specifically have come under attack, particularly through the spread of misinformation on social media. The popular social media platform Instagram represents a significant source of exposure to health (mis)information; 1 in 3 US adults use Instagram.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this analysis was to characterize pro- and anti-HPV vaccine networks on Instagram, and to describe misinformation within the anti-HPV vaccine …

Hpv Vaccination In Adults 18 Through 45: Reducing Missed Vaccination Opportunities In The Primary Care Setting, Ashley Hernandez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the United States and is linked to six different types of cancer cell development. Prevention of infection from this virus could save hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. An evidence-based quality improvement project was designed to increase the identification of HPV vaccination opportunities in the adult primary care setting to improve HPV vaccination rates. A protocol and patient eligibility algorithm were developed to align primary care practice with recently updated CDC guidelines. Interventions included clinic staff and provider education, designation of a vaccination champion, a flag within the patient chart to …

A Race For A Better Understanding Of Covid-19 Vaccine Non-Adopters, Zhaohui Su, Jun Wen, Jaffar Abbas, Dean Mcdonnell, Ali Cheshmehzangi, Xiaoshan Li, Junaid Ahmad, Sabina Šegalo, Daniel Maestro, Yuyang Cai

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this paper, we aim to underscore the need for a more nuanced understanding of vaccine non-adopters. As the availability of vaccines does not translate into their adoption-a phenomenon that may be more pronounced amid "Operation Warp Speed"-it is important for public health professionals to thoroughly understand their "customers" (i.e., end users of COVID-19 vaccines) to ensure satisfactory vaccination rates and to safeguard society at large.

Comparing Intervention Strategies For Reducing Clostridioides Difficile Transmission In Acute Healthcare Settings: An Agent-Based Modeling Study, Brittany Stephenson, Cristina Lanzas, Suzanne Lenhart, Eduardo Ponce, Jason Bintz, Erik R Dubberke, Judy Day

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common healthcare infections. Common strategies aiming at controlling CDI include antibiotic stewardship, environmental decontamination, and improved hand hygiene and contact precautions. Mathematical models provide a framework to evaluate control strategies. Our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of control strategies in decreasing C. difficile colonization and infection using an agent-based model in an acute healthcare setting.

METHODS: We developed an agent-based model that simulates the transmission of C. difficile in medical wards. This model explicitly incorporates healthcare workers (HCWs) as vectors of transmission, tracks individual patient antibiotic histories, incorporates varying …

Examining Parental Perceptions And Decisions To Uptake Child Influenza Immunizations: Assessing Pandemic And Policy Impacts On Vaccination Rates Following The H1n1 Pandemic, And The Acip Laiv Preferential Recommendation Revocation, Amir H. Mehrabi

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

2009 H1N1 Pandemic: The historical 2009 H1N1 Influenza pandemic, which had a CDC estimated accrued disease burden of 100.5 million illnesses, 936,000 hospitalizations, and 75,000 deaths from 2009 to 2018, resulted in a declared state of emergency nationally, with ensuing diminished vaccine confidence and amplified fears of infection, prompting some to pursue flu vaccination, and others to forego. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend an annual flu vaccine for individuals 6 months of age and older as the “first and best” defense against influenza, a low percentage …

Sudden Shoulder Swelling In An Elderly Man After The Flu Shot., Joseph Jean, Md, Elizabeth M Lee, Xiao Chi Zhang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

A 99-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with sudden left shoulder pain hours after receiving the influenza vaccine. DIAGNOSIS: Aseptic inflammatory arthritis secondary to influenza vaccination

Prevalence Of And Sociodemographic Disparities In Influenza Vaccination Among Adults With Diabetes In The United States, Priyanka Bhugra, Reed Mszar, Javier Valero-Elizond, Gowtham R. Grandhi, Salim S. Virani, Miguel Cainzos-Achirica, Farhaan S. Vahidy, Saad Omer, Khurram Nasir

Office of the Provost

National estimates describing the overall prevalence of and disparities in influenza vaccination among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in United States are not well described. Therefore, we analyzed the prevalence of influenza vaccination among adults with DM, overall and by sociodemographic characteristics, using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey database from 2008 to 2016. Associations between sociodemographic factors and lack of vaccination were examined using adjusted logistic regression. Among adults with DM, 36% lacked influenza vaccination. Independent predictors of lacking influenza vaccination included age 18 to 39 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14-3.00), Black race/ethnicity (OR 1.29; …

Parental Intent To Initiate And Complete The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Series In The Usa: A Nationwide, Cross-Sectional Survey, Kalyani Sonawane, Yenan Zhu, Jane R Montealegre, David R Lairson, Cici Bauer, Lindy U Mcgee, Anna R Giuliano, Ashish A Deshmukh

Student and Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among US adolescents is primarily dependent on the intent of their parents. to the best of our knowledge, an analysis quantifying parental intent to initiate and complete the HPV vaccine series in the USA at both the national and state level has not been done. We aim to estimate parental intent to initiate and complete the HPV vaccine series at the national-level and state-level and to identify reasons for lack of intent to initiate and complete the vaccine series.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study uses data from the adolescent component of the 2017-18 National Immunization …

Safety, Tolerability, And Immunogenicity Of Plasmodium Falciparum Sporozoite Vaccine Administered By Direct Venous Inoculation To Infants And Young Children: Findings From An Age De-Escalation, Dose-Escalation, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Study In Western Kenya, Laura C Steinhardt, Ginnie Abarbanell, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The whole Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) vaccine is being evaluated for malaria prevention. The vaccine is administered intravenously for maximal efficacy. Direct venous inoculation (DVI) with PfSPZ vaccine has been safe, tolerable, and feasible in adults, but safety data for children and infants are limited.

METHODS: We conducted an age de-escalation, dose-escalation randomized controlled trial in Siaya County, western Kenya. Children and infants (aged 5-9 years, 13-59 months, and 5-12 months) were enrolled into 13 age-dose cohorts of 12 participants and randomized 2:1 to vaccine or normal saline placebo in escalating doses: 1.35 × 105, 2.7 × 105, 4.5 …

Implementation Of Interventions To Reduce Pediatric Pain Associated With Vaccination: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Kelly Snyder

Nursing (graduate) Student Scholarship

Background: Routine vaccination is an important component of pediatric preventative care but for many children, the experience can be painful and anxiety provoking, potentially leading to a cascade of negative events. Problem: Under-recognition of the pain that children experience during vaccination leads to an under management of such pain in ambulatory care settings. Methods: The Face, Activity, Legs, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scores of a convenience sample of children ages 2 months to 7 years at a small, rural family practice clinic were evaluated throughout the vaccination process over a three-month time period. Intervention: Two evidence-based interventions - distraction techniques and …

Chimeric Ad5.F35 Vector Evades Anti-Adenovirus Serotype 5 Neutralization Opposing Gucy2c-Targeted Antitumor Immunity, John C. Flickinger, Jagmohan Singh, Robert D Carlson, Elinor Leong, Trevor R. Baybutt, Joshua Barton, Ellen M. Caparosa, Amanda M. Pattison, Jeff A. Rappaport, Jamin Roh, Tingting Zhan, Babar Bashir, Scott A Waldman, Adam E. Snook

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) is a commonly used viral vector for transient delivery of transgenes, primarily for vaccination against pathogen and tumor antigens. However, endemic infections with Ad5 produce virus-specific neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that limit transgene delivery and constrain target-directed immunity following exposure to Ad5-based vaccines. Indeed, clinical trials have revealed the limitations that virus-specific NAbs impose on the efficacy of Ad5-based vaccines. In that context, the emerging focus on immunological approaches targeting cancer self-antigens or neoepitopes underscores the unmet therapeutic need for more efficacious vaccine vectors.

METHODS: Here, we evaluated the ability of a chimeric adenoviral vector (Ad5.F35) …

Factors Associated With Influenza & Tdap Vaccine Uptake In Pregnant Patients At The Ut Family Medicine Clinic In Memphis, Rachel Woods, Alison Zhong, Madelyn Vincent

Longitudinal Scholar's Project

INTRODUCTION: Given the increased risk for infections among pregnant patients and newborns, vaccination against influenza (>50,000,000 annual US cases affecting all ages) and pertussis (>15,000 annual US cases disproportionately affecting newborns) are recommended among pregnant patients in order to protect them and their babies via passive immunity to cover a newborn’s window of vaccine ineligibility. Though flu and Tdap vaccination rates among pregnant patients have been trending upwards nationally, there is still room for improvement to achieve optimal rates.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives were to study factors that affect the vaccination rates at the University of Tennessee Family …

Edwardsiella Ictaluri Is Capable Of Persisting In Channel Catfish By Evading Host T Cell And Cell Death Responses, Elizabeth Watts Griggs

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Edwardsiella ictaluri is a gram-negative bacterium of the family Enterobacteriaceae that infects and causes enteric septicemia (ESC) of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), a fatal disease costing the catfish industry millions of dollars in losses each year. Edwardsiella. ictaluri is capable of replicating in catfish head-kidney-derived-macrophages (HKDM), and like many other gram-negative bacteria, E. ictaluri encodes a Type III Secretion System (T3SS) that is required for virulence and intracellular replication. In the case of E. ictaluri, the T3SS translocates effectors from the Edwardsiella containing vacuole (ECV) through the bacterial cell wall and the vacuolar membrane directly to the …

Post-Vaccination Pharyngeal-Cervical-Brachial Variant Of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Funmilola T. Taiwo, Daniel E. Ezuduemoih, Philip Adebayo

Internal Medicine, East Africa

The pharyngeal-cervical-brachial (PCB) variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is very rare. It is characterized by weakness of the upper extremities associated with bulbar symptoms and facial diplegia. Documented cases were post-infectious, a post-vaccination occurrence has not been documented in the available literature. Even rarer is the occurrence of any variant of GBS following the mumps measles rubella (MMR) vaccine. The neurophysiological hallmark of PCB variant of GBS is a combination of myelinopathy and axonopathy, hence, its consideration as a subtype of the acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) variant. It should be suspected in any case of acute-onset flaccid symmetrical weakness …

Effectiveness Of A Health Education Intervention About Influenza And Vaccine In Secondary Schools In South Lebanon, Israa Assaf, Salim Moussa

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Seasonal influenza is an intense respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that circulate all around the world. In Lebanon, there is a lack of national flu awareness campaigns. Schools’ students are truly outstanding and viable sources to spread the awareness and strive for the conduct change in the general population. Hence, this study was carried out to test the effectiveness of a health education intervention in improving the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward influenza and its vaccine among secondary schools’ students in South Lebanon. This is a Pre/Post research study conducted in four schools located in South Lebanon. A …

Impacts Of Rift Valley Fever Virus: A One Health Approach To Assess Burden And Inform Prevention And Control Options, Catherine Machalaba

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a climate-sensitive emerging zoonotic disease associated with large-scale livestock production losses and human disease burden in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. While recognized as a key One Health issue based on its transmission dynamics involving human, animal and environmental determinants, there has been poor coordination between sectors to reduce the risk and impact of RVF. Efforts to counter the disease remain largely reactive, presenting an ongoing threat to local and global health security. The intent of this dissertation was to improve understanding of the burden of RVF across society and to identify entry …

Hepatitis A Vaccination Program In Jefferson Emergency Departments, Katelyn Levy, Md, Belinda Lao, Md, Mitchell Berman, Md, Joseph Jean, Md, Sejal Patel, Pharmd, Benjamin Slovis, Md, Scott Sutherland, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Aims for Improvement

Increase the rate of hepatitis A vaccination in high-risk patients (homeless and drug users) who present to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Methodist emergency departments over a 5 month period starting on 9/4/2019.

Increasing Knowledge About Hpv And The Hpv Vaccine Amongst College Students, Morgan Baxter

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

This scholarly project included an education presentation to Pittsburg State University students enrolled in the Health Promotion class in the Fall of 2019, a pretest was taken before the educational presentation and then a posttest was completed to assess the student’s knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine. The posttest evaluated whether there was an increase in knowledge after the presentation. In this scholarly project there was an overall increase in knowledge with statistical significance (p

Studying Public Perception About Vaccination: A Sentiment Analysis Of Tweets, Viju Raghupathi, Jie Ren, Wullianallur Raghupathi

Publications and Research

Text analysis has been used by scholars to research attitudes toward vaccination and is particularly timely due to the rise of medical misinformation via social media. This study uses a sample of 9581 vaccine-related tweets in the period 1 January 2019 to 5 April 2019. The time period is of the essence because during this time, a measles outbreak was prevalent throughout the United States and a public debate was raging. Sentiment analysis is applied to the sample, clustering the data into topics using the term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) technique. The analyses suggest that most (about 77%) of the …

What's All The Buzzy About? Using Cryotherapy And Vibration For Pain During Vaccinations In Children, Marta L. Byma

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Vaccinations are the most common painful needle procedure, with an estimated 12 billion injections given per year (CDC, 2019). The usual method for administration of vaccinations is through needle puncture, which is often painful. Children often report receiving a shot as one of the most feared and painful experiences (McMurtry et al., 2015). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve patient experiences by decreasing the pain that is associated with vaccinations through the use of a nonpharmacological method for comfort via the Buzzy® device. After thorough analysis and synthesis of the literature, the Buzzy® device that …

Take A Shot: The Effect Of A Multicomponent Strategy To Increase Meningitis B Vaccination Rates, Valerie Cline

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Neisseria meningitidis is the major cause of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) (Peterson et al, 2018). Approximately 10-15 percent of IMD cases result in debility including neurological impairment, amputation, and death (Peterson et al, 2018). Outbreaks of IMD are sporadic and unpredictable. The incidence of IMD varies geographically, but serogroup B has become more prevalent in recent years. Meningitis-B (Men-B) has been the cause of several university outbreaks on different US college campuses since 2013.The purpose of this project was to implement an intervention at a midwestern university student health center to help students understand the risk of the disease and …

Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccine Knowledge, Awareness And Acceptance Among Dental Students And Post-Graduate Dental Residents, Steve Kent Mann, Karl Kingsley

Dental Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: The recent development of a vaccine that is highly effective against the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been met with widespread clinical and public health professional acceptance. However, social and societal barriers to vaccination may hamper public health efforts to prevent HPV-mediated diseases. Although a few studies have evaluated knowledge or awareness of HPV vaccination among dentists or dental educators, few studies have evaluated the acceptance, knowledge and awareness of HPV vaccination among dental students and post-graduate dental residents. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate survey responses regarding acceptance, knowledge and awareness of HPV vaccination among dental …

Cervical Cancer Vaccination Awareness And Acceptance Among The Females Of Punjab, Pakistan, Sadia Minhas, Aneequa Sajjad, Muhammad Kashif, Zobaria Rehman, Muhammad Idrees, Farheen Ansari

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: In developing countries like Pakistan, it is essential for health care professionals to have comprehensive knowledge regarding cervical cancer.

Methods: A cross-sectional self-administered paper-based questionnaire was administered to patients from 2016 to 2018. This study included 200 females who attended the gynecological OPD of Lady Willingdon Hospital Lahore, Punjab. We evaluated cervical cancer knowledge, screening, prevention, and acceptance towards the vaccination. Data entry and analysis were performed using SPSS version 20.

Results: The perception and knowledge related to cervical cancer (28%), screening (3%), prevention (3%), and vaccination (1%) among the females were poor, but a positive …

The Impact Of Vaccination On Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Students, Jeremy Abreo, Kayeleigh Eder, Jordyn Francis

Honors Projects

The focus of our project was to analyze the amount of children vaccinated in Grand Rapids Public Schools. After determining the percentage of vaccinated children, we planned to implement an intervention to promote vaccination education to parents in the Grand Rapids area as well as increase awareness of the detrimental complications of refusing vaccinations.

As one of the focuses of our project, we decided to create a set of pamphlets. We focused on two main vaccines: the MMR vaccine and the Influenza Vaccine. After we gathered information about the two different vaccines, we compiled this information into an organized manner …

Influenza Vaccination Coverage In Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Kelly Brown

Senior Theses

Background: Children with chronic health conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are at especially high risk for influenza infection and complications. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and American College of Gastroenterology recommend that IBD patients should receive annual influenza vaccination. The aims of this study were to evaluate influenza vaccination coverage over time and identify predictors of flu vaccination in pediatric IBD and non-IBD patients.

Methods: We utilized longitudinal data (2000 to 2016) from South Carolina Medicaid to conduct a matched cohort study. The primary exposure of interest was IBD diagnosis based upon ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes. Children with IBD were …

School Nurses' Role During Disease Outbreak, Christina Rickenbach

Theses and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: School nurses have the critical task of overseeing the health and wellness of school-aged students. Utah is 1 of 17 states which allow parents to exempt their children from vaccines. The most common parental reason for exempting children from vaccines is personal choice. With the number of students without vaccinations on the rise, school nurses are tasked with responsibilities related to the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, few studies have explored the role of school nurses in managing a disease outbreak. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to 1) explore the responsibilities of Utah school nurses …

Effects Of Inactivated Mycobacterium Bovis Vaccination On Molokai-Origin Wild Pigs Experimentally Infected With Virulent M. Bovis, Pauline Nol, Morgan Wehte, Richard A. Bowen, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Tyler Thacker, Kristina Lantz, Jack Rhyan, Laurie A. Baeten, Ramón A. Juste, Iker A. Sevilla, Christian Gortazar, Joaquín Vicente

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The wild pig population on Molokai, Hawaii, USA is a possible reservoir for bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, and has been implicated in decades past as the source of disease for the island’s domestic cattle. Heat-inactivated vaccines have been effective for reducing disease prevalence in wild boar in Spain and could prove useful for managing M. bovis in Molokai wild pigs. We designed an experiment to test this vaccine in wild pigs of Molokai genetics. Fifteen 3–4-month-old pigs were orally administered 10⁶–10⁷ colony forming units (cfu) of heat-inactivated M. bovis (Vaccinates; n = 8; 0.2 …