CDC reports on outbreak of influenza A (H3N2) variant virus among persons attending agricultural fairs
CDC published
Outbreak of Influenza A (H3N2) Variant Virus Infections Among Persons Attending
Agricultural Fairs Housing Infected Swine—Michigan and Ohio, July–August 2016 in the October 28 issue of MMWR
(pages 1157–60). A summary made available to the press is reprinted below.
During August 2016, 18 laboratory-confirmed infections with an influenza A(H3N2) variant virus were reported among people who had attended agricultural fairs in Michigan and Ohio. Most infections (16/18) were in children younger than 18 years. The majority of people were infected with a variant virus that had not previously been detected in people. All 18 patients reported exposure to swine before their illness; there was no evidence of person-to-person transmission. One person was hospitalized; all infected people fully recovered. Agricultural fair organizers should implement measures to minimize exposure to swine among people at high risk for influenza complications along with measures to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza between swine and people. These include shortening the time swine are on the fairgrounds, strategically placing handwashing stations, and discouraging eating and drinking in animal barns.
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AAP releases immunization social media toolkit
The AAP Childhood Immunization Program has developed an Immunization Social Media Toolkit. This toolkit helps pediatric offices build support for immunizations in their own practices and answer common questions outside of the visit while using their role as trusted professionals to inform families about vaccines. The toolkit offers guidance for choosing a social media platform and setting up and managing an account. Pre-written tweets and posts with resources are also available for practices to copy and paste to make social media simpler.
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Vaccine Education Center plans Current Issues in Vaccines webinar on November 16
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, together with the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, will present a one-hour webinar, beginning at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on November 16. Part of its
Current Issues in Vaccines series, the webinar will feature Paul Offit, MD, director of VEC. Dr. Offit's topics for this webinar are:
- HPV vaccine: The new two-dose schedule
- Meningococcal B vaccines: Change in Trumenba recommendation
- Tdap: Change in emphasis in pregnancy recommendation
- Herpes zoster vaccines: A new vaccine on the way
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13): Evidence for herd immunity
Free continuing education credits (CME, CEU, and CPE) will be available for both the live and archived events.
Registration (required) is open now.
Dates for 2017 webinars are:
- March 22, 2017
- Sept. 13, 2017
- Nov. 15, 2017
Topics are yet to be determined.
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Association of Immunization Managers Awards nominations open
Each year, the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) presents awards to its members in recognition of their outstanding initiatives, service, dedication, and leadership. The awards will be presented at the 2017 AIM Leadership in Action conference
in Charleston, South Carolina in February 2017. The following awards will be
presented: Natalie J. Smith, MD Award; AIM Bull’s-Eye Awards; AIM Rising Star
Award; AIM Impact Award; and AIM Partnership Award (new for 2017!). The Natalie
J. Smith Award, Bull’s-Eye Awards, and Rising Star Awards have an open
nomination process.
Eligible candidates must be program managers from one of the 64 city, state, or territorial immunization programs directly funded by the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. There are additional restrictions on eligibility for various awards, so please consult the nomination forms for details. For more detailed information about each award and the nomination process, visit the awards page on AIM website. Nominations are due by December 2, 2016.
If you have questions about the AIM awards process, please email Mary Waterman at mwaterman@immunizationmanagers.org.
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IAC HANDOUTS
IAC updates “It's Federal Law! You must give your patients current Vaccine
Information Statements"
IAC recently updated It's Federal Law! You must give your patients current Vaccine Information Statements to clarify that healthcare providers have up to six months to use up remaining stock of VISs when an updated version is issued.
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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IAC revises "Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Children and Teens" and "Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Adults"
IAC recently updated Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Children and Teens and Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Adults to reflect the change in recommendations to receive any influenza vaccine for those with history of egg allergy without hives. Those with severe egg allergy are recommended to receive any influenza vaccine in a medical setting with supervision by a healthcare provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic conditions.
All of the changes are on page 2, the page of explanation for healthcare providers. There are no changes on page 1, the questions for patients or parents.
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VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS
IAC posts Hmong-, Korean-, and Tagalog-language translations of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) VIS
IAC recently posted three translations of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) VIS, dated 4/2/2015. IAC thanks the California Department of Public Health for the translations.
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WORLD NEWS
On World Polio Day, U.N. begins vaccination campaign aimed at 5.8 million Iraqi children
Beginning on World Polio Day, October 24, the United Nations (U.N.) began a campaign to vaccinate 5.8 million Iraqi children. A selection from the United Nations News Centre's article On World Polio Day, UN kicks off weeklong campaign to immunize 5.8 million Iraqi children is reprinted below.
Two United Nations agencies will support the Iraqi Ministry of Health in
marking World Polio Day by launching a weeklong nationwide campaign to immunize
Iraq’s children against the infectious viral disease...
Under the slogan “two drops can change a life,” the five-day campaign aims to
reach an estimated 5.8 million children below the age of five in Iraq,
regardless of previous vaccination status.
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Just the Vax provider toolkit available from the Vaccine Education Center
The Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia released a toolkit for providers based on its game
Just the Vax. The
Just the Vax Provider Toolkit is designed to help healthcare professionals engage their staff, enhance their print and digital materials, present vaccine information to their patients and their families in fun way, and keep everyone having fun with vaccine trivia.
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Influenza is serious; many resources are available to help healthcare professionals vaccinate patients
Influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone six months of age and older. 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:
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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
Vaccine Education Center's newsletter for healthcare professionals includes a review of intussusception and rotavirus research, the Technically Speaking column reviewing hepatitis B vaccine schedules and intervals for adults, and resources for countering the movie Vaxxed
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia publishes a monthly immunization-focused newsletter titled Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals. The October issue includes the following:
Additional resources, including information booklets for patients, are available in the full newsletter.
Access the sign-up form to subscribe to Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals.
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WHO publishes rabies fact sheet
WHO published an article titled 10 Facts on Rabies in the October 28 issue of Weekly Epidemiological Record (pages 515–6). An excerpt is reprinted below.
Rabies causes thousands of deaths every year in over 100 countries mostly affecting underserved communities with limited access to health and veterinary systems. Successful rabies control programmes comprise of three pillars: community participation; education, public awareness and access to mass vaccination of dogs; and access to post-bite treatment.
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ASK THE EXPERTS
Question of the Week
A 32-year-old patient with ulcerative colitis is taking high-dose immunosuppressive medications (6-mercaptopurine). Should he receive meningococcal vaccine?
There is no specific indication for meningococcal vaccine in this patient. He is
older than 21 years, and the risk–based recommendations are restricted to
specific forms of altered immunocompetence (persistent complement component
deficiency, functional or anatomic asplenia, use of eculizumab and HIV
infection) and are not inclusive of other forms of altered immunocompetence.
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 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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