| Issue 1045: March 12, 2013 TOP STORIES
IAC HANDOUTS VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS EDUCATION AND TRAINING
CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS TOP STORIES Reminder: February issues of Needle Tips and Vaccinate Adults available online The February 2013 issues of Needle Tips and Vaccinate Adults are available online. Vaccinate Adults is an abbreviated version of Needle Tips with the pediatric content removed. Click on the images below to download the entire February 2013 issues (PDF) of Needle Tips and/or Vaccinate Adults.   Needle Tips: View the table of contents, magazine viewer, and back issues. Vaccinate Adults: View the table of contents, magazine viewer, and back issues. Back to top Dr. William L. Atkinson receives the United States Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal IAC is proud to announce that its associate director for immunization education, William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, was recently awarded the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Distinguished Service Medal. The medal is the highest decoration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It is awarded to recognize "exceedingly high level of achievements, which may range from the management of a major health program to an initiative resulting in a major impact on the health of the nation." Those nominating Dr. Atkinson for the award stated the following: Since 1995, CAPT Atkinson has almost singlehandedly raised the standards and approach towards vaccine education to new heights as the leader of the CDC Immunization Education Team. CAPT Atkinson has led ACIP policy development for several vaccines, and made major contributions to others. Additionally, he has been the national leader in educating providers and public health practitioners on current vaccination policy and vaccine safety. Because of his persistent, innovative, and invaluable efforts, CAPT Atkinson has become the public face of CDC’s immunization program. Melinda Wharton, MD, MPH, acting director, CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, presented the award to Dr. Atkinson on February 21 at a meeting of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Atkinson retired from the USPHS in July 2012 and subsequently joined IAC as its associate director for immunization education. You can find out more about the range of significant achievements Dr. Atkinson made to the nation's immunization by accessing his letter of nomination for the USPHS Distinguished Service Medal. If you would like to reach Dr. Atkinson, contact him by email at wlatkinson@immunize.org. Back to top NVAC report highlights the critical role the federal Section 317 Immunization Program plays in sustaining the nation's vaccine infrastructure The March–April 2013 issue of Public Health Reports includes an article titled Protecting the Public’s Health: Critical Functions of the Section 317 Immunization Program—A Report of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee. The following paragraphs, written by Litjen Tan, MS, PhD, summarize the article's content. Dr. Tan is a member of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and is also IAC's chief strategy officer. Public Health Reports has just published the National Vaccine Advisory Committee’s (NVAC) report on the critical role of the nation’s 317 Program in sustaining the infrastructure to ensure the continued delivery of life-saving vaccines to the children and adults of the country. Vaccines do not give themselves and this NVAC report highlights that vaccination in the United States is much more complex and only made possible through a robust public-private partnership that begins with the development of the vaccine and continues long after it is used routinely. The report identifies the multiple areas where 317 Program funding directly or indirectly supports the immunization effort across the United States. These areas include: (1) developing evidence-based immunization policy; (2) communicating different vaccine needs and the benefits and risks of vaccination; (3) improving access to immunization services; (4) assuring quality immunization services; (5) assessing vaccine effectiveness and safety; (6) monitoring program performance; and significantly, (7) responding to public health outbreaks. The NVAC provides three recommendations to the Assistant Secretary of Health, which are: (1) The NVAC recommends that the Section 317 Program be sustained to assure a strong public health infrastructure necessary to achieve and sustain high vaccination coverage and low disease burden among the U.S. civilian population; (2) CDC should present its professional judgment regarding the size and scope of the Section 317 Program necessary to support a comprehensive immunization program. This judgment should include program operations at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels, and vaccine purchase to provide a safety net and timely response to public health emergencies. CDC should present its professional judgment to the NVAC annually at its June meeting for deliberation and discussion. HHS should consider CDC’s professional judgment for the Section 317 Program as an important input to its decision-making during the budget formulation process; and (3) The NVAC recommends that federal, state, tribal, and local public health should seek efficiency and innovation to achieve Healthy People 2020 targets and ensure high immunization levels across all age spans. Examples of such efficiencies include, but are not limited to, improved vaccine ordering, supply management, storage, and handling, such as through the use of vaccine bar codes. Examples of innovation include, but are not limited to, implementation and use of immunization information systems (IISs) and electronic health records (EHRs); innovative communication strategies; providing vaccines as an in-network provider for the receipt of vaccine in public health clinics; and expanding vaccination sites, such as schools, workplaces, and pharmacies. The NVAC supports current innovations in operations and encourages continued innovation. The NVAC recommends that HHS through the National Vaccine Program Office hold a public meeting of experts to examine and explore contributions toward efficiency and innovation at state and local health departments. Related Link
Back to top New York State law requires hospitals to offer and provide Tdap vaccination to parents and caregivers of newborns On July 18, 2012, Governor Anthony Cuomo of New York State signed a law requiring all hospitals with newborn nurseries or obstetric services in New York State to offer and provide Tdap vaccine to parents and caregivers of newborns. The New York State Department of Health sent a letter (dated 12/7/12) about the law to the chief executive officers of hospitals in New York State. A portion of the letter's content is reprinted below: This letter is to inform hospitals that on July 18, 2012, Governor Cuomo signed into law Chapter 215 of the laws of 2012 which amended New York State (NYS) Public Health Law (PHL) section 2805-h to require all general hospitals with newborn nurseries or obstetric services to offer and provide vaccination against Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough) to parents and anticipated caregivers of all newborns being treated in the hospital following their births. This requirement takes effect on January 14, 2013. Hospitals must take steps to adopt and implement this policy as required under law. . . . By providing parents and caregivers of newborns with the opportunity to receive whooping cough vaccination while in the hospital, those infants receive some protection against this disease. The strategy of protecting infants from pertussis by vaccinating those in close contact with them is known as “cocooning”. Cocooning enhances maternal vaccination to provide maximum protection to the infant. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended cocooning with Tdap vaccine since 2005 and continues to recommend this strategy for all those with expected close contact with newborns. This recommendation is also supported by many national professional medical organizations. We strongly encourage you to review your pertussis vaccine purchasing options and assess the needs of your newborn nurseries. To the best of IAC's knowledge, New York is the first state in the nation to implement a cocooning policy in its hospitals. We commend New York State for taking this important step in protecting infants from pertussis. If IAC Express readers know of other states that have implemented a similar policy, please let us know at admin@immunize.org. Related Link Back to top Vaccineinformation.org, IAC's newly launched website for the public, offers the basics on vaccines and vaccination The recent relaunch of www.vaccineinformation.org—Vaccine Information You Need website—offers the public basic and helpful information on vaccines and vaccination. The Vaccine Basics web section covers topics such as Tips for Finding Vaccine Records, Paying for Vaccines, How Vaccines Work, and more. The Vaccine Information You Need website for the public is a comprehensive and user-friendly source of scientifically accurate and easily navigable immunization information on the Web today. We hope you'll take the time to explore www.vaccineinformation.org. If you have a website, blog, or Facebook page, please link to www.vaccineinformation.org. Thanks! Back to top CDC publishes a summary of the February 2013 ACIP meeting [The following is cross posted from the February 2013 issue of CDC's Immunization Works e-newsletter] ACIP Meeting: The most recent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting was held on February 20–21, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia. During the meeting, ACIP voted to recommend pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) for children at high-risk for invasive pneumococcal disease between the ages of 6 years through 18 years if they have not previously received a dose of PCV13. The vaccine will be available in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program as well. ACIP also voted to expand recommendations for Hib vaccine to now include patients 15 months or older undergoing elective splenectomy, asplenic patients older than 59 months, and HIV-infected children between 59 months through 18 years. ACIP also recommends that if a dose of Hib vaccine is received within 14 days of immunosuppressive cancer therapy and radiation the dose should be repeated at least three months following the therapy. The combination vaccine Hib-MenCY will be available in the VFC program pending a federal contract for this vaccine. Finally ACIP voted to continue the current recommendation for annual influenza vaccination for all persons six months and older, and as public health and private provider offices are now pre-booking vaccine with many new choices of influenza vaccine product, ACIP voted to recommend age indication as the primary basis for the choice of vaccine to be ordered or used. Information about influenza vaccine effectiveness will be included in this year’s annual influenza recommendation. Please visit the ACIP meeting web page for presentation slides, meeting minutes, and additional information. [IAC Express editor's note: slides and minutes are not yet posted for the February 2013 ACIP meeting; IAC Express will inform readers when they are.] The next ACIP meeting will be held on June 19–20, 2013. Back to top IAC clarifies an "Ask the Experts" answer that appeared in the March 6 issue of IAC Express CDC immunization experts are clarifying the answer to the following "Ask the Experts" question, which appeared in the March 6 issue of IAC Express. Some single-dose pre-loaded vaccines come with an air pocket in the syringe chamber. Do we need to expel the air pocket before vaccinating? In consultation with immunization experts at CDC and with William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, IAC's associate director for immunization education, IAC has clarified the answer as follows: Manufacturers may include a small amount of air in a syringe to ensure that when the syringe is inverted and the vaccine injected, all of the vaccine is administered and none is left in the needle. The manufacturer fill process is very precise in the amount of air instilled and the syringe used for this purpose so that the correct dose of vaccine will be delivered after accounting for the air in the syringe. However, when providers draw a vaccine dose, the type of syringe used can vary and the amount of air that the provider draws into the syringe can vary depending on the provider’s technique. A large amount of air in the syringe could reduce the dose of vaccine delivered when it is injected. So it is prudent to follow standard guidelines for drawing up a medication and remove air from a provider-filled syringe to assure that the full recommended dose of vaccine is delivered. IAC Express extends thanks to the readers who notified us that our initial answer required clarification. We regret any inconvenience the previous answer may have caused IAC Express readers. To access all the "Ask the Experts" Q&As on IAC's website, visit the "Ask the Experts home page. Back to top April 24 is World Meningitis Day [The following is cross posted from the February 2013 issue of CDC's Immunization Works e-newsletter] Save the Date: April 24, 2013, is World Meningitis Day, which seeks to encourage individuals, families and communities to learn the signs and symptoms of meningitis, the importance of urgent treatment of the disease, and that prevention is available through vaccination against some forms of meningitis. World Meningitis Day is organized by the Confederation of Meningitis Organizations (CoMO), which was formed in 2004 and whose members include organizations and individuals in 25 countries across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe/Africa. In addition to encouraging participation in local events, CoMO invites all to log on to their website to join hands against meningitis in a global virtual community. You can also join the cause on Facebook. Back to top IAC HANDOUTS IAC updates its educational piece titled "Current Dates of Vaccine Information Statements" IAC recently revised Current Dates of Vaccine Information Statements. It now includes the issue date of the most recent version of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) VIS, which CDC posted on February 27. IAC's Handouts for Patients & 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 CDC releases updated VIS for PCV13 vaccine; additional document available for providers On February 27, CDC posted an updated and simplified VIS for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). CDC revised the content to incorporate information associated with the new ACIP recommendations on vaccinating certain adults with PCV13. Providers may use up their existing stocks of the previous pneumococcal vaccine VIS, particularly when vaccinating children. In addition to revising content, CDC also simplified the format to make the VIS easier to read. Information not relevant to the patient at the time of vaccination was removed (e.g., information regarding vaccine indications and catch-up schedules). CDC created a second document, Supplementary Provider Information: PCV13 VIS, designed as a quick reference for providers. It gives additional information about the vaccine, such as contraindications and precautions and links to pertinent ACIP recommendations. Providers can use the second document to answer patient questions. Starting February 27, supplementary provider information will accompany each new and updated VIS. Note that the supplementary provider information document is linked from the PCV13 section of CDC's VIS web page as a Note to Providers. Related Links
OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS CDC reports that U.S. rabies vaccine supply remains restricted CDC recently updated its Rabies Vaccine and Immune Globulin Availability web page with the following information about the U.S. supply of rabies vaccine. Current Situation Updated: March 5, 2013 Rabies Vaccine
FEATURED RESOURCES New CDC infographic shows parents and parents-to-be the three ways to protect infants against pertussis CDC recently created a new infographic, Protect Babies from Whooping Cough, that succinctly tells parents and parents-to-be the three ways they can protect their baby from contracting pertussis:
CDC posts updated vaccine price lists for pediatric/VFC vaccines and adult vaccines On March 7, CDC posted updated information to the CDC Vaccine Price List web page. The web page includes updates on the following four price lists: (1) pediatric/VFC vaccines, (2) pediatric influenza vaccines, (3) adult vaccines, and (4) adult influenza vaccines. The CDC Vaccine Price List web page includes this important note: The CDC Vaccine Price Lists posted on this website provide current vaccine contract prices and list the private sector vaccine prices for general information. Contract prices are those for CDC vaccine contracts that are established for the purchase of vaccines by immunization programs that receive CDC immunization grant funds (i.e., state health departments, certain large city immunization projects, and certain current and former U.S. territories). Private providers and private citizens cannot directly purchase vaccines through CDC contracts. Private sector prices are those reported by vaccine manufacturers annually to CDC. All questions regarding the private sector prices should be directed to the manufacturers. Back to top Influenza is serious; vaccination is recommended for nearly everyone, so please keep vaccinating your patients Vaccination remains the single most effective means of preventing influenza. Vaccination is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older, so please continue to vaccinate your patients. If you don't provide influenza vaccination in your clinic, please recommend vaccination to your patients and refer them to the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to locate sites near their workplaces or homes that offer influenza vaccination services. If you are seeking influenza vaccine for your clinic, check the Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System (IVATS), which is a resource for healthcare settings looking to purchase influenza vaccine. The IVATS chart contains information from approved, enrolled, and participating wholesale vaccine distributors or manufacturers of U.S. licensed influenza vaccine. Information is updated on an ongoing basis. Following is a list of resources related to influenza disease and vaccination for healthcare professionals and the public.
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS February issue of CDC's Immunization Works newsletter now available CDC recently released the February issue of its monthly newsletter Immunization Works and posted it on the website of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). The newsletter offers the immunization community information about current topics. The information is in the public domain and can be reproduced and circulated widely. The February issue contains a great deal of useful, timely information. Be sure to read through all four sections: Top Stories, Influenza Information, Meetings and Conferences, and Resources and Information. Back to top EDUCATION AND TRAINING CDC's March 21 NetConference to cover adult immunization, Tdap vaccine recommendations for pregnant women, and the 2013 child/adolescent immunization schedule CDC will present a Current Issues in Immunization NetConference on March 21 from noon to 1:00 p.m., ET. The following NCIRD speakers will make presentations: Carolyn B. Bridges, MD, will give an update on adult Immunizations; Jennifer L. Liang, DVM, MPVM, will speak on the updated Tdap vaccine recommendations for pregnant women; and Iyabode (Yabo) Beysolow, MD, MPH, will discuss the 2013 childhood and adolescent immunization schedules. Andrew Kroger, MD, MPH, will moderate the conference. This is a limited registration event. Registration (required) will close on March 20 or when the course is full. Back to top MMWR announces the Epidemiology in Action course will be held in Atlanta on June 3–14 CDC published Announcements: Epidemiology in Action Course in the March 8 issue of MMWR (page 173). The article announces that CDC and Emory University are cosponsoring the course, which will be held June 3–14 in Atlanta. Back to top CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS 2013 California Immunization Coalition Summit scheduled for April 14–15 in Los Angeles The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) has announced that its 2013 Summit will be held in Los Angeles on April 14–15. Keynote speakers include Litjen (L. J) Tan, MS, PhD, chief strategy officer, Immunization Action Coalition; Anthony Iton, MD, JD, MPH, senior vice president for healthy communities, the California Endowment; and Ginny Heller, MSW, Within Reach Washington and VAX Northwest. Related Links Back to top  |
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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