Maternal Booster COVID-19 Vaccination Protects Infants Through 6 Months
FRIDAY, Feb. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal booster COVID-19 vaccination protects infants from infection in the first six months of life, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Pediatrics.
Cristina V. Cardemil, M.D., M.P.H., from the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues quantified protection against infection from maternally derived vaccine-induced antibodies in the first six months of an infant's life. Full-length spike (Spike) immunoglobulin G (IgG), pseudovirus 614D, and live virus D614G and omicron BA.1 and BA.5 neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers were measured at delivery among infants born to mothers vaccinated during pregnancy with two or three doses of a messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine.
The researchers found that Spike IgG, pseudovirus, and live nAb titers were significantly higher at delivery for 204 infants of boosted mothers than for 271 infants of nonboosted mothers; infants of boosted mothers were 56 percent less likely to acquire infection in the first six months. The infant's risk for acquiring infection was reduced by 47 percent for each 10-fold increase in Spike IgG titer at delivery, irrespective of boost. Risk reductions of 30, 46, 56, and 60 percent were seen in association with 10-fold increases in pseudovirus titers against Wuhan Spike, live virus nAb titers against D614G, and omicron BA.1 and BA.5 at delivery, respectively.
"We show that a monovalent booster dose during pregnancy leads to higher binding and nAb titers at delivery that are effective against omicron, for an age group that has the highest COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate in pediatrics since the emergence and ubiquitous spread of omicron variants," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Disparities in Transgender Prostate Screening Uptake Driven by Clinicians
FRIDAY, Feb. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Clinician recommendations are the most significant factor in driving prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in transgender women, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in JAMA Network Open.
Sandhya Kalavacherla, from the University of California in San Diego, and colleagues sought to understand factors associated with recent PSA screening in transgender women. The analysis included 255 transgender women and 1,020 matched cisgender men participating in the 2018 and 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys.
The researchers found that recent PSA screening rates among transgender women and cisgender men aged 55 to 69 years were 22.2 and 36.3 percent, respectively. Among those aged 70 years and older, rates were higher (41.8 and 40.2 percent, respectively). Transgender women had lower odds of recent screening than cisgender men (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.46 to 0.92; P = 0.02). Effect size and significance were similar when accounting for time since the last primary care visit (OR, 0.61; 95 percent CI, 0.42 to 0.87; P = 0.007). However, odds were similar when accounting for whether a clinician recommended a PSA test (OR, 0.83; 95 percent CI, 0.45 to 1.27; P = 0.21). Among transgender women, having a recommendation for PSA testing was the factor most strongly associated with recent screening (OR, 12.40; 95 percent CI, 4.47 to 37.80; P < 0.001).
"These data suggest that disparities in PSA screening among transgender women may be associated with clinician patterns of care rather than differences in sociodemographic characteristics or access to care," the authors write.
Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Suicide Screening Should Not Be Limited to Those With Psychiatric History
THURSDAY, Feb. 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one in five who attempt suicide do so without meeting criteria for an antecedent psychiatric disorder, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues used data from 1,948 U.S. adults with lifetime suicide attempts from a nationally representative population-based survey to determine what percentage of people who attempt suicide meet criteria for a psychiatric disorder.
The researchers found that 6.2 percent had no apparent lifetime psychiatric diagnoses when surveyed, while 13.4 percent made their first suicide attempt prior to psychiatric disorder onset. There were no significant age or sex differences noted in the percentage of those with lifetime suicide attempts absent psychiatric disorders. However, women were more likely than men to attempt suicide in the year of psychiatric disorder onset (14.9 versus 8.6 percent). Attempts were less frequent among those ≥50 to 65 years (3.9 percent versus 6.1 percent for those aged 35 to 50 years and 6.2 percent for those aged 20 to <35 years).
"This finding challenges clinical notions of who is at risk for suicidal behavior and raises questions about the safety of limiting suicide risk screening to psychiatric populations," the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to MindMed, Sage Therapeutics, and Alkermes.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
