Issue Number
213 December
1,
2000
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Reminder! CDC'S satellite training "Surveillance of
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" is December 8
- National survey shows that some parents have
misconceptions about vaccines
- CDC publishes erratum on ACIP's DTaP statement
- New! Anthrax VIS now available online
- CDC publishes notice on outbreak of wild polio in Cape
Verde
----------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(1)
December 1, 2000
REMINDER! CDC'S SATELLITE TRAINING "SURVEILLANCE OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES" IS DECEMBER 8
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) satellite conference "Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable
Diseases" is Friday, December 8, 2000. The broadcast will air from 12 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Medical epidemiologist William Atkinson, MD, MPH, and Melinda Wharton, MD, chief of the Child Vaccine-Preventable
Disease Branch, both from CDC's National Immunization Program, will present the program. It will provide
guidelines for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, case investigation,
and outbreak control.
The course is designed for nurses, physicians, epidemiologists, sanitarians,
infection control practitioners, disease reporters, and others. Continuing education credit will be offered.
The text for the course, MANUAL FOR SURVEILLANCE OF VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES, can be purchased for $20 (plus $5.50
shipping) through the Public Health Foundation online at http://bookstore.phf.org/prod99.htm
or by telephone at (877) 252-1200. The manual is recommended for the course but not required.
For more information on registration and the technical specifications for the
broadcast, go to CDC's website at: http://www.cdc.gov/phtn/surveillance/vpd.htm
or contact your state or county immunization program. A list of state immunization coordinators is
available on the website of CDC's National Immunization Program at: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/coordinators.htm
For a detailed list of additional upcoming immunization and hepatitis conferences and events, visit IAC's "Calendar of
Events" at: http://www.immunize.org/calendar/
------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(2)
December 1, 2000
NATIONAL SURVEY SHOWS THAT SOME PARENTS HAVE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT IMMUNIZATION
Health professionals play an important role in helping parents make informed
immunization decisions for their children, as highlighted in the November 2000 issue of
PEDIATRICS. The study "Do Parents Understand Immunizations? A National Telephone Survey" by Bruce Gellin, MD, MPH, et
al., found that while a majority of parents understand the benefits of immunization, many have
misconceptions that could erode their confidence in vaccines. For example:
- 25% of respondents were concerned that their child's
immune system could be weakened by too many immunizations
- 23% believed that children get more immunizations than
are good for them
According to the article, "To compete effectively in
today's information marketplace, clinicians and public health officials must understand parents'
thinking about vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccines, and immunization policies to design effective public education programs that
assist parents to make informed decisions about their children's health." Because parents
identified their children's health care providers as their most important source
of information about immunizations, physicians, nurses, and other providers of primary care have an
excellent opportunity to educate parents.
To read the abstract of this article online, go to: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/106/5/1097
Full text of the article is available online to PEDIATRICS subscribers or to
others for a fee by clicking the link "Full Text of this Article" on the above web page.
------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(3)
December 1, 2000
CDC PUBLISHES ERRATUM ON ACIP'S DTaP STATEMENT
CDC published an erratum in the December 1, 2000, issue of MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEEKLY REPORT (MMWR). The notice
reads as follows:
***************************
Erratum: Vol. 49, No. RR-13
In the MMWR Recommendations and Reports, "Use of Diphtheria Toxoid-Tetanus Toxoid-Acellular Pertussis Vaccine as a
Five-Dose Series: Supplemental Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP)," the table on page 2 is incorrect regarding the pertussis antigens contained in ACEL-IMUNE. ACEL-IMUNE contains
inactivated pertussis toxin, 3.2 micrograms; filamentous hemagglutinin, 34 micrograms;
pertactin, 1.6 micrograms; and type 2 fimbriae, 0.8 micrograms. All amounts are
approximate.
***************************
For the complete text of this article, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4947a8.htm
For information on how to obtain a free electronic subscription to the MMWR,
see the information following story five below.
------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(4)
December 1, 2000
NEW! ANTHRAX VIS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
CDC has issued a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for anthrax. This VIS (dated 11/06/00) is now available on
CDC's website and the website of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC). Foreign-language translations of this
document are not currently available.
To obtain a copy of the anthrax VIS, go to one of these two
websites: IAC: http://www.immunize.org/vis/anthrx00.pdf
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/VIS/vis-anthrax.pdf
IAC's website also has links to CDC instructions on how to use VISs and their
legal requirements. For "Vaccine Information Statements: What You Need to Know," go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/instr00.htm
For "Instructions for Use of Vaccine Information Materials (Vaccine Information Statements)," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/instr2.pdf
To obtain copies of all other VISs, including some in up to 23 languages, visit
IAC's website at: http://www.immunize.org/vis/
------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(5)
December 1, 2000
CDC PUBLISHES NOTICE ON OUTBREAK OF WILD POLIO IN CAPE VERDE
CDC published a Public Health Dispatch titled "Outbreak of Poliomyelitis--Cape Verde, 2000" in the December 1, 2000,
issue of MMWR. According to the article, "During August 16-October 17, 2000, 33 cases of
acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), including seven (21%) deaths, were reported in
Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands west of Senegal and Mauritania. Preliminary laboratory
results identified wild type 1 poliovirus among eight cases." The government has initiated a mass vaccination campaign to
vaccinate every child aged 0-59 months, and investigations are underway to determine the circumstances that led to the
outbreak, whether the outbreak has spread to neighboring countries of West Africa, and whether additional
interventions are needed.
The article states, "Travelers to Cape Verde and West Africa who are not vaccinated adequately must be considered
at risk for polio."
To view the complete text of this article online, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4947a5.htm
HOW TO OBTAIN A FREE ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MMWR:
To obtain a free electronic subscription to the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report" (MMWR), visit CDC's MMWR website at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr
Select "Free MMWR Subscription" from the menu at the left of the screen. Once
you have submitted the required information, weekly issues of the MMWR and all new ACIP statements (published as
MMWR's "Recommendations and Reports") will arrive automatically by e-mail.
|
