Otitis media-associated outpatient visits among American Indians/Alaska Natives children aged <5 years decreased by 52% (100 to 48 per 100 children per year) from 2003 to 2019. Otitis media visits decreased by another 50% from 2019 to 2020, but rebounded between 2020 and 2021 back to a rate similar to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Adults aged ≥65 years, adults with certain underlying medical conditions, and persons experiencing homelessness are at increased risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Two new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) and 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), were recently approved for use in U.S. adults. We described the epidemiology of IPD among Alaska adults and estimated the proportion of IPD cases potentially preventable by new vaccines. METHODS: We used statewide, laboratory-based surveillance data to calculate and compare IPD incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) among Alaska adults aged ≥18 years during 2011-2020 and estimate the proportion of IPD cases that were caused by serotypes in PCV15 and PCV20. RESULTS: During 2011-2020, 1,164 IPD cases were reported among Alaska adults for an average annual incidence of 21.3 cases per 100,000 adults per year (95% CI: 20.1-22.5). Incidence increased significantly during the study period (p<0.01). IPD incidence among Alaska Native adults was 4.7 times higher than among non-Alaska Native adults (95% CI: 4.2-5.2). Among adults experiencing homelessness in Anchorage, IPD incidence was 72 times higher than the general adult population (95% CI: 59-89). Overall, 1,032 (89%) Alaska adults with IPD had an indication for pneumococcal vaccine according to updated vaccination guidelines; 456 (39%) and 700 (60%) cases were caused by serotypes in PCV15 and PCV20, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Use of PCV15 and PCV20 could substantially reduce IPD among adults in Alaska, including Alaska Native adults and adults experiencing homelessness.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection incidence rates in the United States have increased since 2010 as a byproduct of the opioid crisis despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents in 2013. HCV infection is associated with higher rates of liver-related and nonhepatic causes of death. METHODS: This study compared demographic characteristics and age-adjusted death rates from 1995 to 2016 among Alaska Native (AN) adults infected with HCV (AK-HepC) to rates among the AN and non-AN adult populations living in Alaska. Liver-related disease (LRD) and other disease-specific age-adjusted death rates were compared between the populations. RESULTS: The all-cause death rate among the AK-HepC cohort was 2.2- and 3.4-fold higher than AN and non-AN adults, respectively, and remained stable over time in all populations. The LRD death rate among the AK-HepC cohort was 18- and 11-fold higher than the non-AN and AN, respectively. The liver cancer rate among the AK-HepC cohort was 26-fold higher compared to the Alaska statewide population. The AK-HepC cohort had elevated rates of death associated with nonhepatic diseases with circulatory disease having the highest rate in all populations. Among liver cancer deaths in the AK-HepC cohort, 32% had HCV listed as a contributing cause of death on the death certificate. CONCLUSIONS: Death rates in the AK-HepC cohort remained stable since 1995 and higher compared to the general population. People with HCV infection had an elevated risk for all-cause, liver-related, and nonhepatic causes of death. Hepatitis C infection may be underrepresented as a cause of mortality in the United States.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccines are highly efficacious, but SARS-CoV-2 infections post-vaccination occur. We characterized COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated persons with an outcome of death. METHODS: We analyzed COVID-19 cases voluntarily reported to CDC by US health departments during January 1, 2021-April 30, 2021. We included cases among U.S. residents with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test 14 days after completion of an authorized primary vaccine series and who had a known outcome (alive or death) as of May 31, 2021. When available, specimens were sequenced for viral lineage and death certificates were reviewed for cause(s) of death. RESULTS: Of 8,084 reported COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated persons during the surveillance period, 245 (3.0%) died. Compared with patients who remained alive, those who died were older (median age 82 years vs. 57 years, P <0.01), more likely to reside in a long-term care facility (51% vs. 18%, P <0.01), and more likely to have at least one underlying health condition associated with risk for severe disease (64% vs. 24%, P <0.01). Among 245 deaths, 191 (78%) were classified as COVID-19-related. Of 106 deaths with available death certificates, COVID-19 was listed on 81 (77%). There were no differences in the type of vaccine administered or the most common viral lineage (B.1.1.7). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 deaths are rare in fully vaccinated persons, occurring most commonly in those with risk factors for severe disease, including older age and underlying health conditions. All eligible persons should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and follow other prevention measures to mitigate exposure risk.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we describe changes in LRTI rates from 1998-2014 among hospitalized AI/AN adults residing in Alaska and other Indian Health Service (IHS) regions. METHODS: We calculated age-adjusted hospital discharge rates and rate ratios from the IHS Direct and Contract Health Services Inpatient Dataset, IHS National Patient Information Reporting System for AI/AN adults ≥18 years, hospitalized at an IHS-operated, tribally operated or contract hospital with an LRTI-associated diagnosis during 1998-2014. RESULTS: Overall, there were 13,733 LRTI-associated hospitalizations in Alaska (1998-2014) with an age-adjusted rate of 13.7/1,000 adults. Among non-AK AI/AN, there were a total of 79,170 hospitalizations with a rate of 8.6/1,000 adults. In the pre-PCV7 and pre-PCV13 periods, LRTI rates were higher in AK AI/AN (12.4 and 14.1) compared to non-AK AI/AN (10.1 and 9.1, p<0.0001), respectively. In post-PCV7 and post-PCV13 periods, LRTI rates were also higher in AK (13.5 and 15.0) compared to non-AK (9.2 and 7.3, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Over the study period, we observed a 26% increase in rates of LRTI among adult AI/AN residing in Alaska compared with a 38% decrease in rates among AI/AN residing in non-AK. This disparity is likely due to a variety of factors such as tobacco use, crowding etc. Strategies to reduce LRTI in AI/AN adults are needed.