Archived webinar of Dr. William L. Atkinson presenting “Adolescent
Immunization: Where We Are Now and How We Can Do Better” now available for
viewing on IAC website; slide set and speaker notes also available
Since the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made its first
routine adolescent immunization recommendation for tetanus/acellular
pertussis/diphtheria (Tdap) vaccine in 2005, several other important vaccines
have been added to the ACIP’s recommended immunization schedule for
adolescents. Now Tdap, meningococcal ACWY, meningococcal B (a “category B”
recommendation, meaning it is recommended, but with individual clinical
decision making), human papillomavirus (HPV), and influenza vaccines are all
recommended for this age group. Although data from the 2014 National
Immunization Survey–Teen (NIS-Teen) indicate vaccine coverage for adolescents
is relatively high for the single recommended dose of Tdap, vaccines that
require more than one dose to complete the series remain far below desired
coverage levels.
To address this problem, William Atkinson, MD, MPH, IAC's associate director for immunization education, presented a one-hour webinar on adolescent immunization on July 28. During his presentation, Dr. Atkinson reviewed the recommendations for each adolescent vaccine, provided strategies to improve coverage rates in this population, and listed available resources to assist immunization providers in their efforts to improve coverage rates.
The webinar is available on the homepage of immunize.org. Find it by scrolling down to the middle of the page to Dr. Atkinson's photo.
The slide presentation is available on IAC's
PowerPoint Slide Set web page. You can request the actual slide set and speakers notes on the page as well.
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National Immunization Awareness Month continues next week with a focus on infant and young child immunization
As part of the observance of National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), the
importance of vaccinating a specific population is highlighted each week. This
week, August 8–14, focuses on maternal immunization. Next week, August 15–21,
the focus is on the importance of immunizing infants and young children. The
theme for the week is “A healthy start begins with on-time vaccination.”
For ideas about what you can do during this week of NIAM, check out the babies and young children portion of the NIAM toolkit.
In addition to the theme of the week, August 17 is the #VaxWithMe Thunderclap campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. Thunderclap amplifies social media messages through coordinated distribution.
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Institute for Safe Medication Practices publishes article summarizing vaccination errors collected over a three-year period in their vaccine error reporting system
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices recently published a report titled ISMP National Vaccine Errors Reporting Program: One In Three Vaccine Errors Associated With Age-Related Factors. An excerpt is reprinted below.
Advances in immunization technology and knowledge of diseases have spurred an ongoing stream of new vaccines and periodic changes to vaccination schedules to optimize disease protection. Today, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunizations prevent between 2 and 3 million deaths per year. Despite this success, many children and adults in the U.S. remain vulnerable to the 24 vaccine-preventable diseases that are targeted by 45 different single and combination vaccines available today. Some people are vulnerable because they have not been offered vaccinations; others opt out of recommended immunizations due to misunderstanding. However, errors with vaccines can also leave patients unknowingly unprotected against serious diseases such as hepatitis A and B, pertussis, diphtheria, cervical cancer, and many others.
Since September 2012, ISMP has been operating the ISMP National Vaccine Errors
Reporting Program (ISMP VERP) to collect data about the types of vaccine
errors and their underlying causes. While it is not possible to determine the
frequency of vaccine errors from the ISMP VERP or any other current vaccine
error reporting program, given their dependence on spontaneous reporting,
estimates from systematic review of vaccination records suggest that errors
occur in about 27–35% of all vaccinations. In this newsletter, we provide a
summary of nearly 4 years of vaccine errors reported to the ISMP VERP through
June 30, 2016.
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NIH begins Zika vaccine trials in humans
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is beginning human trials of a Zika vaccine. The first paragraph from NIH's August 3 news release is excerpted below.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of
the National Institutes of Health, has launched a clinical trial of a vaccine
candidate intended to prevent Zika virus infection. The early-stage study will
evaluate the experimental vaccine’s safety and ability to generate an immune
system response in participants. At least 80 healthy volunteers ages 18–35
years at three study sites in the United States, including the NIH Clinical
Center in Bethesda, Maryland, are expected to participate in the trial.
Scientists at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center (VRC) developed the
investigational vaccine—called the NIAID Zika virus investigational DNA
vaccine—earlier this year.
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IAC Spotlight! IAC enrolls five new birthing institutions into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll; three previously honored institutions qualify for additional years
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) is pleased to announce that five new institutions have been accepted into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll. The birthing institutions are listed below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
- CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital, Kingsville, TX (99%)
- Covenant Health Plainview, Plainview, TX (100%)
- Good Shepherd Medical Center–Marshall, Marshall, TX (98%)
- Hill Regional Hospital, Hillsboro, TX (100%)
- Memorial Medical Center, Las Cruces, NM (99%)
The following institution is being recognized for a second year:
- Cass County Memorial Hospital, Atlantic, IA (98%)
In addition, the following two institutions are being recognized for a third year:
- Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA (100%)
- Mercy Children's Hospital St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (90%)
The Honor Roll now includes 271 birthing institutions from 35 states and Puerto Rico. Seventy-nine institutions have qualified for two years, 25 institutions have qualified three times, and four institutions have qualified four times.
The Honor Roll is a key part of IAC’s major initiative urging the nation’s
hospitals to Give birth to the end of Hep B. Hospitals and birthing centers are recognized for attaining high coverage rates for administering hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting specific additional criteria. The initiative urges qualifying healthcare organizations to apply for the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll online.
To be included in the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, a birthing institution must have: (1) reported a coverage rate of 90 percent or greater, over a 12-month period, for administering hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge to all newborns, including those whose parents refuse vaccination, and (2) implemented specific written policies, procedures, and protocols to protect all newborns from hepatitis B virus infection prior to hospital discharge.
Honorees are also awarded an 8.5" x 11" color certificate suitable for framing and their acceptance is announced to
IAC Express’s approximately 50,000 readers.
Please visit the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and their exceptional efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission.
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IAC HANDOUTS
IAC updates its "Sample Vaccine Policy Statement," a template for medical practices to adapt and create their own vaccine policy statements
IAC recently revised its template document Sample Vaccine Policy Statement. The new version has been expanded to cover all ages and all routinely recommended vaccines for children and teens. You can use the document as a basis for creating your own medical practice's vaccine policy statement. The policy statement is adapted from that of All Star Pediatrics in Lionville, PA.
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.
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AAP offers #WhyIVax resources for National Immunization Awareness Month
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new resources as part of National Immunization Awareness Month. AAP's #WhyIVax website includes blog posts, YouTube videos, a vaccine timeline, and social media resources.
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CDC releases pneumococcal disease vaccine resources for healthcare providers
CDC recently released resources for healthcare professionals to help them correctly administer PCV13 and PPSV23 to adults.
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CDC releases updated “Flu Vaccine Finder” widget
CDC has created flu related widgets, buttons, and badges for free use on your website. Just in time for National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), you can now use the code for the newly updated Flu Vaccine Finder. Check out the latest design and add this resource to your webpages!
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American Pharmacists Association releases new Tdap guide
The American Pharmacists Association recently posted Tdap Guide: Protecting Patients and Communities from Pertussis. This practice tool is a useful resource to assist and support pharmacists when consulting with patients about pertussis (whooping cough). It provides helpful information for pharmacists to consider when assessing, recommending, administering, and documenting Tdap vaccinations.
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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
CDC and WHO report on vaccine-derived polioviruses in this week's MMWR and Weekly Epidemiological Report, respectively
CDC published
Update on Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses—Worldwide, January 2015–May 2016 in the
August 5 issue of MMWR (pages 763–769). On the same day, WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record published a similar article titled
Update on vaccine-derived polioviruses worldwide, January 2015–May 2016. A media summary of the MMWR article is reprinted below.
Vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs), are genetic divergent strains from OPV
that fall into three categories: 1) cVDPVs from outbreaks, 2) iVDPVs from
patients with primary immunodeficiencies, and 3) ambiguous VDPVs (aVDPVs) that
cannot be more definitively identified. During January 2015–May 2016, Myanmar,
Laos, Ukraine, and Guinea had new cVDPV outbreaks and Nigeria and Pakistan had
sharply reduced cVDPV2 circulation. Twenty-one newly identified persons in 10
countries were found to excrete iVDPVs. Because >94 percent of cVDPVs since 2006
and 66 percent of iVDPVs since OPV introduction are type 2, WHO coordinated
worldwide replacement of trivalent OPV with bivalent OPV (types 1 and 3) in
April 2016.
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Study finds 9-valent HPV vaccine provides greater coverage and similar safety to quadrivalent HPV vaccine
A study recently published in the journal Pediatrics titled Safety Profile of the 9-Valent HPV Vaccine: A Combined Analysis of 7 Phase III Clinical Trials analyzes the safety of 9-valent HPV vaccination in comparison to the quadrivalent version of the vaccine. Sections of the abstract are reprinted below.
OBJECTIVES: The overall safety profile of the 9-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV) vaccine was evaluated across 7 Phase III studies, conducted in males and females (nonpregnant at entry), 9 to 26 years of age.
CONCLUSIONS: The 9vHPV vaccine was generally well tolerated in subjects aged 9 to 26 years with an AE [adverse event] profile similar to that of the qHPV vaccine; injection-site AEs were more common with 9vHPV vaccine. Its additional coverage and safety profile support widespread 9vHPV vaccination.
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July issue of CDC's Immunization Works newsletter now available
CDC recently released the July 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.
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VICNetwork to offer August 30 webinar on what's new for the 2016–17 influenza
season
The VICNetwork has scheduled a webinar on August 30 titled
Looking Ahead to the 2016–2017 Flu Season: Vaccine Options and Messages. This webinar will focus on what's new with this year's influenza vaccine and present highlights of communication plans by CDC and partners. Speakers will showcase updated resources that will help with influenza vaccination promotion efforts.
Speakers for this webinar are:
- Joe Bresee, MD, FAAP, chief–Epidemiology and Prevention Branch,
Influenza Division at the CDC National Center for Immunization and
Respiratory Diseases
- Jeanne Santoli, MD, MPH, chief–Vaccine Supply & Assurance Branch,
Immunization Services Division, CDC National Center for Immunization and
Respiratory Diseases
- Cate Shockey, JD, health communication specialist–Health Communication
Science Office, CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory
Diseases
The one-hour webinar begins at 2:00 p.m. (ET).
The Virtual Immunization Communication (VIC ) Network is a project of the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) and the California Immunization Coalition, funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Registrations are being accepted.
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NFID to offer webinar titled “Vaccines for Preteens and Teens: The Importance
of Timely Vaccination for All Adolescents”
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will be offering a webinar titled
Vaccines for Preteens and Teens: The Importance of Timely Vaccination for All Adolescents on August 23 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). William Schaffner, MD, NFID, medical director and liaison to ACIP, will lead the webinar. It is designed to reach a wide range of healthcare professionals to help them deliver empowering and impactful messages to patients and parents about the importance of protecting all adolescents from preventable cancers, meningitis, and other serious diseases.
Access registration information.
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Reminder: IAC and Med-IQ developed two free CME courses on adult immunization
A reminder that IAC partnered with one of the nation’s premiere continuing
medical education (CME) providers, Med-IQ, to develop two online courses:
Vaccinating Adults With Chronic Disorders: The Specialist’s Role and Vaccinating Adults With Chronic Disorders: Insights for the Primary Care Clinician.
Dr. L.J Tan, IAC's chief strategy officer, recruited stellar faculty members for a guided roundtable discussion on which course audio clips are based. You will hear from experts in immunization, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, a pharmacist, and a nurse practitioner.
The trainings focus on the challenges of vaccinating adults with chronic
disease, from either a specialist’s perspective or from that of primary care
physicians and pharmacists. The frontline perspectives and practical strategies
offered will educate and empower you to be a more effective vaccinator.
The 30-minute specialist’s course offers 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit.
The one-hour primary care clinician course offers 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 credit and 1.0 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) credit.
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Weekly CDC webinar series on "The Pink Book" chapter topics continues through September 21; register now
CDC is presenting a 15-part webinar series to provide a chapter-by-chapter overview of the 13th edition of Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (also known as "The Pink Book"). This is a live series of one-hour webinars that started June 1. Recordings of sessions will be available online after each webinar. All sessions begin at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Information about receiving continuing education credit will be available for each session after it is archived. CE credit may be available for up to a year after the date it was live.
Registration and more information is available on CDC's Pink Book Webinar Series web page.
Download Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Order Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
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CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
Reminder: Minnesota Department of Health's Got Your Shots? Immunization
Conference to be held September 8–9
The Minnesota Department of Health's Got Your Shots? Immunization Conference
will be held September 8–9, in Minneapolis. This year's theme is "Celebrating
and Fostering Immunization Champions." Get more information on the conference website.
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ASK THE EXPERTS
Question of the Week
The ACIP recommendations for meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccine
say the vaccine will provide “short term protection.” What does “short term
protection” mean?
MenB vaccines were approved based on the serologic response to the vaccine. No data are available on vaccine effectiveness against clinical disease or duration of protection against clinical disease. Short term protection refers to the known duration of the antibody response. Available data indicate that a protective antibody level should persist in most recipients for 24 to 48 months after vaccination. This issue will continue to be monitored. For more information, see www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6441.pdf,
pages 1171–5.
About IAC's Question of the Week
Each week, IAC Express highlights a new, topical, or
important-to-reiterate Q&A. This feature is a cooperative venture between IAC
and CDC. William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, IAC's associate director for immunization
education, chooses a new Q&A to feature every week from a set of Q&As prepared
by experts at CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
We hope you enjoy this new feature and find it helpful when dealing with difficult real-life scenarios in your vaccination practice. Please encourage your healthcare professional colleagues to sign up to receive IAC Express at www.immunize.org/subscribe.
If you have a question for the CDC immunization experts, you can email them directly at nipinfo@cdc.gov. There is no charge for this service.
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