| Issue 1101: January 21, 2014 TOP STORIES
OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FEATURED RESOURCES
EDUCATION AND TRAINING CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS TOP STORIES IAC's Give birth to the end of Hep B initiative helps birthing hospitals adopt and strengthen hepatitis B birth dose policies As part of IAC's initiative to help the nation’s birthing institutions to Give birth to the end of Hep B, IAC is again asking all of its immunization partners to get involved in promoting the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose. Our partners' help is needed because, unfortunately, nearly one in three U.S. newborns leaves the hospital unvaccinated against hepatitis B. As a result, approximately 800 U.S. newborns become chronically infected each year because of exposure at birth. Providing a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to all infants provides a “safety net”—a simple and effective way to ensure that all infants, including those born to undiagnosed HBV-infected mothers, receive protection from serious lifelong infection. To help birthing hospitals increase the rate of birth dose vaccination, IAC has created a campaign that provides complete information and resources about the birth dose at www.immunize.org/protect-newborns. Two new resources from IAC In addition to increasing awareness about the need for the hepatitis B birth dose, the initiative offers tools to help birthing institutions adopt or strengthen their birth dose policies. 84-page Guidebook. The centerpiece of this supportive effort is IAC’s comprehensive new guidebook, Hepatitis B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns. Endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 84-page guide contains a wide range of resources to help birthing institutions establish, implement, and optimize their hepatitis B birth dose policies. Visit www.immunize.org/protect-newborns/guide to view the guidebook’s table of contents and download some or all of its sections. Download the related information sheet. Birth Dose Honor Roll. Complementing the guidebook is IAC's Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose Honor Roll. To be included in the Birth Dose Honor Roll, a birthing institution must have: (1) a coverage rate of 90% or greater, over a 12-month period, for administering hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge to all newborns, including those whose parents refuse vaccination, and (2) implemented specific written policies, procedures, and protocols to protect all newborns from hepatitis B virus infection prior to hospital discharge. The Honor Roll now includes 56 birthing institutions from 19 states. Please visit the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and their exceptional efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission. For information about the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll and how you can apply, visit www.immunize.org/honor-roll/birthdose. Download the related information sheet. Here’s what you can do:
With your partnership, we will Give birth to the end of Hep B! Back to top IAC Spotlight! Fourteen more healthcare organizations join IAC's Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll for mandatory healthcare worker vaccination IAC urges qualifying healthcare organizations to apply for its Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll. The honor roll recognizes hospitals, medical practices, professional organizations, health departments, and government entities that have taken a stand for patient safety by implementing mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare personnel. More than 350 organizations are now enrolled. Since January 7, when IAC Express last reported on the Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll, 14 organizations have been enrolled. Newly added healthcare organizations, medical practices, and health agencies
Trust for America's Health publishes report on poor influenza vaccination rates for adults age 18–64 years The Trust for America's Health (TFAH) recently published a report that highlighted poor influenza vaccination rates for adults age 18–64 years. The analysis found that only 35.7% of adults age 18–64 years were vaccinated against influenza last season. By comparison, 56.6% of children age 6 months to 17 years and 66.2% of seniors age 65 years and older were vaccinated. The low vaccination rates for non-senior adults are especially troublesome considering that H1N1 is the most prevalent influenza strain this season, which can disproportionately target healthy children and young adults. Access the Trust for America's Health brief, which includes state statistics. Back to top OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS CDC publishes "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2012" On January 7, CDC announced the release of Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2012. This publication presents statistics and trends for sexually transmitted diseases in the United States through 2012. It is intended as a reference document for policy makers, program managers, health planners, researchers, and others who are concerned with the public health implications of these diseases. The "Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases" section includes information about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Back to top FEATURED RESOURCES Order free immunization resources from CDC Healthcare providers can now order free immunization resources from CDC by using its new CDC-INFO on Demand website. Color resources can be expensive to print, but CDC has a limited supply available that you can order from the CDC warehouse. Please use this new link to place an order: wwwn.cdc.gov/pubs/cdcinfoondemand.aspx. On the main page, access the drop-down menu for "Programs." From there, select the choice under "Immunizations and Vaccines" that best fits your needs (e.g., "Childhood Immunization" or "Pertussis-Whooping Cough," etc.), and then hit "Go." Please note that limited quantities are available and orders require four to six weeks for delivery. Please feel free to share this information with your immunization colleagues! Back to top Influenza is serious; vaccination is recommended for nearly everyone, so please keep vaccinating your patients Vaccination remains the single most effective means of preventing influenza, and is recommended for everyone age six months and older. If you don't provide influenza vaccination in your clinic, please recommend vaccination to your patients and refer them to a clinic or pharmacy that provides vaccines or to the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to locate sites near their workplaces or homes that offer influenza vaccination services. Following is a list of resources related to influenza disease and vaccination for healthcare professionals and the public:
EDUCATION AND TRAINING CDC updates two modules, "Vaccine Storage and Handling" and "Vaccines for Children" in its "You Call the Shots" training course CDC recently announced that it had updated the Vaccine Storage and Handling and Vaccines for Children (VFC) modules in the web-based training course "You Call the Shots." Continuing education credit is available for viewing a module and completing an evaluation. Related Links
CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS Pennsylvania Immunization Conference scheduled for June 19 The 20th annual Pennsylvania Immunization Conference, Planting the Seeds for Lifelong Health and Immunity, will take place on June 19 in Wyomissing, PA. The conference agenda has been developed for anyone involved in the management or administration of immunizations to:
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About IZ Express
IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. 1NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.
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ISSN 2771-8085
IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085
Editorial Information
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Editor-in-ChiefKelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
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Managing EditorJohn D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
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Associate EditorSharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
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Writer/Publication CoordinatorTaryn Chapman, MS
Courtnay Londo, MA -
Style and Copy EditorMarian Deegan, JD
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Web Edition ManagersArkady Shakhnovich
Jermaine Royes -
Contributing WriterLaurel H. Wood, MPA
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Technical ReviewerKayla Ohlde