diphtheria+tetanus+pertussis combined vaccine

From outbreak response to system strengthening: preventing diphtheria in Somalia.

Abdullahi Zakaria Abdi ZA, Derow Ismail Mohamud IM, Yusuf Abdi Wahab Salad AWS, Abdi Aniso Mohamed AM et al.

Diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease, has re-emerged as a significant public health concern in Somalia, highlighting persistent weaknesses in immunization systems. Recent outbreaks demonstrate that transmission is driven not by limitations of available vaccines but by immunity gaps associated with low routine immunization coverage, high numbers of zero-dose children, conflict, population displacement, and barriers to accessing health services. The 2025 diphtheria outbreak, characterized by substantial morbidity and mortality among children, underscores the urgent need to move beyond reactive outbreak response toward sustainable immunization-system strengthening. This letter emphasizes the importance of improving routine immunization services, expanding catch-up vaccination, strengthening disease surveillance, enhancing vaccine supply chains and cold-chain capacity, and improving immunization data systems for identifying missed populations. Evidence from Somalia's recent vaccination initiatives demonstrates that community-centered approaches, digital tools, and locally adapted outreach strategies can successfully reach underserved groups even in fragile settings. Building resilient immunization systems requires coordinated efforts among government institutions, communities, health workers, and international partners. Strengthening equitable vaccination delivery is essential not only for preventing future diphtheria outbreaks, but also for improving Somalia's preparedness against other vaccine-preventable diseases and future public health emergencies.

Honour McCann.

Honour McCann, Max Planck Institute for Biology (Germany).

A structure-guided trivalent subunit vaccine confers maternal protection to neonatal piglets against PEDV and PDCoV.

Liu Jia J, Chen Longping L, Li Dan D, Wang Zhuo Z et al.

Antigenic divergence among porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) genotypes and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) limits the cross-protection provided by current commercial vaccines. Here, employing a structure-guided antigen design strategy, we developed a trivalent subunit vaccine concurrently targeting PEDV G2a, PEDV G2b, and PDCoV. The vaccine antigen set comprises optimized spike ectodomain antigens, featuring stabilizing mutations, a heptad repeat 2 (HR2) deletion, a fused neutralizing epitope, and a flagellin adjuvant fused to the N-terminus. Formulated with MF59+CpG adjuvants, this trivalent vaccine elicited robust PEDV- and PDCoV-specific neutralizing antibody responses and Th1/Th2-associated cellular immune responses characterized by IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 production in mice. Immunization of pregnant sows with 300 μg dose induced high-titer IgG, IgA, and colostral secretory IgA (SIgA) against all three target viruses. Although neutralizing antibody titers were comparable between the 100 μg and 300 μg dose groups, the 300 μg group showed higher and more persistent levels of colostral binding IgG and SIgA. Following maternal immunization, piglets that acquired maternal antibodies through colostrum exhibited reduced clinical diarrhea, lower fecal viral RNA shedding, and less severe intestinal lesions after challenge with PEDV G2a, PEDV G2b, or PDCoV. These findings support this structure-guided trivalent subunit vaccine as a promising candidate for maternal immunization against co-circulating porcine enteric coronaviruses.

Spiritual Health Locus of Control and COVID-19 Booster Intentions Among Hispanic Americans: A Culturally Grounded Extension of the Extended Parallel Process Model.

Kim Joon J, Jun Jungmi J, Zambrano Rodriguez Viviana Carolina VC

Declining uptake of COVID-19 boosters poses significant public health concerns. Hispanic Americans, who have experienced disproportionate pandemic impacts, report lower uptake of updated boosters than non-Hispanic White adults, partly attributable to vaccine hesitancy. Although religiosity plays a central role in Hispanic communities, little is known about how spiritually grounded beliefs shape cognitive and emotional responses to vaccination. This study integrates the extended parallel process model (EPPM) with spiritual health locus of control (SHLOC) to examine how exposure to faith-based and governmental vaccine information influences booster intention through spiritually grounded efficacy appraisals. Using an online survey of Hispanic American adults (N = 349), we tested a structural equation model linking SHLOC, perceived threat, efficacy beliefs, fear, and vaccination intentions. Results indicated that active SHLOC, reflecting beliefs in divine partnership in health, increased response efficacy and indirectly promoted booster intention and vaccine advocacy, whereas passive SHLOC, reflecting divine determinism, reduced self-efficacy and indirectly discouraged booster intention. Perceived threat was positively associated with fear, and efficacy beliefs emerged as the strongest predictors of booster intention. Mediation analyses supported serial pathways from message exposure to SHLOC to efficacy to intention, identifying spiritually grounded control beliefs as a culturally embedded mechanism in vaccine decision making. Findings suggest that faith-based engagement can function as either a protective or risk communication channel, depending on whether messages reinforce divine partnership or determinism. The study advances EPPM by identifying SHLOC as a culturally grounded antecedent to efficacy appraisal and offers implications for culturally responsive vaccine communication in Hispanic communities.