| Issue 1116: April 22, 2014 TOP STORIES
IAC HANDOUTS
FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
EDUCATION AND TRAINING TOP STORIES Celebrate Immunization! National Infant Immunization Week starts this Saturday National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is scheduled this year for April 26–May 3. This year is the 20th anniversary of this annual observance to promote the benefits of immunizations and improve the health of children age two years and younger. Visit the NIIW web section for many resources that can help you promote childhood vaccination and evaluate your efforts, not only during this special week, but all year. Back to top IAC Spotlight! Unprotected People Reports about vaccine-preventable diseases; Lasker Foundation president's powerful editorial on the dangers of vaccine refusal For years, IAC has published Unprotected People Reports, real-life accounts of people who have suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases. The Unprotected People Report web section on www.immunize.org provides access to more than 100 personal testimonies, remembrances, case reports, and newspaper articles, as well as to opinion pieces about the value of immunization. IAC recently posted a new Unprotected People Report, titled Failure to Vaccinate Children: An Unconscionable Twist of Faith. It is a powerful editorial about the devastating consequences of vaccine refusal by Dr. Claire Pomeroy, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation. Additionally, the Unprotected People Reports web section offers direct links to similar resources from our immunization partners, including personal stories from Every Child By Two, California Immunization Coalition’s "Shot by Shot" website, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center, Families Fighting Flu, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, National Meningitis Association, and the book The Forgotten Story from the Texas Children’s Hospital. IAC offers personal accounts about vaccine-preventable diseases on both of our websites: www.immunize.org/reports and www.vaccineinformation.org/personal-testimonies. Related Links
Back to top Help support the launch of the Invisible Threat by contacting your legislators this week There is a movement happening and IAC is proud to have taken part in its activation by seeking support from many national and local organizations and encouraging coalitions throughout the nation to host screenings and brainstorm ways to help spread the message that vaccine preventable diseases continue to be a threat to our communities. Can we count on you to call your members of congress this week to ask them to attend the official nationwide launch of Invisible Threat hosted by Every Child By Two and the Immunization Coalition of Washington, DC? The event will take place at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Room CVC – 268 on May 1, 2014, at 10 a.m. (ET). Please take a moment to call your legislators and ask them to please attend the Invisible Threat film screening and expert panel on May 1 at 10 a.m. (ET). Let them know that this event is important to you because deadly vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, meningitis, pertussis, and influenza continue to threaten your community and it is important to you that your member understands how to help combat the spread of dangerous misinformation about vaccines which is resulting in disease outbreaks. To view the film trailer, visit http://vimeo.com/64521691. The Invisible Threat film focuses on understanding the science of vaccination and the misperceptions leading parents to delay or decline life-saving immunizations. This 40-minute independent documentary, produced by award winning high school student filmmakers, has earned praise from more than 50 organizations, including the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Every Child By Two, calling the documentary "powerful," "fast-paced," "well-balanced,” and “impeccably produced." The May 1 congressional event will begin with a film airing followed by Q&A panel with leading immunization experts, including:
Back to top Immunization advocate, Seattle Mama Doc, releases book for new parents Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, FAAP, more commonly known as blogger Seattle Mama Doc, has released a book for new parents titled Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and World-Life Balance. Dr. Swanson has been an outstanding supporter of vaccination on her blog, and her book includes a section on immunization. According to her blog post about the book's launch, her goal is to "connect parents and families with science and story." Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and World-Life Balance is available through the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as from large and small booksellers across the country. Back to top CDC reports on effective strategies for reducing health disparities, including disparities in vaccination rates On April 18, CDC published Strategies for Reducing Health Disparities—Selected CDC-Sponsored Interventions, United States, 2014 as an MMWR supplement. In 2011, CDC published the first CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (CHDIR), which examined health disparities in the United States associated with various characteristics, including race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, disability status, and geography. The 2013 CHDIR included updated topics from the 2011 CHDIR and presented several new topics. This report complements the CHDIR series by presenting five CDC-sponsored interventions to decrease health disparities in the United States. One of the topics is vaccination coverage. Directly access the Reduction of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Vaccination Coverage, 1995–2011 section of the report. Back to top Register by April 25 for the National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions to receive conference room rate The 11th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions will be held in Seattle on May 21–23. This conference is a unique opportunity to network with colleagues and learn up-to-date immunization and coalition-building skills. Persons interested in attending should look into registering now as the conference room rate will not be available after April 25. Attendees will have the opportunity to:
IAC HANDOUTS IAC updates a storage and handling resource for immunization providers, "Vaccine Handling Tips" IAC recently made numerous small edits and reformatted its resource titled Vaccine Handling Tips. This concise one-page handout helps ensure that healthcare providers store vaccines in the correct unit (refrigerator or freezer) and within the allowable range of temperatures. Related Links
Back to top "Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Children and Teens" available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Turkish, and Vietnamese translations In February, IAC made a minor edit to the answer to question 7 on page 2 of its Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Children and Teens. This updated resource is available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Turkish, and Vietnamese. The first page is translated; the second page is not, as it is intended for the provider. Related Link
FEATURED RESOURCES ASTHO's Immunization Resource Guide is now available online The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has released an immunization resource guide that highlights a collection of 60 best practices from health departments across the nation. The ASTHO Immunization Resource Guide was created to collect innovative best practices and information to help members and partners consider potential methods to increase access to vaccines and rates of vaccination. The information is categorized into eight topic areas: Vaccine Finance, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Childhood and Adolescent Vaccination, Adult Vaccination, Healthcare Provider Vaccination, Infrastructure, Immunization Information Systems and Meaningful Use, and Communication. Related Links Back to top CDC offers Spanish-language HPV educational materials for patients, parents, and providers As part of its "You are the key to HPV cancer prevention" campaign, CDC has developed Spanish-language HPV handouts for patients and parents. Additional HPV resources in Spanish include: Related Links
HPV resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
HPV Resources from Voices for Vaccines
Newly available! IAC's sturdy laminated versions of the 2014 U.S. child/teen immunization schedule and the 2014 U.S. adult immunization schedule—order a supply for your healthcare setting today! IAC's laminated versions of the 2014 U.S. child/teen immunization schedule and the 2014 U.S. adult immunization schedule are covered with a tough, washable coating; they will stand up to a year's worth of use in every area of your healthcare setting where immunizations are given. The child and adolescent schedule has eight pages (i.e., four double-sided pages) and is folded to measure 8.5" x 11". The adult immunization schedule has six pages (i.e., three double-sided pages) and is folded to measure 8.5" x 11".
  PRICING 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 for 1,000 copies or more, call (651) 647-9009 or emailadmininfo@immunize.org. You can access specific information on both schedules, view images of both, order online, or download an order form at the Shop IAC: Laminated Schedules web page. Related Link Back to top Vaccine Education Center develops online vaccine trivia game—"Are You Up for the Challenge?" The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recently developed a vaccine trivia game—Are You Up for the Challenge? As part of VEC's Parents PACK program, the trivia game offers an engaging and informative way for parents (and healthcare professionals) to learn about vaccines. The game includes four categories of questions about vaccines from which to choose: historical/famous figures, safety, vaccines, and diseases. Each round presents ten randomly selected questions in the chosen category and keeps track of your score. Give it a try! Parents PACK—Possessing, Accessing and Communicating Knowledge about vaccines—was established by VEC to:
Back to top Influenza season is not over—please keep vaccinating your patients! Vaccination remains the single most effective means of preventing influenza, and is recommended for everyone age six months and older. Since the onset, duration, and severity of influenza season is unpredictable, and different types and strains of influenza circulate throughout the season, ACIP recommends that providers continue to provide influenza vaccination into the spring months, as long as they have vaccine in the refrigerator and unvaccinated patients in their office. If you don't provide influenza vaccination in your clinic, please recommend vaccination to your patients and refer them to a clinic or pharmacy that provides vaccines or to the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to locate sites near their workplaces or homes that offer influenza vaccination services. Following is a list of resources related to influenza disease and vaccination for healthcare professionals and the public:
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS March issue of CDC's Immunization Works newsletter now available CDC recently released the March 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. Related Link Back to top CDC publishes article about potential zoonotic disease exposure related to a bat festival in Nigeria CDC published Notes from the Field: Assessment of Potential Zoonotic Disease Exposure and Illness Related to an Annual Bat Festival—Idanre, Nigeria in the April 18 issue of MMWR (page 334). Seven selected sentences are reprinted below. Every year a festival takes place in Idanre, Nigeria, in which males of all ages enter designated caves to capture bats; persons are forbidden from entering the caves outside of these festivities. Festival participants use a variety of techniques to capture bats, but protective equipment rarely is used, placing hunters at risk for bat scratches and bites....In February 2013, a team composed of members of the Nigerian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, and CDC traveled to Idanre to assess potential zoonotic disease exposures and illnesses related to the festival. Interviews conducted with 54 persons who have participated in the festival as bat hunters revealed that 43 (80%) had a history of bat scratches and 39 (72%) had a history of bat bites. Only one (1.9%) hunter reported ever having received rabies vaccine. None of the hunters knew of a person who had acquired a fatal illness as a result of contact with bats or entering the caves. Additional data analyses and serologic assays are pending. Back to top EDUCATION AND TRAINING CDC offers continuing education opportunity on HPV vaccination CDC has posted an online web-on-demand video, "You Are the Key to HPV Cancer Prevention," available for CE credit until February 26, 2016. The presentation provides up-to-date information on HPV infection and disease, HPV vaccines, and ways to successfully communicate with patients and their parents about HPV vaccination. Find out how to tell parents that they aren’t opening the door to sex—they’re closing the door to cancer. Access more information about this free continuing education opportunity. Back to top  |
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ISSN 2771-8085
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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