Issue
Number 400
July 21, 2003
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Reminder to providers: Medicare administration reimbursement
rates for influenza and pneumococcal vaccination have almost doubled
- Mark your calendar: August 21 is the date for CDC's satellite
broadcast "Immunization Update 2003"
- CHOP makes "Vaccines: Separating Fact From Fear" video
available in Spanish
- Adult Immunization Schedule now available in Spanish
- CDC announces initiative to raise awareness of the importance
of early autism screening and intervention
- GAVI's most recent quarterly newsletter available online
- IAC adds "Dialysis, Viral Hepatitis, and Immunization" page to
its website
- WHO letter reports on Islamic legal scholars' verdict on the
medicinal use of gelatin derived from pork products
- North Carolina Immunization Conference set for October 1-3 in
Greensboro
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July 21, 2003
REMINDER TO PROVIDERS: MEDICARE ADMINISTRATION REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR
INFLUENZA AND PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION HAVE ALMOST DOUBLED
On July 10, four leading medical organizations issued a press release
reminding health care providers about the significant increase in the
payment for administering influenza and pneumococcal vaccines to Medicare
recipients.
This year's reimbursement rates average 94 percent higher than last year's.
The increase pertains only to reimbursement for the cost of vaccine
administration, not to reimbursement for the cost of the vaccine. The
payment rate for influenza vaccine has not yet been determined and will
probably not be available until early fall.
Portions of the press release are reprinted below.
***********************
Bethesda, MD
July 10, 2003
MANY PROVIDERS UNAWARE OF NEW INCREASED MEDICARE ADMINISTRATION FEES FOR
INFLUENZA AND PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION
Four of the nation's leading medical organizations today issued an urgent
reminder to physicians and other health care providers about the new
significant increase in this year's Medicare and Medicaid payment
rates for the administration of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), and American Medical Association (AMA) joined
the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) to ensure health care
professionals are aware of the 94% average increase in payment rate for
influenza and pneumococcal vaccine administration. Providers are also
entitled to separate payments for the cost of the vaccines.
The national average fee paid by Medicare for administering the flu vaccine
went up to $7.72 on March 1, compared to a national average of $3.98 for the
previous year. Actual amounts vary geographically.
In May, the CDC and AMA held the third annual National Influenza Vaccine
Summit in Chicago. During this meeting, it became clear that relatively few
physicians and other vaccine providers were aware of the new, higher payment
rate for vaccine administration and that it would be necessary to conduct an
educational campaign to reach healthcare providers with this information.
Providing flu and pneumococcal vaccinations to the nation's most vulnerable
population is good medicine, said CMS Administrator Tom Scully. "We hope
that physicians will provide these vaccines to more beneficiaries."
AMA Trustee, Ronald M. Davis, MD, said an increase in the payment rate for
vaccine administration is excellent news for physicians because, in the
past, they only received about four dollars for each influenza vaccine
administered. "Almost doubling the allowance for vaccine administration more
appropriately reflects the costs, both in terms of manpower and
supplies, needed to administer influenza immunizations," said Dr. Davis.
"CDC, along with its partner organizations, recognizes the pivotal role
physicians and other healthcare providers play in encouraging patients to
get their annual influenza vaccine," says Walter Orenstein, MD, Director,
National Immunization Program, CDC. "The additional incentive of an
increased payment rate for vaccine administration is an important
development that will help physicians make influenza vaccination a priority
when talking to their patients about preventing influenza."
Influenza vaccine supply is based, in part, on demand. "We encourage health
care providers to order influenza vaccine now," said William J. Martone, MD,
Senior Executive Director, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
***********************
To access the press release from the NFID website, go to:
http://www.nfid.org/docs/immunizations0703.html
To access a camera-ready (PDF) copy of the new influenza and pneumococcal
vaccine administration rate allowances from the website of the
Immunization Action Coalition, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/influenza/allowances.pdf
For more information, go to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
website at
http://cms.hhs.gov/preventiveservices/2.asp
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July 21, 2003
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: AUGUST 21 IS THE DATE FOR CDC'S SATELLITE BROADCAST
"IMMUNIZATION UPDATE 2003"
The live satellite broadcast and webcast "Immunization Update 2003" will
provide up-to-date information on the ever-changing field of immunization.
Following are the anticipated topics: influenza vaccine, including
recommendations for the use of the new live attenuated intranasal vaccine;
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; hepatitis B vaccine; recommendations for the
use of new pediatric combination vaccines; an update on the smallpox
vaccination program, including recommendations for the use of smallpox
vaccine for the prevention of monkeypox; and an update on global polio
eradication.
Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the live
broadcast is scheduled for August 21 from 9 am to 11:30 am EDT. It will be
rebroadcast later in the day from noon to 2:30 pm EDT. Both broadcasts
will feature a Q&A session in which participants nationwide can interact
with the course instructors via toll-free telephone lines.
The course instructors are William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, medical
epidemiologist, and Donna L. Weaver, RN, MN, nurse educator. Both are with
the CDC's National Immunization Program. For information about program
content, email nipinfo@cdc.gov
The program's intended audience includes physicians, nurses, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants, Department of Defense
paraprofessionals, pharmacists, and others who either administer
immunizations or set policy for their offices, clinics, or
communicable disease or infection control programs.
To register and receive continuing education credits, you must register
online on the Public Health Training Network website at
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtnonline
For registration information, call (800) 418-7246 or email
ce@cdc.gov
The program will have a live webcast at
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/webcast/imm-up2003
For technical support and to prepare for the webcast ahead of time, go to:
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/webcast/techsupport.asp
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July 21, 2003
CHOP MAKES "VACCINES: SEPARATING FACT FROM FEAR" VIDEO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
The 27-minute video "Vaccines: Separating Fact From Fear" is now available
in Spanish from the Vaccine Education Center of Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia (CHOP). The English version is still available and can be
ordered the same way as the Spanish version (see below).
The video answers questions many parents have about vaccines and provides an
extensive network of responsible websites. Questions include the following:
How can parents sort good information from bad on the Internet? Why are
there so many more vaccines today? Do children receive too many shots? Are
vaccines still necessary? Are vaccines safe? The video also includes the
stories of several parents whose children suffered vaccine-preventable
diseases.
To view the English version online, go to the CHOP home page at
http://vaccine.chop.edu Scroll
down and click on the text box under the third image in the right column.
You will be taken to a pop-up menu; click on the modem speed you use, and
you will be taken to the video. The online video is divided into nine
questions; click on the question you want an answer to. You must download
the latest Flash plug-in ahead of time.
Health professionals can receive two copies of the video free of charge for
each practice site. For quantities beyond two, health professionals are
charged $5 for each additional video, plus shipping and handling.
The charge for parents is $5 for each copy of the video, plus $5 shipping
and handling for one or two copies.
Health professionals can order on the Internet by going to
http://vaccine.chop.edu/order_hc_profs.shtml and clicking on "form."
Parents can order on the Internet by going to
http://vaccine.chop.edu/order_parents.shtml and clicking on "form."
Health professionals and parents can also order in other ways:
- Email your request to
vaccines@email.chop.edu
- Fax the order form to (215) 590-2025
- 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 ordered.
Parents should include the following information: name, street address,
city, state, zip code, email address, and quantities ordered. Payment
options include checks and money orders made payable to the Vaccine
Education Center.
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July 21, 2003
ADULT IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
On June 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National
Immunization Program posted the Spanish-language version of the "Recommended
Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2002-2003" on its website. The
information in the schedule is dated October 2002, making it consistent with
the information in the English-language schedule.
To access a camera-ready (PDF) version of the 4-page Spanish-language
schedule, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule-sp.pdf
To access an English-language version, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.pdf
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July 21, 2003
CDC ANNOUNCES INITIATIVE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY
AUTISM SCREENING AND INTERVENTION
On July 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Autism Society of America announced they are launching a joint initiative to
educate parents and others about the importance of early screening and
intervention for autism. The goal is to encourage parents of a child with
developmental delays, particularly in communication and social interaction,
to seek help for their child, even before a clinical diagnosis of autism has
been made. Early intervention can enhance a child's potential for leading a
full, productive life.
To access the complete press release from the CDC website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r030718.htm
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July 21, 2003
GAVI'S MOST RECENT QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE ONLINE
The July 2003 issue of "Immunization Focus," the quarterly electronic
newsletter published by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI),
is now available on the GAVI website.
An invaluable source of information on global vaccine topics, the newsletter
provides updates and topical debate about key immunization issues. Two of
the current issue's articles--"Spending is up, but the Finance Gap is
Unfilled" and "The Vaccine Fund's Challenge"--discuss the critical need to
raise additional funds to deliver sustained improvements in immunization.
The other articles are "Vaccine Vial Monitors: Is the Waiting Almost Over?"
and "In the Hot Seat: The View from the Health Ministry."
To access a camera-ready (PDF) version of the July issue, go to:
http://www.vaccinealliance.org/home/Resources_Documents/Immunization_Focus/Current_Issue/contents.php
To subscribe to the newsletter, email GAVI at
majordomo@who.int and type
"subscribe gavi" in the first line of your message
To access the GAVI website, go to:
http://www.vaccinealliance.org
For additional information, email
gavi@unicef.org
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July 21, 2003
IAC ADDS "DIALYSIS, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND IMMUNIZATION" PAGE TO ITS WEBSITE
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) recently compiled journal articles,
recommendations, and other resources regarding viral hepatitis infection
among dialysis patients. Journal articles make up the majority of the new
"Dialysis, Viral Hepatitis, and Immunization" web page. The recommendations
section of the new page includes articles published in the "Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report," and the resources section directs providers and
patients to pertinent websites and publications.
The dialysis web page is located under Topics of Interest in the right
column of the IAC home page. To access the new web page, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/dialysis
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July 21, 2003
WHO LETTER REPORTS ON ISLAMIC LEGAL SCHOLARS' VERDICT ON THE
MEDICINAL USE OF GELATIN DERIVED FROM PORK PRODUCTS
A letter written in July 2001 by the Regional Office of the
World Health Organization (WHO) for the Eastern Mediterranean
reported on the findings of more than one hundred Islamic legal
scholars who met to clarify Islamic purity laws. The scholars
met in 1995 at a seminar convened by the Islamic Organization
for Medical Sciences on the topic "The Judicially Prohibited and
Impure Substances in Foodstuff and Drugs." The topic is of
interest to the immunization community because some vaccines
contain pork gelatin. In Islamic law, pork and pork products are
impure, and observant Muslims do not consume them.
Quoting from a statement issued by the scholars, the letter
states the following: "The seminar issued a number of
recommendations, included in the attached statement, stipulating. . . that 'Transformation which means the conversion of a
substance into another substance, different in characteristics,
changes substances that are judicially impure . . . into pure
substances, and changes substances that are prohibited into
lawful and permissible substances'."
Consequently, the scholars determined that the transformation of
pork products into gelatin alters them sufficiently to make it
permissible for observant Muslims to receive vaccines containing
pork gelatin and to take medicine packaged in gelatin capsules.
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has posted English and
Arabic versions of the WHO letter and the seminar statement in
two places on the IAC websites. (1) To find it from the home
page of the main website (www.immunize.org), scroll down the
right column to "Topics of Interest" and click on "Responding to
Concerns About Vaccines." Once there, scroll down to and click
on "Religious and Ethical Concerns about Vaccination" and click
on "The Judicially Prohibited and Impure Substances in Foodstuff
and Drugs." (2) To find it from the home page of the public
website (www.vaccineinformation.org), scroll to and click on
"Concerned about vaccines?" Once there, scroll down to
"Religious/ethical issues and immunization" and click on "The
Judicially Prohibited and Impure Substances in Foodstuff and
Drugs."
To directly access the WHO letter and the seminar statement, go
to: http://www.immunize.org/concerns/porcine.pdf
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July 21, 2003
NORTH CAROLINA IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE SET FOR OCTOBER 1-3 IN
GREENSBORO
The 2003 North Carolina Immunization Conference will be held
October 1-3 at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
Intended to provide support for the state's immunization
providers, the conference will feature presentations by Samuel
L. Katz, MD, Chairman Emeritus of Pediatrics, Duke University
Medical Center, and Paul A. Offit, MD, Director, Vaccine
Education Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Conference topics include adult immunization, outreach and
networking, varicella surveillance, hepatitis, legal
issues/exemptions, and more.
For additional information, including the conference agenda and
bulletin and online registration, go to the conference website
at http://www.immunizenc.com/03ImmConference.htm
Further information is available by calling Andrea Held at
(919) 715-6763.
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