Vaccination: Feature Review Papers

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Vaccines and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 15699

Special Issue Editor

The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: inter-disciplinary behavioral health research; mental health research
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue welcomes high-quality papers regarding vaccine research, vaccination, and immunology. We encourage the submission of systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses that include the most recent research results and findings. A paragraph highlighting the research in context, including evidence before this study, the added value of this study, and potential implications of the results should be included in the cover letter. 

Dr. Zixin Wang
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vaccine research
  • vaccination
  • immunology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Review

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16 pages, 960 KiB  
Review
Innovations, Challenges, and Future Prospects for Combination Vaccines Against Human Infections
by Munazza Fatima and Kee-Jong Hong
Vaccines 2025, 13(4), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13040335 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 939
Abstract
Combination vaccines provide the versatile benefits of addressing different pathogens simultaneously using a combined formulation. This approach can be regarded as a substantial modernization in immunization. In this review, we highlight various advancements in combination vaccines based on mRNA, viral vectors, live attenuated, [...] Read more.
Combination vaccines provide the versatile benefits of addressing different pathogens simultaneously using a combined formulation. This approach can be regarded as a substantial modernization in immunization. In this review, we highlight various advancements in combination vaccines based on mRNA, viral vectors, live attenuated, and recombinant vaccines. Recent success in clinical trials of mRNA platforms for combination vaccines has particularly accelerated research in this direction. The advantages of combination vaccines in terms of patient adherence, cost effectiveness, and streamlined immunization schedule are discussed. The existing challenges of antigenic interference, logistical hurdles, and the complications of regulatory standards are analyzed. Research trends to make combination vaccines viable for emerging infections have been summarized. The current work provides a critical overview, the existing opportunities, and the future prospects of combination vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccination: Feature Review Papers)
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20 pages, 1490 KiB  
Review
A Scoping Review of Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake and Deployment in Global Healthcare Systems
by Chikondi C. Kandulu, Laura J. Sahm, Mohamad M. Saab, Michelle O’Driscoll, Megan McCarthy, Gillian W Shorter, Emma Berry, Anne C. Moore and Aoife Fleming
Vaccines 2024, 12(10), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12101093 - 25 Sep 2024
Viewed by 4228
Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 vaccines were rapidly developed and deployed on a large scale during a global crisis. A range of deployment strategies were used globally to maximize vaccine uptake. In this scoping review, we identify and analyze the main healthcare system and policy [...] Read more.
Introduction: COVID-19 vaccines were rapidly developed and deployed on a large scale during a global crisis. A range of deployment strategies were used globally to maximize vaccine uptake. In this scoping review, we identify and analyze the main healthcare system and policy factors that guided and influenced COVID-19 vaccination deployment and uptake globally. Materials and Methods: JBI guidelines, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), and the population, concept, and context (PCC) framework were applied. Studies on individual COVID-19 vaccination factors, such as vaccine hesitancy, were excluded. The search was last conducted in May 2024 yielding 26,686 articles from PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and COVID-19 websites. A total of 47 articles and 3 guidance documents were included. The results of the thematic analysis were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Results: The results found the following healthcare system and policy factors as integral to COVID-19 vaccination: types of vaccine products, healthcare workforce capacity, procurement strategies, distribution and cold-chain capacity, partnership, coordination, and leadership, information, communication, and registration strategies, delivery models, organizations, the existing health systems and policies on prioritization of at-risk groups and deployment plans. Discussion: Globally, COVID-19 vaccination programs responded to the pandemic by leveraging and reforming the existing healthcare systems, relying on strong leadership and global cooperation (such as the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Initiative). Deployment was enabled by effective communication and adoption of innovative technologies using data-driven policies to create high vaccine demand while overcoming limited vaccine supply and rapidly adapting to uncertainties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccination: Feature Review Papers)
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26 pages, 3885 KiB  
Review
Bactofection, Bacterial-Mediated Vaccination, and Cancer Therapy: Current Applications and Future Perspectives
by Francisco Israel Renteria-Flores, Mariel García-Chagollán and Luis Felipe Jave-Suárez
Vaccines 2024, 12(9), 968; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12090968 - 27 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
From the first report in 1891 by Dr. Coley of the effective treatment of tumors in 1000 patients with Streptococcus and the first successful use of bacterial vectors for transferring therapeutic genes in 1980 by Dr. Schnaffer, bactofection has been shown to be [...] Read more.
From the first report in 1891 by Dr. Coley of the effective treatment of tumors in 1000 patients with Streptococcus and the first successful use of bacterial vectors for transferring therapeutic genes in 1980 by Dr. Schnaffer, bactofection has been shown to be a promising strategy in the fields of vaccination, gene therapy, and cancer therapy. This review describes the general theory of bactofection and its advantages, disadvantages, challenges, and expectations, compiling the most notable advances in 14 vaccination studies, 27 cancer therapy studies, and 13 clinical trials. It also describes the current scope of bactofection and promising results. The extensive knowledge of Salmonella biology, as well as the multiple adequacies of the Ty21a vaccination platform, has allowed notable developments worldwide that have mainly been reflected in therapeutic efforts against cancer. In this regard, we strongly recommend the creation of a recombinant Ty21a model that constitutively expresses the GtgE protease from S. typhimurium, allowing this vector to be used in animal trials, thus enhancing the likelihood of favorable results that could quickly transition to clinical trials. From the current perspective, it is necessary to explore a greater diversity of bacterial vectors and find the best combination of implemented attenuations, generating personalized models that guarantee the maximum effectiveness in cancer therapy and vaccination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccination: Feature Review Papers)
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17 pages, 1240 KiB  
Review
Bacterial Vaccinations in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
by Dóra Paróczai, Katalin Burian and Andras Bikov
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020213 - 18 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3859
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent, often progressive, chronic disease of the lungs. Patients with COPD often have impaired immunity; therefore, they are prone to chest infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Acute exacerbations of COPD are major events that accelerate [...] Read more.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent, often progressive, chronic disease of the lungs. Patients with COPD often have impaired immunity; therefore, they are prone to chest infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Acute exacerbations of COPD are major events that accelerate disease progression, contributing to its symptoms’ burden, morbidity, and mortality. Both pneumonia and acute exacerbations in COPD are caused by bacteria against which there are effective vaccinations. Although the number of randomised controlled studies on bacterial vaccinations in COPD is limited, national and international guidelines endorse specific vaccinations in patients with COPD. This review will summarise the different types of vaccinations that prevent pneumonia and COPD exacerbations. We also discuss the results of early phase studies. We will mainly focus on Streptococcus pneumoniae, as this bacterium was predominantly investigated in COPD. However, we also review studies investigating vaccinations against Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Bordetella pertussis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccination: Feature Review Papers)
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Other

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22 pages, 2760 KiB  
Systematic Review
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance, Attitude and Perception among Slum and Underserved Communities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Joseph Kawuki, Siyu Chen, Yuan Fang, Xue Liang, Paul Shing-fong Chan and Zixin Wang
Vaccines 2023, 11(5), 886; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11050886 - 23 Apr 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3411
Abstract
This systematic review summarises the literature on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, including acceptance, uptake, hesitancy, attitude and perceptions among slum and underserved communities. Relevant studies were searched from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, following a pre-registered protocol in PROSPERO [...] Read more.
This systematic review summarises the literature on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, including acceptance, uptake, hesitancy, attitude and perceptions among slum and underserved communities. Relevant studies were searched from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, following a pre-registered protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42022355101) and PRISMA guidelines. We extracted data, used random-effects models to combine the vaccine acceptance, hesitancy and uptake rates categorically, and performed meta-regression by R software (version 4.2.1). Twenty-four studies with 30,323 participants met the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence was 58% (95% CI: 49–67%) for vaccine acceptance, 23% (95% CI: 13–39%) for uptake and 29% (95% CI: 18–43%) for hesitancy. Acceptance and uptake were positively associated with various sociodemographic factors, including older age, higher education level, male gender, ethnicity/race (e.g., Whites vs African Americans), more knowledge and a higher level of awareness of vaccines, but some studies reported inconsistent results. Safety and efficacy concerns, low-risk perception, long distance to vaccination centres and unfavourable vaccination schedules were prominent reasons for hesitancy. Moreover, varying levels of attitudes and perceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccination were reported with existing misconceptions and negative beliefs, and these were strong predictors of vaccination. Infodemic management and continuous vaccine education are needed to address existing misconceptions and negative beliefs, and this should target young, less-educated women and ethnic minorities. Considering mobile vaccination units to vaccinate people at home or workplaces would be a useful strategy in addressing access barriers and increasing vaccine uptake. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vaccination: Feature Review Papers)
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