Issue
Number 302
March 18, 2002
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- GSK posts online
letter about Lymerix discontinuation
- New IOM report
answers major anthrax vaccine questions
- National
Immunization Program presents vaccine-preventable diseases course in
Atlanta April 3-4
- San Diego manual on
immunization in STD clinics is now available
online
- Revised
translations! Screening questionnaires for
child/teen and adult immunization in Chinese,
Hmong, and Turkish
- Coming soon! "The
Germ Patrol" in Spanish
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March 18, 2002
GSK POSTS ONLINE LETTER ABOUT LYMERIX DISCONTINUATION
As most of us have heard by now, Lymerix, the Lyme disease
vaccine, has been discontinued by its
manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The company
has posted a short letter to customers on its
website. In the letter, GSK requests that
providers not administer any more doses of Lymerix,
especially to "individuals who would be
initiating their vaccination series this year." A full
refund or credit will be given for returned
Lymerix stock.
To read GSK's letter on Lymerix, go to:
http://gskvaccines.com/vaccines/pages/offer_detail_public.jsp?contentId=12
For information on Lymerix returns, call the GSK Vaccines
Service Center at (866) 475-8222.
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March 18, 2002
NEW IOM REPORT ANSWERS MAJOR ANTHRAX VACCINE QUESTIONS
On March 6, 2002, the National Academy Press (NAP)
announced publication of the new anthrax vaccine
report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) titled
"THE ANTHRAX VACCINE: IS IT SAFE? DOES
IT WORK?"
The study of Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) was already
under way before events in the fall of 2001
gave it special relevance. After the U.S.
Department of Defense began a mandatory anthrax
vaccination program for military
personnel in 1997 following confirmation of Iraqi
bioweapons capability, questions about the
vaccine's efficacy and safety emerged.
The IOM report concludes that the current anthrax vaccine
is both effective and safe but has
"drawbacks" that include a six-dose schedule over
18 months. Research on an improved vaccine is
encouraged in the report.
Still a forthcoming title, the approximately 200-page book
will cost $33.00 ($26.40 if purchased on the
NAP website). Prepublication copies
(uncorrected proofs) are available for purchase
now.
For information about the report "THE ANTHRAX VACCINE: IS
IT SAFE? DOES IT WORK?", go to:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10310.html
To read all or part of the book online for free, go to:
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309083095/html
For more information, call the National Academy Press at
(800) 624-6242.
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March 18, 2002
NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM PRESENTS VACCINE-PREVENTABLE
DISEASES COURSE IN ATLANTA APRIL 3-4
The National Immunization Program (NIP) is presenting a
two-day course titled "Epidemiology and
Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" on
April 3 and 4 at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel in
Atlanta, Georgia.
Course content includes principles of vaccination, general
recommendations on immunization, specific
disease and vaccine information, and vaccine
safety.
The registration fee for the course is $69. The registration
deadline is Friday, March 29, with no
exceptions.
To print a registration form to fax or mail in along with
your payment, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/Registration.pdf
For hotel reservations, call the Sheraton Buckhead at
(888) 627-9041 or (404) 261-9250.
If you need further information, contact Judy Schmidt by
email at Jschmidt1@cdc.gov
"Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable
Diseases" will be presented again this year in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 28-29; in Norwalk,
California, November 18-19; and in Folsom
(Sacramento), California, November 21-22.
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March 18, 2002
SAN DIEGO MANUAL ON IMMUNIZATION IN STD CLINICS IS NOW
AVAILABLE ONLINE
The STD and Hepatitis Prevention Program of the County of
San Diego, California, spent years
researching and developing a comprehensive manual
for STD clinics that want to integrate vaccination
against viral hepatitis into their patient
services. The result, "Hepatitis B Immunization in
an STD Clinic," was worth the wait. This
manual is now available at no charge on IAC's Hepatitis
Prevention Programs website.
The manual contains a wealth of information for STD
clinics that intend to start vaccinating, including
sections on getting buy-in at all levels of your
organization, training staff, handling patient flow,
educating and counseling patients, prescreening patients,
and much more.
To read or download "Hepatitis B Immunization in an STD
Clinic," go to the table of contents page at:
http://www.hepprograms.org/std/manual/index.htm
The manual is in PDF format and can be downloaded or
viewed as a whole or by chapter.
To order the manual from the STD and Hepatitis Prevention
Program, contact Paula J. Murray, M.P.H.,
by phone at (619) 692-8003 or email at
STDHep@co.san-diego.ca.us
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March 18, 2002
REVISED TRANSLATIONS! SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRES FOR
CHILD/TEEN AND ADULT IMMUNIZATION IN CHINESE,
HMONG, AND TURKISH
IAC recently updated the English and Spanish versions of
these two popular screening questionnaires
to reflect a change in the recommended waiting
period between MMR vaccination and pregnancy. The
previous recommended waiting period of
three months was reduced to just one month. Now,
instead of asking if a patient is pregnant or
might become pregnant within the next three months, the
questionnaires ask if a patient is pregnant or might
become pregnant during the next month.
The revised "Screening Questionnaire for Child and Teen
Immunization" and "Screening Questionnaire
for Adult Immunization" are now available in
Chinese, Hmong, and Turkish as well as in English
and Spanish.
To obtain "Screening Questionnaire for Child and Teen
Immunization," go to:
English HTML: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060scr.htm
English PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060scr.pdf
Spanish HTML: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060-01.htm
Spanish PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060-01.pdf
Chinese PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060-08.pdf
Hmong HTML: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060-02.htm
Hmong PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060-02.pdf
Turkish PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060tu.pdf
To obtain "Screening Questionnaire for Adult
Immunization," go to:
English HTML: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065scr.htm
English PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065scr.pdf
Spanish HTML: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4065-01.htm
Spanish PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4065-01.pdf
Chinese PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065ch.pdf
Hmong HTML: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065hm.htm
Hmong PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065hm.pdf
Turkish PDF: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065tu.pdf
For more information on the changed waiting-period
recommendation, see IAC Express #286, story 1, at:
http://www.immunize.org/genr.d/issue286.htm
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March 18, 2002
COMING SOON! "THE GERM PATROL" IN SPANISH
Children (and their parents) will enjoy reading this 36-page, colorfully
illustrated book about Super Nurse, the
Germ Patrol, and a little girl named Trudy who hides in a
treehouse to avoid her vaccinations
appointment at the doctor's office. "THE GERM
PATROL: ALL ABOUT SHOTS FOR TOTS . . . AND BIG
KIDS, TOO!" explains to kids how vaccines
work and helps boost their courage when going to
the doctor.
The book was written by Neil Shulman, M.D.; Todd Stolp,
M.D.; and Robin Voss.
More than 130,000 copies of "THE GERM PATROL" have been
printed in English. Thanks to the
generosity of the state of North Carolina, a
Spanish translation of "THE GERM PATROL" will be
available in May or June. Order now to
assure prompt delivery!
The book retails for $14.95. Ask your local bookseller to
special order "THE GERM PATROL" in Spanish
from Ingram Book Company.
You can order directly from the publisher, Rx Humor, by
sending your check, money order, or
purchase order for $12 per copy (price for 1-9
copies, s/h included) or $7.50 (10+ copies, s/h
included) to:
Rx Humor
2272 Vistamont Drive
Decatur, GA 30033
For more information, contact Neil Shulman by email at
nshulma@bellsouth.net
or call (404) 321-0162.
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