Issue Number
263 July 27, 2001
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- CDC's National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy is now
online
- NPI to hold Congressional Educational Breakfast at the
U.S. Capitol August 2
- August is National Immunization Awareness Month
- NPI offers a new reference guide on vaccines and vaccine
safety
- GAVI Immunization Advocacy Resource Kit now available
online!
- CDC's National Immunization Program releases Influenza
Vaccine Bulletin #5
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July 27, 2001
CDC'S NATIONAL HEPATITIS C PREVENTION STRATEGY IS NOW ONLINE
Visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to
obtain a copy of the National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy. Designed to protect the public's
health, this strategy outlines guidelines for prevention and control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Its goals
are to lower the incidence of acute hepatitis C in the United States and to reduce the disease
burden from chronic HCV infection.
According to the executive summary of the National Hepatitis C Prevention Strategy, its principle components
are as follow:
- education of health care and public health professionals
to improve the identification of persons at risk for HCV infection and ensure
appropriate counseling, diagnosis, medical management, and treatment;
- education of the public and persons at risk for infection
about risk factors for HCV transmission, and the need for testing and medical
evaluation;
- clinical and public health activities to identify,
counsel, and test persons at risk for HCV infection, and medical evaluation or referral for those
found to be infected;
- outreach and community-based programs to prevent
practices that put people at risk for HCV infection, and to identify persons who need to get
tested;
- surveillance to monitor acute and chronic disease trends
and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and medical care activities; and
- research to better guide prevention efforts.
To obtain a copy of this strategy, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/plan/index.htm
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July 27, 2001
NPI TO HOLD CONGRESSIONAL EDUCATIONAL BREAKFAST AT THE U.S. CAPITOL AUGUST 2
The National Partnership for Immunization (NPI), is hosting a Congressional
Educational Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol, Room HC-6, on August 2, 2001, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Eastern Time.
"Immunization: Preventing Disease Across the Lifespan, Across America" will
relay to policymakers the importance of achieving and maintaining high immunization coverage
rates among people of all ages in the U.S. The program will call attention to the fact that people with chronic
diseases, such as asthma or diabetes, are at high risk for developing vaccine-preventable
diseases. The new state-by-state immunization coverage rates will also be announced.
Guest speakers include Walter Orenstein, MD, Assistant Surgeon General and Director of CDC's National Immunization
Program (NIP); Patsy Stinchfield, RN, MS, CPNP, National Association of Pediatric Nurse
Practitioners (NAPNAP), Director of the Children's Immunization Project, Infectious
Disease Department, Minnesota Children's Hospitals and Clinics; Dennis Brooks, MD, National Medical Association
and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; and David Neumann, PhD, Director, National Partnership for
Immunization.
For more information on the Congressional Educational Breakfast, contact Maureen Alt at
malt@nfid.org or by telephone at (301) 656-0003 x16.
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July 27, 2001
AUGUST IS NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS MONTH
NPI has designated August as National Immunization Awareness Month in an effort to increase awareness about
immunization for all ages. This year's theme, Are You Up to Date? Vaccinate!, is intended to help focus public
attention on immunization as the new school year and the influenza season
approach. The week will be officially kicked off August 1 with an event at the
National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where NPI will debut its National Recognition Program designed to highlight innovation in
immunization services and recognize individuals and groups for promoting the importance
of immunization across the lifespan.
NPI has developed a promotional kit for National Immunization Awareness Month. It includes recommendations,
immunization information, and suggested activities for involving families, public health professionals,
employers, and health care providers in efforts to raise immunization rates throughout the United States.
To obtain a copy of the promotional kit or for more information, contact Dena
Wichansky at Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies at dwichans@hmhb.org
Copies of the consumer materials available in the promotional kit are available
free online at http://www.partnersforimmunization.org/what_2.html
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July 27, 2001
NPI OFFERS A NEW REFERENCE GUIDE ON VACCINES AND VACCINE SAFETY
NPI has announced the availability of its new "Reference Guide on Vaccines and Vaccine Safety." This guide explains
why vaccines are an integral part of U.S. public health programs and summarizes the vaccine studies that have
provided the safety data necessary for the licensure of each vaccine and the
studies that continue to assess each vaccine's safety during its use by the public.
Targeted to the media, public health officials, and others interested in vaccines and their safety, the guidebook
includes information on how vaccines work, how they are regulated, post-licensure surveillance,
recommended vaccines, safety issues, and a glossary.
To obtain a copy of the reference guide, visit: http://www.partnersforimmunization.org/guidebook.html
For further information, contact Maureen Alt at malt@nfid.org
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July 27, 2001
GAVI IMMUNIZATION ADVOCACY RESOURCE KIT NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
The GAVI Immunization Advocacy Resource Kit is a collection of documents, video clips, and computer presentations
intended to help health professionals explain and advocate for stronger immunization programs.
The kit includes materials on GAVI and The Vaccine Fund, information on vaccines and immunization, resources for
immunization advocacy and communications, information on injection safety, and a helpful Internet
immunization resource list.
Most of the documents in the kit are available online in camera-ready (PDF) format. To obtain a copy, go to one of
the following websites:
GAVI:
http://www.vaccinealliance.org/ark/ark.html
The Gates Children's Vaccine Program:
http://www.childrensvaccine.org/html/gavi-ark.htm
UNICEF:
http://www.unicef.org/gavi/resourcekit.html
A limited number of hard copies of the kit are available in English, French, or
Spanish on a first-come, first-served basis by filling out the request form available online at:
http://www.vaccinealliance.org/ark/request_form.html
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July 27, 2001
CDC'S NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM RELEASES INFLUENZA VACCINE BULLETIN #5
On July 27, 2001, the National Immunization Program issued the fifth in a series of influenza vaccine bulletins
designed to update health professionals on the production, distribution, and administration of influenza vaccine for
the 2001-2002 influenza season. The bulletin is reprinted below in its entirety.
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INFLUENZA VACCINE BULLETIN #5
July 27, 2001
The National Immunization Program (NIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is publishing and
distributing periodic bulletins to update partners about recent developments related to the production,
distribution and administration of influenza vaccine for the 2001-2002 influenza season. All recipients of this bulletin are
encouraged to distribute each issue widely to colleagues, members and constituents.
INFLUENZA VACCINE SUPPLY AND PRODUCTION
Vaccine manufacturers continue to project that 77.1 million doses of influenza
vaccine will be distributed this season. Some delays in distribution are still
anticipated.
- Projected distribution of influenza vaccine for 2001,
based on aggregate manufacturers' estimates as of July 10, is 77.1 million doses, which is
greater than the number of doses available in 2000 and comparable with
1999. Compared to 1999 and other previous years, when most of the total vaccine supply was distributed by the end of October,
distribution of a significant portion of this year's total supply will extend into November
and December.
Manufacturers currently are projecting that the final 27.3
million doses of the total supply will be distributed in November and December 2001. Officials at
FDA and CDC stress that these projections from manufacturers are preliminary
and could change as the season progresses.
INFLUENZA VACCINE DISTRIBUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
The optimal time to vaccinate persons in groups at high risk is in October and
November. To avoid missed opportunities, vaccine also should be offered to high-risk
persons when they are seen for routine care or are hospitalized in September, if vaccine is available. (ACIP
recommendations--MMWR 2001:50(no. RR-4), MMWR 2001; 50:582-585)
- High-risk patients should be reminded of the importance
of their receiving influenza immunization and encouraged to come into the office
for a vaccination-only visit. As more vaccine becomes available in November and December, providers also should offer vaccine to
unvaccinated lower-risk patients, such as contacts of high-risk persons,
healthy persons 50-64 years of age and any other persons wanting to reduce their risk for influenza. Providers should continue to vaccinate
their patients even after influenza activity is detected in the community,
as long as vaccine is available. In recent years, peak influenza activity
has not occurred until late December through early March. Consequently, vaccine administered after November
will be beneficial in most influenza seasons.
- Patients should be advised that it may take as long as
two weeks after vaccine administration to develop sufficient antibody to be protected
from the virus and that other viruses can cause similar symptoms as influenza.
INFLUENZA VACCINE COMMUNICATION
CDC is expanding communication activities for this year's influenza season.
- CDC is beginning development of printed materials on
influenza that should be available in mid-September. An informal assessment of
partners and grantees is currently underway to help determine the types
of materials needed for public information/education.
- A mass media campaign which will include English and
Spanish public service announcements, video news releases and audio news releases
is scheduled to begin in September. Feature stories on influenza and radio spots are in development and will be distributed to hundreds of
print and radio media across the United States in September. Media teleconferences and a satellite broadcast on
influenza also are planned for this year's influenza season.
- CDC is participating in press conferences in association
with National Immunization Awareness Month in August and National Adult
Immunization Awareness Week in October. Influenza issues will be discussed during these press conferences.
- The redesigned CDC influenza website will be expanded in
August to include a section for the public. Sections for health care providers and
the media have already been developed and posted at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/flu
Within a few days, a list of state influenza vaccine contacts will be available. Other materials will be added
throughout the season.
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