Issue 1279: December 7, 2016
Ask the Experts—Question of the Week: For our "Mother's Day Out"
program, one of the teachers has shingles…read more
TOP STORIES
IAC HANDOUTS
VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS
WORLD NEWS
FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
TOP STORIES
It's National Influenza Vaccination Week
This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). This event highlights the importance of continuing influenza vaccination throughout the season.
 
CDC published Announcement:
National Influenza Vaccination Week—December 4–10, 2016 in the December 2 issue of MMWR (page 1353). The complete announcement is reprinted below.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, state and local
health departments, and other partners will observe National Influenza
Vaccination Week during December 4–10, 2016, with educational and promotional
activities across the country. Beginning in 2005, National Influenza Vaccination
Week was established to highlight the importance of annual influenza vaccination
and to foster greater use of influenza vaccine during the months of December,
January, and beyond. Last season, almost half (45.6%) of the U.S. population
aged ≥6 months are estimated to have received vaccination against influenza.
This is a small decline of 1.5% since the previous season (47.1%), but close to
what was seen during the 2013–2014 (46.2%).
As of November 10, 2016, approximately 129.2 million doses of 2016–17 seasonal
influenza vaccine have been distributed to vaccination providers in the United
States. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends
influenza vaccination for all persons aged ≥6 months, with rare exceptions.
Because of its low effectiveness against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in the United
States during the 2013–14 and 2015–16 seasons, ACIP made the interim
recommendation that quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine should not be
used for the 2016–17 season.
Influenza vaccination is especially important for persons in certain groups who
are at increased risk for influenza-related complications. Those persons at high
risk include children aged <5 years, and especially children aged <2 years;
persons with certain chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, asthma,
and diabetes; pregnant women; and adults aged ≥65 years. Health care personnel
are also at risk for acquiring and transmitting influenza to their patients.
Information about events, web tools, and CDC's planned activities for National
Influenza Vaccination Week are available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/nivw/index.htm, and http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources. Additional information and resources for health care professionals are available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/index.htm.
Influenza vaccination coverage estimates for 2015–16 are available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview.
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CDC posts updated HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine Information Statement
On December 2, CDC posted an updated HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine Information Statement (VIS). It is essentially the same as the VIS it replaces (dated 3/31/16), except that it contains information about the recently approved 2-dose schedule. Ideally, providers should begin using it now, but stocks of the previous edition may be used up, especially if you have patients who need the 3-dose schedule.
Note that the VIS no longer specifies “Gardasil-9.” This is because Gardasil-9
will soon be the only HPV vaccine available in the U.S., as Cervarix and
Gardasil-4 will no longer be sold in the United States. The appropriate VISs
should continue to be used for those two vaccines as long as unexpired doses
remain available.
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More than 300 birthing institutions are enrolled in IAC's Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll!
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) is pleased to announce that 13 new hospitals or birthing centers have been accepted into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, for a total of 310! Nine of these birthing institutions applied and qualified for two 1-year periods at one time.
The new birthing institutions are listed below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
- Ben Taub Hospital, Houston, TX (96% in 2014; 100% in 2015)
- HCA The Women's Hospital of Texas, Houston, TX (93% in 2014; 98% in 2015)
- Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX (100% in 2014; 98% in 2015)
- Houston Methodist St. John Hospital, Nassau Bay, TX (93% in 2014; 94% in 2015)
- Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, Houston, TX (100% in 2014; 98% in 2015)
- Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, Houston, TX (96% in 2014; 100% in 2015)
- Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, Houston, TX (100% in 2014; 98% in 2015)
- Methodist San Jacinto Hospital, Baytown, TX (100% in 2014; 100% in 2015)
- MidState Medical Center, Meriden, CT (98%)
- Sagua Managu, Tamuning, GU (100% in 2014; 100% in 2015)
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX (92%)
- The Hospital of Central Connecticut, New Britain, CT (91%)
- Tomball Regional Medical Center, Tomball, TX (98%)
The following institution is being recognized for a third year:
- Queens Hospital Center, Queens, NY (99%)
The Honor Roll now includes 310 birthing institutions from 38 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Ninety-five institutions have qualified for two years, 35 institutions have qualified three times, 5 institutions have qualified four times, and 2 institutions have qualified five times.
With these additions, our Honor Roll list now numbers more than 300 birthing institutions. To celebrate, we have been given permission to share this special photograph from Guam Medical Hospital Authority, Oka Tamuning, Guam. The staff is proudly showing off the five certificates they have earned for being on the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
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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AAP develops a new interactive infographic that highlights immunization rates for DTaP, MMR, varicella, HPV, and influenza vaccines in each state
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released a new interactive infographic
that highlights immunization rates for DTaP, MMR, varicella, HPV, and
influenza vaccines in each state, as well as the combined 7-vaccine series for
ages 19–35 months. It also lists individual state laws regarding exemptions,
and highlights recent outbreaks of infectious diseases.
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World AIDS Day was December 1; people with AIDS and HIV infection are at high risk for influenza-related complications and should be vaccinated
December 1 was World AIDS Day. The first paragraph of a CDC press release is reprinted below.
Today is World AIDS Day, a day to unite in the fight against HIV, support
people living with HIV, and honor those who have lost their lives. This year’s
theme,Leadership. Commitment. Impact., asks each of us to strengthen our commitment to stop HIV using the most up-to-date, evidence-based HIV interventions, prevention tools, and testing options available. In 2015, 39,513 people received a diagnosis of HIV, and over 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States.
People with HIV and AIDS are at high risk of serious influenza-related
complications. According to CDC's website, studies done before routine use of
highly active antiretroviral therapy suggested an increased risk for heart-
and lung-related hospitalizations in people infected with HIV during influenza
season as opposed to other times of the year, and a higher risk of
influenza-related death in HIV-infected people. People with HIV and AIDS
should get the inactivated influenza vaccine. It’s also important that
influenza antiviral drugs be used early to treat influenza in people who are
very sick (e.g., people who are in the hospital) and people who are sick with
influenza and who have a greater chance of getting serious flu complications,
such as people with HIV and AIDS.
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IAC HANDOUTS
IAC develops new educational piece for healthcare professionals,
“Meningococcal B Vaccine: CDC Answers Your Questions”
IAC recently developed a new educational piece for healthcare professionals titled Meningococcal B Vaccine: CDC Answers Your Questions. This 2-page piece covers some of the more common questions about meningococcal serogroup B vaccine with answers from experts at CDC.
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 updates “Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations by Age and Risk Factor for
Serogroup B Protection” as well as "Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations by
Age and Risk Factor for Serogroups A,C,W, or Y Protection"
IAC recently updated Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations by Age and Risk Factor for Serogroup B Protection as well as Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations by Age and Risk Factor for Serogroups A,C,W, or Y Protection.
Changes were made to the serogroup B education piece to incorporate the newest ACIP recommendation for vaccinating healthy teens using a 2-dose schedule with either of the two licensed MenB vaccines (Bexsero or Trumenba).
Changes were made to the second educational piece to incorporate the newest ACIP recommendations for vaccinating HIV-infected people with MenACWY vaccine.
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IAC revises "Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine to Children and Teens" as well as "Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine to Adults"
IAC recently updated Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine to Children and Teens as well as Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine to Adults. Changes were made to incorporate the newest ACIP recommendation to vaccinate HIV-infected people with MenACWY vaccine.
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IAC updates “Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2016–2017 Influenza Season”
IAC's
Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2016–2017 Influenza Season was recently updated to& incorporate the FDA approval of an extended age range of FluLaval to include children age 6 through 35 months.
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IAC updates “Decisions in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding”
IAC recently updated Decisions in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding to correct several broken links to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims website.
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VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS
Influenza (IIV) VIS now available in Chuukese, Ilokano, and Marshallese
IAC recently posted translations of the VIS inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in Chuukese, Ilokano, and Marshallese. IAC thanks the Hawaii Department of Health for the translations.
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WORLD NEWS
WHO reports on the October meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization in Weekly Epidemiological Report
The December 2 edition of the WHO periodical Weekly Epidemiological Record reported on the October 2016 meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization in an article titled
Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization, October
2016—conclusions and recommendations.
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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
CDC reports on adverse reaction after smallpox vaccination in New Mexico
CDC published Notes from the Field:
Adverse Reaction After Vaccinia Virus Vaccination—New Mexico, 2016 in the December 2 issue of MMWR
(pages 1351–52). An excerpt from the article is reprinted below.
On February 4, 2016, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) was
contacted regarding a patient who had received ACAM2000 smallpox (vaccinia)
vaccine 12 days earlier as part of an institutional review board–approved study
at a plasma donation center and had numerous lesions surrounding the inoculation
site and on the opposite arm, back, and abdomen. ACAM2000 is a live-virus
vaccine indicated for active immunization against smallpox...
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ASK THE EXPERTS
Question of the Week
For our "Mother's Day Out" program, one of the teachers has shingles. The program serves moms of 2-month-olds to 4-year-olds. All children are up to date with their vaccinations, but some are too young to have received varicella vaccine. Is it safe for the teacher to work?
In a school setting, an immunocompetent person with zoster (staff or students) can remain at school as long as the lesions can be completely covered. People with zoster should be careful about personal hygiene, wash their hands after touching their lesions, and avoid close contact with others. If the lesions cannot be completely covered and close contact avoided, the person should be excluded from the school setting until the zoster lesions have crusted over. See www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/outbreaks/manual.html for more information.
If your program is licensed by a state or county, you should check their regulations as well.
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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