Issue
Number 503
January 10, 2005
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Act soon: January 28 is the deadline for NIC's
early-bird registration
- Coming soon: CDC's satellite broadcasts on Epidemiology
and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- Summer camp for kids with hepatitis--send for an
application before January 31
- New: PKIDs launches listservs for kids with hepatitis C
and B
- Update: CDC continues to supplement its website with
information related to the influenza vaccine shortage
- NFID releases report on the epidemiology of
meningococcal disease among U.S. children, teens, and young adults
- Register today for CDC's January 19 immunization net
conference on varicella case-based reporting
- CDC and UNC sponsor a satellite broadcast/webcast on
vaccine shortages on January 28
- Indiana State Department of health will hold its
"Immunization from A to Z" course on January 28
- World Vaccine Congress set for April 18-20 in Montreal
- International Society of Travel Medicine plans
conference for May 1-5 in Lisbon
- NFID to hold its 2005 Conference on Vaccine Research on
May 9-11 in Baltimore
- CDC reports on malaria transmission in resort areas of
the Dominican Republic in late 2004
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ABBREVIATIONS: AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP, American
Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices;
CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug
Administration; IAC, Immunization Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report; NIP, National Immunization Program; VIS, Vaccine
Information Statement; VPD, vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health
Organization.
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January 10, 2005
ACT SOON: JANUARY 28 IS THE DEADLINE FOR NIC'S EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION
Scheduled for March 21-24 in Washington, DC, this year's National
Immunization Conference (NIC) is a must-attend event. Register by January
28, and attend all four days for only $150.
The conference's primary goals are to help participants provide
comprehensive immunization coverage for all age groups and to explore
innovative strategies for developing programs, policy, and research that
promote such coverage. Plenary sessions and workshops will include
presentations on the following topics: childhood, adolescent, and adult
immunization; vaccine safety; new vaccines and vaccine development; cultural
diversity; policy and legislation; immunization registries; and more.
Opportunities for networking and socializing include the welcoming
continental breakfast, Hilleman lecture and reception, daily fitness events,
and lunch rounds. In addition, the exhibit hall and poster-viewing space
will be open to attendees for two days.
For comprehensive information about the conference, including the draft
conference agenda, online registration, and accommodation information, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/nic
For additional information, contact the conference planning team by phone at
(404) 639-8225 or by email at
NIPNIC@cdc.gov
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January 10, 2005
COMING SOON: CDC'S SATELLITE BROADCASTS ON EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION OF
VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES
Satellite broadcasts on the Epidemiology and Prevention of
Vaccine-Preventable Disease are scheduled for four consecutive Thursdays:
February 17 and 24, and March 3 and 10. The times have not been announced
yet; each session will last 3.5 hours.
The broadcasts will give participants a comprehensive overview of the
principles of vaccination, general recommendations, immunization strategies
for providers, and specific information about vaccine-preventable diseases
and the vaccines that prevent them. The course is intended for immunization
providers such as physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists,
physicians' assistants, Department of Defense paraprofessionals, medical
students, and others.
Registrations are not being accepted yet. IAC EXPRESS will publicize
registration information when it becomes available.
For information on the course textbook, slide sets, and other resources, go
to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/_satellite_broadcasts.htm Click on the
link titled Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.
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January 10, 2005
SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS WITH HEPATITIS--SEND FOR AN APPLICATION BEFORE JANUARY
31
Children with hepatitis B or C will have a chance to attend camp this summer
at two of the top U.S. medical camps, thanks to the national nonprofit
organization PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases) and Paul
Newman's Association of Hole In The Wall Gang Camps.
PKIDs, which supports families touched by viral hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, has
acquired a number of slots for children with chronic hepatitis B or C at
camps in upstate New York (Double "H" Hole in the Woods Ranch in Lake
Luzerne) and Florida (Boggy Creek Gang Camp in Eustis). The camps specialize
in providing a fun, traditional summer camp experience for children and
teens with medical needs.
Children must be between the ages of 6 and 16 and must be receiving medical
treatment of any kind. PKIDs and the camps will pay travel and camp costs
for qualified children--the families pay nothing. Any parent, caretaker,
physician, or health care worker interested in sending a child to either
camp should contact PKIDs for an application BEFORE JANUARY 31. Contact
PKIDs by email at pkids@pkids.org
or by phone at (877) 557-5437.
PKIDs is also seeking donations to help pay the costs of sending children to
the two camps. If you are interested in sponsoring a child at camp, please
email or call PKIDs at the email address or phone number above.
For more information, call PKIDs at (360) 695-0293 or go to
http://www.pkids.org
To visit the website of the Double "H" Hole in the Woods Ranch, go to:
http://www.doublehranch.org
To visit the website of the Boggy Creek Gang Camp, go to:
http://www.boggycreek.org
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January 10, 2005
NEW: PKIDS LAUNCHES LISTSERVS FOR KIDS WITH HEPATITIS C AND B
Thanks to PKIDs, children and teens living with hepatitis C or B now have
their own Internet listservs, giving them a chance to "talk" with other
infected youth from around the United States and the world. The two
listservs, one for children ages 8 to 12 and one for teens ages 13 to 19,
are designed to allow youth the freedom to speak from their hearts. To help
ensure a safe environment, the lists are moderated and there are no
identifiers for those posting to the lists.
PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases) is a national nonprofit
organization serving families of children infected with chronic viral
hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
To access the listservs, go to:
http://www.pkids.org/listserv.htm and click on the appropriate link.
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January 10, 2005
UPDATE: CDC CONTINUES TO SUPPLEMENT ITS WEBSITE WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO
THE INFLUENZA VACCINE SHORTAGE
CDC recently updated its Influenza web section with the following: (1)
Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese versions of the updated interim influenza
vaccination recommendations; (2) revised versions of the following, updated
to reflect the recently expanded ACIP vaccination recommendations: Key Facts
About Flu Vaccine; Who Should Get Flu Vaccine This Season; Questions &
Answers: Flu Vaccination in the 2004-05 Season; Business and the Workplace:
2004-05 Influenza Season; and Colleges & Universities: 2004-05 Influenza
Season; and (3) a web page of information about the recent avian influenza
outbreaks in Asia. Following are descriptions of and links to these
documents.
(1) On January 5, the Updated Interim Influenza Vaccination
Recommendations--2004-05 Influenza Season was made available in Spanish,
Vietnamese, and Chinese.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated interim
recommendations in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/espanol/pdf/whoshouldget-spanish.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the updated interim recommendations
in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/espanol/whoshouldget.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated interim
recommendations in VIETNAMESE, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vie/pdf/whoshouldget-vietnamese.pdf
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated interim
recommendations in CHINESE, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/chi/pdf/whoshouldget-chinese.pdf
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated interim
recommendations in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/whoshouldget.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the updated interim recommendations
in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldget.htm
(2) On January 7, CDC posted revised versions of the following, updated to
reflect the recently expanded ACIP vaccination recommendations:
Fact Sheet: Key Facts About Flu Vaccine. To access a ready-to-print (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/vaccinekeyfacts.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm
Fact Sheet: Who Should Get Flu Vaccine This Season. To access a
ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/0405shortage.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/0405shortage.htm
Questions & Answers: Flu Vaccination in the 2004-05 Season. To access it, go
to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/0405vaccination.htm
Business and the Workplace: 2004-05 Influenza Season. To access a
ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/workplace-flu0405.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/workplace.htm
Colleges and Universities: 2004-05 Influenza Season. To access a
ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/pdf/college.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/college.htm
(3) On January 3, updated information was added to the web page Recent Avian
Influenza Outbreaks in Asia. To access it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/asia.htm
For ongoing information about new and updated additions to CDC's Influenza
web section, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm
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January 10, 2005
NFID RELEASES REPORT ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE AMONG U.S.
CHILDREN, TEENS, AND YOUNG ADULTS
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) recently issued a
16-page report, The Changing Epidemiology of Meningococcal Disease Among
U.S. Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Developed in collaboration
with experts from CDC and the United Kingdom, the report provides a
comprehensive description of meningococcal disease epidemiology and disease
burden among these age groups and discusses current and future prevention
strategies.
To access the report's full text, go to:
http://www.nfid.org/publications
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January 10, 2005
REGISTER TODAY FOR CDC'S JANUARY 19 IMMUNIZATION NET CONFERENCE ON VARICELLA
CASE-BASED REPORTING
Part of the series Current Issues in Immunization, the one-hour
teleconference Varicella Case-Based Reporting is scheduled for January 19.
Two sessions are planned, one at 10AM ET and the other at 12 noon ET. This
is a limited-registration event. Registration will close at midnight ET
January 17 or when the course is full.
The teleconference will focus on the following:
- Recommendations of the Council of State
and Territorial Epidemiologists
- Practical issues
- The Connecticut experience
- Laboratory issues
- Participants' questions and answers
The conference will use video technology.
Those participating should have a DSL connection or better. The video shown
during each session may not be supported by dial-up connection.
To register online, go to:
http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/isd/ciinc
For comprehensive course information, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/ciinc
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January 10, 2005
CDC AND UNC SPONSOR A SATELLITE BROADCAST/WEBCAST ON VACCINE SHORTAGES ON
JANUARY 28
CDC and the University of North Carolina School of Public Health (UNC) are
sponsoring a one-hour satellite broadcast/webcast on the topic Vaccine
Shortages: Protecting the Public's Health Amid Strategic and Ethical
Concerns. Faculty includes Stephen Cochi, MD, MPH, acting director, NIP.
The program will begin at 2PM ET on January 28. It is part of Public
Health Grand Rounds, a series of satellite broadcast/webcast presentations
of real-world case studies of public health issues. Viewers can watch the
program at a satellite downlink location or from their office or home
computers by webcast.
The program's goal is to increase awareness of the local, state, and
federal response to vaccine shortages and the strategic and ethical
concerns for public health. Presenters will discuss actions taken by state
and county health units in Arkansas in response to the current influenza
vaccine shortage.
For comprehensive information about the program, go to:
http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/vac_shortage
To register for the program, go to:
http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/partreg
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January 10, 2005
INDIANA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL HOLD ITS "IMMUNIZATION FROM A TO
Z" COURSE ON JANUARY 28
The Immunization Program of the Indiana State Department of Health is
offering a free course, Immunization from A to Z, on January 28. The
course will be held at Rice Auditorium at the Department of Health from
9AM to 3PM. Registration is required.
Intended for all immunization providers and staff, course will cover the
following:
- Principles of vaccination
- Overview of vaccine-preventable diseases
- Adult immunization
- General recommendations on immunization
- Safe and effective vaccine
administration
- Vaccine storage and handling
- Indiana requirements
- Tips on reading immunization records
- Vaccine misconceptions
- Reliable resources
Attendees will receive a training manual and
certificate of attendance.
Click
here to access a two-page course brochure.
For more information, or to register, contact Beverly Sheets by email at
hepbbev@aol.com or by phone
at (317) 502-5722. Immunization courses are held throughout Indiana. To
schedule or host a course in your area, contact Beverly.
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January 10, 2005
WORLD VACCINE CONGRESS SET FOR APRIL 18-20 IN MONTREAL
Scheduled for April 18-20 in Montreal, the 2005 World Vaccine Congress
will offer attendees two concurrent streams. One stream will address
global access and development strategies for vaccines; the other,
business models and technologies for accelerating vaccine development
and commercialization.
For comprehensive information about the congress, including the
conference agenda, go to:
http://www.lifescienceworld.com/2005/wvcm%5FCA
For additional information, contact Terrapinn Limited in the UK by phone
at +44 (0)20 7241548 or by email at
enquiry.uk@terrapinn.com
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January 10, 2005
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF TRAVEL MEDICINE PLANS CONFERENCE FOR MAY 1-5 IN
LISBON
The International Society of Travel Medicine will hold its 2005
conference in Lisbon on May 1-5. Immunization is among the topics on the
conference agenda, specifically symposia on current vaccination issues,
typhoid vaccination, and pediatric vaccination, as well as workshops on
yellow fever and rabies vaccines.
For comprehensive information about the conference, go to:
http://www.istm.org Click on the
photo under the heading Sponsored Conference(s).
For additional information, contact the conference secretariat in Munich
by phone at +49 89 340 20 966 or by email at
cistm9@istm.org
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January 10, 2005
NFID TO HOLD ITS 2005 CONFERENCE ON VACCINE RESEARCH ON MAY 9-11 IN
BALTIMORE
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will hold its
2005 Conference on Vaccine Research in Baltimore on May 9-11. Dr. David
Heymann, WHO's executive director of communicable diseases, will deliver
the keynote address. Featured presentation topics include the following:
therapeutic vaccines; influenza and vaccines for emergency pandemics;
recent advances in immunology: impact on vaccine research; and
multi-agent and chimeric vaccines.
For comprehensive information on the conference, including the
conference program; online registration; reduced registration rates for
medical students, residents, and fellows; and the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation's travel grants award program for researchers from countries
with limited resources, go to:
http://www.nfid.org/conferences/vaccine05
For additional information, contact Sharon Cooper-Kerr by phone at (301)
656-0003 Ext. 19 or by email at
vaccine@nfid.org
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January 10, 2005
CDC REPORTS ON MALARIA TRANSMISSION IN RESORT AREAS OF THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC IN LATE 2004
CDC published "Transmission of Malaria in Resort Areas--Dominican
Republic, 2004" in the January 7 issue of MMWR. A portion of a summary
made available to the press is reprinted below.
*********************** In November
2004, CDC received reports of two cases of laboratory confirmed
Plasmodium falciparum malaria in American travelers returning from a
resort area in La Altagracia Province and from urban areas in Duarte
Province. An additional 14 cases of malaria were reported in European
and Canadian travelers who had visited resorts in La Altagracia
Province. Urban and resort areas in the Dominican Republic had been
considered non-malarious, and prophylactic medication had not been
recommended for people traveling to these areas. These cases led to
expansion of CDC recommendations for travelers to the Dominican
Republic, who should take the drug chloroquine to prevent malaria when
visiting rural areas of the country (as previously recommended) but also
when visiting any area of La Altagracia and Duarte Provinces.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5351a1.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of
this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5351.pdf
To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP
statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html |