- CDC posts new COVID-19 vaccine interim clinical considerations. Immunize.org updates “Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools.”
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices releases "2022–23 Bi-Annual Report" describing vaccination-related errors and strategies to prevent them
- Immunize.org updates “Measles: Questions and Answers”
- Influenza activity is low nationally; get vaccinated now before the holidays
- Immunize.org updates its “Vaccine History Timeline” with recent advances
- “Recommendations for the Use of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine”: Watch the 2-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube
- Vaccines in the news
- American Academy of Pediatrics develops discussion guides and infographics for maternal, infant, childhood, and adolescent vaccines
- Public Health Foundation creates video series for healthcare professionals and community workers to address vaccination barriers
- American Academy of Pediatrics launches free immersive simulation to teach providers how to have more effective immunization conversations
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia shares new RSV resources, updated vaccine safety booklets, and a new website section on vaccine ingredients
- Mighty handy! Immunize.org offers adult and lifetime handheld immunization record cards you can provide your patients.
- Virtual: Questions about our website? Register for the next Immunize.org Website Office Hours on November 13 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or November 14 at 12:00 p.m. (ET).
- Today! Virtual: Voices for Vaccines hosts webinar "How to Talk Vaccines Without Ruining the Holidays" on November 13 at 7:00 p.m. (ET).
- Virtual: Georgetown's O’Neill Institute offers webinar “Pandemic Influenza Vaccines: Responding to the H5 Outbreak and Preparing for the Future” on November 15 at 8:30 a.m. (ET)
- Virtual: North Dakota State University hosts webinar titled “New Technology, Old Fears: A Walk Through the Science and Myths of mRNA Vaccines” on November 20 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)
CDC posted Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States: Interim Clinical Considerations on October 31, incorporating its recent changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Immunize.org's November 3 version of its Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools links to the new recommendations, as well as linking to:
- Updated COVID-19 mRNA VIS (updated 10/17/24)
- Translations of EUA fact sheets for recipients and caregivers (updated 10/29); these translations correspond with the August English versions of the fact sheets for Pfizer-BioNTech (age 6 months through 4 years), Moderna (age 6 months through 11 years), and Novavax (age 12 years and older)
- Emergency Use Instructions (EUIs) for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna (updated 10/29)
- MMWR index link (updated 10/31)
All COVID-19 vaccine providers should regularly review this checklist. Download the latest documents and discard outdated versions.
Related Links
- CDC: U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information main page
- CDC: Interim Clinical Considerations main page for use of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States
- Immunize.org: Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools (PDF)
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: COVID-19 main page
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently released its "2022–2023 Bi-Annual Report" from the ISMP National Vaccine Errors Reporting Program. The report demonstrates that errors continue to be problematic, with newer vaccines adding new opportunities for mistakes.
Analysis of nearly 2,000 events reported over the 2 years from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2023, showed that the most frequent types of reported errors were:
- Wrong vaccine (25%)
- Expired vaccine, contamination, or deterioration (20%)
- Wrong dose, both overdosing and underdosing events (12%)
- Wrong age (10%)
- Extra dose (9%)
- Wrong time or interval (7%)
- Vaccine or component omission, i.e., when only the diluent or a single component of two-component vaccine was administered (4%)
- Wrong route (2%)
- Wrong patient (1%)
ISMP’s most recent sets of best practices for hospitals and community pharmacies show how healthcare organizations can safeguard against errors with vaccines. Additional ISMP safe practice recommendations include:
- Maximize the use of technology safeguards
- Ensure safe storage
- Verify identity, age, and vaccine(s) requested
- Prepare and label syringes
- Engage the patient
- Document the vaccine(s)
- Educate practitioners
- Report vaccine-related errors
The continued success of immunization programs relies on proper prescribing, dispensing, storage, and administration of vaccines. For more information, view the 2022–2023 Bi-Annual Report.
Immunize.org updated its resource Measles: Questions and Answers. Updates revise rates of measles complications, data on current outbreaks, and several URLs.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Measles main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
The 2024–25 U.S. influenza season is underway and now is the time to vaccinate. For the fourth week of the 2024–25 influenza season, week 44, ending November 2, CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView, shows low 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
As of October 26, 2024, 28.1% of adults received a flu vaccination, similar to last year at this time. The percentage of adults who received a flu vaccination varied by age, disability status, health insurance, poverty status, race and ethnicity, sex, and urbanicity.
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. 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
Do you need to know the year that CDC made a vaccination recommendation or FDA approved a new vaccine? Refer to Immunize.org’s Vaccine History Timeline. This useful reference resource was recently updated to include new vaccine-related events.
If you would like to suggest an event to add, contact us at admin@immunize.org.
This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is Recommendations for the Use of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine. The video describes CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for routine HPV vaccination. The episode discusses the option of starting the HPV series at age 9, catch-up vaccination of young adults, and the option for vaccination of previously unvaccinated adults ages 27 through 45 years.
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
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
- Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance: The Story of Measles in Five Charts (11/6/24)
- STAT: A Q&A with the FDA’s Top Vaccine Regulator amid a Fresh Wave of Disinformation (11/4/24)
- Washington Post: CDC: Pertussis Case Reports 5 Times Higher than at This Time Last Year (11/4/24)
- New York Times: Cost of Mpox Shot Deters Americans at Risk, Critics Say (11/4/24)
- NBC: Do the COVID Vaccines Provide Long-Lasting Protection? (11/3/24)
- CNN: An Idaho Health Department Isn’t Allowed to Give COVID-19 Vaccines Anymore. Experts Say It’s a First (11/3/24)
This week’s Spotlight features our recently launched Travel Vaccines main page that makes it easy to access current travel vaccination guidance from authoritative sources. Found under the Vaccines & VISs tab, this section links to key travel vaccination resources from CDC and other nongovernmental experts, such as the World Health Organization. Direct links to popular resources in the CDC Travelers’ Health website and the current CDC Yellow Book make it easy to locate what you and traveling patients need.
Scroll down this main page to see a disease directory that lists preventable diseases with travel vaccination considerations. Links take you directly to the new travel information section of vaccine-specific Vaccine A–Z pages on our website.
Immunize.org recently updated its series of one-page vaccination guides for adults generally, men who have sex with men, and adults with any of six chronic health conditions. Where relevant, guides now also incorporate the latest recommendations for:
- Adults who may need mpox vaccine
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for all adults age 50 and older
- Vaccinations for Adults: You're Never Too Old to Get Vaccinated [usable for all adults]
- Vaccinations for Men Who Have Sex with Men
- Vaccinations for Adults with HIV Infection
- Vaccinations for Adults with Chronic Liver Disease or Infection
- Vaccinations for Adults with Diabetes
- Vaccinations for Adults with Heart Disease
- Vaccinations for Adults with Lung Disease
- Vaccinations for Adults Without a Spleen
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: Adult Vaccination main page
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org’s new and updated web pages, educational materials for healthcare professionals, and patient handouts. All Immunize.org clinical resources are free to distribute.
Immunize.org Updated Materials for Clinicians
- Influenza materials and Ask the Experts web section updated for the 2024–25 season:
- Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Injectable Influenza Vaccination, also available in Spanish
- Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Live Attenuated Intranasal Influenza Vaccination, also available in Spanish
- Influenza Questions and Answers
- Guide for Determining the Number of Doses of Influenza Vaccine to Give to Children Age 6 Months Through 8 Years
- Communicating the Benefits of Influenza Vaccination
- Talking with Your Patient About Contraindications and Precautions to Influenza Vaccination
- Not Sure If You Can Get an Influenza Vaccine?
- Don't Take Chances with Your Family's Health – Make Sure You All Get Vaccinated Against Influenza Every Year!
- Declination of Influenza Vaccination
- Standing orders for administering:
- Materials supporting the administration of vaccines:
- How to Administer Intranasal and Oral Vaccinations
- Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools
- Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination
- Implementing Hepatitis B Universal Adult Screening and Vaccination: Clinical Answers for Healthcare Professionals
- Meningococcal B Vaccine Recommendations by Age and Risk Factor
- New! Punjabi translations:
- New! Travel Vaccines, includes new links to travel vaccine resources on 22 Vaccines A–Z web pages
- New! Clinical Resources: VIS-Related Resources
IZ Express provides readers with information about new and updated VISs, translations, and resources.
On October 17, 2024, CDC released three updated VISs:
- Dates of Current Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)
- You Must Provide Patients with Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) – It's Federal Law!
- QR Code Links to Routinely Recommended Vaccine Information Statements
- QR Code Links to All Vaccine Information Statements
All these resources appear on our new Clinical Resources A–Z Topic: VIS-Related Resources.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed vaccine discussion guides that pair with infographics. The guides are typically one page long and describe background on the infection, how it spreads, why families should vaccinate, options for vaccinations, and more. These can be paired with an infographic when talking with the family.
The three immunization discussion guides include:
- Maternal and infant guides
- Childhood guides (up to age 6)
- Adolescent guides
View the AAP communication aids.
The Public Health Foundation (PHF), partnering with Wellness Equity Alliance, developed a four-part pediatric vaccination video series for healthcare professionals and community health workers. This video series is designed to improve pediatric vaccination rates, reduce vaccine hesitancy among parents and caregivers, and promote equitable healthcare access and workforce development. The series includes:
- Module 1: “Communicating about Pediatric Vaccines”
- Module 2: “Health Equity in Pediatric Vaccination”
- Module 3: “Activating Trusted Partners in Pediatric Vaccination”
- Module 4: “Broadening and Optimizing Pediatric Vaccine Access”
The American Academy of Pediatrics, partnering with Bodyswaps, launched a free, 30-minute immersive learning simulation titled Increasing Immunization Confidence to help pediatricians and their team members hold more effective immunization conversations. In this interactive learning module, participants join a virtual pediatric clinic and engage in immunization scenarios with parents who are hesitant about vaccinating their children.
With virtual coaching that follows and adapts to your progress, participants will increase their understanding of:
- Establishing a culture that promotes immunization confidence
- Opening the conversation with a strong recommendation using the presumptive format
- Responding with empathy to concerns about immunization using motivational interviewing
- Tailoring communication to different individuals and situations
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC) released two new RSV Question & Answer sheets:
- RSV and Adults: What You Should Know (view in Spanish)
- Protecting Babies From RSV: What You Should Know (view in Spanish)
View VEC's Vaccine- and Vaccine Safety-Related Q&A Sheets main page for more sheets. Each can be downloaded for distribution at no charge or ordered as preprinted pads.
The Vaccine Education Center also recently updated (and retitled) its vaccine safety booklet, Vaccine Safety and Your Family; Separating Fact from Fiction (also available in Spanish). The booklet is excerpted from a recently released book published by Columbia University Press, Vaccines and Your Family; Separating Fact from Fiction. The booklet contains a code for a 30% discount on the complete book (various prices depending on format).
Order the booklet online or in printable form.
VEC website content on vaccine ingredients now includes a section titled Ingredients by Vaccine. This new section shows the vaccines and organizes the ingredients by antigen, adjuvant, stabilizers, preservatives, and residual by-products. Currently, the section includes routinely recommended vaccines for children and adults but not combination or nonroutine vaccines. These categories will be added over time.
View VEC's Ingredients by Vaccine main page.
Immunize.org's personal immunization record cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, waterproof paper, are designed to last a lifetime. They fit in a wallet when folded. The record cards are for providers to give to patients as a permanent personal vaccination record and are sold in boxes of 250.
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.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Documenting Vaccination main page
- Immunize.org: Shop: Collection List web page
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.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Documenting Vaccination main page
- Immunize.org: Shop: Collection List web page
In the December 2024 issue, Vaccine X published Trust in the Science Behind COVID-19 Vaccines as a Driver of Vaccine Acceptance in the United States, 2021–2023. Demographic variables were correlated with survey results. The results section of the abstract appears below.
The results indicate that trust in science remained relatively stable over the study period and continued to be a strong predictor of vaccine acceptance, which was higher among male respondents, those with university degrees, and those with higher than median income. Notably, the experience of personal loss was significantly related to an individual’s trust in science and vaccine acceptance.
Virtual: Questions about our website? Register for the next Immunize.org Website Office Hours on November 13 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or November 14 at 12:00 p.m. (ET).
To learn simple tips and tricks for using our website efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, November 14 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions.
We will open each 45-minute session with a short, live demonstration on navigating the Vaccines A–Z website section and address questions submitted in advance. You can submit questions when you register or live on Zoom during the session.
Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both):
Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. We will hold our next pair of sessions in December.
Voices for Vaccines' yearly Vax Ambassador meeting, How to Talk Vaccines Without Ruining the Holidays, offers ways to engage with others about vaccines without starting a food fight. The meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on November 13.
Register for the webinar.
O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law School will host a webinar titled Pandemic Influenza Vaccines: Responding to the H5 Outbreak and Preparing for the Future, at 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET) on November 15. Experts, including Immunize.org's CEO, Kelly Moore, MD, MPH, will break down the current state of influenza A/H5 vaccines, their potential to prevent the next pandemic, and what must be done to bolster global preparedness.
Register for the webinar.
North Dakota State University's Center for Immunization Research and Education (CIRE) will host a webinar titled New Technology, Old Fears: A Walk Through the Science and Myths of mRNA Vaccines, 1:00–2:00 p.m. (ET) on November 20. During the webinar, participants will learn the science of how mRNA vaccines work, how they are made, the breakthroughs that made these vaccines possible, and the common myths surrounding COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. The speaker is Dan Wilson, PhD, a senior associate scientist at a biotech company who spends part of his free time exercising his passion for science communication on his YouTube channel, Debunk the Funk with Dr. Wilson.
Free pediatric maintenance of certification (MOC) credit is available for this activity.
Register for the webinar.
CIRE offers free access to recordings of its monthly webinars on its website. Participants who watch the full recording and complete the pre- and post-training quizzes may earn free CE credit for each webinar.
Learn more about CE opportunities.
For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.