Issue
Number 595
April 24, 2006
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Access CDC's media advisory on mumps outbreak online
- CDC enhances its mumps web page
- CDC offers online training in viral hepatitis serology
- Vaccine Education Center offers three new downloadable
pieces
- CDC reports on National Infant Immunization Week
- USAID website features avian influenza resources
- Updated: IAC revises two print education pieces
- CDC updates its Influenza web section with current
information about avian influenza
- Erratum: MMWR corrects error in its April 11 and 14
reports on exposure to mumps during air travel
- May 16 teleconference to discuss hepatitis vaccine
programs and resources for immunization coalitions
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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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April 24, 2006
ACCESS CDC's MEDIA ADVISORY ON MUMPS OUTBREAK ONLINE
On April 19, Julie Gerberding, MD, Director, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, talked to media representatives about the current mumps outbreak
which involves more than a thousand cases in eight states.
To read the transcript of the briefing, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t060419.htm
To listen to an audio webcast of the briefing, go to:
http://www.videonewswire.com/cdc/33471/reg.html You will need Windows
Media Player to use this format.
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April 24, 2006
CDC ENHANCES ITS MUMPS WEB PAGE
In light of the mumps outbreak in the midwestern United States, CDC has
expanded and enhanced its mumps web page to make it more useful for
healthcare professionals and members of the public.
The page includes questions and answers about the current outbreak; advice
on domestic and international travel; resources for clinical and laboratory
diagnosis, including specimen collection and management Q&As; infection
control and outbreak management information; and links to related
recommendations.
To access this valuable resource, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/mumps
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April 24, 2006
CDC OFFERS ONLINE TRAINING IN VIRAL HEPATITIS SEROLOGY
CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has developed an online training
course titled "Viral Hepatitis Serology: Hepatitis A–E." Participants will
learn how to recognize the serologic interpretations for hepatitis A, B, C,
D, and E virus infections.
This course is approved for continuing education credit for physicians and
nurses. It was developed by Eric Mast, MD, MPH, Chief, Prevention Branch,
DVH, and Linda Moyer, RN, BS, recently retired Team Leader, Education and
Communication Team, Prevention Branch, DVH.
Participants will need a Web browser, Internet connection, and Macromedia
Flash plug-in to access the materials.
For more information, or to start the training program, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/serology/index.htm
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April 24, 2006
VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER OFFERS THREE NEW DOWNLOADABLE PIECES
The Vaccine Education Center of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has
added three new parent-education pieces to its website.
1. "Pandemic Flu: What you should know"
The introduction states: "Reports in the media have sounded the alarm that a
strain of bird flu currently circulating among flocks of birds in Southeast
Asia could signal the start of the next influenza pandemic. Some reports
have claimed that as many as 50 million to 100 million people might die as a
consequence."
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/vaccine/images/vec_pandemicflu.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=82098
2. "Hepatitis A: What you should know"
The introduction states: "In October 2005, a federal advisory committee to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all
children receive a vaccine to prevent hepatitis A. Before that, the
hepatitis A vaccine, first available in 1995, was recommended only for
children living in states with elevated rates of hepatitis A."
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, click
here.
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75737
3. "Thimerosal: What you should know"
The introduction states: "Some parents are concerned that thimerosal, a
mercury-containing preservative contained in the influenza vaccine, causes
autism. However, during the past few years, a series of biological and
epidemiological studies have shown this concern to be unfounded. Here is a
summary of the evidence showing that, while some things do cause autism,
mercury in vaccines isn't one of them."
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, click
here.
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75751
The thimerosal piece contains the same text as the article by Dr. Paul Offit
found on IAC's website at
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2066.pdf
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April 24, 2006
CDC REPORTS ON NATIONAL INFANT IMMUNIZATION WEEK
CDC published "National Infant Immunization Week—April 22–29, 2006" in the
April 21 issue of MMWR. The article is reprinted below in its entirety,
excluding references.
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The week of April 22–29, 2006, is National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW)
and Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA). During this week, hundreds of
communities throughout the United States are expected to participate in
NIIW-VWA by sponsoring activities emphasizing the importance of timely
infant and childhood vaccination.
Immunization is one of the most effective ways to protect infants and
children from potentially serious diseases. Becauseof increased emphasis on
vaccination, the majority of vaccine-preventable diseases have decreased in
incidence by approximately 99% from peak prevaccine levels in the United
States. In 2005, CDC announced the elimination of rubella virus in the
United States. Measles is no longer endemic in the United States. The number
of measles cases in the Western Hemisphere has been reduced by more than
99%, from approximately 250,000 cases in 1990 to 75 cases in 2005.
In 2005, a total of 62 cases of measles, one case of wild poliovirus, and no
cases of diphtheria were reported in theUnited States. Approximately 11,000
infants are born eachday in the United States; according to the recommended
childhood immunization schedule, they require approximately 24 doses of
vaccine (18–19 injections using combination vaccines) before age 2 years to
protect them from 13 vaccine-preventable diseases.
Arizona, Utah, and communities along the United States–Mexico border will
host kick-off events highlighting the need to achieve and maintain high
childhood vaccination coverage rates, including provider education
activities, media events, and immunization clinics in collaboration with
CDC, state and local health departments, the United States–Mexico Border
Health Commission, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
NIIW is being held in conjunction with VWA. VWA, sponsored by PAHO, targets
children and other vulnerable and underserved populations with low
vaccination coverage rates in all countries in the Western Hemisphere during
this annual campaign.
During NIIW-VWA, CDC will introduce a new Spanish-language public education
campaign, including television and radio public service announcements,
posters, and print advertisements. Additional information about NIIW-VWA and
childhood vaccination is available from CDC's National Immunization Program
at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/default.htm Information on VWA is
available at
http://www.paho.org/English/DD/PIN/vw_2006.htm
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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the MMWR article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5515a6.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5515.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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April 24, 2006
USAID WEBSITE FEATURES AVIAN INFLUENZA RESOURCES
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved
in the fight against avian influenza. To ensure global scientific and policy
coordination, the United States is collaborating closely with eight
international organizations and 88 foreign governments to address the
situation through planning, greater monitoring, and full transparency in
reporting and investigating avian influenza occurrences.
The USAID website includes an Avian Influenza Response section at
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/home/News/news_items/avian_influenza.html
The organization publishes a newsletter which provides updates on the global
avian influenza situation, including the number of human cases by country.
To read past issues, or to subscribe, go to:
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/home/News/news_items/actions.html
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April 24, 2006
UPDATED: IAC REVISES TWO PRINT EDUCATION PIECES
IAC recently revised two of its print pieces. The updated pieces include the
following:
FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
"States Report Hundreds of Medical Errors in Perinatal Hepatitis B
Prevention": The piece was modified to be consistent with the new ACIP
hepatitis B recommendations for infants, children, and adolescents.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2062.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2062.htm
FOR PARENTS
"When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?": Rotavirus vaccine was added
to the schedule, and the recommended age for influenza vaccine was changed
from 6–23 months to 6–59 months.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/when1.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/n17/when1.htm
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April 24, 2006
CDC UPDATES ITS INFLUENZA WEB SECTION WITH CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT AVIAN
INFLUENZA
CDC recently updated two pages of its Influenza web section:
1. Questions & answers about avian influenza (bird flu) & avian influenza
virus (posted 4/17/06)
2. Avian Influenza: Current Situation [Sudan added to list of countries
reporting animal cases] (posted 4/24/06)
To access these resources, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm#updated and click on the pertinent
links.
To access a broad range of continually updated information on seasonal
influenza, avian influenza, and pandemic influenza, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu
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April 24, 2006
ERRATUM: MMWR CORRECTS ERROR IN ITS APRIL 11 AND 14 REPORTS ON EXPOSURE TO
MUMPS DURING AIR TRAVEL
CDC published "Errata: Vol. 55, No. 14" in the April 21 issue of MMWR. The
error regarding "Exposure to Mumps During Air Travel—United States, April
2006," published in an April 11 Dispatch and in the April 14 MMWR, is
reprinted below.
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In the report, "Exposure to Mumps During Air Travel—United States, April
2006," an incorrect city name was given for the location of Northwest
Arkansas Regional Airport. The correct city is Bentonville, Arkansas.
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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5515a7.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5515.pdf
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April 24, 2006
MAY 16 TELECONFERENCE TO DISCUSS HEPATITIS VACCINE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES
FOR IMMUNIZATION COALITIONS
The National Immunization Coalition TA [technical assistance] Network has
scheduled a teleconference that will focus on hepatitis vaccine programs and
resources available to immunization coalitions. It will be held May 16 at
1:00PM ET.
Speakers will include representatives from the Hepatitis B Foundation and
Hepatitis Foundation International.
To register for the teleconference, send an email to
IZTA@aed.org Include this message: "Sign
me up for the Hepatitis Vaccine Programs and Resources Call."
For additional information, or to access earlier programs, go to:
http://www.izcoalitionsta.org/confcall.cfm
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