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Issue 1,592:
September 29, 2021
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Featured Resources
Notable Publications
Upcoming Events
Top Stories
CDC
recommends a booster dose for recipients of a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine primary series who are age 65 years or older, who reside in long-
term care facilities, who are age 18 through 64 with underlying health conditions, or who are at high risk of occupational or institutional exposure to
COVID-19
On September 22, the FDA updated its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (also known as Comirnaty) to
authorize administration of a third (booster) dose in certain individuals. The next day, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
(ACIP) made interim recommendations for certain populations to receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6
months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine primary series. In addition, the CDC Director recommended a booster dose for Pfizer-BioNTech
primary series recipients in certain high risk occupational and institutional settings. The recommendations are:
- people age 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech
COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series;
- people age 50 through 64 with certain
underlying medical
conditions should receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-
BioNTech primary series;
- people age 18 through 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain
underlying medical conditions may receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6
months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks; and
- people age 18 through 64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or
institutional setting may receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-
BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
Individuals requesting a booster dose due to an underlying medical condition are not required to provide documentation of their condition; self-attestation
is sufficient.
CDC has issued updated clinical considerations providing guidance on these booster recommendations.
Discussions on booster doses for recipients of Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccines will be held following FDA
authorization of additional doses of those products. Due to limitations of the FDA authorization, Moderna and Janssen vaccine recipients are not
recommended to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech booster at this time.
ACIP noted that the booster recommendations do not change the definition of who is considered “fully vaccinated” for public health or
administrative purposes. “Fully vaccinated” status begins 2 weeks after completing a 2-dose mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)
series or the single dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Johnson & Johnson).
In making these recommendations, ACIP members and the CDC Director emphasized that vaccination of unvaccinated people continues to be the top
priority. Data presented at the meeting indicate hospitalization rates for unvaccinated adults were 13- to 23-times higher (varying by age) than for
vaccinated adults.
During its two-day meeting, ACIP also heard presentations (presentation slides available online) from CDC experts on the current epidemiology of COVID-19 disease in the United States and
updates on COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness assessed through multiple surveillance systems. Additional presentations highlighted the growing
body of evidence supporting the benefits and safety of COVID-19 vaccination during any stage of pregnancy as routinely recommended by CDC and the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), among others. Despite this recommendation,
only 30% of pregnant people
are currently fully vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine.
Clinicians administering Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine should give vaccine recipients the updated (September 22, 2021) EUA Fact
Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers. Clinicians should familiarize themselves with the revised Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Fact
Sheet for Healthcare Providers.
Future ACIP Meetings
The next announced ACIP meetings are scheduled for today, September 29 (see story in “Upcoming Meetings”), and the regularly
scheduled meeting on October 20–21. Additional meetings may be announced; information about past and future ACIP
meetings may be found on the ACIP website.
Related Links
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“Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in
Persons Aged ≥16 Years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—United States, September 2021”
published in MMWR
CDC published Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in Persons Aged ≥16 Years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices—United States, September 2021 in the September 24 issue of MMWR. This publication
predates the September 25, 2021, authorization of booster doses for many recipients; see story above. A portion of the summary appears below.
On August 23, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for persons aged ≥16
years....
On August 30, 2021, after a systematic review of the data, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices revised its interim recommendation to a
standard recommendation for use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged ≥16 years for the prevention of COVID-19....
Continued use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, now fully approved by the FDA in persons aged ≥16 years, is recommended based on
increased certainty that its benefits (prevention of asymptomatic infection, COVID-19, and associated hospitalization and death) outweigh vaccine-
associated risks....
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Use lessons from COVID-19 vaccination efforts to protect more patients from
influenza! Two IAC influenza webinars for vaccine providers are now available for online viewing.
On September 20, IAC hosted a webinar titled "Translating COVID-19 Strategies to Improve Influenza Seasonal Flu Vaccination
Efforts." The entire webinar is now archived for viewing. The topics included:
- Information to improve influenza immunization for under-served populations and improving vaccine equity
- Public health strategies to reach small communities
- Making a strong recommendation for influenza vaccination this season
- Pharmacists’ lessons learned for improving vaccine access and vaccine equity for vulnerable populations
Also archived
for viewing is IAC's September 9 webinar titled "The Continued Threat of Influenza and How to Sustain Influenza Vaccination
Efforts." Please share both webinar links with your colleagues.
Related Links
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CDC launches "I Get It" flu vaccination
campaign
CDC launched the "I Get It" campaign to
encourage everyone age 6 months and older to get vaccinated against influenza and to share their reasons for getting vaccinated. Campaign
materials include:
- CDC web resources
- Digital campaign resources
- Multi-language resources
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CMS launches new Medicare.gov feature to compare nursing homes by COVID-19
vaccination rate
CMS is making it easier to check COVID-19 vaccination rates for nursing home staff and residents with a new feature on Medicare.gov. Vaccination data is
now available in a user-friendly format to help people make informed decisions when choosing a nursing home for themselves or a loved one. CMS and
CDC continue using this data to monitor vaccine uptake among residents and staff and identify facilities that may need assistance to respond to the
pandemic.
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IAC's Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll for
mandatory healthcare worker vaccination now features 1,156 organizations, including two new facilities
There are now 1,156 organizations enrolled in IAC's Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll. The honor roll recognizes hospitals, long-term care facilities,
medical practices, pharmacies, professional organizations, health departments, and other government entities that take a stand for patient safety by
implementing mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare personnel.
Since September 8, when IAC Express last reported on the Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll, two additional healthcare
organizations have been enrolled.
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, MD
- Delaware Valley Community Health, Philadelphia, PA
To be included in the Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll, the institutional mandate you report must require influenza vaccination for all staff.
Additionally, the application must describe measures to prevent transmission of influenza from unvaccinated personnel to patients (e.g., masking for the
entire work shift, reassignment to non-patient-care duties, dismissal).
IAC urges qualifying healthcare organizations to complete the Application page.
Related Links
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IAC Spotlight! IAC's Handouts web page provides free access to hundreds of vaccination-related handouts and fact
sheets
IAC's Handouts
for Patients and Staff web page leads users to hundreds of free vaccination-related patient handouts and fact sheets for healthcare
professionals. All items are ready to print, copy, and distribute widely!
Visit the Handouts for
Patients and Staff web page to view more than 300 handouts sorted by:
From the main page, you can search on any of the 23 topics. Some of the most popular are:
The right-hand side of the web page includes links to some of IAC's most popular handouts, including:
You can also view an alphabetical listing of IAC’s more than 300 ready-to-print staff educational materials and patient handouts.
Visit IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web page on Immunize.org today!
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Journalists interview IAC experts
Journalists seek out IAC experts to help explain vaccines to the public and policy makers. We help the media understand and communicate the complex
work vaccinators do. Here is a selection of our recent citations.
Related Link
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Vaccines in the news
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
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Featured Resources
Spread the word, not the virus! IAC offers FREE
“I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine” buttons and stickers to those promoting vaccination in hesitant communities. Available in English and
Spanish.
Any group or person promoting COVID-19 vaccination can order IAC’s FREE “I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine” buttons and
stickers, provided with support from CDC. Available in English and Spanish, the buttons and stickers look great on lab coats, uniforms, jackets,
lanyards, ID badges, or backpacks to show confidence in COVID-19 vaccination. Access this order form to request the FREE buttons and
stickers for your outreach efforts while supplies last.
 
Related Links
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Notable Publications
MMWR Recap: “Comparative Effectiveness of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalizations among Adults without Immunocompromising Conditions—United States, March–August
2021”
CDC recently published the following article as an MMWR Early Release:
- Comparative Effectiveness of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19
Hospitalizations among Adults without Immunocompromising Conditions—United States, March–August 2021 (MMWR,
September 24, HTML or PDF)
Related Link
- MMWR main page provides access to MMWR Weekly and its companion publications
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"Association between Human
Papillomavirus Infection among Pregnant Women and Preterm Birth" published in JAMA Network Open
In the September 1 issue, JAMA Network Open published Association between Human Papillomavirus Infection among Pregnant Women and
Preterm Birth. The conclusions and relevance section appears below.
The study's results suggest that persistent HPV-16/18 infection is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, independent of cervical
treatment. Future studies should investigate the association of HPV vaccination and vaccination programs with the risk of preterm birth.
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Upcoming Events
Watch today (September 29 at 10 a.m. ET): ACIP meeting on zoster, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B vaccination and other topics; no
registration required
CDC will convene its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) today, September 29, starting at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The committee will
discuss zoster, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), and orthopoxvirus vaccination.
No registration is required to watch webcasts of live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Opportunities for public comment are described at the
website.
View the agenda.
Related Links
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Virtual: CDC offers archived webinar
for clinicians titled "What Clinicians Need to Know about the Latest CDC Recommendations for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster
Vaccination"
CDC’s archive of its Clinical Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) webinars now includes the event from September 28, 2021,
What Clinicians Need to Know about the Latest CDC Recommendations for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster
Vaccination. CDC provided the following description of this session:
This COCA Call will give clinicians an overview of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccination. Clinicians will learn about the vaccine booster
recommendations, safety of booster dose, and clinical guidance for using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccine.
Access more information about this webinar: What
Clinicians Need to Know about the Latest CDC Recommendations for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Vaccination.
Related Link
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Virtual: CDC and AAP will host
webinar for clinicians titled "2021–22 Recommendations for Influenza Prevention and Treatment in Children: An Update for Pediatric
Practitioners" on October 7
CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will host a Clinical Outreach and Communication
Activity (COCA) webinar on October 7, 2021 from 2:00–3:00 p.m. (ET) titled "2021–22 Recommendations for Influenza Prevention and
Treatment in Children: An Update for Pediatric Practitioners." Webinar details will be available on CDC’s COCA Call web page the week of the webinar. During this COCA call, experts from AAP and CDC will discuss strategies
primary care providers and medical subspecialists can use to improve, prevent, and control influenza among children this season.
Related Link
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Virtual: NFID to hold
influenza/pneumococcal news conference on October 7
On Thursday, October 7, the National
Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will host its 2021 Annual NFID Influenza/Pneumococcal News Conference from
9:30–10:30 a.m. (ET). Confirmed panelists include:
- Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, CDC director
- William Schaffner, MD, NFID medical director
- Laura E. Riley, MD, obstetrician and gynecologist-in-chief, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
- Cedric “Jamie” Rutland, MD, CEO, West Coast Lung; COVID-19 medical director, Private Health
Management
- Patricia A. (Patsy) Stinchfield, MS, CPNP, NFID president-elect; pediatric nurse practitioner, Children’s Minnesota
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Virtual: Register now for online NFID
Clinical Vaccinology Course, November 15–17; CME/CNE available
The National Foundation of Infectious
Diseases (NFID) Fall 2021
Clinical Vaccinology Course will be held online November 15–17. This 3-day online course focuses on new developments and issues related to
use of vaccines. Expert faculty provide the latest information on vaccines, including updated recommendations for vaccinations across the lifespan, and
innovative and practical strategies for ensuring timely and appropriate immunization.
Continuing
Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credit will be offered.
Register for the online course ($750 fee).
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