Issue 1,614: February 2, 2022
(Formerly IAC Express)
|
 |
 |
|
|
| Top Stories |
|
Immunize.org Pages and Handouts
Vaccine Information Statements
Featured Resources
Notable Publications
Upcoming Events
Top Stories
"Use of 15-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine among U.S. Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—United States, 2022" published in MMWR
CDC published Use of 15-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine among U.S. Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—United States, 2022 on January 28 in MMWR. A summary appears below.
Pneumococcal vaccination helps prevent serious diseases, like pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Two pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, PCV15 and PCV20, were licensed in 2021. Now there are updated pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for adults 19 years or older. CDC recommends adults 65 years of age or older who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown should receive either PCV20 or PCV15. If PCV15 is used, this should be followed by a dose of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). Adults ages 19 through 64 years with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown should receive either PCV20 or PCV15. If PCV15 is used, this should be followed by a dose of PPSV23.
The new recommendations are summarized in Table 1 of the MMWR article.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
Related Link
Back to top
Immunize.org introduces new, print-ready patient handout "Not Sure If You Can Get an Influenza Vaccine?"
In recent years, contraindications and precautions for influenza vaccination have been updated, expanding our ability to protect more people from serious influenza illness. However, some people mistakenly believe that they should not get an influenza vaccination due to outdated or inaccurate understanding of the risks and benefits of vaccination. To address this, Immunize.org has introduced a new patient handout Not Sure If You Can Get an Influenza Vaccine? This handout, ideally printed as a two-sided, single page, addresses a variety of concerns (e.g., egg allergy, history of Guillain-Barre syndrome, pregnancy, and a weakened immune system).
 
Related Links
Back to top
Are you using the most current COVID-19 vaccination schedules? Check these tables to be sure.
It is a challenge to keep up with the frequent adjustments to COVID-19 vaccination schedules. Review these tables to be sure you are following the latest version (last updated by CDC on January 7) and that you are using the current Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheets for healthcare providers and vaccine recipients. Changes made since January 1 are noted in bold print. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines are preferred, except when mRNA vaccine is contraindicated or when the patient wants Janssen (Johnson & Johnson, J&J) vaccine after being informed of risks and benefits.
COVID-19 recommended schedule for the general population (y = years, w = weeks, mo = months):
| Age Range |
Product |
Primary Series |
Booster dose? * |
| 5 through 11 y |
Pfizer-BioNTech,
orange cap |
2 doses: 0, 3 w |
None |
| 12 through 17 y |
Pfizer-BioNTech,
purple or gray cap |
2 doses: 0, 3 w |
5 mo after dose 2 |
| 18 y or older |
Pfizer-BioNTech,
purple or gray cap |
2 doses: 0, 3 w |
5 mo after dose 2 |
| 18 y or older |
Moderna |
2 doses: 0, 4 w (100 mcg) |
5 mo after dose 2 (50 mcg) |
| 18 y or older |
Alternate:
Janssen (J&J) |
one dose |
2 mo (8 w) later |
COVID-19 recommended schedule for people with moderate to severe immunocompromise:
| Age Range |
Product |
Primary Series |
Booster dose? * |
| 5 through 11 y |
Pfizer-BioNTech,
orange cap |
3 doses: 0, 3 w, 7 w |
None |
| 12 through 17 y |
Pfizer-BioNTech,
purple or gray cap |
3 doses: 0, 3 w, 7 w |
5 mo after dose 3 |
| 18 y or older |
Pfizer-BioNTech,
purple or gray cap |
3 doses: 0, 3 w, 7 w |
5 mo after dose 3 |
| 18 y or older |
Moderna |
3 doses: 0, 4 w, 8 w
(100 mcg) |
5 mo after dose 3
(50 mcg) |
| 18 y or older |
Alternate:
Janssen (J&J) |
one dose |
2 mo (8 w) later |
* CDC recommends use of the same brand for each dose in the primary series. Any age-appropriate option may be used as the booster dose; mRNA vaccines are preferred.
FDA: EUA Fact Sheets, dates of current versions:
CDC Emergency Use Instructions (EUI) for use of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine in people given vaccines not authorized in the United States:
The most current CDC COVID-19 vaccine standing order templates, dated 12 January 2022, are available from Immunize.org's standing order template main page.
Related Links:
Back to top
"Effectiveness of a Third Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalization among Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Adults—United States, August–December 2021" published in MMWR
CDC published Effectiveness of a Third Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalization among Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Adults—United States, August–December 2021 on January 28 in MMWR. The study was performed during August 19–December 15, 2021, a period in which the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was predominant. Portions of the abstract appear below.
In a study of hospitalized adults, compared with receipt of 2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses, receipt of a third dose increased vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization among adults without and with immunocompromising conditions, from 82% to 97% and from 69% to 88%, respectively. ...
Administration of a third COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose as part of a primary series among immunocompromised adults, or as a booster dose among immunocompetent adults, provides improved protection against COVID-19–associated hospitalization.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
Related Link
Back to top
Influenza activity expected to continue for several more weeks; keep vaccinating
Influenza Surveillance
For week 3, ending on January 22, CDC's Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView shows that influenza virus circulation has remained at similar levels during the past 2 weeks, while overall levels of respiratory illness have declined. So far this season, five influenza-associated deaths among children have been reported. While influenza activity is difficult to predict, it is expected to continue for several more weeks and vaccination efforts should continue.
Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's new Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shares preliminary vaccination data. This week's key fact: by the end of December 2021, influenza vaccination rates among pregnant people age 18 through 49 were 11.3 percentage points lower compared with last season at the end of December 2020 (50.0% compared to 61.3%). Racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination are wide: coverage as of December 2021 is 22.7 percentage points lower for non-Hispanic Black pregnant people than non-Hispanic White pregnant people (28.2% compared to 50.9%).
CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines may be given at the same visit, if needed. COVID-19 vaccination alone provides no protection from influenza or any other respiratory virus.
Vaccine Finder
If you don't provide influenza vaccine at your site, please strongly recommend vaccination and refer people to sites that do vaccinate. Use VaccineFinder, a user-friendly website to help people of all ages find influenza, COVID-19, and other vaccines. Participating providers can update their vaccine inventory estimates on VaccineFinder. For questions or more information, contact vaccine@healthmap.org.
Related Links
Back to top
February is National Cancer Prevention Month; arm your patients with HPV and hepatitis B vaccinations in the fight to prevent cancer
February is National Cancer Prevention Month, a great time to spread the word about the link between viruses and cancer. Each year in the United States, more than 36,000 men and women are diagnosed with cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is an important cause of liver cancer. Vaccination is the simplest, best way to prevent the infections that cause these cancers. Make sure to promote vaccination according to the recommended vaccination schedules.
View Prevent Cancer Foundation's Think about the Link between Certain Viruses and Cancer web page for more.
Related Links
Back to top
IZ Express keeps readers up to date on what's new in vaccines each week; invite your colleagues to subscribe!
IZ Express, the free weekly e-newsletter produced by Immunize.org, may have a new name and look, but our commitment since 1997 to support you with immunization news and resources is steadfast.
- IZ Express succinctly summarizes each week's important vaccine developments, including new and updated recommendations from CDC and the latest vaccine decisions by FDA
- IZ Express features newly posted Vaccine Information Statements and their translations, plus education materials from Immunize.org, CDC, AAP, and others
- Subscribers learn about online and in-person educational opportunities, many offering free continuing education credit
We appreciate you as a subscriber! Please encourage co-workers to subscribe to IZ Express so this invaluable resource arrives in their inbox each Wednesday.
Back to top
Spotlight: Check out staff training and in-service resources provided by Immunize.org
In this week's Spotlight, we summarize resources at Immunize.org that focus on staff training and in-services.
Our Key Vaccination Resources for Healthcare Professionals includes an annotated list of key training, education, and reference materials for people who vaccinate or oversee vaccination clinics.
Our Skills Checklist for Vaccine Administration is a tool to help supervisors assess staff members' skills regarding vaccine administration.
Our Clinic Tools main page offers a one-stop source of practical information for immunization providers. You will find "how-to" information about providing vaccinations in a medical office or non-traditional setting.
Our Clinic Tools: Storage and Handling main page features checklists, "Do Not Unplug" signs, how to avoid errors, temperature logs, storage troubleshooting records, and more. You'll find links to CDC's storage and handling training tools, along with other partner resources.
Our Clinic Tools: Administering Vaccines main page offers handouts on appropriate injection techniques, information on how to properly deliver intramuscular and subcutaneous injections, medical management of adverse reactions, summaries of vaccine recommendations, and how to use vaccines needing reconstitution.
Back to top
Journalists interview Immunize.org experts
Journalists seek out Immunize.org 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 one of our recent citations.
Back to top
Vaccines in the News
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Back to top
Immunize.org Pages and Handouts
Recap: These updated Immunize.org educational materials and web pages for clinicians were released during December and January
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org's new and updated educational materials and web pages for healthcare professionals. All Immunize.org materials are free to distribute.
In case you missed them during recent weeks, updates were made to these helpful materials:
Immunize.org Updated Materials for Clinicians
Immunize.org Updated Web Pages
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Handouts main page to see educational materials sorted by category
- Immunize.org: Ask the Experts main page to access more than 1,000 questions answered by Immunize.org experts
- Immunize.org: Clinic Tools main page and its nine subtopics
- Immunize.org: Educational Materials for Patients and Staff—an alphabetical list of more than 230 ready-to-print staff educational materials and patient handouts
Back to top
Vaccine Information Statements
Recap: These new VISs and VIS translations were released during December and January
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) and translations of VISs.
CDC released updated final versions of 14 VISs in August, four more in October, and the new Dengue Vaccine VIS in December. During December and January, updated VIS translations were posted in:
Additionally, two Immunize.org handouts related to VISs were updated:
Related Links
Back to top
Featured Resources
Asian Liver Center launches new "Hep B Moms" website with resources to prevent mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University launched its HepB Moms website this month. The site is dedicated to providing resources to protect women and children from hepatitis B and to eliminate mother-to-child transmission. Resources are available for both the public and providers.
Share this resource with women who have hepatitis B and with healthcare professionals who care for pregnant individuals.
Related Links
Back to top
National Association of School Nurses journal publishes supplement with five articles on school-located vaccination clinics
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) have collaborated on "School-Located Vaccination (SLV) Clinics in the Era of COVID-19," a supplemental issue of the NASN School Nurse journal. It can be viewed with free digital access for the next year.
View the supplemental issue of the NASN School Nurse.
Related Links
Back to top
CHOP's Vaccine Education Center presents new video series featuring Paul Offit, MD, answering common questions related to vaccines
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers a new series of short videos, Dr. Offit Answers Your Questions @ Vaccines, that can be accessed on YouTube. The video series will address common vaccine questions being asked by interested parents and family members.
In the first video in the series, Dr. Offit answers questions about common side effects of vaccines and what they mean.
Related Links
Back to top
CHOP's Vaccine Education Center revises its COVID-19 Vaccines Q&A handout for the public
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently revised its COVID-19 Vaccines: What You Should Know Q&A handout for the public. The revised version includes updated age and booster recommendations.
View the handout in both English and Spanish.
All Q&A sheets can be photocopied for sharing with patients and families for free, or ordered from VEC in packs of 50 at a nominal cost. Links can be added to websites or shared on social media platforms.
Related Links
Back to top
Voices for Vaccines releases podcast with Patsy Stinchfield, NP, answering parents' questions on kids and COVID-19 vaccines
Voices for Vaccines (VFV) has posted a new entry in its Vax Talk podcast series: Kids and COVID Vaccines. A description from the VFV web page appears below.
Parents have a lot of questions about COVID vaccines and their kids, so we invited those parents to a Zoom chat with nationally-known expert and pediatric nurse practitioner, Patsy Stinchfield. They got a chance to ask their questions, and we all got answers.
We begin with a discussion between Nathan and Karen on Dr. Peter Hotez and saving the world through equitable, accessible, and affordable vaccination.
Voices for Vaccines is a national organization of parents and others dedicated to raising the level of the voices of immunization supporters. VFV invites everyone who values vaccines to become a member, use VFV tools in their own community, and get involved with VFV.
Related Links
Back to top
Newly updated "65+ Flu Defense" website offers resources for healthcare professionals serving older adults
Confident recommendations for influenza vaccine from healthcare providers are powerfully persuasive. To assist you in maximizing protection for your patients, Immunize.org, in collaboration with Seqirus, has updated the "65+ Flu Defense" website at www.influenza-defense.org.
A new fact sheet on the site, The Importance of Preventing Influenza during a Pandemic, offers responses to help guide discussions with patients on the increased importance of flu vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age increases risks associated with COVID-19 infection including hospitalization and death. Preliminary studies suggest coinfection with influenza B and SARS-CoV-2 may elevate the risk of poor outcomes.
This helpful site includes information, tools, and tips for communicating with these adults about the scope and severity of influenza, for example:
Back to top
FREE! Immunize.org offers "Me Vacuné Contra el COVID-19" and "I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine" buttons and stickers. Free shipping! Available in English and Spanish.
As COVID-19 vaccination programs vaccinate children age 5 through 11 years and offer booster doses to more people, now is the time to stock up on Immunize.org's FREE "I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine" buttons and stickers, provided at no cost for product or shipping thanks to support from CDC. Available in English and Spanish, these buttons and stickers are perfect for people of all ages who want to show their confidence in COVID-19 vaccination.
Click the picture to place your order now:
Back to top
FREE! Order Immunize.org's popular red "Vacuna Contra LA GRIPE" buttons and stickers. Free shipping! Available in Spanish.
Immunize.org still has a limited supply of our popular "Vacuna Contra LA GRIPE" buttons and stickers, available at no charge for product or shipping, thanks to funding from Seqirus. Now more than ever, it is important to step up our efforts to eliminate disparities in influenza vaccination rates. This bright red Spanish button can help
Click the picture to place your order now:
"FLU VACCINE" BUTTONS
The buttons measure 1.25" across and are delivered in bags of 10 buttons per bag.
"FLU VACCINE" STICKERS
Measuring 1.5" across, these stickers adhere well to clothing and have an easy-peel-off backing.
Back to top
Explore the updated www.Give2MenACWY.org website to increase coverage for the MenACWY booster and other adolescent vaccinations
"A Prospective Cohort Study of COVID-19 Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 Infection, and Fertility" published in American Journal of Epidemiology
In the January 20 issue, American Journal of Epidemiology published A Prospective Cohort Study of COVID-19 Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 Infection, and Fertility. A portion of the abstract appears below.
Some reproductive-aged individuals remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 due to concerns about potential adverse effects on fertility. We examined the associations of COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection with fertility among couples trying to conceive spontaneously using data from an internet-based preconception cohort study. We enrolled 2,126 self-identified females residing in the U.S. or Canada during December 2020–September 2021 and followed them through November 2021. Participants completed questionnaires every 8 weeks on sociodemographics, lifestyle, medical factors, and partner information.
The research team found no statistically significant association between the probability of conception and:
- COVID-19 vaccination of either partner
- SARS-CoV-2 infection in either partner
"Homologous and Heterologous COVID-19 Booster Vaccinations" published in NEJM
In the January 26 issue, the New England Journal of Medicine published Homologous and Heterologous COVID-19 Booster Vaccinations. If a person received a booster with the same brand of COVID-19 vaccine they received for the first two doses it was considered "homologous;" if they received a different brand for the booster it was considered "heterologous." A portion of the article appears below.
We report the interim findings from this open-label clinical trial examining the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccines in healthy adults who had previously received an EUA vaccine series. All booster vaccines were immunogenic in the participants regardless of which primary EUA regimen they had received ... The factor increases from prebooster levels in both binding and neutralizing antibody titers were similar or greater after heterologous boosting than after homologous boosting. Reactogenicity was similar to that described in previous evaluations of mRNA-1273, Ad26.COV2.S, and BNT162b2 vaccines and did not differ between heterologous and homologous boosters. No safety concerns were identified.
Back to top
MMWR Recap: Articles regarding COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against death and hospitalization
CDC recently published several articles first distributed as MMWR Early Releases:
- COVID-19 Incidence and Death Rates among Unvaccinated and Fully Vaccinated Adults with and without Booster Doses during Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Emergence—25 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4–December 25, 2021 (MMWR, January 28, HTML or PDF)
- Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccines against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations among Adults during Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance—VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021–January 2022 (MMWR, January 28, HTML or PDF)
Related Link
- MMWR main page provides access to MMWR Weekly and its companion publications
Back to top
Upcoming Events
February 10–11: National Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting; watch virtually
|
|
