Issue 1277: November 30, 2016

Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts—Question of the Week: Why are zoster, pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23) and meningococcal…read more


TOP STORIES


WORLD NEWS


FEATURED RESOURCES


JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS


TOP STORIES

FDA approves extending the age range for use of FluLaval Quadrivalent to include children 6 to 35 months of age

On November 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an expanded age indication for FluLaval Quadrivalent (GSK). FluLaval Quadrivalent is now also licensed for use in children 6 to 35 months of age. Previously, it was licensed for patients age 3 years and older.

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November Current Issues in Vaccines webinar presented by Dr. Paul Offit archived on VEC’s website; CE available

The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, together with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, presented a one-hour webinar on November 16. Part of its Current Issues in Vaccines series, the webinar featured Paul Offit, MD, director of VEC. Dr. Offit's topics for this webinar were:

  • 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 the archived event through November 15, 2017.

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WORLD NEWS

CDC and WHO report on progress toward polio eradication in Pakistan in this week's MMWR and Weekly Epidemiological Report, respectively

CDC published Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication—Pakistan, January 2015—September 2016 in the November 24 issue of MMWR (pages 1195–99). On the same day, WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record published a similar article titled Progress towards poliomyelitis eradication: Pakistan, January 2015–September 2016. A media summary of the& MMWR article is reprinted below.

Pakistan is one of three countries–including Afghanistan and Nigeria–where WPV has never stopped circulating. During 2016 Pakistan made significant improvements to its polio eradication program and as a result the number of polio cases reported decreased compared to those reported during 2015 and 2014. Despite this decrease the virus continues to circulate in certain areas and children continue to be missed by immunization campaigns. To eradicate polio, prevent outbreaks, and eliminate potential reservoirs new cases need to be quickly identified and controlled, and all children must be vaccinated.

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FEATURED RESOURCES

National Meningitis Association releases #Pledge2Prevent toolkit

The National Meningitis Association (NMA) released its #Pledge2Prevent toolkit to help student groups advocate for increased meningococcal disease awareness and vaccination mandates at universities across the country. The kit includes a variety of resources, including sample op-eds, petitions, and templates for writing university administrators.

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Influenza is spreading and serious; please keep vaccinating your 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 MenB vaccine in infants research, an article reviewing serological testing recommendations pre- and post-hepatitis B vaccination, and information on 2-dose versus 3-dose HPV schedules

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 November issue includes the following articles:

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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ASK THE EXPERTS

Question of the Week

Why are zoster, pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23) and meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccines not covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program?

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program includes payment only for injuries determined to have occurred following vaccination with a vaccine routinely recommended for children in the United States. The recipient can be of any age, but the vaccine must be routinely recommended for children and teens through age 18 years. Zoster, PPSV23 and MenB vaccines are not routinely recommended for children. Zoster is only licensed and recommended for adults. PPSV23 and MenB vaccines are routinely recommended only for select high-risk groups of children and adults. More information about the program and the covered vaccines is at www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/coveredvaccines/index.html.


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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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.

IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085

Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
  • Web Edition Managers
    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Contributing Writer
    Laurel H. Wood, MPA
  • Technical Reviewer
    Kayla Ohlde

This page was updated on .

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