Issue 1,673: January 18, 2023
 
Top Stories
 
Vaccine Information Statements
 
Featured Resources
 
Notable Publications
 
Global News
 
Upcoming Events
 
Top Stories

Immunize.org honors National Meningitis Association and its legacy of lives protected from meningococcal disease

The National Meningitis Association (NMA) was founded in 2002 by families who experienced the devastating impact of meningococcal disease. NMA worked diligently to protect others by educating the public and medical professionals about the disease and vaccination, and urging the widespread routine use of meningococcal vaccines among adolescents and those at high risk. In recent years, NMA also worked to increased promotion of all adolescent vaccinations and worked with immunization coalitions, healthcare professionals and others to strengthen school and college entry requirements for all recommended vaccinations. 

In December 2022, NMA officially ceased operations, although its individual family and survivor advocates will continue championing the value of vaccination across the lifespan. Immunize.org is helping their advocates engage with state and local immunization coalitions to continue their efforts. 

Since NMA began its work in 2002, Americans are much better protected in the fight against meningococcal disease.  Advances over this 20-year period include:

  • Safe, effective vaccines against meningococcal A, C, W, and Y disease (MenACWY) are routinely recommended for all adolescents, beginning at age 11, and other children and adults at high risk for meningococcal disease, including incoming college students
  • Vaccines against meningococcal B disease (MenB) are routinely recommended for all children and adults at high risk, beginning at age 10, and offered for use to all adolescents beginning at age 16
  • State school- or college-entry requirements for MenACWY vaccination have become commonplace
  • As of 2021, 89% of adolescents age 13 through 17 years have received at least one dose of MenACWY vaccine
  • Between 2002 and 2019, the incidence of meningococcal disease in the United States declined by more than 80%, with just 375 total cases reported in the United States in 2019
NMA’s website, including its advocacy videos, remains available, although it is no longer being updated. 

On behalf of the many families who have benefited from your impassioned advocacy and your educational outreach, Immunize.org thanks NMA and its committed survivor and family advocates for your invaluable work.

Related Links

Back to top
 
“Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months among Children Born during 2018-2019—National Immunization Survey–Child, United States, 2019–2021” published in MMWR

CDC published Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months among Children Born during 2018-2019—National Immunization Survey–Child, United States, 2019–2021 on January 13 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. 

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine vaccination against 14 diseases during the first 24 months of life. . . .

Vaccination coverage among young children has remained high and stable for most vaccines, although disparities persist. The National Immunization Survey–Child identified no decline overall in routine vaccination coverage associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among children born during 2018–2019, although declines were observed among children living below the federal poverty level and in rural areas. . . .

Additional efforts, such as providers reviewing children’s immunization histories during every clinical encounter, recommending needed vaccinations, and addressing parental hesitancy, are warranted to reduce disparities so that all children can be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Additional notable findings include:

  • Coverage with the combined 7-vaccine series among children living below the federal poverty level or in rural areas decreased by 4–5 percentage points during the pandemic 
  • Among children born during 2018–2019, coverage disparities were observed by race and ethnicity, poverty status, health insurance status, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) residence
  • Coverage was typically higher among privately insured children than children with other insurance or no insurance 
  • Vaccination coverage varied widely by jurisdiction, with the widest variation in coverage among children who received at least 2 doses of influenza vaccine, which ranged from 39.7% in Alabama to 84.0% in Rhode Island
  • The percentage of “zero dose” children (children never vaccinated) declined from 1.3% among those born during 2016–2017 to 0.9% among those born during 2018–2019


Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.

Related Link

Back to top


“Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates among Children in Kindergarten—United States, 2021–22 School Year” published in MMWR

CDC published Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates among Children in Kindergarten—United States, 2021–22 School Year on January 13 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. 

During the 2020–21 school year, national coverage with state-required vaccines among kindergarten students declined from 95% to approximately 94%. . . .

During the 2021–22 school year, coverage decreased again to approximately 93% for all state-required vaccines. The exemption rate remained low (2.6%). An additional 3.9% without an exemption were not up to date with measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Despite widespread return to in-person learning, COVID-19–related disruptions continued to affect vaccination coverage and assessment for the 2021–22 school year, preventing a return to prepandemic coverage. . . .

Increasing follow-up with undervaccinated students to reduce the impact of disruptions on vaccination coverage can help protect students from vaccine-preventable diseases.



Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.

Related Link


CDC launches “Let’s RISE” initiative to get routine vaccinations back on track

CDC launched its Let's RISE (Routine Immunizations on Schedule for Everyone) campaign to provide practical strategies, resources, and data to support getting all Americans back on schedule with their routine immunizations to protect everyone from vaccine-preventable disease.



The "Let's RISE" campaign features calls to action, resources for healthcare professionals and partners, patient education talking points and visual aids, and data for action. 

Use Let's RISE campaign resources to encourage catch up on routine vaccinations and to communicate why being up to date on vaccinations is critical for staying healthy.

Back to top
 
CDC and FDA report investigation of a preliminary bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine safety signal in individuals age 65 and older; no changes to recommendations for use

On January 13, CDC and FDA announced their investigation into a preliminary vaccine safety surveillance signal for bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals age 65 and older. To date, no other safety systems have shown a similar signal in the United States or elsewhere; subsequent analyses have not validated the statistical signal. There are no changes in recommendations for use of bivalent vaccines. A portion of the statement appears below. 

Following the availability and use of the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines, CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), a near real-time surveillance system, met the statistical criteria to prompt additional investigation into whether there was a safety concern for ischemic stroke in people ages 65 and older who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent. Rapid-response investigation of the signal in the VSD raised a question of whether people 65 and older who have received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent were more likely to have an ischemic stroke in the 21 days following vaccination compared with days 22–44 following vaccination. . . .

Although the totality of the data currently suggests that it is very unlikely that the signal in VSD represents a true clinical risk, we believe it is important to share this information with the public, as we have in the past, when one of our safety monitoring systems detects a signal. CDC and FDA will continue to evaluate additional data from these and other vaccine safety systems. . . .

No change in vaccination practice is recommended. CDC continues to recommend that everyone ages 6 months of age and older stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination; this includes individuals who are currently eligible to receive an updated (bivalent) vaccine. 

Related Links Back to top
 
Influenza circulation is declining but remains active across the nation; keep encouraging vaccination 

Now is the best time to vaccinate anyone not yet protected from influenza this season. CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView, provides a valuable snapshot of influenza activity state-by-state.

Influenza Surveillance
For week 1, ending January 7, CDC's Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView, reports that nationwide, 4.0% of outpatient visits were due to respiratory illness that included fever plus a cough or sore throat (i.e., influenza-like illness [ILI]). This exceeds the national baseline of 2.5%. Multiple respiratory viruses are co-circulating; the relative contribution of influenza virus infection to ILI varies by location. So far this season, 79 children have died from influenza-associated causes.



Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's Weekly Flu Vaccination shows that vaccination coverage for pregnant people age 18–49 years has had a worrisome decline compared to recent seasons. Coverage as of the end of November 2022 is 43.1% for all pregnant people, lowest (25.4%) for Black, Non-Hispanic pregnant people, and highest (60.6%) for Asian, Non-Hispanic pregnant people. Overall coverage is 12.2 percentage points lower compared with the end of November 2021 and 19.0 percentage points lower than at the end of November 2020.

CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. “Vaccines.gov” offers VaccineFinder, a service of Boston Children’s Hospital, to help people find influenza and COVID-19 vaccines for any age group. To be listed as a provider by VaccineFinder, see the information at this website.

Related Links

Back to top


Immunize.org’s Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll recognizes 573 institutions, including one new honoree

Immunize.org is pleased to welcome one new institution into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, for a total of 573 honorees. The birthing institution is listed below with its reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.

  • Fillmore County Hospital, Geneva, NE (100%)
Several institutions are being recognized for qualifying for an additional year: 
  • Covenant Children’s Hospital, Lubbock, TX (93%) (4 years)
  • South Florida Baptist Hospital, Plant City, FL (95%) (2 years)
  • Unity Point Health – Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell, IA (97%) (4 years)
The Honor Roll now includes 573 birthing institutions from 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, and a U.S. military base in England.



The Honor Roll is a key part of Immunize.org’s 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 for hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting additional criteria. To learn whether your organization qualifies and to access the application form, please see Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll online.

Honorees are awarded an 8.5" x 11" color certificate suitable for printing and framing and their acceptance is announced to IZ Express’s 54,000+ readers.

Please visit the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and celebrates their exceptional efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission.

Related Immunize.org Resources
Spotlight: Immunize.org resources focused on vaccine-preventable diseases, one disease at a time

Immunize.org offers a host of materials that focus on specific vaccine-preventable diseases. Here are some highlights.



Vaccines main page leads viewers to 24 pages, one for each vaccine-preventable disease. These pages provide curated materials from public health authorities and Immunize.org on each disease and vaccine.

Ask the Experts main page gives you access to more than 1,200 questions answered by Immunize.org experts. Topics include specific diseases and their vaccines as well as vaccine delivery guidance (e.g., administration, billing, documenting). 

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) main page links to all current ACIP vaccine recommendations as well as most dating back to 1991. You can sort the ACIP recommendations by diseases or publication date.

Unprotected People Stories main page features more than a hundred real-life accounts of people who suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases. There are compelling personal testimonies, remembrances, case reports, and newspaper articles.

Image Library main page offers hundreds of photos of people affected by vaccine-preventable diseases; micrographs of viruses, bacteria, and pathology specimens; and pictures of people being vaccinated. Please follow noted copyright requirements.


Vaccines in the news

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.


Vaccine Information Statements

Immunize.org continues to expand its translations of new and updated Vaccine Information Statements for HPV, rotavirus, Td, and Tdap. Be sure you are using the latest translations!

Thanks to CDC support, Immunize.org substantially expanded its repository of Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) translations. Immunize.org posted new and updated VIS translations for HPV, rotavirus, Td, and Tdap vaccines.

All translations are available in print-ready PDF format. 

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) VIS (view in English):
Updated: Farsi 
New! German 
Updated: Hindi 
New! Italian 
Updated: Khmer (Cambodian) 
New! Polish 
New! Swahili (Kiswahili) 
New! Urdu 
New! Yiddish 
 
Rotavirus VIS (view in English):
Updated: Farsi 
New! German 
Updated: Hindi 
New! Italian 
Updated: Khmer (Cambodian) 
New! Polish 
New! Swahili (Kiswahili) 
New! Urdu 
New! Yiddish

Td (Tetanus, Diphtheria) VIS (view in English):
Updated: Armenian 
Updated: Farsi 
Updated: German 
New! Hindi 
New! Italian 
New! Japanese 
Updated: Khmer (Cambodian) 
Updated: Korean 
New! Polish 
New! Swahili (Kiswahili) 
Updated: Tagalog 
New! Urdu 
New! Yiddish 
 
Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) VIS (view in English):  
Updated: German 
New! Italian 
New! Polish 
Updated: Swahili (Kiswahili) 
New! Urdu 
New! Yiddish 

Check the version dates of your office copies of newly updated translations. Translations of previous VIS versions should be discarded now that translations of the current versions are available.

Related Links

Immunize.org posts new Vaccine Information Statements in Yiddish for DTaP, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and Hib vaccines

Thanks to CDC support, Immunize.org substantially expanded its repository of Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) translations. Immunize.org posted new Yiddish translations of four VISs.

All translations are available in print-ready PDF format. 

New VIS translations in Yiddish:

Check the version dates of your office copies of newly updated translations. Translations of previous VIS versions should be discarded now that translations of the current versions are available.

Related Links


Featured Resources

Newly updated 65+ Flu Defense website offers resources for healthcare professionals serving older adults   

Confident recommendations for influenza vaccine from healthcare providers are powerfully persuasive. To assist you in maximizing protection for your patients, Immunize.org, in collaboration with CSL Seqirus, updated the 65+ Flu Defense website.

Older adults are at increased risk of severe influenza and COVID-19 illness, including hospitalization and death, especially if they are not up to date on these vaccinations. An updated fact sheet on the website, The Importance of Preventing Influenza and COVID-19, offers responses to help guide discussions with patients on the importance of preventing influenza and COVID-19. 



This helpful site includes information, tools, and tips for communicating with adults age 65 and older about the scope and severity of influenza. Resources include:

Check out the updated 65+ Flu Defense website at www.influenza-defense.org to assist your ongoing efforts in protecting this vulnerable population.


Happy New Year! Urge your coworkers to subscribe to IZ Express to stay up to date on what’s new with vaccines each week.

Wishing you good health and happiness in 2023! It’s going to be a busy year, so we pledge to bring you even more useful resources in the year ahead.

Encourage your coworkers to subscribe to IZ Express so they get everything that matters to vaccinators in their own inbox.


NFID offers on-demand webinars to increase awareness of infectious disease prevention and treatment; CE available

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) hosts monthly webinars to increase awareness of the importance of infectious disease prevention and treatment. Topics include vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), antibiotic resistance and stewardship, best practices and communication skills, and complementary tools and resources. Some of the most recent webinars include: 

CE is available for select recordings.

View all available NFID webinars


Reminder: Immunize.org’s webinar, “Improving the Vaccination Experience: Accessible Vaccination for Neurodiverse People at Any Age,” available for on-demand viewing

On December 13, Immunize.org and experts from the Autism Society hosted a 1-hour webinar, Improving the Vaccination Experience: Accessible Vaccination for Neurodiverse People at Any Age. In this webinar, participants learned more about the Autism Society’s practical tips to improve vaccine confidence by employing strategies to reduce stress when vaccinating neurodiverse patients.

People with autism and other developmental disabilities have lower childhood vaccination rates than their peers without autism, leaving them vulnerable to many vaccine-preventable diseases. The vaccination visit can be especially stressful for these families. Effective strategies exist to reduce pain and anxiety during the vaccination visit.

The video of the webinar is available at our website for on-demand viewing. Please share this important webinar with your colleagues. 


Order Immunize.org’s child, adult, and lifetime immunization record cards—wallet-sized, designed to last!

Immunize.org's personal immunization record cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, water-proof paper, are designed to last a lifetime. They fit in a wallet when folded. The record cards are for you to give to your patients as a permanent personal vaccination record and are sold in boxes of 250.

Order Immunization Record Cards

Make bulk purchases and receive quantity discounts. For quotes on larger quantities or customizing, or to request sample cards, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.


Notable Publications

“Safety Monitoring of Bivalent COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Booster Doses among Children Aged 5-11 Years—United States, October 1, 2022–January 1, 2023” published in MMWR

CDC published Safety Monitoring of Bivalent COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Booster Doses among Children Aged 5-11 Years—United States, October 1, 2022–January 1, 2023 on January 13 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. 

After CDC’s October 2022 recommendation for bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccination for children aged 5–11 years, children in this age group received approximately 953,359 bivalent booster doses during October 12, 2022–January 1, 2023. . . .

Early safety findings from v-safe and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for bivalent booster vaccination in children aged 5–11 years are similar to those described for monovalent booster vaccination. Most VAERS reports represented vaccine errors rather than adverse events. Neither myocarditis nor death were reported after bivalent booster vaccination. . . .

These preliminary safety findings should be provided when counseling parents or guardians about bivalent booster vaccination. All eligible persons should receive a bivalent booster dose.

Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.

Related Link


Global News

“Cholera Outbreak—Haiti, September 2022–January 2023” published in MMWR

CDC published Cholera Outbreak—Haiti, September 2022–January 2023 on January 13 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. 

The first cholera outbreak in Haiti was reported in October 2010. Haiti was declared cholera-free in February 2022, after 3 years with no confirmed cases. . . .

On October 2, 2022, two cases of Vibrio cholerae O1 infection were confirmed in the greater Port-au-Prince area. As of January 3, 2023, >20,000 suspected cholera cases had been reported throughout the country. . . .

Multiple factors, including social unrest, have affected public health infrastructure and facilitated cholera resurgence. Although cases have declined, a multipronged approach, including sufficient and timely case management, strengthened surveillance, emergency water treatment, and targeted oral cholera vaccination campaigns are urgently needed.

Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.

Related Link


Upcoming Events

Virtual: American College Health Association offers five-part webinar series Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students from January through May 

The American College Health Association (ACHA) is offering a free, five-part webinar series, Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students, beginning in January. This five-part webinar series will provide tools for campus personnel in all disciplines to use when working with students to help them navigate misinformation, disinformation, and the infodemic. Courses include: 

  • January 10, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): "Health Literacy 101" (available on-demand)
  • February 21, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): "Digital Wellbeing and Mental Health: 
    Helping Me is Helping We"  
  • March 7, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): "Debunking Fake News" 
  • April 18, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): "Confronting Misinformation in Our Circles of Influence"
  • May 9, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): "Managing the Infodemic: Getting Started"

Up to 5 hours of credit are available for CNE, CME, and CHES, and 1.0 CE is available for counselors specifically for session 2.

Registration for the series will allow you access to all five sessions, both the live webinars and the on-demand recordings. 

Register for the free webinars


For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.

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 .