| Issue 1003: July 10, 2012 TOP STORIES
IAC HANDOUTS VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TOP STORIES New: CDC issues VISs for the 2012–13 influenza vaccines—for translations, stay tuned On July 2, CDC issued two new influenza vaccine VISs for use during the 2012–13 influenza season. One VIS is for trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV; injectable), the other for live attenuated intranasal influenza vaccine (LAIV; nasal spray). A large-print version of the VIS for TIV is also available. The 2012–13 influenza vaccine VISs will be available in several additional languages in the weeks ahead. IAC Express will announce the availability of translations as soon as they are ready. The content of the 2012–13 influenza vaccine VISs is the same as the content of the 2011–12 influenza vaccine VISs. Only the formatting has been changed. To avoid confusion, CDC recommends that healthcare providers use the 2012–13 VISs when administering influenza vaccine during the 2012–13 influenza season. Please note that even though there will be minor changes in the ACIP influenza recommendations for the 2012–13 influenza season, these changes will not affect the content of the influenza vaccine VISs. Related Links
CDC issues recommendations on managing healthcare providers and students with hepatitis B virus infection On July 6, CDC published MMWR Recommendations and Reports titled Updated CDC Recommendations for the Management of Hepatitis B Virus–Infected Health-Care Providers and Students. The "Summary," which appears at the beginning of the recommendations, is reprinted below. This report updates the 1991 CDC recommendations for the management of hepatitis B virus (HBV)–infected health-care providers and students to reduce risk for transmitting HBV to patients during the conduct of exposure-prone invasive procedures (CDC. Recommendations for preventing transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus to patients during exposure-prone invasive procedures. MMWR 1991;40[No. RR-8]). This update reflects changes in the epidemiology of HBV infection in the United States and advances in the medical management of chronic HBV infection and policy directives issued by health authorities since 1991. The primary goal of this report is to promote patient safety while providing risk management and practice guidance to HBV-infected health-care providers and students, particularly those performing exposure-prone procedures such as certain types of surgery. Because percutaneous injuries sustained by health-care personnel during certain surgical, obstetrical, and dental procedures provide a potential route of HBV transmission to patients as well as providers, this report emphasizes prevention of operator injuries and blood exposures during exposure-prone surgical, obstetrical, and dental procedures. These updated recommendations reaffirm the 1991 CDC recommendation that HBV infection alone should not disqualify infected persons from the practice or study of surgery, dentistry, medicine, or allied health fields. The previous recommendations have been updated to include the following changes: no prenotification of patients of a health-care provider's or student's HBV status; use of HBV DNA serum levels rather than hepatitis B e-antigen status to monitor infectivity; and, for those health-care professionals requiring oversight, specific suggestions for composition of expert review panels and threshold value of serum HBV DNA considered "safe" for practice (<1,000 IU/ml). These recommendations also explicitly address the issue of medical and dental students who are discovered to have chronic HBV infection. For most chronically HBV-infected providers and students who conform to current standards for infection control, HBV infection status alone does not require any curtailing of their practices or supervised learning experiences. These updated recommendations outline the criteria for safe clinical practice of HBV-infected providers and students that can be used by the appropriate occupational or student health authorities to develop their own institutional policies. These recommendations also can be used by an institutional expert panel that monitors providers who perform exposure-prone procedures. Related Links
Spotlight on immunize.org: “Technically Speaking” column from IAC’s executive director covers practical topics in delivering vaccination services IAC is pleased to remind readers of its new web section on immunize.org. The new section is called Technically Speaking, and it features a monthly column about practical vaccine topics written by IAC’s executive director, Deborah L. Wexler, MD. The columns cover subject matter in vaccine delivery such as needle length, vaccine administration, cold chain, and immunization schedules. Dr. Wexler’s column made its debut in 2010 in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers, a monthly e-newsletter of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center (VEC), and is a regular feature.
Back to top IAC HANDOUTS IAC updates "It's Federal Law" and "Current Dates of VISs" with new influenza vaccine VIS dates IAC recently added the issue date of the 2012–13 influenza vaccine VISs to It’s Federal Law! You must give your patients current Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) and Current Dates of Vaccine Information Statements (VISs). IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web section offers healthcare professionals and the public more than 250 FREE English-language handouts (many also available in translation), which we encourage website users to print out, copy, and distribute widely. Back to top VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS IAC posts VIS translations in Armenian, Cambodian, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Karen, Korean, Portuguese, Tagalog, and Yiddish IAC recently posted translations of the VIS for MMR vaccine in Armenian, Cambodian, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Portuguese, Tagalog, and Yiddish (spoken worldwide in many Jewish communities). IAC thanks the California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch, for the Armenian, Farsi, Hmong, Korean, and Tagalog translations; the Massachusetts Department of Health for the Haitian Creole and Portuguese translations; and the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for the Yiddish translation. IAC posted the VIS for varicella vaccine in Karen (spoken in Burma [also known as Myanmar] and Thailand). IAC thanks the Minnesota Department of Health for the translation.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING CDC and America's Health Insurance Plans schedule webinars to improve public health third-party billing and reimbursement processes for vaccine delivery CDC and America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) are collaborating to present a series of three webinars titled "Third-party Reimbursement for Vaccines: Effective Billing Strategies for Public Health Departments." The goal of the series is to improve public health third-party billing and reimbursement processes for vaccines provided to privately insured individuals. Access to additional information and registration for each of the three webinars in the series is available below: Strategies for Contracting with Health Plans for Vaccine Delivery To be held Wednesday, July 18, 2–3:30 p.m. ET Coding and Electronic Billing for Vaccine Delivery To be held Wednesday, August 22, 2–3:30 p.m. ET Navigating the Credentialing Process with Health Plans To be held Wednesday, September 19, 2–3:30 p.m. ET AHIP is the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. Back to top VICNetwork to host July 25 webinar on CDC's strategies and plans for the 2012–13 influenza season The VICNetwork has arranged for members of CDC's Influenza Coordination Unit to give presentations at a VICNetwork webinar titled "Influenza Outlook: Strategies and Plans for the 2012–13 Influenza Season." The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 25, at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). The CDC presenters will provide updates on the 2012–13 influenza season, share CDC campaign plans for promoting influenza vaccination, and review ways to use traditional and new media to publicize and coordinate influenza vaccination activities and messaging. Registrations are being accepted. The Virtual Immunization Communication (VIC ) Network is a project of the National Public Health Information Coalition and the California Immunization Coalition. Back to top American Society of Heath-System Pharmacists plans webinars on increasing adult immunization in hospitals The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) plans a series of three webinars intended to increase adult immunization among hospitalized adult patients. Continuing education credit is offered for physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, nurses, and nurse practitioners. Access to additional information and registration for each of the three webinars in the series is available below: Strategies for Implementing and Monitoring a Successful Pneumococcal Immunization Program for Adult Hospitalized Patients To be held Tuesday, July 31, 2–3 p.m. ET Strategies and Clinical Practice Models to Facilitate Influenza Immunization in Adult Hospitalized Patients To be held Wednesday, August 22, 1–2 p.m. ET Successful Strategies for Improving Immunization Rates across the Health System To be held Tuesday, September 18, 1–2 p.m. ET ASHP was founded more than 60 years ago. Its membership comprises pharmacists, pharmacy students, and pharmacy technicians who practice in inpatient, outpatient, home care, and long-term care settings. Back to top  |
About IZ Express
IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. 1NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.
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ISSN 2771-8085
IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085
Editorial Information
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Editor-in-ChiefKelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
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Managing EditorJohn D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
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Associate EditorSharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
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Writer/Publication CoordinatorTaryn Chapman, MS
Courtnay Londo, MA -
Style and Copy EditorMarian Deegan, JD
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Web Edition ManagersArkady Shakhnovich
Jermaine Royes -
Contributing WriterLaurel H. Wood, MPA
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Technical ReviewerKayla Ohlde