Issue
Number 505
January 18, 2005
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- New: FDA approves meningococcal polysaccharide
diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine for persons ages 11-55 years
- Dr. John Ward accepts position as director of CDC's
Division of Viral Hepatitis
- CDC issues an update of U.S. influenza activity during
the 2004-05 influenza season
- New: CDC posts the 2nd printing of The Pink Book on its
website
- Registration opens January 19 for CDC's satellite
broadcast on Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- Update: CDC continues to supplement its Influenza web
section
- New: CMS demonstration project will provide influenza
antiviral medicines to Medicare beneficiaries
- New: Preservative-free Td vaccine now available
- CDC reports that vaccination coverage for non-Hispanic
African Americans trails coverage for non-Hispanic whites
- CDC reports African Americans have twice the incidence
rate for hepatitis B and Streptococcus pneumoniae as whites
- Update: IAC revises several of its patient- and
professional-education pieces
- WHO publishes the December 2004 meeting report of its
Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety
- MMWR's notifiable disease statistics now include
serogroup data for meningococcal disease
- MMWR notifies readers about QuickStats, a new feature
on public health indicators and trends
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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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January 18, 2005
NEW: FDA APPROVES MENINGOCOCCAL POLYSACCHARIDE DIPHTHERIA TOXOID CONJUGATE
VACCINE FOR PERSONS AGES 11-55 YEARS
On January 14, FDA approved Aventis Pasteur's biologics license application
for meningococcal polysaccharide (serogroups A, C, Y, W-135) diphtheria
toxoid conjugate vaccine. The vaccine is indicated for active immunization
of adolescents and adults 11-55 years of age for the prevention of invasive
meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y,
and W-135. Recommendations for the use of this new vaccine in the U.S. will
be forthcoming from CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, AAP,
and AAFP in the months ahead.
According to the product approval letter, Aventis Pasteur will manufacture
the vaccine at its facility in Swiftwater, PA, label it Menactra, and market
it in 0.5mL single-dose vials.
To access information about the licensing action, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/products/mpdtave011405.htm
To access the product approval letter, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/approvltr/mpdtave011405L.htm
To access the prescribing information, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/mpdtave011405LB.pdf
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January 18, 2005
DR. JOHN WARD ACCEPTS POSITION AS DIRECTOR OF CDC'S DIVISION OF VIRAL
HEPATITIS
On January 6, Dr. James M. Hughes, director of the National Center for
Infectious Diseases (NCID), announced that Dr. John Ward has accepted the
position of director, Division of Viral Hepatitis. The text of Dr. Hughes'
announcement is reprinted below in its entirety.
****************
I am pleased to announce that Dr. John Ward has accepted the position of
director, Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH). Dr. Ward most recently served
as editor of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and as acting
director of the Division of Scientific Communications, in the proposed
National Center for Health Marketing, National Coordinating Center for
Health Information and Service.
Dr. Ward received his MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine
in Birmingham and completed an internship and residency in internal medicine
at the University of Alabama Hospitals. In addition to his EIS [Epidemic
Intelligence Service] training, he received postgraduate training in
tropical medicine at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, in
pediatric immunology at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne,
Australia, and in infectious diseases as a CDC assignee at the University of
Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He joined CDC in 1984 as an EIS
officer in the Epidemiology Section of what was then known as the AIDS
Activity, NCID. He remained in CDC's evolving AIDS program through 1998,
working on many high-profile investigations and serving in various
leadership positions including section chief and then later branch chief of
the Surveillance Branch in the Division of HIV/AIDS, NCID. He became editor
of the MMWR in 1998.
The recipient of numerous CDC and PHS [Public Health Service] awards, Dr.
Ward is a member of the Emory University School of Medicine clinical faculty
and is active on many public health planning and steering committees. He is
the author or coauthor of more than 100 scientific publications and serves
as a peer reviewer for numerous journals including the American Journal of
Public Health, JAMA [Journal of the American Medical Association], and
Annals of Internal Medicine.
Please join me both in thanking Dr. Eric Mast for his excellent service as
acting director, DVH, for the past six months and in congratulating John and
supporting him in his new position.
****************
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January 18, 2005
CDC ISSUES AN UPDATE OF U.S. INFLUENZA ACTIVITY DURING THE 2004-05 INFLUENZA
SEASON CDC published "Update: Influenza
Activity--United States, 2004-05 Season" in the January 14 issue of MMWR.
Portions of the article are reprinted below.
***********************
[From the article text]
Influenza activity was low in the United States during October through early
December but has increased steadily since mid-December. Current surveillance
indicators suggest that influenza activity for the season has not yet
peaked. Laboratory-confirmed influenza infections have been reported from 45
states, and this season's influenza vaccine strains have been well matched
antigenically to the influenza viruses isolated so far this season. In
response to this season's influenza vaccine supply shortage, the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has purchased 1.2 million doses of
2004-05 inactivated influenza vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The GSK
vaccine is produced, licensed, and distributed globally but is not licensed
for use in the United States; therefore, it will be administered in the
United States under an Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol. This report
summarizes influenza activity during October 3, 2004-January 1, 2005, and
provides information on the availability of additional influenza vaccine
from GSK. . . .
During October 3-January 1, weekly percentages of patient visits for
influenza-like illness (ILI) reported by approximately 1,500 U.S. sentinel
providers in 50 states, New York City (NYC), Chicago, and the District of
Columbia have ranged from 1.0% to 3.0%. During the week ending January 1,
the percentage of patient visits for ILI was 3.0%, exceeding the national
baseline of 2.5% for the first time this season. During the 2001-02,
2002-03, and 2003-04 influenza seasons, national weekly peak percentages of
patient visits for ILI ranged from 3.2% to 7.6% (CDC, unpublished data,
2004).
Since the week ending October 9, a total of 16 states and NYC have reported
widespread or regional influenza activity. . . . During the same week, 6.7%
of recorded deaths in the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System were
attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I), which is below the epidemic
threshold of 7.9% for that week. The percentage of P&I deaths exceeded the
epidemic threshold for 1 week during October 3-January 1 but otherwise has
remained below. . . .
In June 2004, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists changed
nationally notifiable conditions to include deaths in children aged <18
years associated with laboratory test-confirmed influenza [as] a nationally
notifiable condition. Data collection began in October 2004, and as of
January 8, 2005, one pediatric death has been reported to CDC by the Bureau
of Health in Maine. . . .
[From the Editorial Note]
Influenza activity has been low but is increasing in the United States and
does not appear to have reached a peak. Influenza viruses might continue to
circulate for several more months, and persons for whom influenza vaccine is
recommended are strongly encouraged to seek vaccination. Influenza vaccine
coverage estimates from December suggest that many persons in vaccine
priority groups had not yet been vaccinated and that vaccination rates
lagged substantially behind vaccination coverage estimates for the previous
year.
The influenza vaccine strains are well matched antigenically to the
circulating influenza virus strains. The match between vaccine demand and
vaccine availability varies depending on the area. Overall, supplies of both
inactivated vaccine and live, attenuated influenza vaccine licensed for use
in the United States are available. Beginning January 3, 2005, the priority
groups for influenza vaccine have been expanded to include persons aged
50-64 years and household contacts of any person at increased risk for
influenza-related complications. Efforts should continue to utilize existing
licensed influenza vaccine to vaccinate persons in priority groups.
Additional information is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldget.htm
In addition, IND inactivated influenza vaccine will become available this
month to further increase supply. Thus, persons who were not successful in
obtaining vaccination earlier in the season are encouraged to contact their
personal physicians or their local health departments to determine where
vaccine is available in their areas. Influenza surveillance reports for the
United States are published weekly during October-May and are available at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly
or through CDC's voice [(888) 232-3228] and fax [(888) 232-3299, document
number 361100)] information systems.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a6.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5401.pdf
To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP
statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
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January 18, 2005
NEW: CDC POSTS THE 2ND PRINTING OF THE PINK BOOK ON ITS WEBSITE
CDC recently posted to its website the 2nd printing of the 8th edition
(2004) of Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (aka
The Pink Book). According to CDC, these are the changes in the 2nd printing:
"Changes in the 8th Edition 2nd Printing (published January 2005) consist
mainly of minor edits, corrections, and updates in both the text and
appendices. The most significant changes are in the 2004-2005
recommendations for live, attenuated influenza vaccine, reflected in Chapter
16 (Influenza) and Chapter 2 (General Recommendations)."
For comprehensive information on ordering or downloading The Pink Book, on
changes made between the 7th and 8th editions, and on errata in the 1st
printing of the 8th edition that have been corrected in the 2nd printing, go
to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/default.htm
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January 18, 2005
REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 19 FOR CDC'S SATELLITE BROADCAST ON EPIDEMIOLOGY
& PREVENTION OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES
The CDC website now has updated information on the satellite broadcast of
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, a live
interactive program offered by NIP. Online registration for continuing
education credit will open on January 19 (details are at the end of this
article).
Presented in four sessions, the course will be held on consecutive
Thursdays: February 17 and 14, and March 3 and 10. All sessions will be
broadcast from 12 noon ET to 3:30PM ET.
In addition to online registration information, the updated information
includes the following (taken from the course overview at
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/epv05/default.asp).
- The four-session outline: Session One will
cover principles of vaccination, general recommendations on immunization,
vaccine safety, storage and handling, and vaccine administration. Session
Two will cover pertussis, pneumococcal disease (childhood), polio, and Hib.
Session Three will cover measles, rubella, varicella, smallpox and
meningococcal disease. Session Four will cover hepatitis B, hepatitis A,
influenza, and pneumococcal disease (adult).
- The faculty: William Atkinson, MD, MPH;
Andrew Kroger, MD, MPH; Judy Schmidt, RN, EdD; Donna Weaver, MN, RN. All
are with NIP; additional presenters will include other CDC experts.
- An outline of resources for each session:
Developed for the program when it was broadcast in 2004, the resources are
relevant for the 2005 broadcasts. To access them, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/EpiVacLinks.htm
REGISTRATION
Before accessing the online registration form, go to the course overview at
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/epv05/default.asp Scroll down to the
section headed Registration Information and get the course number for the
webcast(s) or broadcasts(s) of interest. Proceed to online registration at
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtnonline
If you have registration questions, email
ce@cdc.gov or phone (800) 418-7246.
For other questions, email
nipinfo@cdc.gov
In the coming weeks, IAC EXPRESS will keep you updated on a range of
information about the course. To access course information from the January
10 issue of IAC EXPRESS, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/genr.d/issue503.htm#n2
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January 18, 2005
UPDATE: CDC CONTINUES TO SUPPLEMENT ITS INFLUENZA WEB SECTION
CDC recently updated its Influenza web section with the following:
On January 12, an updated case count was added to CDC's webpage Recent
Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Asia. To access it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/asia.htm
For ongoing information about new and updated additions to CDC's Influenza
web section, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm
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January 18, 2005
NEW: CMS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INFLUENZA ANTIVIRAL MEDICINES
TO MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES
On January 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a
press release announcing a demonstration project that will provide
influenza antiviral medicines to Medicare beneficiaries. Portions of the
press release are reprinted below.
*********************
January 7, 2005
For immediate release
MEDICARE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT PAYS FOR FLU MEDICINES
Seniors who get the flu can get assistance to help pay for antiviral
medicines under a demonstration project announced today by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
"There are prescription drugs that have been proven to prevent the flu and
its serious complications, and Medicare is taking steps to make these
drugs more affordable," said CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, MD, PhD . .
. .
The demonstration is intended to last through May 31, 2005. Each
beneficiary can get up to a total of two prescriptions filled during the
demonstration period. The project is designed to help determine if
coverage for these medicines can significantly reduce the impact of flu on
Medicare beneficiaries, especially those currently without drug coverage.
Dr. McClellan emphasized that the flu vaccine remains the best protection
for Medicare beneficiaries and he urged seniors who have yet to be
vaccinated to do so. Adults who are age 65 and older and other Americans
with chronic illnesses are in the high-priority group to obtain flu
vaccines, and there is an adequate vaccine supply for these groups.
In the United States, four antiviral medications (amantadine, rimantadine,
oseltamivir, and zanamivir) are approved for treatment of flu. Detailed
information about each medication, including dosage and approved persons
for use, may be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/treatment . . . .
*********************
To access the complete press release, click
here.
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January 18, 2005
NEW: PRESERVATIVE-FREE Td VACCINE NOW AVAILABLE
Aventis Pasteur recently announced the availability of Decavac, its
preservative-free formulation of tetanus and diphtheria (Td) toxoids
adsorbed, for adult use. In March 2004, FDA approved a supplement to
Aventis Pasteur's license application for the preservative-free
formulation.
To access the product approval information, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/approvltr/tdtave032404L.htm
To access prescribing information, go to:
http://www.vaccineshoppe.com/US_PDF/291-10.pdf
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January 18, 2005
CDC REPORTS THAT VACCINATION COVERAGE FOR NON-HISPANIC AFRICAN AMERICANS
TRAILS COVERAGE FOR NON-HISPANIC WHITES
CDC published "Health Disparities Experienced by Black or African
Americans--United States" in the January 14 issue of MMWR. The January 14
issue is the third in a MMWR series that focuses on racial/ethnic health
disparities. Among the disparities reported are persistent and widening
gaps in vaccination coverage between non-Hispanic African Americans and
non-Hispanic whites. Portions of an article dealing with these issues are
reprinted below.
***********************
Racial/ethnic health disparities are reflected in leading indicators of
progress toward achievement of the national health objectives for 2010. In
2002, non-Hispanic blacks trailed non-Hispanic whites in at least four
positive health indicators, including percentages of . . . adults aged
>=65 years vaccinated against influenza (50% [of non-Hispanic blacks]
versus 69% [of non-Hispanic whites]) and pneumococcal disease (37% versus
60%) . . . .
Since the 1970s, racial/ethnic disparities in measles cases and
measles-vaccine coverage have been all but eliminated. However, during
1996-2001, the vaccination-coverage gap between non-Hispanic white and
non-Hispanic black children widened by an average of 1.1% each year for
children aged 19-35 months who were up to date for the 4:3:1:3:3 series of
vaccines (recommended to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis;
polio; measles; Haemophilus influenzae type b disease; and hepatitis B).
In 2002, among children aged 19-35 months, 68% of non-Hispanic black
children were fully vaccinated, compared with 78% of non-Hispanic white
children. . . .
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a1.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5401.pdf
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January 18, 2005
CDC REPORTS AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE TWICE THE INCIDENCE RATE FOR HEPATITIS
B AND STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE AS WHITES
CDC published "Racial Disparities in Nationally Notifiable
Diseases--United States, 2002" in the January 14 issue of MMWR. The
January 14 issue is the third in a MMWR series that focuses on
racial/ethnic health disparities. An analysis of surveillance data
collected in 2002 indicates that incidence rates are at least two times
greater for African Americans than for white Americans for eight of 42
nationally notifiable diseases. Among those are two vaccine-preventable
diseases, hepatitis B and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Portions of an article
dealing with these issues are reprinted below.
***********************
Infectious diseases are a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and
disability in the United States and often affect racial/ethnic populations
disproportionately. Eliminating racial disparities is a goal of many of
the national health objectives for 2010. To estimate racial disparities in
the incidence of nationally notifiable infectious diseases by
race/ethnicity, CDC reviewed 2002 data from the Nationally Notifiable
Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), collected through the National
Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS). This report
summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that incidence
rates were at least two times greater for blacks than whites for eight of
42 nationally notifiable diseases . . . . for hepatitis B, [the rates
were] 3.9 for blacks and 1.5 for whites; and for Streptococcus pneumoniae
(i.e., invasive, drug resistant), 1.5 for blacks and 0.7 for whites.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a4.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5401.pdf
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January 18, 2005
UPDATE: IAC REVISES SEVERAL OF ITS PATIENT- AND PROFESSIONAL-EDUCATION
PIECES
IAC recently updated the Spanish-language version of a popular
patient-education piece, as well as four professional-education pieces.
PATIENT EDUCATION
The English-language version of "When Do Children and Teens Need
Vaccinations?" was streamlined and reformatted in March 2004. A
Spanish-language translation of the updated piece is now available.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) SPANISH version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-01.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) SPANISH version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-01.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) ENGLISH version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/when1.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) ENGLISH version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/n17/when1.htm
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
IAC substantially revised the piece "Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
(PPV23): CDC answers your questions." New questions were added, the
additional recommendation to vaccinate cochlear implant patients was
incorporated into the table, information that had been included both in
the text and in the table was removed from the text, and the entire piece
was edited to improve readability.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2015pne.pdf
To access a web-text version (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2015pne.htm
Minor revisions were made to the following pieces: (1) "Quiz #1:
Immunization," (2) "Quiz #2: Vaccine Administration," and (3) "It's
federal law! You must give your patients current Vaccine Information
Statements (VISs)."
(1) To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of "Quiz #1: Immunization,"
go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p7001qz.pdf
To access a web-text version (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p7001qz.htm
(2) To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of "Quiz #2: Vaccine
Administration," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p7002qz.pdf
To access a web-text version (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p7002qz.htm
(3) To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of "It's federal law! You
must give your patients current Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)," go
to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2027law.pdf
To access a web-text version (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2027law.htm
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January 18, 2005
WHO PUBLISHES THE DECEMBER 2004 MEETING REPORT OF ITS GLOBAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON VACCINE SAFETY
On January 7, the WHO publication Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER)
published "Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety [GACVS], 2-3
December 2004." An expert clinical and scientific advisory body, GACVS
deals independently and with scientific rigor with vaccine safety issues
of potential global importance. It held its eleventh meeting on December
2-3, 2004.
The WER article summarizes some of the issues meeting attendees
considered, including the following vaccine safety and policy issues: (1)
safety of adjuvants; (2) thimerosal: neurobehavioral studies in animal
models; (3) safety of residual cellular DNA in vaccines; (4) transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies; (5) potential risk of vaccines produced in
yeast; (6) safety of hexavalent vaccines; (7) yellow fever vaccine; and
(8) the Vaccine Safety Net Project.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the January 7 issue, go to:
http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8001/en
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January 18, 2005
MMWR'S NOTIFIABLE DISEASE STATISTICS NOW INCLUDE SEROGROUP DATA FOR
MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE
CDC published "Notice to Readers: Changes to Data Presented in Tables I
and II" in the January 14 issue of MMWR. Portions of the article are
reprinted below.
***********************
This issue of MMWR incorporates modifications to Tables I and II,
Provisional Cases of Selected Notifiable Diseases, United States. This
year, the modifications add serogroup data to the meningococcal disease
category reported in Table II . . .
Meningococcal Disease Data
Meningococcal disease is nationally reportable and the cumulative
(year-to-date) incidence data for the current and preceding year are
reported by state in Table II. Confirmed cases are those in which Neisseria
meningitidis is isolated from a normally sterile site (e.g., blood or
cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] or less commonly, joint, pleural, or pericardial
fluid). Probable cases of meningococcal disease include those with a
positive antigen test in CSF or clinical purpura fulminans in the absence of
a positive blood culture.
Most meningococcal disease in the United States is caused by N. meningitidis
belonging to one of three serogroups, B, C, and Y, which caused 23%, 31%,
and 39% of reported cases, respectively, during 1996-2001. Two additional
serogroups, A and W-135, are important causes of disease in other parts of
the world. Disease caused by four of these serogroups, A, C, Y, and W-135
can be prevented by vaccination with a quadrivalent meningococcal
polysaccharide vaccine marketed in the United States as Menomune. However,
this vaccine is not routinely used in the general U.S. population because of
its poor immunogenicity in children, short duration of protection, and
inability to induce herd immunity. A new, quadrivalent A/C/Y/W-135
protein-conjugate vaccine might become available in the United States in
2005 for persons aged 11-55 years. The vaccine is expected to have improved
immunogenicity in young children, provide longer-lasting immunity, and might
provide herd immunity if used in certain strategies. The Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices is considering recommendations for its use. Other
meningococcal conjugate vaccines, with different formulations, combinations,
and target age groups are expected to be available within the next 5 years.
To monitor changes in the incidence of vaccine-preventable meningococcal
disease, meningococcal disease reports should include serogroup information.
However, in 2003, only 459 (26.0%) of 1,768 cases of meningococcal disease
reported to CDC included this information. To encourage serogroup reporting,
the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) recommends that
state, territorial, and local health departments encourage bacterial culture
for all suspected cases of meningococcal invasive disease and that every
isolate of N. meningitidis from normally sterile sites be serogrouped. CSTE
further recommends that state, territorial, and local health departments
collect serogroup information for all reported cases and report this
information to CDC.
Beginning with this issue, meningococcal disease data reported in Table II
will be presented in five columns under the headings "All Serogroups," "Serogroup
A, C, Y, W-135," "Serogroup B," "Other serogroup," and "Serogroup unknown."
These changes are intended to stimulate more complete serogroup reporting
and will make Table II more informative by permitting the data to be used
for monitoring the impact of vaccine interventions on the incidence of
meningococcal disease.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a7.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5401.pdf
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January 18, 2005
MMWR NOTIFIES READERS ABOUT QUICK STATS, A NEW FEATURE ON PUBLIC HEALTH
INDICATORS AND TRENDS
CDC published "Notice to Readers: QuickStats from the National Center for
Health Statistics" in the January 14 issue of MMWR. Though the QuickStats
data presented in the January 14 issue does not pertain to VPDs, IAC
EXPRESS is notifying readers about QuickStats because it is a resource
they will be receiving information about in future issues of MMWR.
Following is the MMWR Notice to Readers, reprinted in its entirety.
***********************
A new feature will appear in MMWR, beginning with this issue. QuickStats
will provide updates on key indicators, important trends, and critical
relations in public health, based on data from CDC's National Center for
Health Statistics (NCHS). NCHS monitors the nation's health through its
many data systems, collecting and analyzing information regarding a range
of health topics. Each QuickStats will feature the latest available data
and provide an Internet link to additional information.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a8.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5401.pdf |
