Issue
Number 357
January 6, 2003
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- New! "Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization
Schedule--United States, 2003" available on IAC website
- Highly recommended: "Vaccines and Your Baby" video answers
parents' questions and concerns about vaccines
- New! CDC creates a web page for smallpox Q&As
- CDC Program "Smallpox Preparedness: Considerations for
Response Team Volunteers" to be rebroadcast January 9
- New! CD-ROM and video of "CDC Bioterrorism Update: Smallpox
Preparedness" now available
- CDC publishes article indicating that people with bleeding
disorders are unlikely to contract viral hepatitis from blood
products
- Register soon: January 17 is "early bird" registration
deadline for CDC's National Immunization Conference
- Conference on Needle-Free and Auto Injectors to be held
February 24-25 in London
- Reminder: Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease will
take place April 6-10 in Sydney, Australia
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January 6, 2003
NEW! "RECOMMENDED CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE--UNITED
STATES, 2003" AVAILABLE ON IAC WEBSITE
The January issue of "Pediatrics" (vol. 111, no. 1) contains "Recommended
Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule--United States, 2003"
accompanied by a policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Committee on Infectious Diseases. This year, the recommendations include a
catch-up schedule for children who fall behind or start their immunizations
late.
The schedule, issued annually in January, is approved by AAP, the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
According to the policy statement, "no major changes have been made
regarding specific vaccines. However, included for reference this year is
the recommended catch-up schedule for children who fall behind or start
their immunizations late. The 2003 schedule continues to encourage the
routine use of hepatitis B vaccine for all infants before hospital discharge
to (1) safeguard against maternal hepatitis B testing errors and test
reporting failures; (2) protect neonates discharged to households in which
hepatitis B chronic carriers other than the mother may reside; and (3)
enhance the completion of the childhood immunization series. The new
schedule also begins to focus on the expansion of routine influenza
immunization for pediatric populations to reflect the shift toward
immunization of all children between 6 and 24 months of age."
More information on the schedule will be available later in January in the
CDC publication "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" and on the website
of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
To access an HTML version of the article from the AAP website, go to:
http://www.aap.org/policy/0212.html
To access a camera-ready (PDF) version of the schedule from the website of
the Immunization Action Coalition, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/cdc/child-schedule.pdf
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January 6, 2003
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: "VACCINES AND YOUR BABY" VIDEO ANSWERS PARENTS'
QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT VACCINES
If your health care setting doesn't have a copy of the newly released video
"Vaccines and Your Baby," your patients are missing out on the best
immunization video released in the past six months. And there's no excuse,
because it's free to health professionals.
The video makes the case for the safety, efficacy, and importance of
immunization by adroitly mixing computer animation, used to explain how
various vaccines work, with interviews with parents, physicians, and
researchers, among them several of the nation's most prominent vaccine
experts, including Paul A. Offit, MD, Director, Vaccine Education Center,
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
Produced by the Center, the 29-minute video
is available to health professionals as a teaching tool for expectant and
new parents. Information on the CHOP website explains that the video
"describes the 11 diseases prevented by vaccines, the science of vaccines,
the concept of immunity, how vaccines work, and how they are made. . .The
video also includes a computer animated look at the science of vaccines and
answers to several questions parents have about vaccines." The video also
describes the 11 diseases and the consequences they can have on the lives of
children who contract them.
A 40-page companion booklet has information from the video, plus the
schedule of vaccines, an analysis of the risks and benefits of each vaccine,
and answers to parents' common questions about vaccines.
Health professionals can receive two videos and two companion booklets free
of charge for each practice site. For quantities beyond two, health
professionals are charged $5 for each additional video, plus shipping and
handling; each video comes with a companion booklet. The charge for separate
booklets is $1 each, plus shipping and handling.
The charge for parents is $5 for each video (includes companion booklet),
plus $5 shipping and handling for one or two videos.
Health professionals can order on the Internet by going to
http://www.vaccine.chop.edu/order_hc_profs.shtml and clicking on
"form."
Parents can order on the Internet by going to
http://www.vaccine.chop.edu/order_parents.shtml and clicking on
"form."
Health professionals and parents can also order in other ways:
(1) Email your request to
vaccines@email.chop.edu
(2) Fax the order form to (215) 590-2025
(3) Call (215) 590-9990
Health professionals should include the following information for each
practice site: name, name of practice, street address, city, state, zip
code, telephone number, email address, and quantities of each item ordered.
Parents should include the following information: name, street address,
city, state, zip code, telephone number, email address, and quantities of
each item ordered. Payment options include checks and money orders made
payable to The Vaccine Education Center.
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January 6, 2003
NEW! CDC CREATES A WEB PAGE FOR SMALLPOX Q&AS
In mid-December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
created a web page, "Smallpox Questions & Answers: The Disease and the
Vaccine," which answers the public's commonly asked smallpox questions.
Divided into five topics (general information, smallpox disease, smallpox
vaccine, vaccinia, and smallpox vaccine safety), the page gives
straightforward information and refers users to more basic information, as
well as to information of interest to health professionals.
To access the smallpox Q&A page, go to:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/faq.asp
To access a camera-ready (PDF) format of the page, go to:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/pdf/faq.pdf
For an array of information on smallpox disease and vaccine, go to CDC's
smallpox web page at:
http://www.cdc.gov/smallpox
To speak with someone at CDC's Public Response Bioterrorism Hotline, call
(888) 246-2675 (English), (888) 246-2857 (Spanish), or (866) 874-2646 (TTY).
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January 6, 2003
CDC PROGRAM "SMALLPOX PREPAREDNESS: CONSIDERATIONS FOR RESPONSE TEAM
VOLUNTEERS" TO BE REBROADCAST JANUARY 9
Originally broadcast December 20, 2002, "Smallpox Preparedness:
Considerations for Response Team Volunteers" will be rebroadcast 1 pm to 2
pm ET on January 9. The presenter is Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, Director,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Developed to prepare potential smallpox
response team volunteers to make an informed decision about vaccination, the
program is intended for health care workers, hospital-based personnel, and
public health personnel considering participation on smallpox response
teams.
The program will be a live webcast. To view the webcast, your browser must
be Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, or Netscape 4.7 or later. To access the
webcast, go to:
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/smallpox0109/default.asp
There are no live on-air question-and-answer periods during the broadcast.
During the day of the broadcast, participants can submit questions by phone
at (800) 793-8598, by fax at (800) 553-6323, and by email at
phtn@cdc.gov. Following the broadcast,
the fax line and email address will remain open for questions. Answers will
be posted on CDC's smallpox website at
http://www.cdc.gov/smallpox
For technical support for the webcast, go to:
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/techsupport.asp
Viewing options for the program will be available on January 9,
starting at 12:30 pm ET. For options, go to:
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/smallpox0109/default.asp
For additional information, contact the CDC at (800) 418-7246.
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January 6, 2003
NEW! CD-ROM AND VIDEO OF "CDC BIOTERRORISM UPDATE: SMALLPOX
PREPAREDNESS" NOW AVAILABLE
Originally broadcast December 5 and 6, the program "CDC
Bioterrorism Update: Smallpox Preparedness," is now available in
CD-ROM and VHS videotape formats. The program provides basic
information required to implement a smallpox vaccination
preparedness program. Presented in a series of modules, it is
directed at state and local health department and clinical
personnel.
For registration and certification information, call (800) 418-7246
or email ce@cdc.gov and write "CDC Bioterrorism Update: Smallpox
Preparedness" in the subject line.
Single copies of the CD-ROM and videotape are available free of
charge from the Public Health Foundation online bookstore at
http://bookstore.phf.org/prod250.htm (CD-ROM) or
http://bookstore.phf.org/prod249.htm (VHS videotape). The CD-ROM
and video also contain information from another program, "Smallpox
Preparedness: Considerations for Response Team Volunteers," which
was broadcast December 20.
Single-copy orders may also be faxed to (301) 843-0159 or emailed
to info@phf.org. Provide your complete name and mailing address and
specify CD-ROM or VHS videotape format.
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January 6, 2003
CDC PUBLISHES ARTICLE INDICATING THAT PEOPLE WITH BLEEDING
DISORDERS ARE UNLIKELY TO CONTRACT VIRAL HEPATITIS FROM BLOOD
PRODUCTS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published
"Blood Safety Monitoring Among Persons with Bleeding Disorders--United States, May 1998-June 2002" in the January 3 issue of
"Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). An investigation of
1,149 seroconversions for hepatitis viruses among approximately 140
hemophilia treatment centers showed that none of the
seroconversions was attributable to blood products.
Following are the article's opening paragraph and two paragraphs
from the Editorial Note.
********************
Since 1998, CDC has collaborated with approximately 140 federally
funded hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) in the United States and
its territories through the Universal Data Collection (UDC)
surveillance project to monitor blood product safety and detect new
viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections.
This report presents findings of investigations conducted during
May 1998-June 2002 of 1,149 seroconversions for hepatitis viruses
identified among persons with bleeding disorders who were enrolled
voluntarily in UDC; 99% of hepatitis A virus (HAV) seroconversions
and 90% of hepatitis B virus (HBV) seroconversions were attributed
to vaccination programs against HAV or HBV. None of these cases was
attributable to blood products received during this time, which
indicates that the virally inactivated blood factor concentrates
used to treat bleeding disorders are unlikely to transmit viral
hepatitis. Regular monitoring of patients ensures the continued
safety of blood and blood products. . . .
HTCs provide care to 70% of persons in the United States with
bleeding disorders. UDC is the largest data collection system
monitoring persons receiving plasma derivatives, and infections
transmitted by blood and blood products often are identified first
in this sentinel population. A high risk for bloodborne viral
infections (including HBV and HCV) among persons with bleeding
disorders was associated with the use of clotting factor
concentrates prepared from large pools of human plasma manufactured
during the 1970s and early 1980s before the development of viral
inactivation procedures. In the early 1990s, several outbreaks of
HAV associated with the receipt of clotting factors were reported
in Europe and the United States.
Investigations of seroconversions during May 1998-July 2002 did not
document new cases of viral hepatitis infections that were
attributed to blood products received during the time interval
between laboratory tests. The majority of seroconversions for HAV
and HBV were associated with vaccination (99% and 90%,
respectively). The other seroconversions probably were caused
either by community-acquired infection (for the six HAV infections)
or by fluctuations in antibody levels that occur among HIV-infected
patients (for the 25 persons with HBV seroconversions who also were
infected with HIV).
********************
To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5151a2.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR,
go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5151.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 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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January 6, 2003
REGISTER SOON: JANUARY 17 IS "EARLY BIRD" REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR
CDC'S NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National
Immunization Conference, "Immunization: A Strong Foundation for
Today's Challenges," will be an opportunity for health
professionals, consumers, and policy makers to explore science,
policy, education, and planning issues related to immunization and
vaccine-preventable diseases. It will be held in Chicago March
17-20.
The deadline for the special "early bird" registration rate is
January 17. To register online, go to:
http://conferences.taskforce.org/NIC2/Registration-Form.asp
For registration information, call (800) 765-7173.
For information on the conference program and objectives, meeting
agenda, and accommodations, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nip/nic
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January 6, 2003
CONFERENCE ON NEEDLE-FREE AND AUTO INJECTORS TO BE HELD FEBRUARY
24-25 IN LONDON
The 8th International Conference on Needle-Free and Auto Injectors:
An Update on Technology and Application, will be held in London
February 24-25.
For a camera-ready (PDF) version of the conference brochure, go to:
http://www.management-forum.co.uk/pdfs/2-8003_LW.pdf
You can register in three ways: By fax at +44 (0) 1483-536424; by
email at registrations@management-forum.co.uk; and online at
http://www.management-forum.co.uk/forms/registerform.htm
For further information, go to:
http://www.management-forum.co.uk
or call +44 (0) 1483-570099.
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January 6, 2003
REMINDER: SYMPOSIUM ON VIRAL HEPATITIS AND LIVER DISEASE WILL TAKE
PLACE APRIL 6-10 IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
The 11th Annual Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease will
be held in Sydney, Australia, on April 6-10.
For information on the symposium, program, and trade exhibit, go to:
http://www.tourhosts.com.au/isvhld
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