Issue
Number 478
September 7, 2004
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Viewing two "how-to" videos can help you and your staff
deliver first-rate vaccination services
- Pharmacists: If you're looking for immunization
resources, be sure to check out APhA's immunization information web
section
- Update: IAC revises its patient-education sheet
"Vaccinations for Adults: You're NEVER too old to get immunized!"
- UNICEF announces plan to vaccinate 7.5 million
Madagascar children against measles this fall
- CDC describes actions that led it to recommend
suspension of rotavirus vaccine after reports of intussusception
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ABBREVIATIONS: AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP, American
Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices;
CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug
Administration; IAC, Immunization Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report; NIP, National Immunization Program; VIS, Vaccine
Information Statement; VPD, vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health
Organization.
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September 7, 2004
VIEWING TWO "HOW-TO" VIDEOS CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR STAFF DELIVER FIRST-RATE
VACCINATION SERVICES
Can you believe it will take only an hour for you and your staff to brush up
your knowledge of vaccination administration AND learn the finer points on
vaccine storage and handling? The two videos described below make efficient
use of your time and effective use of your staff-training budget.
In 35 minutes, "Immunization Techniques: Safe, Effective, Caring" will lead
you and your staff through a thorough review of all aspects of vaccine
administration. In 25 minutes, CDC's "How to Protect Your Vaccine Supply"
will tell you how to ensure the quality of your vaccines, even during a
power outage.
SIMPLY PUT, THESE VIDEOS ARE THE BEST AND MOST COST-EFFECTIVE TRAINING TOOLS
YOU CAN FIND. No practice or clinic can afford to be without them. Order
them today, and you and your staff will be ready for the busy influenza
vaccination season ahead.
"IMMUNIZATION TECHNIQUES: SAFE, EFFECTIVE, CARING"
Developed by the California Department of Health Services Immunization
Branch and a team of national experts, this 35-minute video is designed for
use as a "hands-on" instructional program. It can be used to train new staff
and to provide a refresher course for experienced staff who administer
vaccines.
It teaches best practices for administering intramuscular (IM) and
subcutaneous (SC) vaccines to infants, children, and adults and discusses
the following:
- Anatomic sites
- Choice of needle size
- Vaccines and routes of administration
- How to "draw up" doses of vaccine from a
vial
People of various ages--from infants to
adults--are vaccinated in the video to demonstrate these techniques. The
video comes with presenter's notes that include instructional objectives,
pre- and post-tests, photos showing vaccination sites appropriate for
vaccinating people of different ages, and a skills checklist to help you
document that your staff is well trained.
IAC distributes the video and presenter's notes at $30 per set (to U.S.
addresses). For additional information about the video and to order online,
or by mail, fax, or purchase order, go to:
https://www.immunize.org/iztech
For additional information, contact IAC by email at
admin@immunize.org or by phone
at (651) 647-9009.
"HOW TO PROTECT YOUR VACCINE SUPPLY"
Produced by CDC in 2004, this 25-minute video presents practical, up-to-date
information on all aspects of vaccine storage and handling. It covers
temperature monitoring equipment, required documentation and record-keeping,
storage and handling procedures, and action steps to take when a problem
occurs.
ORDERING FROM NIP. You can order one free copy from NIP. To order online, go
to the online order form at
https://www2.cdc.gov/nchstp_od/PIWeb/niporderform.asp The video is
product number 00-6526. A BETA master tape is also available if you want to
reproduce the video in bulk.
To order one copy by phone, call the CDC Immunization Information Hotline at
(800) 232-2522.
To play the video online, using Windows Media Player, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/default.htm#videos
ORDERING FROM IAC. You can order single or multiple copies from IAC for $15
per copy (discount pricing is available for orders of 20 or more). When you
order, you'll also receive a packet of IAC's vaccine storage and handling
print materials to assist you in establishing your protocols. For additional
information about the video and to order online, or by mail, fax, or
purchase order, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vachandling
For additional information, contact IAC by email at
admin@immunize.org or by phone
at (651) 647-9009.
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September 7, 2004
PHARMACISTS: IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IMMUNIZATION RESOURCES, BE SURE TO
CHECK OUT APhA'S IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION WEB SECTION
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) describes its Immunization
Information web section as "pharmacists' gateway to information from CDC
and other immunization resources." The web section offers pharmacists
electronic access to an extensive range of immunization resources,
including URLs for journal articles on current immunization issues, ACIP
recommendations, CDC provider- and patient-education materials, the APhA
certificate training program in pharmacy-based immunization, materials
from vaccine manufacturers, and much more. To access the immunization web
section, go to:
http://www.aphanet.org/pharmcare/ImmunizationInformation.htm
APhA also produces a listserv for immunizing pharmacists. To view the
issue for August 31, 2004, go to:
http://www.aphanet.org/pharmcare/listserv0831.htm
To subscribe, send an email to
apha-immpharm-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
APHA CALLS FOR PHARMACISTS TO GET IMMUNIZED AGAINST INFLUENZA
APhA recently issued a call to action urging pharmacists to be vaccinated
against influenza before the upcoming influenza season. In addition, the
association is encouraging pharmacists and pharmacy staff members to wear
buttons with the message "I got my flu shot . . . how about you?" The
buttons are intended to persuade pharmacy patients to be vaccinated. Other
promotional materials include prescription vial auxiliary labels with the
message "Get your flu shot. Ask your doctor or pharmacist."
The cost for five buttons is $3.50 (includes postage); the cost for 200
auxiliary labels and five buttons is $10 (includes postage). To order
buttons and/or auxiliary labels, send an email message to Mitch Rothholz,
RPh, at mrothholz@aphanet.org
Include a mailing address, contact name, telephone number, and the items
and quantities desired.
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September 7, 2004
UPDATE: IAC REVISES ITS PATIENT-EDUCATION SHEET "VACCINATIONS FOR ADULTS:
YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO GET IMMUNIZED!"
IAC recently revised its one-page patient-education sheet "Vaccinations
for Adults: You're NEVER too old to get immunized!" The updated sheet
presents a chart of the eight vaccines commonly given to adults, gives
information about the age groups for which the various vaccines are
indicated, and discusses the dosing schedule. Health professionals can
save time by asking patients to read it while they are waiting to be seen.
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of the updated sheet, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4030a.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/n18/p4030new.htm
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September 7, 2004
UNICEF ANNOUNCES PLAN TO VACCINATE 7.5 MILLION MADAGASCAR CHILDREN AGAINST
MEASLES THIS FALL
In August, UNICEF issued a press release announcing that the largest
measles vaccination campaign in Madagascar's history will take place from
September 13 to October 8. The goal is to vaccinate 7.5 million children
ages 9 months to 14 years. Owing to
the country's size (larger than France), rugged terrain, and incomplete
electric service, campaign preparations have involved many levels of the
government, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, and the
military.
In 2000, measles caused nearly half of the world's 1.7 million childhood
deaths related to VPDs. Though in Madagascar measles officially accounted
for only 1% of all hospital-based deaths, only half of the country's
children are fully immunized against the disease. The campaign is intended
to avert a possible measles epidemic.
To access the press release, go to:
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_23081.html
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September 7, 2004
CDC DESCRIBES ACTIONS THAT LED IT TO RECOMMEND SUSPENSION OF ROTAVIRUS
VACCINE AFTER REPORTS OF INTUSSUSCEPTION
CDC published "Suspension of Rotavirus Vaccine After Reports of
Intussusception--United States, 1999" in the September 3 issue of MMWR. A
summary made available to the press is reprinted below in its entirety.
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When a potential vaccine reaction was discovered with the VAERS [Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System] surveillance system, CDC engaged in
decisive action to suspend the vaccine's use and prevent future cases of
RRV-TV related intussusception. [RRV-TV is the abbreviation for
rhesus-human rotavirus reassortant-tetravalent vaccine.]
This report describes the emergency CDC response and follow-up
investigations that identified and stopped the use of a vaccine found to
cause a serious form of bowel obstruction called intussusception. A new
vaccine was licensed in late 1998 to prevent severe complications of
rotavirus diarrhea. On July 16, 1999, CDC recommended suspending use of
the rotavirus vaccine after 15 reports of intussusception in infants who
received the vaccine were received by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System, a CDC and Food and Drug Administration vaccine safety surveillance
system. No more reports of vaccine-related intussusceptions were received
after July 16, 1999. CDC led surveillance activities and follow-up studies
with state, local, and federal partners that rapidly confirmed the
association between the rotavirus vaccine and intussusception.
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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5334a3.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5334.pdf
To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP
statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html |
