On February 28, Immunize.org and Canadian experts from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, and Society for Infodemic Management, Québec, hosted a 1-hour webinar, Improving the Vaccination Experience: Reducing Pain and Anxiety for Children and Adults. During this webinar, participants learned more about the principles behind vaccination pain and anxiety and simple, evidence-based strategies to reduce apprehension. These strategies were developed by the experts from HELP Eliminate Pain in Kids and Adults. Their work was used by the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health Canada, and others to develop guidelines for reducing vaccination pain.

The video of the webinar, slide set, and web links to other resources are now available on our website for on-demand viewing. Please view and share this important webinar with your colleagues.



Related Link 

• Immunize.org: Improving the Vaccination Experience: Accessible Vaccination for Neurodiverse People at Any Age (webinar held on 12/13/22)

On March 3, CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: Measles Exposure at a Large Gathering in Kentucky, February 2023 and Global Measles Outbreaks. The summary section appears below.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify clinicians and public health officials about a confirmed measles case at a large gathering. On February 24, 2023, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) identified a confirmed case of measles in an unvaccinated individual with a history of recent international travel. While infectious, the individual attended a large religious gathering on February 17–18, 2023, at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. An estimated 20,000 people attended the gathering from Kentucky, other U.S. states, and other countries during February 17–18, and an undetermined number of these people may have been exposed. This Health Advisory also highlights other recent large global measles outbreaks and associated U.S. importations, and the importance of early recognition, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment. CDC recommends that clinicians be on alert for cases of measles that meet the case definition.

In this week's Spotlight, we summarize resources at Immunize.org that focus on vaccination during pregnancy.

Handouts: Pregnancy and Vaccines main page offers free access to pregnancy and vaccination-related handouts and fact sheets for healthcare professionals and the public. All items are ready to print, copy, and distribute widely.

Screening Checklists about Vaccine Contraindications and Precautions main page links you to forms that patients fill out to expedite assessment of vaccination needs and contraindications. These include the labor and delivery HBsAg admission checklist. 

Adult Vaccination main page contains all the Immunize.org handouts that pertain to adult vaccination. These include the Summary of Recommendations for Adult Immunization that highlights the CDC recommendations for vaccination during pregnancy.

CDC Schedules main page provides printable PDF versions of the recommended immunization schedules for adults. The first column in Table 2 of the adult schedule lists the vaccines to give or defer during pregnancy. 

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.

• Washington Post: Novavax Was a COVID Vaccine Underdog. Now It’s in Financial Trouble. (3/1/2023)

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.

• CBS: Flu and COVID Combo Shots Won’t Come in Time for This Year, FDA Official Says (3/2/23)
• WHO: Recommendations Announced for Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2023–2024 Northern Hemisphere Influenza Season (2/24/23)
• Reuters: Pfizer/BioNTech Apply for Full FDA Approval of Updated COVID Vaccine (2/24/23)

Immunize.org expanded its collection of Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) translations. Fifteen new VIS translations in Pashto were generously donated by the Minnesota Department of Health.

All translations are available in print-ready PDF format. 

New VIS translations in Pashto:

• DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) VIS 
• Hepatitis B VIS
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) VIS 
• HPV (Human Papillomavirus) VIS 
• Influenza (Live Intranasal) VIS 
• Meningococcal ACWY VIS 
• Meningococcal B VIS 
• MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) VIS 
• Multi-vaccine VIS 
• Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV) VIS  
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide (PPSV23) VIS 
• Rotavirus VIS 
• Td (Tetanus, Diphtheria) VIS 
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) VIS
• Recombinant Zoster (Shingles) VIS 

Check the version dates of your office copies of newly updated translations. Translations of previous VIS versions should be discarded now that translations of the current versions are available.

Related Links

• Immunize.org: Pashto-Language VISs main page
• Immunize.org: Vaccine Information Statement main page for VISs in 47 languages
• Immunize.org: Dates of Current Vaccine Information Statements (PDF)
• CDC: What's New with VISs web page
• CDC: Current VISs web page

Immunize.org expanded its collection of Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) translations. Seventeen new and updated VIS translations in Dari were generously donated by the Minnesota Department of Health.

All translations are available in print-ready PDF format. 

VIS translations in Dari:

Updated:

• Hepatitis A VIS 
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) VIS 
• Influenza (Inactivated or Recombinant) VIS 

New:

• DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) VIS 
• Hepatitis B VIS
• HPV (Human Papillomavirus) VIS 
• Influenza (Live Intranasal) VIS 
• Meningococcal ACWY VIS 
• Meningococcal B VIS 
• MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) VIS 
• Multi-vaccine VIS 
• Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV) VIS  
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide (PPSV23) VIS 
• Rotavirus VIS 
• Td (Tetanus, Diphtheria) VIS 
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) VIS
• Recombinant Zoster (Shingles) VIS 

Check the version dates of your office copies of newly updated translations. Translations of previous VIS versions should be discarded now that translations of the current versions are available.

Related Links

• Immunize.org: Dari-Language VISs main page
• Immunize.org: Vaccine Information Statement main page for VISs in 47 languages
• Immunize.org: Dates of Current Vaccine Information Statements (PDF)
• CDC: What's New with VISs web page
• CDC: Current VISs web page 

Infectious IDeas, a podcast series presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), brings leading experts together for thought-provoking conversations that lead to infectious ideas. The latest entry in the series, From Baseball to Epidemiology, features Walter A. Orenstein, MD, Emory University. A description from the web page appears below. 

An avid baseball fan who has played a pivotal role in shaping vaccine policy in the US and globally, Walter A. Orenstein, MD, reflects on lessons learned from smallpox, measles, polio, and how his love of baseball influenced a remarkable career in epidemiology and public health.

Immunize.org's personal immunization record cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, water-proof paper, are designed to last a lifetime. They fit in a wallet when folded. The record cards are for you to give to your patients as a permanent personal vaccination record and are sold in boxes of 250.

• Child & Teen Immunization Record Card
• Adult Immunization Record Card
• Lifetime Immunization Record Card

Make bulk purchases and receive quantity discounts. For quotes on larger quantities or customizing, or to request sample cards, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.

The April 2023 issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America features 15 articles on vaccine hesitancy. Some articles are free of charge and some require a subscription. The collection was edited by Peter Szilagyi, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, and Immunize.org's Sharon Humiston. These three pediatricians also wrote the preface titled Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy for Child and Adolescent Vaccines: The Next Big Challenge. Portions of the preface appear below. 

This issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America takes a deep look at vaccine hesitancy, how it affects vaccine uptake, and what we know about strategies to address it. The articles provide an overview of vaccine hesitancy from both a public health and a clinical perspective. You will see in this issue that authors define vaccine hesitancy in different ways. However, each group of authors highlights how the factors that lead to vaccine reluctance or refusal differ depending on the vaccine (please see the articles in this issue on influenza, HPV, and COVID-19 vaccination) as well as factors associated with the vaccination target population and decision makers. . . .

This entire journal issue, and one article in particular [A Structural Lens Approach to Vaccine Hesitancy and Identity], emphasizes that vaccine hesitancy needs to be understood in the context of historical and contemporary racism, as well as other lived experiences, including medical exploitation, that have engendered mistrust.



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In the March 2023 issue, Pediatrics published Early Initiation of HPV Vaccination and Series Completion in Early and Mid-Adolescence. A portion of the conclusions section appears below. 

In conclusion, this study provides evidence that moving routine HPV vaccination from ages 11 to 12 years to ages 9 to 10 years may improve vaccination coverage rates in early and mid-adolescence, thereby increasing the public health benefit of vaccination. Providers should be vigilant to patient interactions after initiation of HPV vaccination to ensure series completion within the recommended time frame. Future research on acceptability of and barriers to routine vaccination at ages 9 to 10 years could promote uptake and completion before sexual debut, thereby maximizing HPV vaccine effectiveness.

On February 22, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners issued a joint statement, A New Era in the Fight against Measles and Rubella, on the revitalized Measles and Rubella Initiative (M&RI) partnership, now called the IA2030 Measles & Rubella Partnership (M&RP).

The Measles and Rubella Initiative (M&RI), a product of WHO and partners, saved over 56 million lives globally since its formation. The collaboration among countries and other partners aims to achieve the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) target to save another 50 million lives through access to essential vaccines. Measles vaccination is a critical step in that life-saving goal.

WHO and its founding partners adopted the Measles and Rubella Strategic Framework 2030, an ambitious global strategy to maximize the lifesaving impact of vaccines. As a result, the revitalized alliance will now be called the IA2030 Measles & Rubella Partnership (M&RP). 

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will host its 2023 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research (ACVR) on June 5–7. Learn and network with hundreds of researchers and healthcare professionals from around the world. The conference will feature informative presentations with interactive audience discussions, peer-reviewed oral and poster abstracts, and an inspiring session spotlighting women leaders in vaccinology.

Registration will open later in March 2023. Visit the ACVR website for updates and additional information.



The deadline to submit an abstract is March 28, 2023.

There is a $300 fee to attend. NFID will offer CME for the live activity.

Registration will be made available on the 2023 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research website in March.

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The American College Health Association (ACHA) is offering a free, five-part webinar series, Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students. This five-part webinar series will provide tools for campus personnel in all disciplines to use when working with students to help them navigate misinformation, disinformation, and the infodemic. Webinars include: 

• January 10 – "Health Literacy 101" (available on-demand)
• February 21 – "Digital Wellbeing and Mental Health: Helping Me Is Helping We" (available on-demand) 
• March 7 – "Debunking Fake News" (available on-demand)
• April 18 – "Confronting Misinformation in Our Circles of Influence"
• May 9 – "Managing the Infodemic: Getting Started"

Each session airs 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET). Up to 5 hours of credit are available for CNE, CME, and CHES, and 1.0 CE is available for counselors specifically for session 2.

Register for the free webinars.