- Immunize.org’s website with data and maps of state immunization requirements and exemption policies for childcare and school updated for 2024
- Standing orders templates for the 2024–25 influenza season now available, along with Immunize.org’s updated reference list of 2024–25 influenza vaccines
- Standing orders template for administering pneumococcal vaccines to adults updated to include PCV21
- August is National Immunization Awareness Month; promote vaccination using CDC’s interactive self-assessment quizzes
- Immunize.org updates "Vaccine Handling Tips" to include RSV vaccines
- Turkish translation now available for Immunize.org’s patient handout, “Immunizations for Babies: A Guide for Parents”
- Managing adult patients who don’t have records of HepB vaccination, but are sure they were vaccinated: watch the 2-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube
- Immunize.org’s Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll for healthcare worker vaccination requirements welcomes a new facility
- Vaccines in the news
- “Progress toward Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus—Region of the Americas, 2012–2022” published in MMWR
- "COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination during First Trimester and Risk of Congenital Anomalies: Nordic Registry Based Study" published in British Medical Journal
- “Nirsevimab and Hospitalization for RSV Bronchiolitis” published in New England Journal of Medicine
Each year, Immunize.org updates its state policy web pages on:
- Vaccine-specific maps and data tables summarizing state immunization requirements for childcare, school, and college entry
- Current state vaccine exemption policies for childcare and school entry
- Contact links to each state’s relevant websites with details about their requirements
Our data are reviewed and verified by every state immunization program each year. These resources are valuable for vaccine advocates, public health, clinicians, families, and policymakers.
Our May 2024 updates include important enhancements to help you:
- The data table structure and content has been standardized
- Each data table is now downloadable as a PDF, just like the maps
- A new archive page preserves access to the 2023 data tables and maps
Immunize.org thanks our partners at state immunization programs who reviewed and updated our data. To ask questions about any of the content on our site, contact us. If you have questions about a specific state’s requirements, please contact that state immunization program directly.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: State Immunization Vaccine-Specific Requirements web page
- Immunize.org: State Exemptions web page
- Immunize.org: Archive of State Childcare, School, and College Immunization Requirements and Exemption Policies web page
Immunize.org’s popular standing orders templates for the 2024–25 influenza season are now available on our website. These standing orders templates help you simplify providing influenza vaccine to everyone in your practice, ages 6 months and older, whether you are using an injectable influenza vaccine or a live attenuated influenza vaccine.
Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Adults and Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Children and Teens incorporate the recent ACIP recommendation to permit the use of high dose inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) or adjuvanted IIV for solid organ transplant recipients age 18 through 64 years and receiving immunosuppressive medication.
Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2024–2025 Influenza Season, our one-page reference document, is also available. For each vaccine, the manufacturer, trade name, common abbreviation, dosage form, mercury content, age range, CVX code, and product billing (CPT) code are listed.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Influenza web page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Standing Orders Templates main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
Immunize.org has updated its Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccines to Adults to include PCV21 (Capvaxive, Merck) as an acceptable option for adults recommended to receive PCV, as recommended by ACIP and CDC.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Standing Orders Templates main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
- Immunize.org: Recommendations for Pneumococcal Vaccines Use in Children and Teens (PDF)
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Pneumococcal main page
- CDC: PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor Mobile App for Vaccine Providers
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). During NIAM, encourage your patients to schedule appointments to ensure they are up to date on annual exams and recommended vaccines.
CDC's Adult Vaccine Quiz and Childhood Vaccine Quiz allow parents and patients to take short, interactive self-assessment quizzes to generate personalized lists of recommended vaccines based on their answers.
Related Links
- CDC: National Immunization Awareness Month web page
- CDC: Toolkit for Reaching Healthcare Professionals main page
- CDC: Toolkit for Reaching Parents and Patients main page
Immunize.org revised Vaccine Handling Tips to incorporate RSV vaccines needing frozen (Moderna) or refrigerated (GSK, Pfizer) storage. The note regarding COVID-19 vaccine storage was revised because CDC now refers those with questions concerning COVID-19 vaccine storage to the product package inserts or Emergency Use Authorization Fact Sheets.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinic Tools: Storage and Handling main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
Immunize.org posted a Turkish translation of the current version of its popular patient handout, Vaccinations for Babies: A Guide for Parents, generously donated by Betül Polatdemir, MD, and Nur Polatdemir. This new translation joins 15 other translations of this resource to give a family-friendly, simple overview of vaccines needed in the first year of life.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Translations of clinical resources and VISs
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series addresses what to do for adult patients who don’t have records of HepB vaccination, but are sure they were vaccinated. The video explains that, in general, you should only accept written records as proof of vaccination. If the person’s recollection is wrong, and the person is susceptible, then not vaccinating leaves them at ongoing risk.
The 2-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.
Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.
- Facebook at ImmunizeOrg
- Instagram at ImmunizeOrg
- LinkedIn at ImmunizeOrg
- YouTube at ImmunizeOrg
Immunize.org's Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll recognizes facilities that take a stand for patient safety by implementing policies requiring healthcare personnel influenza vaccination. Immunize.org recently welcomed Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, WA, to our roll.
Eligibility
- Eligible organizations: hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical practices, pharmacies, professional organizations, health departments, and other government entities
- Requirements:
- Your policy must require influenza vaccination for all staff
- The application must describe measures to prevent transmission of influenza from unvaccinated personnel to patients (e.g., masking for the entire work shift)
- Immunize.org: Honor Roll Honorees: Influenza
- About the Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
- KFF: Health Misinformation Monitor (7/25/24)
- New York Times: Hepatitis A and Other Diseases Surge among Gaza’s Displaced, U.N. Says (7/24/24)
- Forbes: Lost Trust Leads to Lives Lost: Rebuilding Vaccine Confidence for a Healthier Nation (7/23/24)
- CDC: Whooping Cough Is on the Rise, Returning to Pre-pandemic Trends (7/22/24)
- Science: The Virus That Causes Polio Has Been Found in Gaza. Here’s Why That Is Grim News (7/22/24)
Our readers will find immunization history preserved in Immunize.org’s archive of our periodical publications, dating back to 1994.
Publication Archives provides an overview and access to Immunize.org’s back issues described below. You can get there via clicking “News & Updates” or “About.” The links on the right side bring you to the description and link to access content on this summary page. The links on the left side bring you directly to the page with issues archived by year, in reverse chronological order.
The archive contains the following publications:
IZ Express: All issues since inception (1997) are available online—searchable by year, month, or keyword. You are reading issue #1768. Filtered results provide each issue’s table of contents for easy scanning or click on “read full issue” to access complete stories.
Copies of Needle Tips were mailed from 1994 through August 2010. More than 4.25 million copies were mailed to pediatricians, family physicians, pediatric nurse practitioners, residency programs, and local and state health departments. From 2011 through November 2017, it was an online-only publication. This publication launched the Ask the Experts column to share practical and technical clinical knowledge.
Vaccinate Adults focused on the needs of adult medicine specialists to help increase adult immunization. It started as a semiannual printed publication in 1997, with copies mailed to internists, geriatric specialists, family physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, residency programs, and local and state health departments. It became a quarterly online publication in 2010. The final issue was published in November 2017.
From 2002 to 2008, Vaccinate Women was published annually for obstetrics and gynecology professionals. Its content focused on vaccines for women, including perinatal care of mothers and neonates.
Technically Speaking, a monthly column written by Deborah Wexler, MD, from 2016 to June 2021 in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals covered practical topics in immunization.
In 2017, Immunize.org published Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide which was designed to help implement or enhance adult immunization services in healthcare settings. All chapters and content are available to download or view as PDFs.
We hope educators, researchers, and curious clinicians will find these historical resources interesting and valuable to your work.
One document now puts every injectable influenza vaccine VIS translation at your fingertips as you prepare for influenza vaccination clinics this fall. Titled QR Code Links to Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) Translations: Influenza (Flu) Vaccine (Inactivated or Recombinant), this 3-page PDF assembles QR codes for 44 injectable influenza VIS translations. Page one leads off with basic instructions, along with the QR code to the required English VIS and the most popular Spanish VIS. Pages two and three provide the QR codes for each additional language option, along with a few additional VIS resources for healthcare professionals.
Beneath each QR code is the language (in English) and the VIS title in each language. This allows vaccine recipients who do not read English to locate and scan the code for their preferred language with their own smartphone.
This resource is durable. If an English or translated VIS is updated, the QR code will automatically link to the current available version online at Immunize.org. Download this resource today as you prepare for influenza vaccination clinics this fall. As always, we welcome your feedback.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Influenza web page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
On July 17, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security launched the Tackling Rumors and Understanding & Strengthening Trust (TRUST) in Public Health website to support professionals . The website aims to support practitioners working to cultivate trust in public health by proactively addressing misleading rumors.
Immunize.org is pleased to offer T-shirts in three styles: unisex, women’s, and baseball. Each T-shirt features our logo on the front and, on the back, our tag line: “Save Lives. Immunize.” These T-shirts are fashioned in a super soft, premium tri-blend fabric that doesn’t shrink or wrinkle with washing. Designed with frontline vaccinators in mind, they pair perfectly with scrub pants for vaccination clinics and make a pro-vaccine statement whenever you or your team want to show your support for immunization. Perfect for the gym, clinic, or anywhere you like!
Click the pictures for more detailed information and to place your order.
Immunize.org's gold and black enamel “Vaccines Save Lives” pins are meaningful gifts for people who value vaccination. The pin makes a refined statement in black enamel with gleaming gold lettering and edges, measuring 1.125" x 0.75". Our pin features a stick-through post design. The post is covered by a round rubber cap that holds the pin securely. A gold metal spring-lock clasp is also provided.
These pins are a striking statement of vaccination support. Wear these pins on lab coats, uniforms, or street clothes to show that you value vaccines.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Show Your Support for Immunization page
- Immunize.org: “Vaccines Save Lives” pins
- Immunize.org: Shop Immunize.org main page
CDC published Progress toward Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus—Region of the Americas, 2012–2022 on July 25 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
In 2022, 5 million persons in the World Health Organization Region of the Americas (AMR) had chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Hepatitis B birth dose (HepB-BD) vaccination followed by 2–3 additional doses (HepB3) during infancy can prevent chronic infection. . . .
All 51 AMR countries provide HepB3; 67% also provide HepB-BD. Mathematical models suggest that hepatitis B prevalence among children has met the global and regional impact target of ≤0.1% in 14 countries and regionally. HepB3 coverage decreased by ≥10 percentage points in 2022 compared with 2012 in 15 countries; 17 countries do not yet provide HepB-BD. . . .
Declines in HepB3 coverage and the absence of HepB-BD in 17 countries’ routine immunization schedules threaten the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HBV infection throughout AMR. Efforts to introduce HepB-BD and maintain high HepB3 and HepB-BD coverage are needed.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
Related Link
- CDC: MMWR main page providing access to the MMWR family of publications
In its July 17 issue, British Medical Journal published COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination during First Trimester and Risk of Congenital Anomalies: Nordic Registry Based Study. Excerpts from the results and conclusions sections appear below.
When evaluating risk associated with covid-19 infection during the first trimester, the adjusted odds ratio ranged from 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.51 to 1.40) for eye anomalies to 1.12 (0.68 to 1.84) for oro-facial clefts. Similarly, the risk associated with covid-19 vaccination during the first trimester ranged from 0.84 (0.31 to 2.31) for nervous system anomalies to 1.69 (0.76 to 3.78) for abdominal wall defects. Estimates for 10 of 11 subgroups of anomalies were less than 1.04, indicating no notable increased risk. . . .
Covid-19 infection and vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy were not associated with risk of congenital anomalies.
In its July 10 issue, New England Journal of Medicine published Nirsevimab and Hospitalization for RSV Bronchiolitis. Portions of the results and conclusions sections appear below.
The estimated adjusted effectiveness of nirsevimab therapy against hospitalization for RSV-associated bronchiolitis was 83.0% . . . The effectiveness of nirsevimab therapy against RSV-associated bronchiolitis resulting in critical care was 69.6% . . . and against RSV-associated bronchiolitis resulting in ventilatory support was 67.2% . . .
In a real-world setting, nirsevimab therapy was effective in reducing the risk of hospitalized RSV-associated bronchiolitis.
CDC will host National Immunization Conference 2024 on August 12–14 in Atlanta, GA. The full agenda is now available. Program content will cover science, policy, education, and implementation issues related to immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases.
If you attend, be sure and find the team at Immunize.org's exhibit booth and say hello!
See CDC's National Immunization Conference 2024 website for more information.