Issue 1499: June 3, 2020
TOP STORIES
WORLD NEWS
FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
TOP STORIES
IAC Commentary: Coronavirus Vaccines—It’s Not a Race. One of the shortest editorials ever.
by John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
This is one of the shortest editorials you will ever read.
Media channels are filled with stories about “the race” to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. That’s the wrong analogy and suggests, to some, cutting corners or breaking speed limits.
Tell people: “It’s not a race.” Vaccine developers are laboring to satisfy all the prerequisites for their vaccine candidates to be used widely. If you work with scout troops, you could say the vaccine candidates are working to earn their merit badges.
Given the number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses that will be needed, it would be a fine thing if multiple vaccines completed their studies, passed their tests, and earned their diplomas.
It’s not a race.
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Reminder: IAC adds many new materials to its new Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during COVID-19 Pandemic
On May 19, IAC launched the Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic to assist in maintaining routine immunization rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Located on the National Network of Immunization Coalitions website, a project of IAC, this repository includes links to both national and state-level policies and guidance; advocacy materials, including talking points, webinars, press releases, articles, and social media posts; and telehealth resources. These resources are intended for healthcare settings, state and local health departments, professional societies, immunization coalitions, advocacy groups, and the community to use in their efforts to sustain routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The more than 90 resources that appear in the repository come from the federal government, nationally recognized healthcare organizations, state health departments, state immunization coalitions, and other organizations devoted to disseminating accurate immunization information.
These resources can be sorted and searched by date, title, geographic area, source, type, category, or setting.
If you have a resource that you would like to see in the repository, please send a message to info@immunizationcoalitions.org.
Access the repository to view and to search through the range of valuable resources available to support the patients, families, and communities you serve.
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Updated! Two Ask the Experts sections about diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis and about vaccination during the pandemic
IAC recently updated its Ask the Experts: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis web page and added a few new questions and answers to its Ask the Experts: COVID-19 and Routine Vaccination web page.
The refreshed IAC Ask the Experts: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis web page answers questions on disease issues; vaccine recommendations; vaccine products; Tdap for adolescents, adults, and pregnant women; scheduling; contraindications and precautions; tetanus and wound management; and storage and handling.
The expanded IAC Ask the Experts: COVID-19 and Routine Vaccination web page answers questions about the administration of routine immunizations for children and adults during the pandemic, as well as questions about how telemedicine can assist with vaccination efforts and the use of Shingrix for adults. This section of Ask the Experts will grow with more Q&As as additional information becomes available.
IAC’s Ask the Experts gateway page is a compilation of common as well as challenging questions and answers about vaccines and their administration. IAC wishes to recognize its team of experts: Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH (lead); Carolyn Bridges, MD, FACP; William Atkinson, MD, MPH; and Deborah Wexler, MD.
Here are links to some of our most popular pages within the Ask the Experts gateway page:
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IAC Spotlight! These IAC patient and staff educational materials and web pages were updated in April and May
IAC Express regularly provides readers with information about IAC’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare professionals and handouts for patients. All materials are free to download, print, and distribute.
In case you missed them during recent weeks, these helpful items were announced:
Staff Education Materials
Handouts for Your Patients
New and Updated Web Pages
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IAC enrolls two new birthing institutions into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll; 39 previously honored institutions qualify for additional years' honors
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) is pleased to announce that two new institutions have earned places on its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, for a total of 506 honorees. The birthing institutions are listed below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
- Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, Virginia Beach, VA (93%)
- San Angelo Community Medical Center, San Angelo, TX (95%)
The following 16 institutions are being recognized for a second year:
- Allen County Regional Hospital, Iola, KS (98%)
- Ascension Borgess Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI (90%)
- Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo, Kokomo, IN (94%)
- Exeter Hospital, Exeter, NH (97%)
- Franciscan Health Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN (92%)
- Franciscan Health Lafayette East, Lafayette, IN (95%)
- Geary Community Hospital, Junction City, KS (97%)
- Green County General Hospital, Linton, IN (94%)
- JFK Medical Center, Atlantis, FL (99%)
- Kearny County Hospital, Lakin, KS (97%)
- Logansport Memorial Hospital, Logansport, IN (98%)
- Newman Regional Health, Emporia, KS (98%)
- Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital, Zeeland, MI (92%)
- Stephens Memorial Hospital, Norway, ME (95%)
- Sullivan County Community Hospital, Sullivan, IN (97%)
- UP Health System – Portage, Hancock, MI (90%)
The following 11 institutions are being recognized for a third year:
- Beaumont Hospital – Trenton, Trenton, MI (94%)
- Community Hospital South, Indianapolis, IN (99%)
- ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE (94%)
- Down East Community Hospital, Machias, ME (92%)
- MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, Mason City, IA (97%)
- Munson Healthcare, Grayling, MI (90%)
- Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, Seneca, KS (93%)
- OSF Saint Francis Hospital, Escanaba, MI (91%)
- Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk, VA (93%)
- Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, Brockton, MA (97%)
- William Newton Hospital, Winfield, KS (94%)
The following five institutions are being recognized for a fourth year:
- Atchison Hospital, Atchison, KS (96%)
- Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell Campus, Pennington, NJ (94%)
- Hennepin Healthcare System, Minneapolis, MN (95%)
- Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, Wyoming, MI (92%)
- Spectrum Health Hospitals Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI (94%)
The following six institutions are being recognized for a fifth year:
- Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana, KY (99%)
- Holland Hospital, Holland, MI (91%)
- Holy Family Hospital, Methuen, MA (95%)
- Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Grand Rapids, MI (92%)
- Platte Valley Medical Center, Brighton, CO (99%)
- Yoakum County Hospital, Denver City, TX (95%)
Finally, the following institution is being recognized for a seventh year:
- Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center, La Junta, CO (91%)
The Honor Roll now includes 506 birthing institutions from 44 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and an overseas U.S. military base. One hundred seventeen institutions have qualified for two years, 70 institutions have qualified three times, 35 institutions have qualified four times, 25 institutions have qualified five times, 15 institutions have qualified six times, six 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.
Related IAC Resources
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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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WORLD NEWS
WHO reports on the March–April meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization in Weekly Epidemiological Record
The May 29 edition of the WHO periodical Weekly Epidemiological Record reported on the March–April 2020 meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) in an article titled Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, 31 March–1 April 2020—Conclusions and Recommendations. Topics covered included measles, polio, Ebola, and COVID-19, as well as a report from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
SAGE, the principal advisory group to WHO for vaccines and immunization, was established by the Director-General of the World Health Organization in 1999.
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FEATURED RESOURCES
This week’s "Video of the Week" discusses a proposed vaccine technology using mRNA
The Vaccine to End the Pandemic? This April 2020 video from Real Science discusses a possible new form of vaccine using messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which can be configured quickly in the lab. The video also discusses how traditional vaccines function and are produced. Although mRNA production is relatively fast, clinical trials, which involve three phases, are still needed to show that vaccines are safe and effective.
Visit the VOTW archive.
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CHOP's Vaccine Education Center updates its Vaccines and Adults: A Lifetime of Health booklet
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently updated its booklet titled Vaccines and Adults: A Lifetime of Health (52 pages, 894KB). The seventh edition (2020) includes the latest information related to shingles, Td/Tdap, HPV, and hepatitis A vaccines, among other minor updates. The Spanish-language version is also available for download.
Booklets produced by the VEC can be viewed online, printed, or photocopied, in whole or in part. Healthcare professionals can order these materials for their practice.
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Check out IAC's "Favorites" gateway page, speeding you to our most popular web pages and materials
Make sure all your newly trained staff, and your seasoned staff too, know about all the training materials and clinic tools available at immunize.org. A great place to start is IAC's Favorites gateway page, where you will find links to 18 of the most highly visited gateway pages on IAC's content-rich website. The link is easy to find from anywhere on immunize.org—it’s the first of the 6 blue tabs that run across the top of every web page. When you hover over this blue tab with your mouse or click on it, the 18 options for Favorites appear.
Tap into the wealth of materials available from IAC to help you develop your staff today! Just click on the Favorites tab to visit the Favorites gateway page for the most utilized content on immunize.org.
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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
CDC publishes May issue of Immunization Works newsletter; subscribe for monthly immunization resources and information
CDC recently released the May issue of its monthly newsletter Immunization Works. The newsletter offers the immunization community information about current topics. The information is in the public domain and may be reproduced and circulated widely.
Subscribe to CDC's Immunization Works newsletter for monthly resources and information on vaccination sent straight to your inbox.
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CDC publishes “Evaluation of a Program to Improve Linkage to and Retention in Care among Refugees with Hepatitis B Virus Infection—Three U.S. Cities, 2006–2018” in MMWR
CDC published Evaluation of a Program to Improve Linkage to and Retention in Care among Refugees with Hepatitis B Virus Infection—Three U.S. Cities, 2006–2018 in the May 29 issue of MMWR. The media summary is reprinted below.
Identification and management of hepatitis B infection in children and adults from countries with a high prevalence of infection, including refugees, is important for protecting their health and preventing transmission to others. Refugees are at risk for not being linked to and retained in hepatitis B care. Children and adults with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection require lifelong monitoring to prevent progression to end stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although it is recommended that those who screen positive for HBV infection receive counseling and additional evaluation to determine treatment eligibility, there are no mechanisms in place to ensure this takes place. Despite appropriate HBV screening practices during domestic refugee medical examinations, significant barriers remain for long-term management of HBV infection in refugee populations.
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
This Thursday: National Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Organization to sponsor HPV vaccination webinar, June 4
The National AHEC Organization is sponsoring a webinar titled Role of HPV Vaccination in Prevention of HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma on June 4 at 4:00 p.m. (ET).
During the webinar, two oncologists will speak about the rising incidence of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) as a public health concern. By the end of the program, participants will be able to identify key risk factors related to development of HPV-associated OPSCC, understand the role of primary prevention for HPV-associated OPSCC, and examine evidence related to HPV vaccination.
Register for the webinar.
The National AHEC Organization supports and advances the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network to improve health by leading the nation in recruitment, training, and retention of a diverse health work force for underserved communities.
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National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) will hold virtual meeting on June 9–10
The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) will hold its next meeting, virtually, on June 9–10. Attendance is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis by registration. Registration is now available online. The agenda is expected to feature coronavirus vaccine development, as well as reimbursement and changes in billing and coverage.
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Agenda for the virtual ACIP meeting on June 24 now available; register to provide oral public comment
You can now register to make an oral public comment at the web-enabled June 2020 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. The oral public comment session will occur on June 24 during the ACIP meeting, which will be held virtually. To accommodate the interest in participation, each speaker will be limited to 3 minutes. A lottery may be conducted to determine the speakers should there be more people requesting to speak than can be reasonably accommodated.
Register to make an oral public comment.
No registration is required to watch the live June ACIP meeting or listen via telephone. The agenda for the June ACIP meeting has been posted. Topics include meningococcal diseases, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
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Video from 1997, featuring a young woman surfing in Hawaii, urges parents to get their teenagers vaccinated against hepatitis B
Surfer Girl offers a nostalgic look at adolescent hepatitis B vaccine promotion featuring a young woman surfing in Hawaii. Produced by the Hawaii Department of Health, 1997.
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