Featured Publications
Vaccination with BNT162b2 reduces transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to household contacts in Israel
Prunas O, Warren JL, Crawford FW, Gazit S, Patalon T, Weinberger DM, Pitzer VE. Vaccination with BNT162b2 reduces transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to household contacts in Israel. Science 2022, 375: eabl4292. PMID: 35084937, PMCID: PMC9261115, DOI: 10.1126/science.abl4292.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVaccine effectivenessSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Syndrome coronavirus 2Effectiveness of vaccinesEffectiveness of vaccinationTotal vaccine effectivenessSARS-CoV-2Household contactsSecond doseCoronavirus 2Household transmissionDelta variantDay 10VaccinationBNT162b2COVID-19InfectionChain binomial modelVaccineDoseImmunityEstimation of Excess Deaths Associated With the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States, March to May 2020
Weinberger DM, Chen J, Cohen T, Crawford FW, Mostashari F, Olson D, Pitzer VE, Reich NG, Russi M, Simonsen L, Watkins A, Viboud C. Estimation of Excess Deaths Associated With the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States, March to May 2020. JAMA Internal Medicine 2020, 180: 1336-1344. PMID: 32609310, PMCID: PMC7330834, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3391.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCOVID-19Excess deathsOfficial COVID-19 deathsCoronavirus disease 2019Entire US populationPublic health impactCOVID-19 diagnostic testsCOVID-19 burdenCOVID-19 deathsCause deathReported deathsMortality burdenObservational studyDisease 2019Influenza activityMAIN OUTCOMEDeath AssociatedWeekly deathsTotal deathsUS deathsMore deathsDeath recordsUS populationHealth StatisticsTest availabilityCommunity factors associated with local epidemic timing of respiratory syncytial virus: A spatiotemporal modeling study
Zheng Z, Pitzer VE, Warren JL, Weinberger DM. Community factors associated with local epidemic timing of respiratory syncytial virus: A spatiotemporal modeling study. Science Advances 2021, 7: eabd6421. PMID: 34162556, PMCID: PMC8221622, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd6421.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRespiratory syncytial virusEpidemic timingSyncytial virusRSV epidemicsBayesian meta-regression modelTiming of deliveryMaternal vaccinesMeta-regression modelsHospitalization dataLarge burdenEarly epidemicLarger household sizeYoung childrenTransmission dynamicsZip code levelEpidemicCommunity factorsEpidemic spreadFuture studiesVirusProphylaxisMorbidityVaccineFactorsDeclines in Pneumonia Mortality Following the Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in Latin American and Caribbean Countries
de Oliveira LH, Shioda K, Valenzuela M, Janusz CB, Rearte A, Sbarra AN, Warren JL, Toscano CM, Weinberger DM, Team M. Declines in Pneumonia Mortality Following the Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in Latin American and Caribbean Countries. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2020, 73: 306-313. PMID: 32448889, PMCID: PMC8516507, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa614.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPneumonia mortalityPneumonia deathsAge groupsIntroduction of PCVPneumococcal conjugate vaccinePediatric immunization programsYears of ageCause pneumoniaMulticountry evaluationPCV introductionConjugate vaccinePostvaccination periodImmunization programsChildren 2Age strataPopulation-level impactMortalityPneumoniaMortality dataStandardized protocolModerate incidenceDeathNational-level mortality dataVaccinePCVAssociation Between the Decline in Pneumococcal Disease in Unimmunized Adults and Vaccine-Derived Protection Against Colonization in Toddlers and Preschool-Aged Children
Weinberger DM, Pitzer VE, Regev-Yochay G, Givon-Lavi N, Dagan R. Association Between the Decline in Pneumococcal Disease in Unimmunized Adults and Vaccine-Derived Protection Against Colonization in Toddlers and Preschool-Aged Children. American Journal Of Epidemiology 2018, 188: 160-168. PMID: 30462150, PMCID: PMC6321804, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwy219.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInvasive pneumococcal diseaseUnimmunized adultsPneumococcal diseaseVaccine-associated immunityVaccine-derived protectionVaccine-targeted serotypesNationwide surveillance studyPrevalence of colonizationUnvaccinated adultsPneumococcal carriagePreschool aged childrenVaccine uptakeColonization prevalenceGroup of childrenVaccination coverageEmergency departmentSurveillance studyDisease ratesTrajectory of declineAge rangeAdultsAged childrenChildrenSerotypesVaccine
2024
Contact with young children is a major risk factor for pneumococcal colonization in older adults
Wyllie A, Yolda-Carr D, Hislop M, Mbodj S, Wurst L, Waghela P, Alexander-Parrish R, Grant L, Arguedas A, Gessner B, Weinberger D. Contact with young children is a major risk factor for pneumococcal colonization in older adults. FEMS Microbes 2024, xtae032. DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtae032.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPneumococcal conjugate vaccineOlder adultsContact with childrenContact with young childrenNon-institutionalized individualsHousehold membersPneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunizationAdult household membersHealth QuestionnaireYoung childrenTransmission of pneumococciPneumococcal carriagePneumococcal colonizationThyroid Cancer Incidence During 2020 to 2021 COVID-19 Variant Waves
Bell R, Weinberger D, Venkatesh M, Fernandes-Taylor S, Francis D, Davies L. Thyroid Cancer Incidence During 2020 to 2021 COVID-19 Variant Waves. JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery 2024, 150 PMID: 39388144, DOI: 10.1001/jamaoto.2024.3146.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThyroid cancer incidenceThyroid cancer diagnosisCancer incidenceUS adultsCancer diagnosisRates of thyroid cancer diagnosisUndiagnosed casesThyroid cancer casesIncidence of thyroid cancerCases of thyroid cancerAdvanced stage cancerMain OutcomesCancer casesUS populationHistological typeIncidence rateThyroid cancerPopulation morbiditySize of cancerStudy analyzed trendsQuarterly ratesFollicular cancerMedullary cancerPapillary cancerAnaplastic cancerGenome-wide association study between SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and virus copies during infections
Li K, Chaguza C, Stamp J, Chew Y, Chen N, Ferguson D, Pandya S, Kerantzas N, Schulz W, Initiative Y, Hahn A, Ogbunugafor C, Pitzer V, Crawford L, Weinberger D, Grubaugh N. Genome-wide association study between SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and virus copies during infections. PLOS Computational Biology 2024, 20: e1012469. PMID: 39288189, PMCID: PMC11432881, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012469.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesSingle-nucleotide polymorphismsAssociation studiesWhole-genome sequencingAmino acid changesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsPairs of substitutionsViral copiesEpistasis testsGenome sequenceGenetic variationSpike geneAcid changesViral genomeNucleotide polymorphismsSARS-CoV-2Detect interactionsHost factorsVirus copiesCopyInfection dynamicsRT-qPCRPolymorphismOmicron BASARS-CoV-2 infectionEstimated Deaths Averted in Adults by COVID-19 Vaccination in Select Latin American and Caribbean Countries
Savinkina A, Weinberger D, Toscano C, De Oliveira L. Estimated Deaths Averted in Adults by COVID-19 Vaccination in Select Latin American and Caribbean Countries. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2024, 11: ofae528. PMID: 39411224, PMCID: PMC11474601, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae528.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchWorkshop on the design and use of clinical trials with multiple endpoints, with a focus on prevention of RSV
Prunas O, Willemsen J, Warren J, Bont L, Schwartz J, Atwell J, Begier E, Dean N, Hirsch I, Karron R, Klugman K, Kramer R, Leidman E, Link-Gelles R, Nair H, Panozzo C, Pelfrene E, Simões E, Smith P, Srikantiah P, Sundaram M, Thindwa D, Vaughn D, Wilson E, Zar H, Pitzer V, Weinberger D. Workshop on the design and use of clinical trials with multiple endpoints, with a focus on prevention of RSV. Vaccine X 2024, 19: 100509. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100509.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRespiratory syncytial virusRandomized controlled trialsPreventive therapyPrevention of respiratory syncytial virusTrial designSuccess of randomized controlled trialsVaccine trial designDesign randomized controlled trialClinical trial designEstimates of vaccine efficacyPrimary endpointSyncytial virusClinical trialsVaccine efficacyControlled trialsMeta-regression modelsSelection of primary endpointsEndpointSequential trial designTherapyMultiple endpointsA low-cost culture- and DNA extraction-free method for the molecular detection of pneumococcal carriage in saliva
Peno C, Lin T, Hislop M, Yolda-Carr D, Farjado K, York A, Pitzer V, Weinberger D, Bei A, Allicock O, Wyllie A. A low-cost culture- and DNA extraction-free method for the molecular detection of pneumococcal carriage in saliva. Microbiology Spectrum 2024, 12: e00591-24. PMID: 39028185, PMCID: PMC11370248, DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00591-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDetection of pneumococciDetection of pneumococcal carriagePneumococcal carriageCarriage surveillanceLow-resource settingsChildren attending childcare centersCarriage of pneumococciDNA extractionSaliva samplesMolecular methodsCultural enrichmentImprove surveillance effortsQPCR-based protocolPneumococcal vaccineExtraction-free methodMolecular detectionNucleic acid extractionVaccination strategiesPneumococciCulture-enrichment methodExtraction-free protocolPurified DNASalivaPaired samplesCarriageInteractions between respiratory syncytial virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of childhood respiratory infections: a systematic review
Besteman S, Bogaert D, Bont L, Mejias A, Ramilo O, Weinberger D, Dagan R. Interactions between respiratory syncytial virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of childhood respiratory infections: a systematic review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2024 PMID: 38991585, DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(24)00148-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRespiratory syncytial virusChildhood respiratory infectionsRespiratory infectionsSyncytial virusStreptococcus pneumoniaeRespiratory syncytial virus vaccineLower respiratory tract infectionsRespiratory tract infectionsSystematic reviewGlobal health burdenYears of ageRSV hospitalisationTract infectionsPneumococcal vaccineSevere diseaseGlobal morbidityEpidemiological associationMonoclonal antibodiesPathogen-pathogen interactionsPneumococciInfectionHealth burdenPathogenesisHost modulationApproaches to disease preventionGlobal patterns of rebound to normal RSV dynamics following COVID-19 suppression
Thindwa D, Li K, Cooper-Wootton D, Zheng Z, Pitzer V, Weinberger D. Global patterns of rebound to normal RSV dynamics following COVID-19 suppression. BMC Infectious Diseases 2024, 24: 635. PMID: 38918718, PMCID: PMC11201371, DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09509-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEstimated Population-Level Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Against All-Cause Pneumonia Mortality Among Unvaccinated in 5 Latin American Countries
Prunas O, Shioda K, Toscano C, Bastias M, Valenzuela-Bravo M, Tito J, Warren J, Weinberger D, de Oliveira L. Estimated Population-Level Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Against All-Cause Pneumonia Mortality Among Unvaccinated in 5 Latin American Countries. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2024, 230: e768-e776. PMID: 38502711, PMCID: PMC11481321, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae144.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAll-cause pneumoniaPneumonia deathsPneumonia mortalityAge groupsPneumococcal conjugate vaccineProportion of IPD casesInvasive pneumococcal diseaseMulti-country studyIPD casesOlder age groupsPopulation-level impactMortality dataYears of ageInvasive pneumococcal disease casesConjugate vaccinePneumococcal conjugate vaccine introductionEffect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccinesTemporal trendsImpact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccinesUnvaccinated age groupsMortalityEvaluate changesPost-vaccination periodVaccine serotypesNo significant changesHypertension Control During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
Korves C, Peixoto A, Lucas B, Davies L, Weinberger D, Rentsch C, Vashi A, Young-Xu Y, King J, Asch S, Justice A. Hypertension Control During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. Medical Care 2024, 62: 196-204. PMID: 38284412, PMCID: PMC10922611, DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001971.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHypertension controlFollow-up intervalPrimary care clinic visitsFollow-up lengthVeterans Health AdministrationControlled hypertensionUncontrolled hypertensionGeneralized estimating equationsCohort of individualsStudy inclusion criteriaHealth careHealth AdministrationLonger follow-up intervalsBlood pressure measurementsAssessed associationsClinic visitsInclusion criteriaDecreased likelihoodEstimating equationsPrepandemic periodLow likelihoodCoronavirus diseaseFollow-upHypertensionIndividuals
2023
Potential Impact of Higher-Valency Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Among Adults in Different Localities in Germany
Ellingson M, Weinberger D, van der Linden M, Perniciaro S. Potential Impact of Higher-Valency Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Among Adults in Different Localities in Germany. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2023, 229: 1669-1673. PMID: 38059558, PMCID: PMC11175678, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad538.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchIncorporating Data from Multiple Endpoints in the Analysis of Clinical Trials: Example from RSV Vaccines
Prunas O, Willemsen J, Bont L, Pitzer V, Warren J, Weinberger D. Incorporating Data from Multiple Endpoints in the Analysis of Clinical Trials: Example from RSV Vaccines. Epidemiology 2023, 35: 103-112. PMID: 37793120, DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001680.Peer-Reviewed Original Research2604. Contact With School-Aged Children is a Major Risk Factor for Pneumococcal Colonization in Older Adults
Wyllie A, Yolda-Carr D, Hislop M, Mbodj S, Kennedy H, McLaughlin M, Wurst L, Waghela P, Peno C, Alexander-Parrish R, Arguedas A, Gessner B, Weinberger D. 2604. Contact With School-Aged Children is a Major Risk Factor for Pneumococcal Colonization in Older Adults. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2023, 10: ofad500.2218. PMCID: PMC10679235, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad500.2218.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPneumococcal conjugate vaccineOlder adultsTime pointsRisk factorsPneumococcal colonizationAdult transmissionTransmission of pneumococciMajor risk factorRecent contactYear oldsNon-institutionalized individualsYears of ageGrant/research supportSame time pointsPneumococcal acquisitionConjugate vaccineSchool-Aged ChildrenElevated prevalenceYoung school-age childrenHealth statusYoung contactsSaliva samplesMedical directorsSample adultsPneumococci2618. Four Respiratory Viruses are Involved in the Majority of Community-Acquired Alveolar Pneumonia (CAAP) Episodes in Children < 5 Years
Dagan R, van der Beek B, Greenberg D, Ben-Shimol S, Keren-Naos A, Weinberger D, Danino D. 2618. Four Respiratory Viruses are Involved in the Majority of Community-Acquired Alveolar Pneumonia (CAAP) Episodes in Children < 5 Years. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2023, 10: ofad500.2231. PMCID: PMC10679033, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad500.2231.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAlveolar pneumoniaRespiratory virusesBacterial-viral coinfectionsOnly medical centerProspective active surveillanceYoung childrenGrant/research supportParainfluenza virusActive surveillanceMedical CenterNasal samplesHospitalizationPositive specimensEpidemiological activityViral detectionStudy periodViral activityMonthly incidenceMultiple studiesVirusPneumoniaChildrenEpisodesMain virusesRSVThe full value of immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus for infants younger than 1 year: effects beyond prevention of acute respiratory illness
Feikin D, Karron R, Saha S, Sparrow E, Srikantiah P, Weinberger D, Zar H. The full value of immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus for infants younger than 1 year: effects beyond prevention of acute respiratory illness. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2023, 24: e318-e327. PMID: 38000374, DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00568-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLower respiratory tract infectionsRespiratory syncytial virusRSV diseaseRespiratory illnessSyncytial virusRespiratory diseaseAcute lower respiratory tract infectionPrevention of RSVAcute respiratory illnessRespiratory tract infectionsImportant public health benefitsInappropriate antibiotic useSevere respiratory illnessCause infant mortalityCost-effective interventionPublic health benefitsHealth care systemMaternal vaccinesRecurrent hospitalisationsRSV preventionSecondary pneumoniaTract infectionsMiddle-income countriesLung healthAntibiotic use