Issue
Number 368
February 24, 2003
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- CDC publishes information on smallpox vaccine adverse events
among the first wave of vaccinated civilians
- CDC publishes recommendations for clinicians on smallpox
vaccination and adverse reactions
- Update: IAC adds more video clips and photos to its new
website for the public and health professionals
- Update: IAC makes minor revisions to "It's Federal Law!!"
professional education piece on Vaccine Information Statements
- Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine set
for May 7-11 in New York
- Reader alert: February 28 is registration deadline for
Minnesota conference on adult vaccine preventable diseases
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February 24, 2003
CDC PUBLISHES INFORMATION ON SMALLPOX VACCINE ADVERSE EVENTS AMONG THE FIRST
WAVE OF VACCINATED CIVILIANS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Smallpox
Vaccine Adverse Events Among Civilians--United States, January 24-Feburary
18, 2003" in the February 21 issue of the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report" (MMWR).
Following are excerpts from the article.
*************************
During the civilian smallpox vaccination program, CDC and state health
departments are conducting surveillance for vaccine-associated adverse
events. In the first stage of the program, active surveillance is being
conducted for potentially life-threatening, moderate-to-severe, and other
serious adverse events and for vaccinia transmission to contacts of
vaccinees. Nonserious events are reported via passive surveillance and are
expected to be underreported. This report summarizes smallpox vaccine
adverse events reported among civilians vaccinated as of February 14, 2003,
and received by CDC from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
as of February 18. . . .
Reported adverse events are not necessarily associated with vaccination, and
some or all of these events might be coincidental.
During January 24-February 14, 2003, smallpox vaccine was administered to
4,213 civilian health-care workers in 27 jurisdictions. No potentially life
threatening or moderate-to-severe adverse events have been reported. Among
seven vaccinees with reported nonserious adverse events, the most common
signs and symptoms were fever (n = two), rash (n = two), malaise (n = two),
pruritus (n = two), hypertension (n = two), and pharyngitis (n = two).
Surveillance for adverse events during the civilian smallpox vaccination
program is ongoing. Regular surveillance reports will be published in MMWR.
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To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5207a4.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5207.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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February 24, 2003
CDC PUBLISHES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICIANS ON SMALLPOX VACCINATION AND
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Smallpox
Vaccination and Adverse Reactions: Guidance for Clinicians" in the February
21 issue of the "MMWR Recommendations and Reports" (MMWR). Originally
published January 24 in the Web-based "MMWR Dispatch," the report has not
been available in hard-copy format until now.
The 28-page report includes information on interpreting vaccination results,
transmission of vaccinia virus, adverse reactions, prophylaxis, laboratory
diagnosis, treatments, and smallpox vaccine adverse event reporting.
To obtain the complete text of the report online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5204a1.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of the report, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5204.pdf
To access an article about the "MMWR Dispatch" version of the report that
appeared in the January 27 "IAC EXPRESS," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/genr.d/issue362.htm#n3
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February 24, 2003
UPDATE: IAC ADDS MORE VIDEO CLIPS AND PHOTOS TO ITS NEW WEBSITE FOR THE
PUBLIC AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Developed for anyone interested in vaccines and the diseases they prevent,
the Immunization Action Coalition's newest website, "Vaccine Information for
the Public and Health Professionals," is being continually updated. Recent
additions include five video clips about chickenpox and several photographs
of adults and children suffering the effects of vaccine-preventable diseases
(VPDs).
Two of the new video clips present two mothers, Rebecca Cole and Kathy
Atchison, recounting their sons' deaths from complications of chickenpox.
To view the clip of Rebecca Cole, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/vari_rebeccacole.ram
To view the clip of Kathy Atchison, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/vari_atch.ram
Three other clips feature two eminent health professionals, Paul A. Offit,
MD, Chief, Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and
Jane Seward, MBBS, MPH, Chief, Viral Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch,
National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They discuss chickenpox prevention, health risks, and complications, as well
as the chickenpox recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
To access the complete video clip collection, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video
Also, be sure to watch and listen to the four video clips of
children of various ages with whooping cough.
To view a baby with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_4.ram
To view an infant with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_1.ram
To view a toddler with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_3.ram
To view a child with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_2.ram
Since its recent update, the website now features photographs of
more than 150 children and adults with VPDs. Many photos are
copyright-free and can be downloaded and used in posters,
presentations, and brochures.
To access the photographs, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/photos
For an array of information on vaccines and the disease they
prevent, go to the website's home page at
http://www.vaccineinformation.org
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February 24, 2003
UPDATE: IAC MAKES MINOR REVISIONS TO "IT'S FEDERAL LAW!!"
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PIECE ON VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) recently revised the
one-page professional education piece "It's Federal Law!! You
Must Give Your Patients Current Vaccine Information Statements
(VISs)." The piece was originally written by Neal A. Halsey, MD,
Director, Institute for Vaccine Safety, Johns Hopkins School of
Public Health. IAC updates it periodically.
IAC made two revisions: In the section headed "Most current
versions of VISs," the date for the MMR (measles, mumps,
rubella) VIS was changed to 1/15/03, and the date for the PCV7
(pneumococcal conjugate) VIS was changed to 9/30/02.
Federal law requires that health professionals give patients or
their parents/guardians the most current VIS available for a
vaccine before administering it.
To access the revised piece in camera-ready (PDF) format, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2027law.pdf
To access it in HTML format, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2027law.htm
For information about the use of VISs and for VISs in up to 28
languages, visit IAC's website at http://www.immunize.org/vis
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February 24, 2003
CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF TRAVEL MEDICINE SET
FOR MAY 7-11 IN NEW YORK
Scheduled for May 7-11, the Conference of the International
Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) will be held at the Marriott
Marquis Hotel in New York.
The conference is intended for health care practitioners,
physicians, nurses, scientists, public health officials, and
allied health professionals interested in increasing their
knowledge of the health risks associated with mobile
populations, including travelers, military personnel, and
migrant populations.
To access the conference brochure in camera-ready (PDF) format,
go to:
http://www.talley.com/ISTM/ISTM%20Reg%20Brochure.pdf
To register online, go to:
https://www.one-stop-registration.com/istm
For additional information, visit the ISTM website at
http://www.istm.org or email
cistm8@laser-registration.com or
call (202) 347-2227.
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February 24, 2003
READER ALERT: FEBRUARY 28 IS REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR MINNESOTA
CONFERENCE ON ADULT VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES
A one-day conference, "Issues and Strategies in Adult Vaccine
Preventable Diseases," will be held on March 7 at the Doubletree
Hotel in Bloomington, MN. The registration deadline is
February 28.
Presented by the Minnesota Coalition for Adult Immunization, the
conference is intended for health care providers committed to
preventing influenza, pneumococcal disease, and other vaccine
preventable diseases. The goal of the conference is to increase
participants' knowledge about the impact of these diseases and
help them develop, implement, and evaluate prevention programs.
For information, contact Chere Wood by email at
mnpro.cwood@sdps.org or by phone at (952) 853-8558.
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