Public health guidance on screening and vaccination for infectious diseases in newly arrived migrants within the EU/EEA


The main objective of this guidance is to provide scientific advice, based on an evidence-based assessment of targeted public health interventions, to facilitate effective screening and vaccination for priority infectious diseases among newly arrived migrant populations to the EU/EEA. It is intended to support EU/EEA Member States to develop national strategies to strengthen infectious disease prevention and control among migrants and meet the health needs of these populations.
Increased rates of migration to and within the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in recent years has made the development of migration policy, including health policy, a priority for the region. A migrant is defined as any individual who lives in a country temporarily or permanently away from his or her usual place of residence for at least a year. Migrants do not generally pose a health threat to the host population. However, some subgroups of migrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases and may have worse health outcomes than the host population. In a number of EU/EEA Member States, subgroups of migrant populations are disproportionately affected by infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C. Consequently, screening and vaccination programmes may be of benefit for newly arrived migrants, i.e. those who have arrived in the EU/EEA within the past five years.
The European health policy framework ‘Health 2020’ aims to ‘significantly improve the health and well-being of populations, reduce health inequalities, strengthen public health and ensure people-centred health systems that are universal, equitable, sustainable and of high quality’. ECDC has sought to support this aim in migrant health by developing evidence-based guidance on the prevention of infectious diseases among newly arrived migrants in the EU/EEA.
Objective, method and approach
The main objective of this guidance is to provide scientific advice, based on an evidence-based assessment of targeted public health interventions, to facilitate effective screening and vaccination for priority infectious diseases among newly arrived migrant populations to the EU/EEA. It is intended to support EU/EEA Member States to develop national strategies to strengthen infectious disease prevention and control among migrants and meet the health needs of these populations.
The guidance has been developed using a series of systematic evidence reviews and the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) evidence-to-decision framework, as well as drawing on the opinions of an ad hoc scientific panel through a consultation and assessment process. ECDC appointed a scientific panel consisting of 21 experts from EU/EEA Member States to review the evidence and express opinions on the evidence-based statements that relate to vulnerable migrant groups. None of the members of the panel declared any conflicts of interest with regard to the topic and their participation in the panel. In addition to the scientific panel, ECDC established an advisory group of experts in infectious disease, public health and migration to participate in meetings in order to select the key infectious diseases for which guidance is needed and to support the review process.
The advisory group and ad hoc scientific panel selected the following key infectious diseases for consideration: active tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI), HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), vaccine-preventable diseases (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, strongyloidiasis, and schistosomiasis.
Key overarching questions were:
- Should newly arrived migrants be offered screening for active TB, LTBI, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, strongyloidiasis, and schistosomiasis? Who should be targeted and how?
- Should newly arrived migrants be offered vaccination for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB) and hepatitis B?
- What are the implementation considerations in EU/EEA countries?
The approach involved developing key research questions (PICO: population, intervention, comparison, outcome) and an analytic framework to identify key steps and questions related to evidence of effectiveness along the screening– intervention pathway, in order to formulate search strategies and identify relevant literature.
Search terms and strategies appropriate for each infectious disease were used to search for published literature in PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Embase from January 2005 to May 2016; grey literature and existing guidelines were also identified. In developing the guidance, ECDC sought to build on existing systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials; in addition, newly developed additional evidence reviews were used to address gaps in the evidence base. The systematic reviews that underpin this guidance were conducted in line with PRISMA reporting guidelines.
The GRADE evidence-to-decision approach was used to frame evidence and develop statements, and to rate the strength of the evidence-based statements. Evidence-based statements were developed and graded through an iterative consensus process with the advisory group and ad hoc scientific panel. The ad hoc scientific panel members completed a FACE survey (feasibility, acceptability, cost and equity), which was used to inform the guidance. GRADE Pro Panel Voice Software3 was used to review statements and vote on all evidence-to-decision criteria. The evidence review and guideline development process consisted of three rounds of review: of the evidence review findings, the draft evidence-based statements, and the draft guidance. Results This guidance focuses on newly arrived migrants within the EU/EEA, taking into consideration country of origin, circumstances of migration, and age and gender, where relevant. Available evidence suggests that it likely to be effective and cost-effective to screen child, adolescent and adult migrants for active TB and LTBI, HIV, HCV, HBV, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis, and that there is a clear benefit to enrolling migrants in vaccination programmes and ensuring catch-up vaccination where needed. This is, however, often conditional on the burden of disease in migrants’ countries of origin.

Blockchain
India’s Crypto Ban Uncertain as Finance Minister Touts a Window for Experiments


India’s Finance Minister told CNBC that the country’s reserve bank is not shutting out cryptocurrencies entirely. She said that while the Reserve Bank of India will decide which unofficial cryptocurrencies will be used and regulated, there will be “a window for experiments” in the industry.
New Lease Of Life For Bitcoin In India
India’s minister of finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, spoke briefly on the country’s standpoint on digital assets in a CNBC virtual townhall. She said that several negotiations are being held with the Reserve Bank of India regarding an impending ban.
A lower parliament in India raised a bill to ban all private cryptocurrencies in January. It said that the move was to facilitate the development of the country’s CBDC, which the RBI will issue and regulate. This did not go down well with cryptocurrency enthusiasts and industry stakeholders in the country. In response, they started an online campaign tagged #IndiaWantsBitcoin to get the RBI to reconsider its stance.
Sitharaman’s remarks suggest that the campaign was quite impactful. She said:
“A lot of negotiations and discussions are happening around the cryptocurrency with the Reserve Bank of India. RBI will be taking a call on what kind of unofficial cryptocurrency will have to be planned and how it has to be regulated. However we want to make sure that there is a window available for all kinds of experiments which will have to take place in the crypto world. There will be a very calibrated position taken. A lot of mixed messages are coming from across the world. World is moving fast with technology, we cannot pretend that we don’t want it.”
Sitting On The Fence
India is renowned for its controversial stance on bitcoin after several “back and forth” regulations. The government had initially banned cryptocurrencies in 2018 after warning investors. The halt was later overturned by the Supreme court. The apex court described the ban as “unconstitutional.”
India’s lower parliament received backlash from the global crypto community for what seemed like a ridiculous exception to its proposed cryptocurrency ban. It said it will “allow for certain exceptions to promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses.” Regulatory bodies in the country had severally pushed the motion to advance blockchain technology adoption while banning cryptocurrencies.
Its non-committal approach has raised question marks regarding the country’s future in the digital asset space.
Digital Rupee Still In The Picture
Although Sitharaman did not discuss the progress of the digital rupee, the second most populous nation may take a cue from its neighbors, China.
China has continued trials of its digital yuan and has distributed millions of dollars in the digital currency to its citizens.
India’s Reserve bank governor, Shaktikanta Das, said last month that although there is no set date for the launch, the digital rupee was “receiving full attention.”
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Source: https://cryptopotato.com/indias-crypto-ban-uncertain-as-finance-minister-touts-a-window-for-experiments/
Blockchain
Cardano Price Analysis: 07 March

The cryptocurrency market has been constantly forming crusts and troughs as it strives towards stability. Cardano’s market witnessed a similar trend wherein the price surged towards the end of February but has been correcting since.
At the time of writing, Cardano was trading at $1.13 with a market capitalization of $35.68 billion.
Cardano six-hour chart

Source: ADAUSD on TradingView
The above chart noted that the current market movement had formed a descending triangle and the price was sloping lower. The price has been supported at $1.06 as the trend becomes bearish.
This downwards trending price has been indicating a further drop making its way into the ADA market.
Reasoning
After witnessing increased volatility in the recent past, the ADA market is now seeing the volatility reduce. However, it has not yet shrunk to a level where a price swing was not possible. Since the descending triangle was a bearish trend, a price drop could make the market more volatile.
The signal line and the 50 moving average were also moving above the price candles and were acting as a point of resistance. Meanwhile, market momentum has turned negative due to the rising selling pressure in the market.
Despite the shift in momentum, the Relative Strength Index has remained close to the equilibrium zone. This could be a sign for the consolidation of the price at the current level but as bearishness increases, the consolidation phase may lead to the price breaking down.
Crucial levels
Entry-level: $1.07
Stop-level: $1.17
Take profit: $0.91
Risk to Reward: 1.53
Conclusion
The current ADA market has been seeing the price drop to its $1.06 support. As the price tests the support, the indicators have been highlighting an incoming fall. This fall could push the digital asset under the support and could bring the value under $1.
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Source: https://ambcrypto.com/cardano-price-analysis-07-march
Blockchain
HODLing early leads to relationship troubles? Redditors share their stories


Crypto investments have reportedly been a source of strife in relationships, sometimes leading to breakups and even divorce.
According to a Reddit post from February 2015, a then 28-year-old woman using a throwaway account claimed that she was incredibly upset at her husband, who had not stopped purchasing Bitcoin (BTC) since 2013 without consulting her. She estimated that he had bought more than $22,000 in the crypto asset in the two years prior to the post, when the price reached a high of more than $1,000 but also dipped under $200.
“I kept telling him to sell as the price was rising and he promised me a big year in 2014,” she said. “The price kept falling and he continued to buy more. He makes more money than I do but we are building a future together and we have a shared bank account. He kept telling me this was for our kids’ college fund, to buy a house, etc.”
In the early days of Bitcoin and crypto when digital currencies were often used as a running joke for late night talk shows and comedians, many considered investing in the technology financially immature at the very least. Some people still do, even with the BTC price at more than $50,000 again.
The Redditor referred to her husband as “brainwashed,” saying he was “robbing [her] of happiness” and ruining her job by bringing up Bitcoin at her marketing events.
“After a recent price crash, he actually bought more using our vacation fund that I have been saving away for and planning. All gone, in Bitcoin never to be seen again.”
It’s unclear whether the couple stayed together following the response from the post, or if the husband sold some or all of the Bitcoin to ameliorate his wife’s financial concerns. The user compared her spouse to a drug addict and considered “staying in a hotel for a few weeks” to think about whether divorce was an option.
However, with the benefit of hindsight, the husband’s early investment could have easily paid off in the millions of dollars. Even assuming he purchased BTC after the price surge to $1,000 in November 2013, the 22 coins would now be worth more than $1 million.
Because the story was posted on the r/relationships subreddit rather than a pro-crypto group like r/Bitcoin or r/cryptocurrency, many of the Redditors encouraged the user to separate her finances and consider divorce proceedings. Few crypto enthusiasts jumped on the thread to comment, but one predicted that the BTC would one day be “worth fortunes” and recommended the husband continue to HODL.
Another story from a Redditor following the 2017 bull run — which brought in many newbies to the crypto space — claimed that his girlfriend was considering breaking up with him following “a huge investment in cryptocurrencies.” However, digital currencies seem to have played less of a role in his story, as the user said he crashed a car while driving drunk and was pressuring his significant other to leave her job.
Though many crypto traders know the price of Bitcoin and other digital currencies will likely continue to be volatile, the adoption and investment from major companies have helped push the technology closer to the mainstream, and made it seemingly more responsible for investors to get in on the action earlier rather than later. Already Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has claimed to have increased his stake in Bitcoin while asset management firm Third Point CEO Dan Loeb recently said he had been doing a “deep dive into crypto.”
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Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/hodling-early-leads-to-relationship-troubles-redditors-share-their-stories
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