Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2018Motivational Interviewing: A Promising Tool to Address Vaccine Hesitancy
In most countries, there is an increase in ‘‘vaccine hesitancy,” defined as the proportion of …
In most countries, there is an increase in ‘‘vaccine hesitancy,” defined as the proportion of parents who refuse some, many, or all vaccines or who adopt a delayed vaccination schedule, regardless of the availability of vaccination services. Generally, approaches to address vaccine hesitancy suggest either strong policies of mandatory immunization or more traditional approaches of education and information. Although mandatory immunization policies may increase uptake of vaccines, they do not address the root causes of…
Preferences/Values | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Culture/Society | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ArticlePublication 1964Epidemics and Rumors
Goffman and Newill directed attention to the analogy between the spreading of an infectious disease …
Goffman and Newill directed attention to the analogy between the spreading of an infectious disease and the dissemination of information. This article examines the spreading of a rumor from the point of view of mathematical epidemiology and briefly reports on work to be published in detail elsewhere. Authors emphasize that a mathematical model for the spreading of rumors can be constructed in a number of different ways, depending on the mechanism postulated to describe the…
Preferences/Values | Infectious Diseases | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ArticlePublication 2020COVID-19 Infodemic: A New Front for Information Professionals
COVID-19 emerged from Wuhan, China and has spread in 213 countries, areas, or territories around …
COVID-19 emerged from Wuhan, China and has spread in 213 countries, areas, or territories around the globe, with nearly 144,683 deaths worldwide as-of April 18, 2020. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed a massive infodemic with the public being bombarded with vast quantities of information, much of which is not scientifically correct. Fighting fake news is now the new front in the COVID-19 battle. This article comments on the role of…
Preferences/Values | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ArticlePublication 2021Correct COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation: Lancet Commission on COVID-19 Vaccines & Therapeutics Task Force Members
This brief “primer” assists healthcare providers in correcting a growing body of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 …
This brief “primer” assists healthcare providers in correcting a growing body of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. In 2020, up to one-third or more of people surveyed both globally and in the U.S. indicated they might refuse the first COVID-19 vaccines when released through emergency use authorization (EUA). Their rationale included questions about vaccine efficacy, potential side effects, or speeding through regulatory approval processes. Even among healthcare workers, high rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were noted.…
Preferences/Values | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Global Governance | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ArticlePublication 2021Anti-Vaccination Infodemic on Social Media: A Behavioral Analysis
Vaccinations are without doubt one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, and there is …
Vaccinations are without doubt one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, and there is hope that they can constitute a solution to halt the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the anti-vaccination movement is currently on the rise, spreading online misinformation about vaccine safety and causing a worrying reduction in vaccination rates worldwide. In this historical time, it is imperative to understand the reasons of vaccine hesitancy, and to find effective strategies to dismantle the rhetoric…
Preferences/Values | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Culture/Society | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ArticlePublication 2020Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, the UK government has made …
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, the UK government has made antibody testing available to anyone wanting it, even if there is no clinical indication. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for when to consider antibody testing in individuals with and without symptoms suggestive of current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Key points made by the authors include: (1) antibody testing is likely to be most useful 2 weeks…
Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Test Performance | Technology Assessment | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Bayes' Theorem, COVID-19, and Screening Tests
This article reviews the implications of increased testing for COVID-19 using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain …
This article reviews the implications of increased testing for COVID-19 using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) through the application of Bayes’ Theorem for three hypothetical, stylized case scenarios. The scenarios involve three patients with a low, moderate, and high pre-test probability of COVID-19 infection. The category of low probability would include "asymptomatic individuals in a presumed low prevalence environment" and might vary from 10 to 20%. The category of moderate probability would include "individuals…
Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Test Performance | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Interpreting COVID-19 Test Results: A Bayesian Approach
This article considers the following question with respect to interpreting the results of polymerase chain reaction …
This article considers the following question with respect to interpreting the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays from nasal and pharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 to inform clinical decision making: "While a positive result in an acutely ill patient is straightforward, how should physicians interpret negative tests in patients with suspected COVID-19 infection?" Using an assumption of near-perfect specificity of PCR assays for COVID-19, the authors acknowledge the uncertainty of test sensitivity. They consider two clinical scenarios…
Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Test Performance | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ArticlePublication 2020Health Gains & Financial Risk Protection Afforded by Public Financing of Selected Malaria Interventions in Ethiopia: An ECEA
This article, published in the Malaria Journal, aims to estimate the expected health and financial …
This article, published in the Malaria Journal, aims to estimate the expected health and financial risk protection (FRP) benefits of universal public financing of key malaria interventions in Ethiopia. An extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) is used to estimate the potential health and FRP benefits of publicly financing a 10% increase in artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLIN), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and a hypothetical malaria vaccine. The results indicate that ACT, LLIN,…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Infectious Diseases | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa