Issue 1490: April 15, 2020
TOP STORIES
IAC HANDOUTS
OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TOP STORIES
Reminder: CDC, AAP, AAFP post guidelines for routine childhood, adolescent, and adult immunization during COVID-19 response
In case you missed it, CDC, AAP, and AAFP have issued guidance for routine childhood, adolescent, and adult immunization during the COVID-19 response. Portions of their guidelines are reprinted below.
Childhood Immunizations
From CDC's Information for Pediatric Healthcare Providers: Maintaining Childhood Immunizations during COVID-19 Pandemic web page:
Healthcare providers in communities affected by COVID-19 are using strategies [such as these from AAP] to separate well visits from sick visits. Examples include:
- Scheduling well visits in the morning and sick visits in the afternoon
- Separating patients spatially, such as by placing patients with sick visits in different areas of the clinic or another location from patients with well visits
- Collaborating with providers in the community to identify separate locations for holding well visits for children
Because of personal, practice, or community circumstances related to COVID-19, some providers may not be able to provide well-child visits, including provision of immunizations, for all patients in their practice. If a practice can provide only limited well-child visits, healthcare providers are encouraged to prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and young children (through 24 months of age) when possible. CDC is monitoring the situation and will continue to provide guidance.
Childhood, Adolescent, and Adult Immunizations
AAFP posted the following guidance, titled COVID-19: Guidance for Family Physicians on Preventive and Non-urgent Care.
The AAFP supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) mitigation strategy as a framework for family physicians to protect patients, families, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic....
Due to personal, practice, or community circumstances related to COVID-19, some family physicians may be unable to provide preventive health care visits, including the provision of immunizations. If only limited well-child visits can be provided, family physicians are encouraged to prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and young children (through 24 months of age), when possible.
Adult Immunizations
The CDC guidance for adult preventive services, including immunizations, can be found on CDC's Resources for Hospitals and Healthcare Professionals Preparing for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 web page. Recognizing that clinicians need to provide clinical services in safe environments, CDC has issued new pandemic guidance for adult immunization in areas with community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. CDC recommends that needed immunizations be postponed, except when:
- The adult is present for some other purpose and the immunization can be delivered during that visit with no additional risk, or
- The adult and their clinician find a compelling need to receive the immunization after concluding that potential benefits outweigh risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
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Reminder: National Infant Immunization Week is April 25–May 2; prepare using CDC's 2020 digital media toolkit
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 25–May 2, is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization partners. The 2020 observance will be challenging for many due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider using this week to restate the importance of immunization for your community.
Since 1994, hundreds of U.S. communities have joined together during NIIW to celebrate the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our children, communities, and public health. Giving babies and toddlers the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from 14 serious childhood diseases.
Save time by using CDC's 2020 NIIW Digital Media Toolkit to plan and implement your organization's NIIW activities. The toolkit includes updated logos, sample social media content, social graphics, and key messages. Please share them as you are able using the hashtag #ivax2protect.
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IAC Spotlight! IAC's “Clinic Tools: Administering Vaccines” gateway page provides resources from authoritative sources
IAC's Clinic Tools: Administering Vaccines gateway page is a collection of resources from IAC, CDC, and other organizations related to administering vaccinations. This gateway page can be found by selecting the "Clinic Tools" tab in the middle of the blue banner across the top of every immunize.org web page and then selecting "Administering Vaccines" in the drop-down menu.
In the left-hand column of the page, you will find IAC's educational materials such as Administering Vaccines: Dose, Route, Site, and Needle Size; Don’t Be Guilty of These Preventable Errors in Vaccine Administration; Skills Checklist for Vaccine Administration, and other related resources.
The right-hand column of the page features resources from CDC, including links to vaccine administration guidelines, General Best Practice Guidelines for Immunization, and The Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases ("The Pink Book").
Visit the Clinic Tools: Administering Vaccines gateway page on immunize.org.
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IAC enrolls two new birthing institutions into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll; 17 previously honored institutions qualify for additional years' honors
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) is pleased to announce that two new institutions have been accepted into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, for a total of 504 honorees. The birthing institutions are listed below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
- Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL (98%)
- Baptist Medical Center South, Jacksonville, FL (95%)
The following six institutions are recognized for a second year:
- Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, Ironwood, MI (90%)
- Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin, VT (95%)
- Advent Health Waterman, Tavares, FL (94%)
- Bayfront Health, Port Charlotte, FL (90%)
- Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, IN (96%)
- Schneck Medical Center, Seymour, IN (96%)
The following seven institutions are being recognized for a third year:
- RAF Lakenheath, Branden, England (91%)
- Scenic Mountain Medical Center, Big Spring, TX (98%)
- Pratt Regional Medical Center, Pratt, KS (95%)
- Hamilton Medical Center, Dalton, GA (100%)
- UnityPoint Health – Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell, IA (97%)
- Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Fernandina Beach, FL (95%)
- St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, Georgetown, TX (96%)
The following two institutions are being recognized for a fourth year:
- Andalusia Health, Andalusia, AL (98%)
- MHP Medical Center/Major Hospital, Shelbyville, IN (99%)
Finally, the following two institutions are being recognized for a sixth year:
- McLaren Bay Region, Bay City, MI (95%)
- Myrtue Medical Center, Harlan, IA (96%)
The Honor Roll now includes 504 birthing institutions from 44 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and an overseas U.S. military base. One hundred eleven institutions have qualified for two years, 61 institutions have qualified three times, 35 institutions have qualified four times, 20 institutions have qualified five times, 17 institutions have qualified six times, four institutions have qualified seven times, one institution has qualified eight times and one institution has qualified nine 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 52,000 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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Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
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Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus information
CDC, NIH, WHO, and Johns Hopkins are closely monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Be sure to check the resources below for the latest information. Stay in touch with your local and state health departments.
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IAC HANDOUTS
IAC posts new handout titled “Science Supports Our Confidence in Vaccines: An Overview of the Scientific Evidence Favoring Routine Vaccination”
IAC posted a new handout titled Science Supports Our Confidence in Vaccines: An Overview of the Scientific Evidence Favoring Routine Vaccination. This piece reviews the scientific evidence favoring routine vaccination, segmented by safety, components, compensation, the reasoning underlying vaccine policy, and other topics.
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IAC posts new handout titled “The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program of 1986: An Effective Balance of Public Health and Personal Remedy”
IAC posted a new handout titled The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program of 1986: An Effective Balance of Public Health and Personal Remedy. This document describes the historical basis and public-policy rationale for the U.S. Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), including the program's benefits for both society and individual vaccine recipients.
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IAC updates three HPV vaccine handouts for adults and parents
IAC recently revised three of its HPV handouts that provide answers to common questions about HPV and HPV vaccination.
  
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IAC updates English and Spanish versions of its easy-to-read handouts on hepatitis A, HPV, and pneumococcal vaccines
IAC updated the English and Spanish versions of its easy-to-read handouts for teens and adults on hepatitis A, HPV, and pneumococcal vaccines. Revisions are outlined below.
Protect Yourself from Hepatitis A…Get Vaccinated! Changes include the new ACIP guidance to give hepatitis A vaccine to all children and teens age 2 through 18 years. The Spanish-language version has now been updated to match the revised English-language version.
Protect Yourself from HPV…Get Vaccinated! Changes include the recent ACIP guidance about the use of HPV vaccine in adults age 27–45 years. The Spanish-language version has now been updated to match the revised English-language version.
Protect Yourself from Pneumococcal Disease…Get Vaccinated! Changes include the ACIP guidance about giving PCV13 vaccine at age 65 based on shared clinical decision-making. The Spanish-language version has now been updated to match the revised English-language version.
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OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CDC publishes “CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults—United States, 2020”
CDC published CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults—United States, 2020 in the April 10 issue of MMWR Recommendations and Reports. A portion of the MMWR article summary appears below.
CDC is augmenting previous guidance with two new recommendations: 1) hepatitis C screening at least once in a lifetime for all adults aged ≥18 years, except in settings where the prevalence of HCV infection is less than 0.1% and 2) hepatitis C screening for all pregnant women during each pregnancy, except in settings where the prevalence of HCV infection is <0.1%....
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FEATURED RESOURCES
Order copies of IAC’s laminated 2020 U.S. child/adolescent and adult immunization schedules for your exam rooms today!
IAC's laminated versions of the 2020 U.S. child/adolescent immunization schedule and the 2020 U.S. adult immunization schedule are available now.
These schedules are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccinations are given. Their tough coating can be wiped down, and they’re durable enough to stand up to a year's worth of use.
The child/adolescent schedule is eight pages (i.e., four double-sided pages) and the adult schedule is six pages (i.e., three double-sided pages), but both schedules fold down to a convenient 8.5" x 11" size.
 
With color coding for easy reading, our laminated schedules replicate the original CDC formatting, including the essential tables and notes.
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 of 1,000 copies or more, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.
Visit the Shop IAC: Laminated Schedules web page for more information on the schedules, to view images of all the pages, to download the PDF order form, or to order online.
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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
CDC publishes “Seasonal Human Influenza A(H3N2) and Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Reassortant Infection—Idaho, 2019” in MMWR
CDC published Notes from the Field: Seasonal Human Influenza A(H3N2) and Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Reassortant Infection—Idaho, 2019 in the April 10 issue of MMWR. Portions of the media summary of the MMWR article appear below.
In 2019, a new seasonal human influenza A(H3N2) and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 reassortant infection was identified in an Idaho resident. Further investigation determined that the infected patient was treated and recovered, and spread was limited to one close contact. This is the first detection of this type of seasonal human influenza A(H3N2) and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 reassortment by CDC. A biologically successful human influenza A reassortant virus is rarely described in the literature but informs scientific understanding of influenza evolution. … CDC will continue virologic surveillance to monitor influenza genetic evolution and inform vaccine strain selection….
Related Link
- MMWR gateway page provides access to MMWR Weekly, MMWR Recommendations and Reports, MMWR Surveillance Summaries, and MMWR Supplements
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Want to foster a culture of immunization in your office? Watch this excellent CDC video! CE available.
CDC has launched a web-on-demand video titled How Nurses and Medical Assistants Can Foster a Culture of Immunization in the Practice. Continuing education is available until December 4, 2021. From CDC's description:
This CE activity features practical strategies to improve vaccination rates in the practice, including how to deliver clear and concise vaccine recommendations and address parents’ frequently asked questions. By highlighting key points before, during, and after a patient’s visit to support vaccine conversations, this presentation will reinforce best practices for improving vaccination rates. Find out how to develop a culture of immunization in your practice.
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California Immunization Coalition hosts education hour on April 29 to discuss the Shot By Shot project
The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) will host an education hour, Shot By Shot – 10 Years Strong, beginning at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on April 29. A description of the event is reprinted below.
Since its launch in May of 2010, Shot By Shot has provided an important resource for videos and written stories of vaccine preventable diseases are used for education and awareness for patients, students, public health educators and the community. The project’s tagline is “Share a Story. Save a Life."
Register for the event.
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