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Issue 1,581:
August 4, 2021
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| Top Stories |
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- August is National Immunization Awareness Month; promote vaccination with helpful resources for all
ages
- CDC Health Alert Network sends notice of the urgent need to increase COVID-19 vaccination
coverage
- Fifty-six healthcare societies issue a joint statement in support of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for all workers in health and long-term
care
- “Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, including COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large Public
Gatherings—Barnstable County, Massachusetts, July 2021” published in MMWR Early Release
- “COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Adolescents Aged 12–17 Years—United States, December 14, 2020–July 16,
2021” published in MMWR Early Release
- “Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Health Care Personnel Working in Long-Term Care Facilities, by Job
Category—National Healthcare Safety Network, United States, March 2021” published in MMWR
- FDA expands Shingrix indication to include immunocompromised people; ACIP recommendations under discussion
- Teaching young people about vaccines: reliable resources for instructing children and teens on how vaccines work
- New "Vaccination from the Misinformation Virus" documentary airs on PBS stations, featuring IAC expert. Check your local listings to
watch.
- IAC Spotlight! Review of resources at Immunize.org focused on adult vaccination
- Vaccines in the news
Immunize.org Pages and Handouts
Featured Resources
Notable Publications
Global News
Immunization PSAs from the Archive
Top Stories
August is National Immunization Awareness Month; promote vaccination with
helpful resources for all ages
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the efforts of healthcare professionals to protect
patients of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases through on-time vaccination.
It is critical to maintain routine vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect both individuals and communities. Routine vaccination prevents
illnesses that lead to additional medical visits, hospitalizations, and further strain on the healthcare system. This year, CDC calls on its partners to amplify
these important messages when communicating with parents, pregnant individuals, healthcare professionals, and other adults.
CDC’s NIAM web page includes two toolkits, one for reaching healthcare professionals and the other for
reaching parents and patients. Each includes key messages, sample social media content, and educational resources. CDC
encourages its partners to share these messages and resources throughout August using the hashtag #ivax2protect. Stay tuned for more resources to be
released throughout the coming weeks.
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CDC Health Alert Network sends notice
of the urgent need to increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage
On July 27, the CDC
Health Alert Network (HAN) issued an advisory to notify public health practitioners and clinicians about the urgent need to
increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage across the United States, particularly in regions where current coverage is low. Increased coverage will help to
prevent surges in new infections that could increase COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality, overwhelm healthcare capacity, and widen existing
COVID-19-related health disparities. In addition to vaccination, in areas with substantial and high transmission, CDC recommends that fully vaccinated
individuals wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of Delta and protect others.
To sign up for Health Alert Network email updates, go to the
CDC News & Updates web page,
enter your email address, and click ‘Register.’
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Fifty-six healthcare societies issue a joint
statement in support of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for all workers in health and long-term care
On July 26, dozens of health organizations issued a joint statement in
support of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for all workers in healthcare and long-term care. Portions of the statement are reprinted below.
Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our health care organizations and societies advocate that all
health care and long-term care employers require their workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This is the logical fulfillment of the ethical commitment
of all health care workers to put patients as well as residents of long-term care facilities first and take all steps necessary to ensure their health and well-
being....
We stand with the growing number of experts and institutions that support the requirement for universal vaccination of health workers. While we recognize
some workers cannot be vaccinated because of identified medical reasons and should be exempted from a mandate, they constitute a small minority of all
workers. Employers should consider any applicable state laws on a case-by-case basis....
As the health care community leads the way in requiring vaccines for our employees, we hope all other employers across the country will follow our lead
and implement effective policies to encourage vaccination. The health and safety of U.S. workers, families, communities, and the nation depends on
it.
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“Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2
Infections, including COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large Public Gatherings—Barnstable County, Massachusetts,
July 2021” published in MMWR Early Release
CDC published
Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, including COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large
Public Gatherings—Barnstable County, Massachusetts, July 2021 in the July 30 MMWR Early Release. A portion of the summary
appears below.
In July 2021, following multiple large public events in a Barnstable County, Massachusetts, town, 469 COVID-19 cases were identified among
Massachusetts residents who had traveled to the town during July 3–17; 346 (74%) occurred in fully vaccinated persons. Testing identified the
Delta variant in 90% of specimens from 133 patients. Cycle threshold values were similar among specimens from patients who were fully vaccinated and
those who were not....
Jurisdictions might consider expanded prevention strategies, including universal masking in indoor public settings, particularly for large public gatherings
that include travelers from many areas with differing levels of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Access the MMWR article in PDF format or in
HTML format.
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“COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in
Adolescents Aged 12–17 Years—United States, December 14, 2020–July 16, 2021” published in
MMWR Early Release
CDC published
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Adolescents Aged 12–17 Years—United States, December 14,
2020–July 16, 2021 in the July 30 MMWR Early Release. A portion of the summary appears below.
In preauthorization trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, adolescents aged 12–17 years reported local and systemic mild and
moderate reactions. Myocarditis has been observed after vaccination with mRNA vaccines in postauthorization monitoring....
Local and systemic reactions after vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were commonly reported by adolescents aged 12–17 years
to U.S. vaccine safety monitoring systems, especially after dose 2. A small proportion of these reactions are consistent with myocarditis....
Mild local and systemic reactions are common among adolescents following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and serious adverse events are rare. The
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices conducted a risk-benefit assessment and continues to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19
vaccine for all persons aged ≥12 years.
Access the MMWR article in PDF format or in
HTML format.
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“Disparities in COVID-19
Vaccination Coverage among Health Care Personnel Working in Long-Term Care Facilities, by Job Category—National Healthcare Safety Network,
United States, March 2021” published in MMWR
CDC published
Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Health Care Personnel Working in Long-Term Care
Facilities, by Job Category—National Healthcare Safety Network, United States, March 2021 in the July 30 MMWR. A summary
appears below.
Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and health care personnel (HCP) who work in these facilities were prioritized for early COVID-19
vaccination. Achieving high coverage in this setting is critical to preventing additional outbreaks....
During March 2021, 300 LTCFs reported COVID-19 vaccination coverage for their HCP. COVID-19 vaccination coverage was highest among
physicians (75.1%) and lowest among aides (45.6%). Vaccination coverage among aides was lower in facilities located in zip code areas with higher
levels of social vulnerability....
Additional efforts to improve LTCF immunization practices, build confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, and promote COVID-19 vaccination are
needed.
Access the MMWR article in PDF format or in
HTML format.
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FDA expands Shingrix indication to
include immunocompromised people; ACIP recommendations under discussion
On July 23, FDA
expanded the indication for Shingrix (GlaxoSmithKline), a vaccine originally indicated for the prevention of herpes zoster (HZ, shingles) in adults 50
years of age and older. The expansion approves the use of the vaccine for the prevention of zoster in adults aged 18 years and older who are or will be at
increased risk of zoster due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression caused by known disease or therapy.
ACIP recommendations for the use of Shingrix in immunocompromised people age 18 years or older are under discussion and will be voted on in a future
meeting.
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Teaching young people about vaccines:
reliable resources for instructing children and teens on how vaccines work
To help teachers and parents educate children and adolescents on vaccines and the immune system, we suggest the credible resources described below
for students in home or classroom settings. The content below is divided into four sections:
A. For parents and caregivers of daycare and pre-school children
B. For elementary school-age children
C. For middle school-age children
D. For high school students
A. For parents and caregivers of daycare and pre-school children:
Vaccinate Your Family collaborated with Young Minds Inspired to create a lesson plan to educate parents and child caregivers about the key role they play in protecting their children against
vaccine-preventable diseases. The simple curriculum includes a teaching kit, color poster, parent and grandparent letters, vaccine information resources,
and take-home activities for young children to help them learn how to stay healthy through handwashing and vaccination.
B. For elementary school-age children:
- CHOP's
The Vaccine Makers Project: Includes elementary lesson plans (revised 2018), videos, and 3-dimensional animations. Aligned to the
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS), this content describes how the immune system works and how
vaccines work to prevent disease. Activities and resources introduce the scientific method and equip students to understand science-based topics central
to our lives.
- CHOP’s Vaccine Resources for Kids and Teens gateway page (revised
2017) includes:
- My Vaccine Activity Book (PDF, 5 MB): A 16-page booklet that presents the science of vaccines with fun images to color
and activities to complete; available in English and Spanish
- Vax Pack
Hero: A program that features a web-based video game, physical trading cards, and an educational website
- Baylor University offers Vaccines for Children and Adolescents: Lessons and Activities to
help parents and teachers start these conversations. For young children, they suggest lessons for ages 3 through 6 and for 7 through 10 years. Activities
for elementary students include the stages of vaccine development (The Amazing Vaccine Race), understanding risk, and pretend play at a vaccination clinic.
- BrainPOP: Vaccines (requires paid subscription): This BrainPOP video (4:43 min) discusses vaccines and how they work. Viewers will
learn how vaccines interact with the body’s immune system. The interactive Vaccines web page includes quizzes, extra reading, worksheets,
and games to enable learning.
For shorter activities, the following videos share important lessons about vaccines, how they work, and important vaccine champions.
C. For middle school-age children:
- CHOP's The Vaccine Makers Project: Includes
middle school lesson plans (revised 2018), videos, and 3-dimensional animations. Aligned to the Next
Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS), this content describes how the immune system works and how
vaccines work to prevent disease. The middle school lessons also show how scientific understanding evolves over time as scientists make new
discoveries. Resources include a teacher's plan, student worksheets, glossaries, games, and additional resources. Activities and resources
introduce the scientific method and equip students to understand science-based topics central to our lives.
- Baylor University offers Vaccines for Children and Adolescents: Lessons and Activities to
help parents and teachers start conversations. They suggest lessons for ages 11 through 13. Activities for middle-school students include the stages of
vaccine development (The Amazing Vaccine Race), understanding risk, and media literacy.
For shorter activities, the following videos share important lessons about vaccines, how they work, and important vaccine champions.
D. For high school students:
- History of Vaccines: Historyofvaccines.org offers standards-based resources for use in biology and health courses. The Activities tab
leads to a set of nine short slideshows on the Scientific Method, Koch’s Postulates, How Vaccines Are Made, How Vaccines Work, Understanding
Risk, and other topics. From the Activities tab, clicking on “Family Facts” or “Educator Resources” leads to more resources
and suggestions for educators at home and school.
- CHOP's
The Vaccine Makers Project: Includes high school lesson plans revised 2020), videos, and 3-dimensional animations. Aligned to the
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS), this content describes the parts of the immune system and how
the immune system works to fight off disease, along with how vaccines work, their history, development, and safety. High school students are able to
explore lessons on biomedical and animal research, as well as navigate through a case study on the spread of disease. Resources include a
teacher's plan, student worksheets, glossaries, games, and additional resources. Activities and resources introduce the scientific method and equip
students to understand science-based topics central to our lives.
- The Influenzer
Initiative offers VaxHunt: The Quest to Prevent the Next Pandemic. This online game features trivia and puzzle challenges where players can explore the
threat and history of influenza pandemics, why we need a universal influenza vaccine, the challenges of developing next-generation influenza vaccines,
and the innovative approaches that may unearth the universal influenza vaccine mystery and deliver on its potential. VaxHunt helps
strengthen STEM learning skills. The game can be integrated into classrooms or used at home.
- Baylor University offers Vaccines for Children and Adolescents: Lessons and Activities to
help parents and teachers start conversations. For high schoolers, they suggest lessons and activities such as the stages of vaccine development (The Amazing Vaccine Race), understanding risk, media literacy, and ethics and the Tuskegee study.
For shorter activities, the following videos share important lessons about vaccines, how they work, and important vaccine champions.
For discussions of information versus misinformation on the Internet, consider the Vaxopedia website.
Back to top
New "Vaccination from the Misinformation Virus" documentary airs on PBS stations, featuring IAC expert.
Check your local listings to watch.
The one-hour documentary Vaccination from the Misinformation Virus is a comprehensive media campaign to help parents and community leaders understand that
vaccines are safe, important to community health, and save millions of lives every year. The program includes infectious disease experts, epidemiologists,
pharmacists, physicians, and various academics with expertise in misinformation as well as health disparities. IAC's John Grabenstein, RPh, PhD, is
featured as an expert in the film.
This program is now
available online, along with the script, viewer guide, and media resources to share in educational, clinical, and social media settings.
Related Links
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IAC Spotlight! Review of resources at
Immunize.org focused on adult vaccination
In this week's IAC Spotlight, we summarize resources at Immunize.org that focus on adult vaccination.
Our Resources
for Adult Vaccination gateway page offers all the adult educational materials from IAC and partner organizations.
Our free downloadable book, Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide, is a "how to" guide that provides easy-to-use, practical
information covering essential adult immunization activities.
Our Adult Vaccination gateway page contains all of the handouts that pertain to adult vaccinations.
Our CDC
Schedules gateway page provides print PDFs of the
recommended immunization schedules for adults, as well as for children and adolescents.
Our Screening Checklists about Vaccine Contraindications and Precautions gateway page links you to forms that patients fill out to expedite
assessment of vaccination needs and contraindications.
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Vaccines in the news
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
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Immunize.org Pages
and Handouts
These updated IAC educational
materials and web pages were released during June and July
IAC Express regularly provides readers with information about IAC’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare
professionals and handouts for patients. All IAC materials are free to distribute.
In case you missed them during recent weeks, updates to these helpful materials were announced:
IAC’s Updated Materials for Clinicians
Updated COVID-19 Web Pages
Related Links
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Featured Resources
CHOP's Vaccine Education
Center debuts a new animation that shows how mRNA vaccines work
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Vaccine Education Center has released a new animation that shows how mRNA vaccines work. COVID-19
mRNA vaccines deliver directions to make a protein that educates our immune system, so it will neutralize the virus in future encounters.
The animation is available on the
Vaccine Makers Project (VMP) YouTube channel. Share the link on your websites and social media!
Related Link
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Ad Council offers Rural
Resource Toolkit to help meet need for access to COVID-19 information
The Ad Council has created an interactive COVID-19
Rural Resource Toolkit
(PDF) that includes public service announcements, online video testimonials, television and online video, healthcare provider videos, radio interview
segments, and live announcer copy, as well as social graphics and copy.
Visit the toolkit to help connect with your community members as a trustworthy
source of information.
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Johns Hopkins University introduces
Vira, a vaccine education chatbot, to answer common COVID-19 vaccine questions
Johns Hopkins University’s International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), in collaboration with IBM Research, developed Vira, a chatbot that offers trustworthy
answers to COVID-19 vaccine questions. Type your question into the chatbot and in just seconds, Vira will offer evidence-based answers vetted by
Johns Hopkins vaccine scientists. Vira can be used on both desktop and mobile devices.
Visit and share a link
to Vira on social media or your organization's website.
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It's immunization awareness month; show your status by ordering IAC's “I Got
My COVID-19 Vaccine” buttons and stickers now available FREE to all organizations promoting or offering COVID-19 vaccination! Available in
English and Spanish.
All organizations promoting or offering COVID-19 vaccinations are now invited to order IAC’s FREE “I Got
My COVID-19 Vaccine” buttons and stickers, provided with support from CDC.
Available in English and Spanish, the buttons and stickers can be placed on lab coats, uniforms, jackets, lanyards, ID badges, or backpacks to show
confidence in COVID-19 vaccination. Access this order form to request the FREE buttons and stickers for your outreach efforts.
Buttons and stickers remain available for sale to those not eligible for the CDC-funded supplies.
 
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Time to prepare for flu season! Stock
up on IAC's flu vaccine buttons and stickers for staff and patients.
After you order your vaccine, don’t forget to order your buttons and stickers. IAC “FLU VACCINE” buttons and stickers are ready to
ship! Their bright red color helps broadcast your important message about the need for influenza vaccination. And the cost is reasonable.
“FLU VACCINE” BUTTONS
The button measures 1.25" across and carries a bold message! Pin on lab coats, uniforms, other clothing, tote bags, or backpacks to show support
for flu vaccine.
Buttons are delivered in bags of 10 buttons per bag.
Click here
for pricing and ordering information for "FLU VACCINE" buttons.
“FLU VACCINE” STICKERS
Measuring 1.5" across, these stickers adhere well to clothing and have an easy-peel-off backing.
Stickers are delivered to you cut individually (not on rolls)—available in bundles of 100.
Click here for pricing and ordering information for “FLU VACCINE” stickers.
Visit Shop IAC for additional
items, including "Vaccines Save Lives" enamel pins, patient record cards, and a vaccine administration training video.
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Back to school! Check out updated
www.Give2MenACWY.org website to increase coverage for the MenACWY booster and other adolescent vaccinations
IAC’s www.Give2MenACWY.org website promotes the importance of adolescent vaccination, including administering the recommended booster
dose of MenACWY vaccine at age 16. Many teens are behind on vaccines because of the pandemic, so adolescent vaccination is more important than
ever.
Original materials on this colorful website for healthcare professionals have been updated to incorporate the 2020 ACIP meningococcal vaccine recommendations and the most recent vaccine coverage statistics from CDC’s National
Immunization Survey–Teen (NIS–Teen). One particularly popular resource on the site is the updated Algorithm for MenACWY Immunization in Adolescents 11–18 Years of Age.
The website’s navigation structure makes locating information a breeze; it is divided into five easy-to-access sections:
The site
also categorizes materials according to whether they are primarily of interest to providers, to adolescents, or to parents.
Visit Give2MenACWY.org
and enjoy browsing (and deploying) its bountiful resources.
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Notable Publications
CHOP's Vaccine Education
Center publishes July issue of Vaccine Update newsletter
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) publishes a monthly immunization-
focused newsletter titled Vaccine Update. The July 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.
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“COVID-19 Breakthrough
Infections in Vaccinated Health Care Workers” published in NEJM
In the July 28 issue, the New England Journal of Medicine published
COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections in Vaccinated Health Care Workers. The conclusions section appears below.
Among fully vaccinated health care workers, the occurrence of breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 was correlated with neutralizing
antibody titers during the peri-infection period. Most breakthrough infections were mild or asymptomatic, although persistent symptoms did
occur.
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MMWR recap: SARS-
CoV-2 infection in Philadelphia County public school employees following a district-wide vaccination program
CDC recently published an article first distributed as an MMWR Early Release:
- SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Public School District Employees following a District-Wide Vaccination Program—Philadelphia County,
Pennsylvania, March 21–April 23, 2021 (MMWR, July 30,
HTML format or PDF format)
Related Link
- MMWR gateway page provides access to MMWR Weekly and its companion publications
Back to top
Global News
Johns Hopkins University’s
International Vaccine Access Center introduces “VIEW-hub,” an online, interactive, map-based platform for visualizing data on vaccine use
and impact
The Johns Hopkins University International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) has introduced VIEW-hub, a map-based platform for visualizing data on the use, impact, and
coverage status of the human papillomavirus, typhoid conjugate, pneumococcal conjugate, rotavirus, Haemophilus, and inactivated polio
vaccines both globally and in the 73 Gavi countries. Based on the latest available estimates from 2020, the maps show the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Explore the interactive maps
here.
Related Link
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“Progress toward Hepatitis B
Control—World Health Organization European Region, 2016–2019” published in MMWR
CDC published
Progress toward Hepatitis B Control—World Health Organization European Region, 2016–2019
in the July 30 MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
In 2019, 14 million persons in the World Health Organization European Region (EUR) were chronically infected with hepatitis B
virus....
During 2016–2019, EUR made substantial progress towards hepatitis B control. Of 53 countries in EUR, 35, 19, and 17 countries met
coverage targets for 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine, the birth dose, and for hepatitis B screening of pregnant women, respectively. Two countries (Italy
and the Netherlands) have achieved hepatitis B control....
Improving hepatitis B vaccination coverage, screening of pregnant women, and conducting hepatitis B seroprevalence assessments can help EUR
to accelerate progress and document achievement of hepatitis B control targets.
Access the MMWR article in PDF format or in
HTML format.
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Immunization PSAs from the
Archive
In this uplifting
1998 PSA from Rotary International, former president Clinton appreciates worldwide collaboration of organizations, governments, and volunteers working
to end polio
In this 1998 public
service announcement (PSA) from Rotary International, former president Bill Clinton expressed appreciation for the worldwide collaboration of organizations,
governments, and volunteers working to end polio. This PSA is part of a collection curated by vaccine expert William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, that spans a
period of more than 50 years.
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