Issue
Number 335
September 9, 2002
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- New! Current information on state meningococcal
prevention mandates for colleges and universities available on IAC's
website
- Correction: NEEDLE TIPS article "Vaccines and
Autism" contained a one-word error
- Revised! IAC's "Ask the Experts" compilation
updated with current hepatitis B and hepatitis A information
- Nine newcomers added to IAC's Hepatitis
Prevention Programs website
- New! Twelve World Health Organization (WHO)
position papers and other significant WHO resources on vaccines available
on IAC's website
- New translation! Anthrax Vaccine Information
Statement now in Spanish
- MMWR notifies readers about occupational health
guidelines for remediation workers at sites contaminated by Bacillus
anthracis-ROM
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September 9, 2002
NEW! CURRENT INFORMATION ON STATE MENINGOCOCCAL PREVENTION MANDATES FOR
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AVAILABLE ON IAC'S WEBSITE
At the request of health care professionals, the Immunization Action
Coalition (IAC) has compiled a chart of state mandates for meningococcal
prevention for colleges and universities.
To date, 13 states mandate that in-coming college students have proof of
meningococcal vaccination (or a waiver), receive education about it, or
both. To view the chart of state mandates and their implementation
dates, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/menin.htm
To view other meningococcal information such
as journal articles, recommendations, state laws, case histories, and other
resources, see IAC's Meningococcal Information web page at:
http://www.immunize.org/mening
For current information about state mandates on other vaccine-preventable
diseases, check:
http://www.immunize.org/laws
State laws and regulations for hepatitis A immunization will be posted on
IAC's website in the future, and we will continue to highlight new
immunization laws and mandates in upcoming issues of IAC EXPRESS.
We depend on our readers and states to help us stay informed and to ensure
this is the most accurate and current information available. Please let us
know when any changes occur in your state by emailing us at:
admin@immunize.org
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September 9, 2002
CORRECTION: NEEDLE TIPS ARTICLE "VACCINES AND AUTISM" CONTAINED A ONE-WORD
ERROR
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) published the article "Vaccines and
Autism" by Paul A. Offit, MD, in the Summer 2002 issue of NEEDLE TIPS (vol.
12, no. 1). In the section titled "Evidence that autism occurs in
utero," the phrase "24 weeks" appeared twice. Both instances have been
corrected to "24 days" on the web-based version of the article on
IAC's website.
The article summarizes the following: flaws in studies supporting the
hypothesis that MMR vaccine causes autism, studies refuting the hypothesis,
and other investigations into causes of autism.
To obtain the complete text of the corrected version of "Vaccines and
Autism," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2065.htm
For a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of the corrected version of "Vaccines
and Autism," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2065.pdf
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September 9, 2002
REVISED! IAC'S "ASK THE EXPERTS" COMPILATION UPDATED WITH CURRENT HEPATITIS
B AND HEPATITIS A INFORMATION
"Ask the Experts: Compilation of Current and Past Questions from NEEDLE
TIPS" features always-relevant questions and answers from the flagship
publication of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), NEEDLE TIPS &
the Hepatitis B Coalition News. The sections containing answers to hepatitis
B and hepatitis A questions have now been updated to include material
from the Summer 2002 issue of NEEDLE TIPS.
The hepatitis B and hepatitis A information is written by experts from the
Division of Viral Hepatitis of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
The Q&As offer a breadth of information to health professionals. Included
are charts of laboratory nomenclature for hepatitis B and hepatitis A, as
well as tables interpreting the hepatitis B panel and giving post-exposure
prophylaxis recommendations for hepatitis B.
For an HTML copy of the updated hepatitis B Q&As, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021b.htm
For an HTML copy of the updated hepatitis A
Q&As, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021a.htm
"Ask the Experts" also contains answers to other individual vaccine and
general vaccine questions written by William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH,
medical epidemiologist at the CDC's National Immunization Program. Dr.
Atkinson's materials were last revised in June 2001.
For a camera-ready copy (PDF format) of the entire "Ask the Experts"
compilation, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021.pdf
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September 9, 2002
NINE NEWCOMERS ADDED TO IAC'S HEPATITIS PREVENTION PROGRAMS WEBSITE
The Hepatitis Prevention Programs website of the Immunization Action
Coalition (IAC) has added nine programs, bringing the total to 79!
Each program is successful in preventing one or more types of hepatitis in
adults and adolescents at risk for infection. Following are the nine new
additions:
Chinatown Pediatric Services (Philadelphia)
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia7.asp
El Centro Del Barrio Health Care for the Homeless (San Antonio)
http://www.hepprograms.org/homeless/home1.asp
Hepatitis B Prevention and Information Project (Boston)
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia6.asp
H.O.P.E. (Louisville, KY)
http://www.hepprograms.org/homeless/home2.asp
Lafayette Consolidated Government, Wellness and Safety (Louisiana)
http://www.hepprograms.org/other/other7.asp
Michigan Department of Corrections
http://www.hepprograms.org/adult/adult9.asp
New Mexico Hepatitis Prevention Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/drug/drug10.asp
StopHep in San Francisco
http://www.hepprograms.org/msm/msm17.asp
Street Targeted AIDS & Addiction Reduction (Volusia and Flagler counties,
FL)
http://www.hepprograms.org/homeless/home3.asp
To read about these programs or to explore dozens of hepatitis resources
including organization websites, provider guides, and patient education
materials, visit IAC's Hepatitis Prevention Programs website at:
http://www.hepprograms.org
We are always looking for new programs to add to the site! If you have
information you would like to share with your colleagues, go to the "Tell us
about your program" page at
http://www.hepprograms.org/tellus.htm
You can also email us at
evaluation@immunize.org
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September 9, 2002
NEW! TWELVE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) POSITION PAPERS AND OTHER
SIGNIFICANT WHO RESOURCES ON VACCINES AVAILABLE ON IAC'S WEBSITE
Check out the compiled World Health Organization position papers on
vaccines, as well as other WHO vaccine resources, on the website of the
Immunization Action Coalition (IAC). The papers are intended primarily for
national public health officials and program managers of large-scale
immunization programs.
The papers on IAC's website cover the following: influenza, rabies, mumps,
cholera, typhoid, rubella, hepatitis A, pneumococcal, pertussis, rotavirus,
varicella, and Hib. The papers summarize essential background information on
the respective diseases and vaccines, and conclude with the current WHO
position concerning the vaccines' use in the global context.
For links to IAC's web page on WHO Position Papers on Vaccines and Other WHO
Resources, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/who
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September 9, 2002
NEW TRANSLATION! ANTHRAX VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENT NOW IN SPANISH
The Anthrax Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) is now available in Spanish
on the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) website. IAC gratefully
acknowledges CDC en Espanol, the Spanish language service of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for providing the Spanish translation.
To obtain a copy of the current Anthrax VIS in Spanish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/sp_ant00.pdf
To obtain a copy of the current Anthrax VIS in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/anthrx00.pdf
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September 9, 2002
MMWR NOTIFIES READERS ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH GUIDELINES FOR REMEDIATION
WORKERS AT SITES CONTAMINATED BY BACILLUS ANTHRACIS
On September 6, 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
published "Notice to Readers: Occupational Health Guidelines for Remediation
Workers at Bacillus anthracis-Contaminated Sites--United States, 2001-2002"
in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
The article presents information on medical and preventive measures to
protect remediation workers against exposure to anthrax. The measures
described "go beyond HAZWOPER [hazardous waste operations and hazardous
material response workers] requirements," according to the article summary.
To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5135a3.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5135.pdf
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 email.
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