Issue
Number 404
August 11, 2003
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- CDC reports on vaccination coverage levels among U.S. children
in 2002
- New edition of "Vaccines: What You Should Know" available for
order
- IAC reorganizes Unprotected People reports and asks readers to
send in influenza articles
- IOM report urges major changes in U.S. vaccination financing
and delivery
- Three states enact legislation for a variety of educational
institutions
- New translations: 2003-2004 inactivated influenza VIS now
available in nine languages
- "American Journal of Preventive Medicine" article indicates
lack of consistent evidence for autism-thimerosal connection
- Updated: IAC revises its patient education sheet on reliable
sources of immunization information
- New: Superheroes poster is a colorful reminder of IAC's four
websites
- CDC publishes updated pneumococcal vaccination recommendations
for cochlear implant candidates and recipients
- CDC releases updated slide set on hepatitis A
- Immunization Registry Conference scheduled for October 27-29
in Atlanta
- CDC reports on vaccination services in postwar Iraq
- Latest Afghani measles immunization campaign reaches 5 million
children
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August 11, 2003
CDC REPORTS ON VACCINATION COVERAGE LEVELS AMONG U.S. CHILDREN IN 2002
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "National,
State, and Urban Area Vaccination Levels Among Children Aged 19-35
Months--United States, 2002" in the August 8 issue of the "Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). The information in the article is based
on data from the National Immunization Survey (NIS); 2002 data became
available July 31. A link to tables describing immunization coverage
by region and ethnic and economic data will be given at the end of this
article.
A summary made available to the press reports immunization of children age
19-35 months is at a near-record high. Varicella (VAR) vaccination coverage
achieved a record high of 80.6 percent, and pneumococcal (PCV) vaccination
coverage, reported for the first time, was 40.9 percent.
The article includes two tables. Table 1 shows nationwide coverage levels
for individual vaccines from 1998 through 2002. Table 2 shows estimated
coverage levels by state and selected urban areas.
A portion of the article's Editorial Note is reprinted below.
*************************
Changes in national level coverage from 2001 to 2002 with all vaccines other
than VAR and PCV were so small that they are unlikely to have a major public
health impact. Although coverage with recommended vaccines for each new
birth cohort remains high, vigilance is needed to maintain these high
levels. Eliminating the coverage disparity between states and urban areas
with the highest and lowest coverage remains a priority. If
vaccine-preventable disease is introduced in an area with low coverage,
groups of susceptible children might serve as a reservoir to transmit
disease.
*************************
To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5231a2.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5231.pdf
To access NIP 2002 data tables from the CDC website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/coverage/NIS/02/toc-02.htm
To access general information on U.S. vaccination coverage, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/coverage/default.htm#chart and click on the
topics listed under the subhead "On this page."
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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August 11, 2003
NEW EDITION OF "VACCINES: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW" AVAILABLE FOR ORDER
The new edition of "Vaccines: What You Should Know" (formerly titled
"Vaccines: What Every Parent Should Know") gives parents straightforward
answers to their questions about vaccines and vaccine safety. Written by
pediatricians Paul A. Offit, MD, and Louis M. Bell, MD, of the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the book helps parents make informed
decisions about what is right for their children.
It answers the most common questions about how vaccines are made and when
children should get vaccinated and also addresses parents' concerns about
vaccine safety. Parents will find the book useful in understanding medical
jargon and in clarifying misleading or incomplete information they may get
from the Internet or other sources.
To order the book online, go to the website of the Vaccine Education Center
of CHOP at
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/microsite/microsite.jsp?id=75918
Find the image of the book cover at the right of the page, and click on
"view more."
To order by phone, call the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, at (800) 567-4797,
or shop for it at your favorite local or online bookstore.
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August 11, 2003
IAC REORGANIZES UNPROTECTED PEOPLE REPORTS AND ASKS READERS TO SEND IN
INFLUENZA ARTICLES
The Immunization Action Coalition recently reorganized its Unprotected
People reports, grouping them by disease. The reports recount the
experiences of people who have suffered from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Published since 1997, the reports now number 56 and cover 14 diseases.
Reports about people who have suffered complications from influenza are
conspicuously absent, however. To fill this gap, we are asking readers of "IAC
EXPRESS" to send us well-developed articles that relate an individual's or
group's (e.g., a nursing home's) experience with influenza. Because of our
small staff size, we cannot write these reports ourselves or edit an article
extensively. If you have or know of a suitable article, please email it to
us at admin@immunize.org or
fax it to (651) 647-9131.
HOW TO USE UNPROTECTED PEOPLE REPORTS
In addition to organizing the reports by disease, we have also modified our
Unprotected People reports index page to include a brief summary of each
report and the age of the person(s) featured in each. This allows readers to
select reports that mesh with a particular audience's informational needs.
Following are examples of audiences that you can educate with Unprotected
People reports:
Legislators. A health professional scheduled to testify before a legislative
committee about implementing a school entry law for varicella vaccine (or
for any other vaccine-preventable disease), can easily find a few compelling
Unprotected People reports to bolster his or her position.
Vaccine-hesitant parents. A pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioner,
family physician, or other health professional who routinely deals with
vaccine-hesitant parents, can print out numerous Unprotected People
reports documenting that unvaccinated children suffer and die from
vaccine-preventable diseases.
Adult medical specialists who don't routinely vaccinate. Some specialists
(e.g., gynecologists and cardiologists) may not ask their patients about
their vaccination history and may not administer needed vaccines. Yet these
specialists are often the only doctors adults see. Unprotected People
reports about adults who have suffered or died from pneumococcal disease or
tetanus, for example, allow adult medical specialists to become
actively involved in educating their patients about the seriousness of
vaccine-preventable diseases.
To access the index of the newly formatted Unprotected People web page, go
to:
http://www.immunize.org/stories Click on the
diseases that interest you, or read through all 56 summaries. We
hope you'll find this page and the Unprotected People reports
educational, interesting, and an aid to your work as an
immunization professional.
Reminder: If you have or know of an influenza article suitable
for publication as an Unprotected People report, please email
it to us at admin@immunize.org or fax it to (651) 647-9131.
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August 11, 2003
IOM REPORT URGES MAJOR CHANGES IN U.S. VACCINE FINANCING
AND DELIVERY
On August 4, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National
Academies issued a press release on its report "Financing
Vaccines in the 21st Century: Assuring Access and Availability."
According to the press release, the report recommends changes in
vaccine financing and delivery that "would effectively change
the government's role from buying vaccines to assuring
immunization."
While acknowledging the current U.S. immunization system has
achieved high levels of immunization, the press release points
out two significant problems: (1) disparities in access to
vaccines across geographic and demographic populations, which
leave certain populations of adults and children unvaccinated,
and (2) the recent shortage of certain vaccines, which points to
an outmoded financing system that discourages pharmaceutical
manufacturers from producing current vaccines and developing new
ones.
To correct the situation, the report recommends "a three-part
plan made up of a federal government mandate, subsidy, and
voucher," the press release states. Conceding the proposed plan
will increase federal expenditures for vaccines, the press
release notes the increase will likely be offset by a reduction
in vaccine-preventable disease and an increase in future vaccine
development.
Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
report was produced by IOM's Committee on Evaluation of Vaccine
Purchase Financing in the United States, an 11-member panel of
physicians, economists, and health policy experts. A private,
nonprofit institution, IOM provides health policy advice under a
Congressional charter granted to the National Academy of
Sciences.
To access the press release from the National Academies website,
go to:
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309089794?OpenDocument
To access the 8-page executive summary of the report in
camera-ready (PDF) format, go to:
http://www.iom.edu/includes/DBFile.asp?id=14454
To access the 200-page report in HTML format, go to:
http://books.nap.edu/books/0309089794/html/index.html
Print copies of the report will be available this fall from the
National Academies Press at (800) 624-6242 or
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10782.html
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August 11, 2003
THREE STATES ENACT IMMUNIZATION LEGISLATION FOR A VARIETY OF
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
New Jersey, New York, and Iowa enacted legislation requiring
immunization against various diseases. New Jersey now requires
immunization against hepatitis B virus, New York against
meningococcal disease, and Iowa against varicella disease.
HEPATITIS B IMMUNIZATION
New Jersey: The New Jersey State Legislature passed legislation
requiring hepatitis B vaccination for public and private school
students in grades 9 through 12. A signed waiver is required to
exempt a student from hepatitis B immunization for medical or
religious reasons. The governor signed the legislation August 3,
2002; it went into effect immediately for the 2003-04 school
year.
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has compiled information
about all states that have hepatitis B prevention mandates for
prenatal screening and school attendance for day care,
elementary, and middle school students. To access this
information, go to: http://www.immunize.org/laws/hepb.htm
MENINGOCOCCAL IMMUNIZATION
New York: The New York State Assembly passed legislation
requiring private and public colleges to provide information
about meningococcal disease and vaccine to students and their
parents or guardians. The law also requires students to be
vaccinated or submit a waiver. The vaccination requirements also
apply to children attending overnight camps for seven nights or
more, as well as students in grades 7 through 12 in residential
schools. The governor signed the legislation July 22; it goes
into effect on August 15 for the school year beginning in fall
2003.
IAC has compiled information about all states that have
meningitis prevention mandates for colleges and universities.
To access this information, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/menin.htm
VARICELLA IMMUNIZATION
Iowa: The Iowa General Assembly passed legislation that added
varicella requirements to the state's day care and school
immunization laws. A signed waiver is required to exempt a
student from varicella immunization for medical or religious
reasons. The governor signed the legislation on April 28. The
Iowa Board of Health subsequently adopted rules on July 9 that
specify the applicability of the new requirements for children
attending day care, preschool or kindergarten who were born on
or after September 15, 1997. The new requirements become
effective on January 1, 2004.
IAC has compiled information about all states that have
varicella prevention mandates for school attendance. To access
this information, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/varicel.htm
For complete and current information about state mandates for a
variety of immunizations, go to: http://www.immunize.org/laws
We depend on our readers to help us stay informed and to ensure
our website contains the most current and accurate information
available. Please let us know when any changes occur in your
state.
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August 11, 2003
NEW TRANSLATIONS: 2003-2004 INACTIVATED INFLUENZA VIS NOW
AVAILABLE IN NINE LANGUAGES
Updated on 5/06/03, the 2003-2004 inactivated influenza Vaccine
Information Statement (VIS) is now available in Armenian,
Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish,
Turkish, and Vietnamese on the website of the Immunization
Action Coalition (IAC). Following are links to the VIS in each
language.
Armenian. IAC gratefully acknowledges the Los Angeles County
Health Department for the Armenian translation of the
inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/ar_flu03.pdf
Chinese. IAC gratefully acknowledges the California Department
of Health Services for the Chinese translation of the
inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/ch_flu03.pdf
Portuguese. IAC gratefully acknowledges the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health for the Portuguese translation of
the inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/pr_flu03.pdf
Russian. IAC gratefully acknowledges the Minnesota Department of
Health for the Russian translation of the inactivated influenza
VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/ru_flu03.pdf
Serbo-Croatian. IAC gratefully acknowledges the Minnesota
Department of Health for the Serbo- Croatian translation of the
inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/sc_flu03.pdf
Somali. IAC gratefully acknowledges the Minnesota Department of
Health for the Somali translation of the inactivated influenza
VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/so_flu03.pdf
Spanish. IAC gratefully acknowledges the California Department
of Health Services for the Spanish translation of the
inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/spflu03.pdf
Turkish. IAC gratefully acknowledges Mustafa Kozanoglu, MD, and
Murat Serbest, MD, for the Turkish translation of the
inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/tu_flu03.pdf
Vietnamese. IAC gratefully acknowledges the California
Department of Health Services for the Vietnamese translation of
the inactivated influenza VIS. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/vn_flu03.pdf
To access a camera-ready (PDF) version of the inactivated
influenza VIS in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/2flu.pdf
For information about the use of VISs, as well as VISs for
additional vaccines (some in up to 28 languages), visit the IAC
website at http://www.immunize.org/vis
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August 11, 2003
"AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE" ARTICLE INDICATES LACK
OF CONSISTENT EVIDENCE FOR AUTISM-THIMEROSAL CONNECTION
"Autism and Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: Lack of Consistent
Evidence for an Association" was published in the August issue
of the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine." After
analyzing population-based data collected in the United States,
Denmark, and Sweden, the article authors conclude that the body
of existing data is not consistent with the hypothesis that
increased exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines is
responsible for the apparent worldwide increase in the rates of
autism in young children.
The full text of the article is available only to subscribers;
the abstract is available to all. To access the full text or
abstract, go to:
http://www.medicinedirect.com/journal/journal/current?sdid=6075
Scroll down to the article title, and click on the version
available to you.
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August 11, 2003
UPDATED: IAC REVISES ITS PATIENT EDUCATION SHEET ON RELIABLE
SOURCES OF IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) recently made minor
revisions to its patient education sheet "Reliable Sources of
Immunization Information: Where To Go To Find Answers!" The
sheet presents parents with the web addresses, phone numbers,
and book titles of trustworthy resources.
Under the section subtitled "Books for Parents," ordering
information for the new edition of the book "Vaccines: What You
Should Know," was updated. In addition, a web address was added
to the ordering information for the book "Vaccinating Your
Child: Questions and Answers for the Concerned Parent."
To access a camera-ready (PDF) version the newly revised sheet,
go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4012.pdf
To access an HTML version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4012.htm
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August 11, 2003
NEW: SUPERHEROES POSTER IS A COLORFUL REMINDER OF IAC'S
FOUR WEBSITES
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has grown a lot in the
past few years, particularly in terms of its Internet presence,
which now features four websites.
To make it easy for IAC's audience of private and public health
professionals, patients, and parents to remember how to access
our websites, we've developed a colorful 8-1/2" x 11" poster.
Emblazoned with two of IAC's favorite superheroes, the poster
displays our four website addresses.
Tack the poster up near your computer for easy reference and
hand it out to your colleagues. To access a camera-ready (PDF)
version of the poster, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/news.d/u6022.pdf
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August 11, 2003
CDC PUBLISHES UPDATED PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR COCHLEAR IMPLANT CANDIDATES AND RECIPIENTS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published
"Pneumococcal Vaccination for Cochlear Implant Candidates and
Recipients: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices" in the August 8 issue of the "Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). Published July 31 in the
web-based "MMWR Early Release," the updated recommendations were
not available in hard-copy format until now. The newly published
recommendations update those last made by CDC in October 2002.
To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5231a5.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF) copy of this issue of MMWR, go
to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5231.pdf
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August 11, 2003
CDC RELEASES UPDATED SLIDE SET ON HEPATITIS A
[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action
Coalition's "HEP EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 7/30/03.]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
released an updated hepatitis A slide set for health care
professionals. This 55-slide resource is available in three
formats: PowerPoint, camera-ready (PDF), and text (HTML).
The hepatitis A slide set is part of a series titled
"Epidemiology and Prevention of Viral Hepatitis A to E: An
Overview." Slide sets on hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E are all
available at no charge from CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis.
To view or download the new hepatitis A slide set, or any of the
viral hepatitis slide sets, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/slideset/index.htm
Many more resources, including brochures, posters, and
recommendations, are available from CDC's Division of Viral
Hepatitis. Visit the "Viral Hepatitis Resource Center" at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/resource/index.htm
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August 11, 2003
IMMUNIZATION REGISTRY CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 27-29
IN ATLANTA
Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the 4th Immunization Registry Conference will be held
October 27-29 in Atlanta. The conference will provide a forum to
build support for immunization registries, enhance
collaboration, promote multiple and innovative uses of registry
data, explore alternative funding strategies, and demonstrate
registry success.
For information about the conference program, registration,
continuing education credits, and much more, visit the CDC
website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/registry/irc or contact the
conference planning team at (404) 639-8225 or
NIPIRC@cdc.gov
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August 11, 2003
CDC REPORTS ON VACCINATION SERVICES IN POSTWAR IRAQ
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published
"Vaccination Services in Postwar Iraq, May 2003" in the
August 8 issue of the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report"
(MMWR). A summary made available to the press is reprinted below
in its entirety.
****************************
The restoration of important public health programs in Iraq,
such as routine childhood immunizations, is underway and
significant achievements have been made.
The breakdown of civil order in Iraq, after the recent war,
disrupted many public health programs including routine
childhood vaccinations. In May, the Iraqi Ministry of Health
(IMoH) sent teams around the country to assess refrigerated
storage sites (cold chain) and the ability of the public health
system to provide routine immunizations. At that time, 61% of
primary healthcare centers had the equipment and staff to offer
daily routine immunizations. The extent of the damage to cold
chain equipment varied between the Iraqi governorates and ranged
from 12% (Kerbala) to 64% (Missan). The Coalition Provisional
Authority and the Iraqi Ministry of Health are working closely
with international organizations and non-governmental
organizations to re-establish secure public health programs
throughout Iraq.
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To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5231a3.htm
To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of
MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5231.pdf
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August 11, 2003
LATEST AFGHANI MEASLES IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN REACHES
5 MILLION CHILDREN
On August 3, UNICEF issued a press release publicizing the
success of recent measles immunization campaigns in Afghanistan.
Held in June, the most recent nationwide operation reached more
than 5 million children from 9 months to 5 years of age. In
2002, more than 11 million Afghani children were immunized
against the disease. Prior to these campaigns, measles was
estimated to contribute to up to 15 to 20 percent of deaths
among children under five in the nation.
To access the press release from the UNICEF website, go to:
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_13108.html |
