PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.13 No.18, April 29, 2020 Article TypeCOVID-19 Special ReportEpidemiology and SurveillanceNoncommunicable Disease Statistics

• COVID-19 Special Report 2020-04-29

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  Weekly report on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Korea (As of April 25, 2020)

  Kim Miyoung, Kweon Sanghui, Lee Jung Hyun, Baek Soojin, Kim Yeonju, Yoo Hyosoon, Park Young Joon, Gwack Jin, Park Ok

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(18): 1184-1197

  

  

  Abstract

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  This is a weekly report on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Korea based on the confirmed cases reported through the Integrated System to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) according to the INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ACT and based on the epidemiological investigation by central and local health authorities.
  As of April 25, 2020, there were 10,733 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and including 243 deaths. Confirmed cases were reported in all 17 provinces/cities in Korea, with the highest number of cases from Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Seoul, and Gyeonggi. The results indicated that, by gender, women accounted for a slightly higher proportion (59.6%, n=6,398) of total confirmed cases than men. And, by age the median age was 44 years old (range: 0 to 104 years old).
  The main infectious paths confirmed by epidemiological investigations showed several major clusters related to COVID-19. Of the total cases, the proportion of imported cases was 9.7% (n=1,040); 48.6% (n=5,213) were Shincheonji (and related); 32.9% (n=3,528) are small clusters and contacts of confirmed cases (other than Shincheonji); and 8.9% (n=952) are currently under investigation as per infection route surveys.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-29

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  Results from the School Entry Immunization Requirement Program for elementary and middle-school student, 2019

  Kim Seon Ju, Park Jin Ju, Jeong Hang Jin, Yu Jeong-Hee, Cho En Hi

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(18): 1198-1206

  Abstract

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  Immunity to infectious diseases acquired from vaccinations received in childhood gradually decreases over time. The result is that students entering elementary and middle school are often vulnerable to infectious diseases. The most effective prevention method for infectious diseases targeted for vaccination is to maintain the vaccination rate above a certain level.
  The main objective of this article was to study the school entry immunization requirement program which measures whether vaccinations are complete at the time of admission to elementary and middle schools. In 2019, 92.7% of elementary school students were certified for 4 types of vaccines (DTaP, IPV, MMR, JEV). In terms of middle school students, 89.6% were certified for the Tdap (or Td) vaccination, and 81.7% of the female middle school students were confirmed for the HPV vaccination. These findings mark an improvement of approximately 23.7 - 30.8% when compared to the results of December 31, 2018 and when compared with the results taken on June 30, 2019 after the implementation of the verification project.
  This study concluded that the school entry immunization requirement program for elementary and middle school students was effective at maintaining a 95% vaccination rate. Furthermore, sending notices of the vaccination verification project to local government leaders and school principals, encouraging continuous inoculation, and preventing the loss of past immunization records at medical institutions contributed to increasing the immunization completion rate.
  In addition, even though Korea maintains a high vaccination rate of over 95%, the vaccination rate for Japanese encephalitis is lower than that of other vaccines and in 2020 Japanese encephalitis was added to vaccinations subject to confirmation when entering middle school. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) will strengthen the vaccination rate by communicating its importance to municipal and provincial governments and with education ministries. Furthermore, the KCDC will continue to ask medical institutions to cooperate in the prevention of lost computer vaccination registrations. gistrations.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-29

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  Establishment of surveillance system and network for the evaluation of influenza vaccine effectiveness and estimation of influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing influenza

  Park Sun Young, Kim Jong Hee, Cho En Hi, Kim Woo Joo

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(18): 1207-1216

  

  

  Abstract

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  Since the beginning of the Korean National Immunization Program (NIP) of influenza for the elderly in 1997, the NIP of the influenza vaccine has been operated with the inclusion of children and a high vaccine coverage rate. However, there is a lack of a system of evaluation to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE). Evaluation of IVE for preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza (LCI), hospitalization, and death and the estimation of averted disease burden of influenza by influenza vaccine are required for the introduction of a newer vaccine and establishment of a policy for the prevention and control of influenza. Thus, a well-constructed system for estimation of IVE is urgently needed.
  In this study, a network for the surveillance of influenza and a system for the evaluation of IVE were established. IVE in preventing LCI was estimated during the 2018-2019 flu season. The study population comprised of 2,409 adults over 19 years of age and 6,026 children over 6 months of age. Among the adults, 377 subjects in the prospective study who were enrolled in hospitals joined a network for the surveillance and 2,032 subjects in the retrospective study were collected from the immunization registry (IR) and the health insurance review and assessment service data. Furthermore, of the 6,026 children over the age of 6 months, 62 children were in the prospective study and 5,964 children were in the retrospective study. Prospective studies (for adults: October 14, 2018-May 9, 2019 and for children: December 27, 2018-April 30, 2019) with test-negative case-control design (TND) and a retrospective study with case-control design in the 2018-2019 influenza season were performed.
  Through the prospective test-negative case-control study, adjusted VE in preventing all influenza and A/H1N1 were estimated as 55.9% (95% CI, 1.6-80.3) and 66.4% (95% CI, 6.7-87.9), respectively in adults aged 19-49 years of age. In pediatrics (≤18 years), adjusted VE for prevention of all influenza was 48.5% (95% CI, -141.5-89.0).
  In the retrospective case-control study, adjusted VE in preventing all influenza and A/H1N1 were estimated as 41.4% (95% CI, 11.0-61.4) and 39.9% (95% CI, 2.2-63.0), respectively, in adults aged 19-49 years. In pediatrics (≤18 years), adjusted VE for prevention of all influenza, influenza A and influenza B were estimated as 43.2% (95% CI, 33.3-51.6), 47.7% (95% CI, 36.9-56.7) and 28.3% (95% CI, 6.9-44.8), respectively.
  Influenza vaccine effectiveness during the 2018-2019 flu season was considered to be significant, which is similar to reports from the United States and Europe.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-29

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  Research for Influenza Vaccine Safety Profile among Pregnant Women and International Surveillance of Adverse Events after Influenza Vaccination in Pregnant Women

  Kim NokHyun, Kim JongHee, Ko HyunSun

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(18): 1217-1230

  Abstract

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  Every year, seasonal influenza epidemics infect up to 30% of the population and a relevant portion are hospitalized. Pregnant women are at greater risk for influenza-related complications than the general population. As a result, a free national influenza immunization program was planned for pregnant women in Korea during the flu season of 2019-2020. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities in most countries recommend that pregnant women receive the inactivated influenza virus vaccine, coverage is still limited. As several studies demonstrated, maternal vaccination against influenza was shown to prevent influenza-like illness in women and infants. However, like other medications, vaccines are imperfect and may have associated risks. Therefore, national public health officials and the public health community must constantly monitor vaccine-related adverse events, assess risk, and inform the public of any harmful effects.
  This study aimed to analyze updated pregnancy outcomes after influenza vaccination during pregnancy, and investigate surveillance and compensation claims for adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in other countries.
  The results of this research contribute to providing a uniform and systematic management of safety, adverse events, and vaccination injur y compensation schemes for pregnant women. The results of this research suppor t policy recommendations and reassure both health care providers (HCPs) and consumers about the safety of vaccination during pregnancy. Further studies about improving knowledge and acceptability of HCPs and pregnant women and legal regulation about AEFI in pregnant women need to follow.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-29

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  Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes of Latent Tuberculosis in the Household Contact Investigation Programme

  Park Yong-joon, Kim Youngman, Shin Ji-ae, Han Sunmi, Park Shin Young, Kim Jieun, Park Young Joon, Jung Sun-young, Choi Jae Chol

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(18): 1231-1246

  

  

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  This study was conducted to check the risk of tuberculosis caused by family contact check-ups and treatment for latent tuberculosis infection, and to provide a basis for management and policy utilization of the linked and analyzed database. This study aimed to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of an analysis that links latent tuberculosis infection survey data for tuberculosis patients' family contacts with tuberculosis reported data from the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHI), and aimed to determine tuberculosis according to epidemiological characteristics and treatment of family contacts. Preventive effects were analyzed.
  This study used a linked database between 1) household contact investigation database in KCDC between 2015 and 2018, 2) TB registry database in the Korea Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (KCDC) for household contacts and index TB cases between 2015 and 2018, and 3) NHI database for household contacts between 2014 and 2018.
  In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model, non-participation in the household contact investigation (Hazard ratio [HR], 1.93), no treatment in LTBI (HR, 2.11), and non-completion of LTBI treatment (HR, 1.48) showed increased risk of active TB infection, whereas completion of LTBI treatment (HR, 0.32), diagnosed as no LTBI with 1-step test (HR, 0.38) or 2-step test (HR, 0.12) showed significantly decreased risk of active TB infection, compared with no test for LTBI. In addition, we found that the incidence of TB was 6.11 times higher than those who treated LTBI when contact investigation was not performed.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2020-04-29

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  Trends in proportion of Korean adolescents engaged in physical activities, 2009-2019; Trends in proportion of Korean adolescents engaged in strength training, 2007-2019

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(18): 1247-1250

  

  

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