Suchergebnisse

Though COVID-19 vaccines have shown high efficacy, real-world effectiveness at the population level remains unclear. Based on the longitudinal data on vaccination coverage and daily infection cases from fifty states in the United States from March to May 2021, causal analyses were conducted using structural nested mean models to estimate the population-level effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination program against infection with the original strain. We found that in the US, every 1% increase of vaccination coverage rate reduced the weekly growth rate of COVID-19 confirmed cases by 1.02% (95% CI: 0.26%, 1.69%), and the estimated population-level effectiveness of the COVID-19 program was 63.9% (95% CI: 18.0%, 87.5%). In comparison to a no-vaccination scenario, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign averted 8.05 million infections through the study period. Scenario analyses show that a vaccination program with doubled vaccination speed or with more rapid vaccination speed at the early stages of the campaign would avert more infections and increase vaccine effectiveness. The COVID-19 vaccination program demonstrated a high population-level effectiveness and significantly reduced the disease burden in the US. Accelerating vaccine rollout, especially at an early stage of the campaign, is crucial for reducing COVID-19 infections.

Amid the growing rivalry between the United States and China, Russia has positioned itself as a pivot in the triangular relationship with the two superpowers to turn its weakness into strength. This article uses the Taiwan issue to examine the triangular dynamics and Russian President Vladimir Putin's attitude towards the most sensitive issues in Sino–American relations. Findings have revealed that Moscow exhibited half-hearted responses to nine major incidents that caused severe tensions in cross-strait relations over the past two decades. Therefore, the authors argue that Russia's attitude is one main cause of the non-emergence of a "romantic triangle" of the three powers. (China/GIGA)

Disaster preparation can reduce the impact of an earthquake on residents. Residents are more likely to undertake disaster preparedness if they perceive it to be effective. However, few studies have analyzed the influence of trust on this perception. This study surveyed 327 households in areas stricken by the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes to explore these issues. Trust was divided into government trust, emotional trust, and social trust, while the efficacy of disaster preparedness was divided into self-efficacy and response efficacy. A partial least squares structural equation model was used to explore the influence of trust on perceptions of the efficacy of disaster preparedness. The results show that: (1) government trust can directly increase perceived efficacy and indirectly increase self-efficacy via emotional trust; (2) emotional trust can directly increase self-efficacy; (3) social trust can directly reduce self-efficacy while indirectly increasing it by increasing emotional trust. This study deepens our understanding of the relationship between trust and perceptions of the efficacy of disaster preparedness. This study can provide inspiration to improve risk communication and construct systems of community-based disaster-prevention.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination has been considered one of the most effective public health interventions. In the context of the global epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it remains unclear what role general vaccination attitudes and perceptions have on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the impact of general attitudes and perceptions toward vaccination on the acceptance of a newly developed vaccine, taking COVID-19 vaccines as an example. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,013 Chinese adult participants. Generalized order logistic regression and path analysis models were used to analyze impacts of general attitudes and perceptions toward vaccination on the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. RESULTS: The prevalence of hesitancy to vaccination in general is 49.9% among the Chinese adult population. General perceptions of vaccination were associated with corresponding perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine. A "no hesitancy" attitude toward vaccination is a significant determinant (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.36–2.31) of future COVID-19 vaccination compared to vaccine refusers, and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine remain a significant determinant for the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Path analysis indicates that perceptions of the importance and safety of vaccination have a positive overall effect on the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, and that general perceptions of vaccination as a whole on each measure indirectly influence the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSION: General attitudes and perceptions toward vaccination were associated with those of the COVID-19 vaccine and future vaccination intention. To prepare for possible emergence of diseases in the future, routine health campaigns should be launched by relevant government departments and vaccination authorities to enhance the overall awareness and knowledge of vaccination among the public and to ensure optimal vaccination experience. In addition, targeted knowledge dissemination and ...