- CDC releases three updated VISs for COVID-19, RSV, and cholera vaccines
- Print and post one of Immunize.org’s new QR code tables for easy, one-click access to current VISs
- “Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten—United States, 2023–24 School Year” published in MMWR
- October is the time for you and your patients to get respiratory season vaccines; influenza disease activity is low nationally
- "When to Consider RSV Preventive Antibody for an Infant Whose Mother Received RSV Vaccine.” Watch the 2-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.
- Vaccines in the news
- Spotlight on the website: Find answers you need quickly in "Ask the Experts"
- Recap: Immunize.org website launches new "Travel Vaccines" main page and adds travel vaccination content to vaccine-specific pages
- Recap: Immunize.org updates its resource for healthcare professionals: "How to Administer Intranasal and Oral Vaccinations"
- Recap: Immunize.org updates "Implementing Hepatitis B Universal Adult Screening and Vaccination: Clinical Answers for Healthcare Professionals"
- Today: Virtual: Watch October 23–24 ACIP meeting with discussion of several vaccination recommendations, including pneumococcal, RSV, and COVID-19
- Virtual: NFID hosts webinar, “Preparing for Respiratory Season,” on October 29 at 2:00 p.m. (ET); CE credit offered
- Virtual: Questions about our website? Register for the next Immunize.org Website Office Hours on October 30 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or October 31 at 12:00 p.m. (ET).
On October 17, CDC released three updated VISs for the COVID-19 vaccine, RSV vaccine, and cholera vaccine.
CDC encourages providers to begin using these immediately.
Immunize.org will begin developing translations of these updated VISs in coming weeks. CDC notes that translated VISs that are out of date because a VIS has been revised may continue to be used. The current English VIS must also be provided when providing any translation.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccine Information Statements main page for VISs in 47 languages
- Immunize.org: Dates of Current Vaccine Information Statements (PDF)
- Immunize.org: You Must Provide Patients with Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) – It's Federal Law! (2 pages)
- Immunize.org: VISs: COVID-19 Vaccine page
- Immunize.org: VISs: RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) Vaccine page
- Immunize.org: VISs: Cholera Vaccine page
- CDC: What's New with VISs web page
- CDC: Current VISs web page
Two new resources from Immunize.org now put VISs at your fingertips with simple QR code tables that, when scanned, will always go to the current VIS for any listed vaccine.
- QR Code Links to All Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), a 3-page PDF that includes a QR code for every available VIS and the Immunization Information Statement (IIS) for RSV preventive antibody. Travel and other nonroutine vaccines are included. A QR code for the main translations page at Immunize.org is also provided to facilitate access to all available VIS translations. This resource is ideal for facilities that provide comprehensive vaccination services, including travel vaccines.
- QR Code Links to Routinely Recommended Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), a 2-page PDF with only the VIS QR codes for immunizations listed on the CDC-recommended immunization schedules for children or adults. A QR code for the main translations page at Immunize.org is also provided to facilitate access to all available VIS translations. This resource is ideal for facilities that provide routine immunizations to children or adults.
These QR codes do not go out of date when VISs change. When a VIS is updated, the QR code will automatically link to the updated version online at Immunize.org. Download these resources today. If this type of resource is helpful to you, you may also want to use Immunize.org’s recently released QR Code Links to Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) Translations: Influenza (Flu) Vaccine (Inactivated or Recombinant), which contains QR codes for every available translation of the injectable influenza vaccine VIS.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: VIS-Related Resources main page
- Immunize.org: QR Code Links to All Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)
- Immunize.org: QR Code Links to Routinely Recommended Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)
- Immunize.org: QR Code Links to Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) Translations: Influenza (Flu) Vaccine (Inactivated or Recombinant)
CDC published Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten—United States, 2023–24 School Year in the October 17 issue of MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
From the 2019–20 to the 2022–23 school year, national kindergarten coverage with state-required vaccinations declined from 95% to approximately 93%. . . .
During the 2023–24 school year, coverage declined to <93% for all reported vaccines (range = 92.3% [diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine] to 92.7% [measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine]). The exemption rate increased to 3.3% from 3.0% the year before and increased in 41 jurisdictions, exceeding 5% in 14. . . .
Decreasing vaccination coverage and increasing exemptions increase the risk for vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. Efforts by health departments, schools, and providers are needed to ensure that students begin school fully vaccinated.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
Related Link
- CDC: MMWR main page providing access to the MMWR family of publications
October is the official beginning of the 2024–25 U.S. influenza season and is the perfect time to vaccinate against influenza as the season begins. For the second week of the 2024–25 influenza season, week 41, ending October 12, CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView shows low or minimal respiratory illness activity nationally.
RESP-NET
Visit the CDC Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) for weekly reports of hospitalizations due to three vaccine-preventable seasonal respiratory viruses: COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shows that, as of September 28, more than 108 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed in the United States. The U.S. influenza vaccine supply for the 2024–25 season is expected to total 148 million doses.
CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. Influenza and other vaccines (e.g., COVID-19 vaccine, RSV vaccine) may be given at the same visit, if needed. Infants age 6 months and older may receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit when they receive the RSV preventive antibody, nirsevimab (Beyfortus, Sanofi). Identify pharmacies in your area that may offer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines by entering a zip code in the VaccineFinder on Vaccines.gov or Vacunas.gov.
Related Links
- CDC: Weekly National Flu Vaccination Dashboard main page
- CDC: FluView main page
- CDC: RESP-NET main page
- Immunize.org: free clinical resources and patient handouts related to influenza
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Influenza main page
- Immunize.org: Ask the Experts: Influenza main page
This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is When to Consider RSV Preventive Antibody for an Infant Whose Mother Received RSV Vaccine. The video describes the rare circumstances in which nirsevimab (Beyfortus, Sanofi) may be considered for infants in their first RSV season who were born to RSV-vaccinated mothers.
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
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- LinkedIn at ImmunizeOrg
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These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
- STAT: Is It Time to Freak Out About Bird Flu? (10/16/24, commentary)
- The Hill: Should You Get the COVID and Flu Shots in the Same Arm? Here’s What Studies Show (10/12/24)
- NPR: Worst U.S. Whooping Cough Outbreak in a Decade Has Infected Thousands (10/11/24)
Ask the Experts is one of the most visited sections of the Immunize.org website. Quickly find practical answers healthcare professionals need among the 1,300+ questions and answers in our database by:
- Searching for specific keywords
- Applying filters
- Selecting a subset of questions about a specific vaccine or immunization-related topic
The keyword search feature in Ask the Experts is robust and returns results within 2 to 3 seconds. In the illustration below, the keyword search for “COVID arm” provided three results. Click “Show All Answers” to display answers with keywords highlighted in yellow to aid content scanning.
Within “Ask the Experts,” filtered results will display up to 65 questions per page. When “Show All Answers” is expanded, using the keyboard to find command (“Ctrl” plus the letter “F”) will allow a search of the entire page’s contents. Using this method, if more than one page of results is returned, you must search additional result pages separately.
The Immunize.org website now makes it easy for healthcare professionals to access current travel vaccination guidance from authoritative sources. The new Travel Vaccines main page, located under the Vaccines & VISs tab, curates the most useful links to essential travel vaccination resources from CDC and other nongovernmental experts, such as the International Society for Travel Medicine. Direct links to popular resources in the CDC Travelers’ Health website and the current CDC Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel make it easy to locate what you and your traveling patients need.
After the key resources section, a disease directory lists vaccine-preventable diseases with travel vaccination considerations. It links you directly to the new travel information section of the vaccine-specific page on the Immunize.org website.
Explore our new travel information and bookmark this new Travel Vaccines page today. As always, we welcome your feedback.
Immunize.org recently updated its resource for healthcare professionals: How to Administer Intranasal and Oral Vaccinations. The primary changes fix broken links to CDC resources moved during recent changes to the CDC website. In anticipation of at-home administration of FluMist during the 2025–26 influenza vaccination season (recently licensed by FDA), a note was added that the instructions provided in this document are to be used when FluMist (AstraZeneca) is administered by a healthcare professional.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Ask the Experts: Administering Vaccines web page
- Immunize.org: Clinic Tools: Administering Vaccines main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
Immunize.org recently updated its resource for healthcare professionals: Implementing Hepatitis B Universal Adult Screening and Vaccination: Clinical Answers for Healthcare Professionals. To address recent changes to the CDC website, several links required updating.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Hepatitis B main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
In response to the VISs released by CDC on October 17, Immunize.org updated its two provider resources about VISs with the publication dates of the updated COVID-19 Vaccine, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) Vaccine, and Cholera Vaccine VISs.
- You Must Provide Patients with Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) – It's Federal Law! (2 pages)
- Dates of Current Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccine Information Statements main page for VISs in 47 languages
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: VIS-Related Resources
- CDC: What's New with VISs web page
- CDC: Current VISs web page
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 fabric that doesn’t shrink or wrinkle with washing. Designed with frontline vaccinators in mind, they can pair 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 elegantly designed “Vaccines Save Lives” pins are meaningful gifts for people who care about vaccination. The pin makes a refined statement in hard black enamel with gold lettering and edges, measuring 1.125" x 0.75". The pin features a stick-through-post with the back covered by a round rubber cap that holds the pin securely. A gold metal spring-lock clasp is also provided.
Wear these pins on clothing, uniforms, and white coats to show that you value vaccines.
Click here for "Vaccines Save Lives" pin pricing and ordering information.
CDC published Enhanced Surveillance for Raccoon Rabies Virus Variant and Vaccination of Wildlife for Management—Omaha, Nebraska, October 2023–July 2024 on October 17 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
Movement of wildlife has facilitated the spread of non-bat rabies virus variants into new geographic areas of the United States, with major implications for human health. . . .
A stray kitten died of raccoon rabies virus variant 850 miles west of this variant’s known range. Rabies virus variant typing led to prompt surveillance and mitigation efforts, which prevented a potential rabies outbreak in the Midwestern United States. . . .
Routine vaccination of domestic animals and rabies virus variant typing are crucial to preventing, identifying, and mitigating future translocation events.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
Related Link
- CDC: MMWR main page providing access to the MMWR family of publications
CDC published Update on Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Outbreaks—Worldwide, January 2023–June 2024 on October 17 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below.
Circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) can emerge and cause paralysis in areas with low population poliovirus immunity. Since 2017, large cVDPV type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks have occurred, primarily in Africa. . . .
During January 2023–June 2024, 74 cVDPV outbreaks (672 confirmed polio cases) were detected in 39 countries or areas. Annual cVDPV type 1 case counts declined markedly compared with those during 2022. Despite a small decline in reported cVDPV2 cases compared with those reported during 2022, the number of countries or areas reporting outbreaks remained high. . . .
To achieve the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s goal of interrupting cVDPV transmission by 2026, outbreak responses must be timely and overcome barriers to reaching children who are missed by routine and supplementary immunization activities.
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
Related Link
- CDC: MMWR main page providing access to the MMWR family of publications
CDC convenes the ACIP October 23–24, starting at 8:00 a.m. (ET). ACIP will discuss vaccines targeting chikungunya, COVID-19, cytomegalovirus, HPV, influenza, meningococcal disease, mpox, pneumococcal disease, and RSV, as well as adult and child/adolescent immunization schedules.
No registration is required to watch webcasts of live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Opportunities for written or oral public comment are described on the website.
View the agenda.
Related Links
- CDC: ACIP main page for access to webcast, agendas
- CDC: ACIP: Meeting Information for presentation slides, content from previous meetings, and information about future meetings
NFID will host a webinar titled Preparing for Respiratory Season at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on October 29. The panel includes NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD; CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Director Demetre C. Daskalakis, MD, MPH; and NFID Director Flor M. Muñoz, MD, MSc. Speakers will discuss current recommendations for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and pneumococcal disease prevention, and will highlight strategies to increase vaccination rates.
CME and CNE credit are available. There is no fee to participate in this activity, but preregistration is required.
Register for the webinar.
NFID hosts monthly webinars to increase awareness of the importance of infectious disease prevention and treatment. CME, CNE, and CPE credits are available for select recordings. View all archived NFID webinars.
If you would like to learn simple tips and tricks for using our website efficiently, please register for our Website Office Hours on Wednesday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, October 31 at 12:00 p.m. (ET).
We will open each of the upcoming 45-minute sessions with a short, live demonstration on navigating the Clinical Resources section and address questions submitted in advance. You have the opportunity to submit questions in advance when you register for the session or you can submit your questions live on Zoom during the session.
Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours:
Mark your calendar for our future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Due to the upcoming holiday season, we will do only two sessions in November and two in December.