Issue 1294: March 15, 2017
Ask the Experts—Question of the Week: What are the recommendations for use of the new oral cholera vaccine? . . . read more
TOP STORIES
WORLD NEWS
FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
TOP STORIES
It's coming soon! National Infant Immunization Week to be held April 22–29; many
resources available from CDC's website
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight
the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and
celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in
promoting healthy communities. NIIW will be held this year on April 22–29.
Visit CDC's updated NIIW website to find promotional and educational materials to help you plan your NIIW activities, and tailor them to the needs of your community. Resources include key messages, drop-in articles and web features, sample NIIW tweets and Facebook posts, Spanish-language and English-language public service announcements, and a media relations toolkit.
 
CDC would like to hear from organizations planning a 2017 NIIW activity. Please complete the NIIW Activity Form so others can learn what you're doing to educate and inspire parents and providers to protect infants and toddlers from vaccine-preventable diseases. If you're looking for ideas, you can access events scheduled for 2017, and NIIW events held in past years, from CDC's NIIW Activities around the World web page.
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CDC posts Q&As for the public about mumps outbreaks
From January 1 to February 25, 37 states and the District of Columbia have
reported 1,077 cases of mumps to CDC. In 2016, there were 5,311 cases of mumps
reported. In light of the continuing outbreaks of mumps, especially on college
campuses, CDC has posted updated Q&As about mumps on its website. This resource
answers common questions such as, "I got the vaccine but still got mumps. Does
this mean the vaccine doesn’t work?"
Access this CDC resource: Mumps: Outbreak-Related Questions and Answers for Patients.
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IAC Spotlight! Calendar of Events highlights conferences, workshops, and other immunization-related events around the nation
IAC maintains a Calendar of Events on its website for healthcare professionals at www.immunize.org/calendar. This is an easy way to find out about upcoming conferences and workshops in your area, or online webinars and other electronic continuing educational opportunities. The calendar also includes special weeks of observance.
If you have an immunization-related event that you would like your colleagues to know about via this Calendar of Events, email IAC.
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WORLD NEWS
New publication provides overview of vaccine company actions to improve immunization coverage worldwide
On March 6, Access to Vaccines Index 2017 was released by the Access to Medicine Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands. The goal of this new publication is to provide an initial baseline of industry activity to improve access to vaccines. It examines where and how companies are already taking action to improve immunization coverage, and brings good practices to the attention of other companies and stakeholders working in the vaccines arena. The report found a high level of diversity in how vaccine companies are improving access to vaccines for people living in poorer countries.
Download Access to Vaccines Index 2017: How vaccine companies are responding to calls for greater immunisation coverage (102 pages; PDF format).
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FEATURED RESOURCES
CDC updates its downloadable vaccine labels; use to organize vaccines within storage units and avoid mix-ups
As part of their storage and handling resources, CDC recently released updated vaccine labels to help providers organize vaccines within their storage units. Vaccine Labels Examples and
2016–2017 Influenza Season Vaccine Label Examples are available for download now on CDC's website. The labels reflect ACIP guidelines and may include indications different from those of the Food and Drug Administration.
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Hepatitis B Foundation releases new video in its storytelling project: #justB
In January, the Hepatitis B Foundation launched a new storytelling campaign: #justB: Real People Sharing their Stories of Hepatitis B. The volunteers sharing their stories do so to put a human face on this serious disease, decrease stigma and discrimination, and promote the importance of testing and treatment for hepatitis B. A new story will be featured each month throughout 2017.
Watch the March story about Theobald Owusu-Ansah, president of the Hepatitis Foundation of Ghana and a person infected with the hepatitis B virus: Theobald's Story.
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Children's coloring book about influenza available on CDC's website
CDC offers a downloadable coloring book for children titled Ready Wrigley Prepares for Flu Season.
Ready Wrigley is the canine star of a series of coloring books, checklists, and
a free app—all designed to empower children to help their families plan for
emergencies.
The Ready Wrigley series has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Visit the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response's Ready Wrigley web section.
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Please keep vaccinating your patients against influenza: 40 influenza-associated
pediatric deaths have been reported for the 2016–2017 season
Influenza is serious and still spreading. CDC reports that a total of 40
influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported for the 2016–2017
season. According to CDC, during the week of February 19–25, the geographic
spread of influenza in Puerto Rico and 43 states was reported as widespread,
Guam and five states reported regional activity, the District of Columbia and
two states reported local activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands reported
sporadic activity.
Influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone six months of age 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:
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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
February issue of CDC's Immunization Works newsletter now available
CDC recently released the February issue of its monthly newsletter Immunization Works and posted it on the website of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). The newsletter offers the immunization community information about current topics. The information is in the public domain and can be reproduced and circulated widely.
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CDC publishes report on increase in human infection with avian influenza virus in China in MMWR; previously published as an MMWR Early Release
CDC published Increase
in Human Infections with Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus During the Fifth
Epidemic—China, October 2016–February 2017 in the March 10 issue of MMWR
(pages 254–5). This article was previously published on March 3 as an MMWR Early Release and covered in the March 8 issue of IAC Express.
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ASK THE EXPERTS
Question of the Week
What are the recommendations for use of the new oral cholera vaccine?
CVD 103-HgR (Vaxchora, PaxVax) cholera vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June 2016. ACIP has not yet published recommendations for Vaxchora. However, at their June 2016 meeting, ACIP voted to recommend vaccination for adults 18 through 64 years old traveling to areas of active cholera transmission. An area of active cholera transmission is defined as a province, state, or other administrative subdivision within a country with endemic or epidemic cholera caused by toxigenic V. cholerae O1 and includes areas with cholera activity within the last 1 year that are prone to recurrence of cholera epidemics; it does not include areas where rare sporadic cases have been reported. No country or territory currently requires vaccination against cholera as a condition for entry.
In addition to vaccination, all travelers to cholera-affected areas should follow safe food and water precautions and proper sanitation and personal hygiene measures as primary prevention strategies against cholera infection. Travelers who develop severe diarrhea should promptly seek medical attention for rehydration therapy.
About IAC's Question of the Week
Each week, IAC Express highlights a new, topical, or
important-to-reiterate Q&A. This feature is a cooperative venture between IAC
and CDC. William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, IAC's associate director for immunization
education, chooses a new Q&A to feature every week from a set of Q&As prepared
by experts at CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
We hope you enjoy this feature and find it helpful when dealing with difficult real-life scenarios in your vaccination practice. Please encourage your healthcare professional colleagues to sign up to receive IAC Express at www.immunize.org/subscribe.
If you have a question for the CDC immunization experts, you can email them directly at nipinfo@cdc.gov. There is no charge for this service.
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