Immunize.org updates two of its popular standing order templates with new CDC recommendations: pneumococcal vaccination of adults and zoster (shingles) vaccination
Immunize.org recently revised its Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccines (PCV15, PCV20, and PPSV23) to Adults and Standing Orders for Administering Recombinant Zoster Vaccine to Adults templates.
The Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccines (PCV15, PCV20, and PPSV23) to Adults template incorporates the new CDC recommendations published in January 2022. This template covers the use of 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15, Vaxneuvance, Merck), PCV20 (Prevnar20, Pfizer), and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23, Pneumovax 23, Merck). The document outlines what to do for previously unvaccinated adults, as well as adults with a history of vaccination with PCV13 and/or PPSV23.
The Standing Orders for Administering Recombinant Zoster Vaccine to Adults template was updated with information on the new CDC recommendations for use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix, GSK) in adults age 19 and older who are or will be immunodeficient or immunosuppressed as a result of disease or therapy. For patients in this category, the standing orders recommend consultation with the medical director and—as needed—the provider primarily responsible for managing the patient’s immunocompromising condition or therapy. This is because the complex and highly variable nature of immunocompromising conditions may affect the optimal timing of vaccination.
 
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"Ask the Experts: Zoster" web page updated with new clinical considerations for vaccination of immunocompromised adults age 19 and older Immunize.org has thoroughly reviewed and updated its popular Ask the Experts: Zoster web page. This extensive list of clinical questions and answers was updated to incorporate new ACIP recommendations and clinical considerations for the use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix, GSK) in adults age 19 years and older who are or will be immunodeficient or immunosuppressed as a result of disease or therapy. The section addresses challenging clinical questions, such as:
- Do immunocompromised adults need to be screened for immunity to varicella zoster virus?
- What do I do with an adult who never had chickenpox and only had one dose of varicella vaccine?
- Should I shorten the dosing interval if a person knows they will be starting chemotherapy soon?
Immunize.org's Ask the Experts main page leads you to 30 distinct web pages on a variety of topics with more than 1,100 common or challenging questions and answers about vaccines and their administration. Immunize.org's team of experts includes Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH (team lead), Carolyn B. Bridges, MD, FACP, and Iyabode Beysolow, MD, MPH.
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Immunize.org posts new Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) in eight languages for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and recombinant zoster vaccine Immunize.org posted new translations of Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and Recombinant Zoster (shingles) Vaccine.
All translations are available in print-ready PDF format.
VIS translations for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV):
VIS translations for Recombinant Zoster (shingles) Vaccine:
Translations of previous VIS versions may be used until new translations become available. CDC states that the corresponding up-to-date English-language VIS must also be supplied when providing an out-of-date translation.
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Order today! Laminated versions of CDC’s 2022 immunization schedules will begin to ship this week. Immunize.org laminated versions of the 2022 U.S. child and adolescent immunization schedule and the 2022 U.S. adult immunization schedule are available for preorder and will ship this week.
While the schedules are available online from CDC at no cost, Immunize.org’s printed, laminated schedules are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccinations are given. Their tough coating can be wiped down, and they’re durable enough to stand up to a year's worth of use.
In 2022, the length of each schedule with appendices was extended by two pages. As a result, the laminated schedules are now published in a standard 8.5” X 11” booklet format.
- The child/adolescent schedule booklet is ten pages (i.e., five double-sided pages) and includes a bonus page with Immunize.org’s popular 1-page handout summarizing the dose, route, and needle size recommendations for all vaccines and recipients
- The adult schedule booklet is eight pages (i.e., four double-sided pages)
 
With color coding for easy reading, our laminated schedules replicate the original CDC formatting, including the essential tables and notes.
PRICING
| Number of Copies |
Cost |
| 1–4 copies |
$7.50 each |
| 5–19 copies |
$5.50 each |
| 20–99 copies |
$4.50 each |
| 100–499 copies |
$4.00 each |
| 500–999 copies |
$3.50 each |
For quotes on customizing or placing orders of 1,000 copies or more, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.
Visit the Shop Immunize.org: Laminated Schedules web page for more information on the schedules, to view images of all the pages, to download the order form, and to order today!
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“Effectiveness of 2-Dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer BioNTech) mRNA Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Children Aged 5–11 Years and Adolescents Aged 12–15 Years—PROTECT Cohort, July 2021–February 2022” published in MMWRCDC published Effectiveness of 2-Dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer BioNTech) mRNA Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Children Aged 5–11 Years and Adolescents Aged 12–15 Years—PROTECT Cohort, July 2021–February 2022 on March 11 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
Children and adolescents aged 5–15 years were tested for SARS-CoV-2 weekly, irrespective of symptoms, during July 2021–February 2022. Approximately one half of Omicron infections in unvaccinated children and adolescents were asymptomatic. Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of Omicron infection by 31% among children aged 5–11 years and by 59% among persons aged 12–15 years.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
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CDC updates PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor mobile app for vaccine providers
CDC updated its PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor mobile app to reflect ACIP’s new adult pneumococcal vaccination recommendations. Available for free on iOS and Android devices, the app helps vaccination providers quickly and easily determine which pneumococcal vaccine(s) a patient needs and when. The app incorporates recommendations for all ages so internists, family physicians, pediatricians, and pharmacists alike will find the tool beneficial.
Download the PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor mobile app for free today.
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Unity Consortium launches Adolescent Immunization Action Week, April 4–8, with release of partner toolkit Adolescent Immunization Action Week (AIAW) was launched this year by Unity Consortium to urge healthcare providers and parents to be sure adolescents receive all recommended immunizations. This first annual observance will be held April 4–8.
Unity created the Unity Partner Toolkits website (password: unity) to help amplify messages to healthcare providers, parents, adolescents and young adults. Use these resources to help improve adolescent immunization coverage within your practice.
Visit Unity’s AIAW campaign page for social media-ready materials you can use to draw attention to the importance of improving adolescent immunization coverage.
Influenza season is not done yet; activity low but increased slightly in most of the country. Keep offering to vaccinate. Influenza Surveillance
For week 9, ending on March 5, CDC's Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView summary reports that seasonal influenza activity in the United States is low but increased slightly in most of the country. The levels of acute respiratory illness reflected in the national map include both influenza and non-influenza (e.g., COVID-19) respiratory illnesses.
Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's new Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shares preliminary vaccination data. This week’s key fact: flu vaccination coverage for children age 6 months to 17 years is 2.8 percentage points lower for all children this season as compared with last season and 4.4 percentage points lower for non-Hispanic White children this season compared with last season.
CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get an annual influenza 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.
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HHS seeks stakeholder comments on its draft Vaccines Federal Implementation Plan 2021–2025; deadline March 29 On March 2, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit written public comments on the draft Vaccines Federal Implementation Plan 2021–2025. The Vaccines Federal Implementation Plan is a companion document to the Vaccines National Strategic Plan 2021–2025 (VNSP), which was published in January 2021. The Vaccines Federal Implementation Plan is a compilation of federal agency vaccination activities that collectively advance the goals of the VNSP. Its target audience is other federal agencies and external partners who work in the area of vaccination.
The public comment period for the Vaccines Federal Implementation Plan ends on March 29, 2022, at 5 p.m. (ET).
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Spotlight! Immunize.org's "Clinic Tools” main page is a one-stop source of practical information for vaccination providers
Immunize.org's Clinic Tools main page is a collection of resources from Immunize.org, CDC, and other organizations related to practical, "how-to" information about providing vaccinations in a medical office or non-traditional setting. This page can be found by selecting the "Clinic Tools" tab in the middle of the blue banner atop every Immunize.org web page.
In the left-hand column, you will find links to Immunize.org's web pages on Administering Vaccines, Adolescent Vaccination, Adult Vaccination, Documenting Vaccination, Scheduling Vaccines, Screening for Contraindications, Storage and Handling, Vaccination and COVID-19, and Vaccine Recommendations.
The right-hand column features resources from partners, including CDC’s vaccine recommendations, “General Best Practice Guidelines for Immunization,” and The Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases ("The Pink Book").
Visit the Clinic Tools main page on Immunize.org.
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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 a recent citation.
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Immunize.org Pages and Handouts
New! Keep up to date using Immunize.org’s new “Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools” and updated COVID-19 main page.
It is challenging to keep up with changes to COVID-19 vaccine guidance and the numerous fact sheets and job aids available. To address this, Immunize.org published a new 2-page job aid, Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools. The checklist includes the most recent revision dates of CDC’s primary COVID-19 vaccination websites, as well as print-ready PDF documents from CDC and FDA. Each date is hyperlinked to the original document or web page. Immunize.org will update this list at least monthly, prominently indicating when it was last updated at the top of the page. We encourage COVID-19 vaccination providers to review this list monthly to be sure your practices stay up to date.
 
In addition, Immunize.org updated its Vaccines: COVID-19 main page, which provides a comprehensive index to key resources from CDC, Immunize.org, and other partners. This page facilitates access to information on COVID-19 vaccine products, clinic resources and tools, vaccine fact sheets, and other important vaccine-related topics. Links just added to this web page include the new checklist described above and CDC’s Interim COVID-19 Vaccine Immunization Schedule for Ages 5 Years and Older.
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"Ask the Experts: COVID-19" web page updated with newest CDC clinical considerations, including expanded dose intervals for mRNA vaccines Immunize.org published a thoroughly updated version of its popular Ask the Experts: COVID-19 web page, current as of February 24. This extensive list of clinical questions and answers addresses COVID-19 recommendations and clinical considerations, including new CDC guidance issued in February. New and updated questions will address such issues as:
- Who should wait 8 weeks between mRNA primary series doses?
- What should we do with a patient who, as part of a clinical trial, received a vaccine not yet routinely used in other countries?
- Is there no longer a waiting period after antibody treatment of COVID-19 infection before COVID-19 vaccination?
- How long should someone wait after vaccination to receive an antibody infusion for pre-exposure prophylaxis?
Immunize.org's Ask the Experts main page leads you to 30 distinct web pages on a variety of topics with more than 1,100 common or challenging questions and answers about vaccines and their administration. Immunize.org's team of experts includes Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH (team lead), Carolyn B. Bridges, MD, FACP, and Iyabode Beysolow, MD, MPH.
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Visit Immunize.org's “Vaccines: COVID-19” main page to locate the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines Be sure to bookmark Immunize.org's Vaccines: COVID-19 main page for quick access to links to key COVID-19 vaccine resource pages from Immunize.org, CDC, and other partners.
As policies for COVID-19 vaccines are updated and new CDC materials are released,
Immunize.org's Vaccines: COVID-19 main page and resources will continue to be 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 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. Resources include:
Check out the updated 65+ Flu Defense website at www.influenza-defense.org to assist your efforts in protecting this vulnerable population.
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Use Immunize.org’s Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide—free to download by chapter or in its entirety.
Download Immunize.org’s free 142-page book on adult vaccination, to help build your program and train your team: Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide (Guide).
This thorough "how to" guide on adult vaccination provides easy-to-use, practical information covering all essential activities. It helps vaccine providers enhance their existing adult vaccination services or introduce them into any clinical setting.
The Guide is available to download/print either by chapter or in its entirety free at www.immunize.org/guide. The National Vaccine Program Office and CDC both supported the development of the Guide and provided early technical review.
The Guide is a valuable resource to assist providers in increasing adult vaccination rates. Be sure to get a copy today!
Please note: this guide was produced in 2017, before the COVID-19 era, and reflects the recommendations of that time.
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“Interim Estimates of 2021–22 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness—United States, February 2022” published in MMWR
CDC published Interim Estimates of 2021–22 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness—United States, February 2022 on March 11 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
Based on data from 3,636 children, adolescents, and adults with acute respiratory infection during October 4, 2021–February 12, 2022, seasonal influenza vaccination did not reduce the risk for outpatient respiratory illness caused by influenza A(H3N2) viruses that have predominated so far this season. …
CDC recommends influenza vaccination for as long as influenza viruses are circulating. Vaccination can prevent serious influenza-related complications caused by viruses that might circulate later in the season, including 2009 pandemic A(H1N1) and influenza B viruses.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
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“COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Access and Vaccination Coverage among Children Aged 5–11 Years—United States, November 2021–January 2022” published in MMWRCDC published COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Access and Vaccination Coverage among Children Aged 5–11 Years—United States, November 2021–January 2022 on March 11 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
At 11 weeks after launch of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccination program, 92% of children aged 5–11 years lived within 5 miles (8 km) of a pediatric vaccine provider; 44% of providers were pharmacies. COVID-19 first-dose vaccination coverage rates were low, particularly in high social vulnerability index (SVI) areas, but improved over time. …
Broad vaccine access should be maintained while critical outreach efforts continue to improve vaccine coverage among children aged 5–11 years, especially in high SVI areas. If COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for children aged <5 years, similar efforts to strategically maximize access and coverage might be considered.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
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MMWR Recap: Articles regarding COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and safety monitoring
CDC recently published several articles first distributed as MMWR Early Releases:
- Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses among Persons Aged 12–17 Years—United States, December 9, 2021–February 20, 2022 (MMWR, March 4, HTML or PDF)
- Effectiveness of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination in Preventing COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations among Nonimmunocompromised Children and Adolescents Aged 5–17 Years—VISION Network, 10 States, April 2021–January 2022 (MMWR, March 4, HTML or PDF)
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- MMWR main page provides access to MMWR Weekly and its companion publications
WHO confirms circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in Israel
WHO published an update to their web page titled Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Confirmed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. A portion of the web page appears below.
On Monday, 7 March 2022, a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) was confirmed in an unvaccinated girl aged 3 years and 9 months in Israel. The girl had developed acute flaccid paralysis and, upon testing of her stool, poliovirus was confirmed.
Further testing of the poliovirus isolated from the girl revealed genetic links to VDPV3 strains detected in environmental samples collected from sites in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory between September 2021 and January 2022. These isolates, previously classified as ambiguous VDPV3, have now been reclassified as circulating VDPV3 (cVDPV3). This confirms an outbreak of cVDPV3 in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
Virtual: NFID hosts "Updates from Recent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Meetings" webinar on March 17
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will offer a webinar titled Updates from Recent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Meetings on March 17 at 1:00 p.m. (ET). During this program, William Schaffner, MD, NFID medical director and ACIP liaison, and Jessica MacNeil, MPH, ACIP deputy executive secretary, CDC, will discuss the latest updates including current U.S. vaccination recommendations for children, adolescents, and adults.
There is no fee to participate in this activity, but pre-registration is required.
Virtual and In Person: Registration open for "North Dakota Immunization Conference" on June 21–22; CE available The North Dakota Immunization Conference will take place virtually and in person on June 21–22 in Bismarck, North Dakota. Conference objectives are to explore strategies and best practices to increase immunization coverage rates; evaluate communication strategies for responding to questions from patients/families; and discuss updates to the child, adolescent, and adult immunization schedule.
Continuing education credits are pending.
There is a $100 fee to attend. The fee increases to $150 after May 30.
View the schedule here. Register for the event.
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