Publications by authors named "Hung Fu Tseng"
Influenza vaccination coverage assessments by race and ethnicity can identify populations less protected from influenza morbidity and mortality and help focus vaccination efforts. Across eight Vaccine Safety Datalink health systems, we identified influenza vaccines administered from August 1 through March 31 each season from 2017 to 18 through 2022-23 using electronic health records linked to immunization registries. We calculated crude vaccination coverage for each season among people in five age groups (6 months-8 years, 9-17, 18-49, 50-64, and ≥ 65 years) by self-reported race and ethnicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Herpes zoster (HZ) and HZ ophthalmicus (HZO) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications, such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke. We evaluated the association between recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) and risk of HZO, hospitalized AMI, and hospitalized stroke in adults ≥50 years of age (YoA) at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
Methods: We conducted a matched cohort analysis of adults ≥50 YoA who received 2 doses of RZV 4 weeks-6 months apart during 01 April 2018-31 December 2020 and were matched 1:4 to RZV-unvaccinated individuals on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and index date (date of second dose among vaccinated; unvaccinated match assigned same date).
Background: Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) was approved for adults aged ≥50 years in the United States to prevent herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). This study evaluated real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) of RZV in adults aged ≥50 years.
Methods: A cohort study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC).
Background: Hepatitis A virus infection (HAV), hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), and tetanus are important vaccine-preventable infections among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). Hospitalizations may represent opportunities for preventive care. Up-to-date data on screening and vaccination practices for this high-risk population are needed in these settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring the 2023-2024 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, vaccination was recommended for adults ≥60 years based on shared clinical decision-making with their healthcare providers. We examined RSV vaccine uptake and characteristics associated with uptake among age-eligible Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) patients. Our study cohort included all patients ≥60 years from September 23, 2023 (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: In an interim analysis, we evaluated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and safety of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) in adults aged ≥50 years with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: VE was assessed using a retrospective matched cohort analysis of Kaiser Permanente Southern California members aged ≥50 years with RA receiving 2 RZV doses (≥4 weeks apart) and matched up to 1:3 to RZV-unvaccinated individuals. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and VE against HZ and PHN.
Comparative Effectiveness of Cell-Based Versus Egg-Based Influenza Vaccines in Prevention of Influenza Hospitalization During the 2022-2023 Season Among Adults 18-64 Years.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
December 2024
This retrospective cohort study evaluated the comparative vaccine effectiveness (cVE) of licensed standard-dose cell-based versus egg-based influenza vaccines in preventing influenza hospitalization among adults 18-64 years during the 2022-2023 season. The cohort included eligible Kaiser Permanente Southern California members who received ≥ 1 dose of influenza vaccine (n = 848,334). The adjusted cVE against influenza hospitalization was -10.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnmeasured confounding is a major concern in many epidemiologic studies that are not randomized. Negative control methods can detect and reduce confounding by leveraging the proxies of the unmeasured confounders, including negative control outcomes (NCO) and exposures (NCE). An NCO is presumably unaffected by the exposure of interest but would be associated with unmeasured confounders; an NCE presumably does not affect the outcome of interest but would be associated with unmeasured confounders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study developed and validated a natural language processing (NLP) algorithm to identify postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) from unstructured electronic health records (EHRs), aiming to improve accuracy compared to traditional diagnosis codes and prescription data.
- The research involved reviewing EHRs from a large health care system and comparing the NLP's performance with code-based methods by analyzing sensitivity, specificity, and other statistical measures.
- Results showed the NLP algorithm had high sensitivity (90.9%) and specificity (98.5%), with notable advantages in identifying PHN cases compared to code-based methods, which exhibited much lower sensitivity (52.7%-61.8%).
Article Synopsis
- Influenza significantly impacts older adults, necessitating updated data on vaccine effectiveness within this group.
- A study at Kaiser Permanente Southern California assessed the comparative vaccine effectiveness of high-dose, adjuvanted, and standard-dose cell-based influenza vaccines against the standard-dose egg-based vaccine among individuals aged 65 and older.
- Results indicated that both high-dose and adjuvanted vaccines offered better protection against influenza-related medical encounters and hospitalization compared to the standard-dose egg-based vaccine during the 2022-2023 flu season.
Article Synopsis
- People with HIV (PWH) are more vulnerable to severe outcomes from COVID-19, but there’s limited knowledge on their vaccination rates and factors influencing their vaccine completion.
- A study was conducted to assess COVID-19 vaccination coverage among PWH and analyze the demographics, clinical aspects, and community influences affecting their vaccination completion.
- Results showed that 90.5% of PWH completed the primary vaccine series by the end of 2021, with prior influenza vaccination being a significant factor for both the initial series and additional doses, while uncontrolled HIV viremia negatively impacted vaccination rates.
Effectiveness and durability of mRNA-1273 BA.4/BA.5 bivalent vaccine (mRNA-1273.222) against SARS-CoV-2 BA.4/BA.5 and XBB sublineages.
Hum Vaccin Immunother
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- Emerging SARS-CoV-2 sublineages continue to pose a risk for serious COVID-19 disease, particularly as many individuals haven’t been vaccinated in over a year.
- A study evaluated the effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 bivalent vaccine against these circulating sublineages by analyzing confirmed cases and matching them to controls, revealing a decline in vaccine effectiveness over time.
- The findings suggest that periodic revaccination with updated vaccines could be necessary to lower COVID-19-related health issues as the effectiveness of existing vaccines decreases against new variants.
Real-world effectiveness of recombinant zoster vaccine in self-identified Chinese individuals aged ≥50 years in the United States.
Hum Vaccin Immunother
December 2024
We evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) against herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in Chinese adults at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC). Chinese KPSC members were identified based on self-reported ethnicity or self-reported preferred spoken/written language. Those aged ≥50 years who received two doses of RZV 4 weeks to ≤ 6 months apart were matched 1:4 to RZV unvaccinated Chinese members and followed through June 2022; second doses were accrued 6/1/2018-12/31/2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study re-evaluated mortality risks associated with COVID-19 vaccinations using a modified self-controlled case series design to minimize confounding biases.
- Researchers analyzed death data from vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, focusing on non-COVID-19 mortality and specific cardiac-related deaths within set observation periods.
- Results for Pfizer-BioNTech showed reduced mortality risks for all outcomes, while Moderna and Janssen also indicated low risks, although some results for Moderna had confidence intervals that included 1, suggesting uncertainty in the estimates.
Article Synopsis
- Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all individuals aged 6 months and older in the U.S., with vaccination coverage assessed from 2017-18 to 2022-23 to identify at-risk populations and improve vaccination strategies.* -
- Data from electronic health records across eight health systems indicated that vaccination coverage peaked at 46.2% in the 2019-20 season but declined to 40.3% in the 2022-23 season, particularly among high-risk groups and young children.* -
- The study found persistent disparities in vaccination rates, with lower coverage observed among males, younger adults, non-Hispanic Black individuals, and those without high-risk conditions, highlighting the need for targeted vaccination efforts
Article Synopsis
- The bivalent mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine, which targets both the original virus and the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 variants, has been authorized to enhance protection against COVID-19.
- A matched cohort study showed that compared to those who only received monovalent vaccines, the bivalent vaccine had a 70.3% effectiveness rate in preventing hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
- The bivalent booster not only sustained strong protection for over three months but also demonstrated effectiveness against medically attended SARS-CoV-2 infections (55.0%) and COVID-19 hospital deaths (82.7%).
Timely Prenatal and Infant Pertussis Vaccine Uptake in an Integrated Health System.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities
August 2024
Background: Hispanic infants bear the burden of pertussis infection. We examined pertussis protection from vaccination in infants with US-born and foreign-born Hispanic mothers.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study of infants up to 1 year of age.
Article Synopsis
- A cohort study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente Southern California to assess the connection between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and the occurrence of herpes zoster (HZ), which is a viral infection also known as shingles.
- The study compared over 1 million vaccinated individuals who received either the mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccines to unvaccinated individuals, identifying HZ cases within 90 days post-vaccination using diagnosis codes and antiviral treatments.
- Results indicated a small increased risk of developing HZ after the second dose, especially in individuals aged 50 and older who hadn’t received the zoster vaccine, highlighting a potential safety concern for this age group.
Article Synopsis
- People with Down syndrome (DS) have a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia compared to those without DS, with rates showing a 4.7-5.7 fold increase.
- Those with DS are also more likely to be hospitalized or admitted to the ICU due to pneumonia, and one-year mortality rates following pneumonia are notably higher in this group.
- Specific health conditions, like heart disease in children and neurological disorders in adults, are linked to pneumonia, but they only partially explain the increased risk associated with DS.
Article Synopsis
- - The study analyzed the effectiveness of receiving a fourth dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine compared to only three doses in people aged 50 and older, involving nearly 357,000 participants from Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
- - Results showed that the fourth dose significantly improved protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection (25.9% more effective), COVID-19 hospitalization (67.3% more effective), and death from COVID-19 (72.5% more effective).
- - However, the effectiveness of the fourth dose decreased over time, particularly 2-4 months after vaccination, indicating that while four doses offer better protection, the level of effectiveness can vary and diminish in various demographic groups.
Background: Data on the effectiveness of the 3-dose mRNA-1273 primary series are limited, particularly in comparison to 2 doses. Given suboptimal COVID-19 vaccine uptake among immunocompromised populations, it is important to monitor the effectiveness of fewer than the recommended doses in this population.
Methods: We conducted a matched cohort study at Kaiser Permanente Southern California to evaluate the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of the 3-dose series vs 2 doses of mRNA-1273 in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes among immunocompromised individuals.
Introduction: An increased risk of chorioamnionitis in people receiving tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy has been reported. The importance of this association is unclear as additional study has not demonstrated increased adverse infant outcomes associated with Tdap vaccination in pregnancy.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of pregnant people ages 15-49 years with singleton pregnancies ending in live birth who were members of 8 Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) sites during October 2016-September 2018.
Impact of a Statewide Livestock Antibiotic Use Policy on Resistance in Human Urine Isolates: A Synthetic Control Analysis.
Environ Health Perspect
February 2023
Background: On 1 January 2018, California implemented Senate Bill 27 (SB27), banning, for the first time in the United States, routine preventive use of antibiotics in food-animal production and any antibiotic use without a veterinarian's prescription.
Objectives: Our objective was to assess whether SB27 was associated with decreased antimicrobial resistance among isolated from human urine.
Methods: We used U.
Importance: Immunocompromised individuals are at increased risk for severe outcomes due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Given the varying and complex nature of COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, it is important to understand COVID-19 vaccine uptake in this vulnerable population.
Objective: To assess mRNA COVID-19 vaccine uptake and factors associated with uptake among immunocompromised individuals from December 14, 2020, through August 6, 2022.
Article Synopsis
- * The study, including over 123,000 individuals, finds that while three doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine provide strong initial protection against infections, effectiveness diminishes quickly for newer subvariants like BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5 after the third dose.
- * Hospitalization protection remains high with three doses but shows variability; four doses boost effectiveness but still drop significantly after a few months, indicating a need for evaluation of updated booster shots.