Issue
Number 597
May 8, 2006
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- New: White House releases implementation component of
the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza
- New: "Vaccines for Adolescents" patient-education piece
now on NIP website
- New: CDC website posts a fact sheet for the general
public about HPV disease and vaccine
- May issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic
newsletter now available on the NIP website
- CDC's surveys of parents indicate at least 300,000 U.S.
children had autism in 2003-04
- For information on "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America,"
contact your state health department's communications office
- More than $1 billion awarded for cell-based influenza
vaccine; background information posted on CDC website
----------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
---------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------
(1 of 7)
May 8, 2006
NEW: WHITE HOUSE RELEASES IMPLEMENTATION COMPONENT OF THE NATIONAL STRATEGY
FOR PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
The federal government recently released a 233-page document titled
"National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan." On May 3,
the online newsletter The CDC Public Health Law News announced the
document's release. The announcement is reprinted below in its entirety.
**********************
PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. This afternoon, the White House
released the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic
Influenza. The Implementation Plan covers more than 300 critical actions to
address the threat of pandemic influenza and details command, control, and
coordination of the federal response, as well as roles and responsibilities.
To read the Plan, visit
http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi_implementation.pdf
**********************
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(2 of 7)
May 8, 2006
NEW: "VACCINES FOR ADOLESCENTS" PATIENT-EDUCATION PIECE NOW ON NIP WEBSITE
On May 3, the NIP website posted a new patient-education piece, "Vaccines
for Adolescents: Help keep adolescents healthy and safe with immunizations."
The one-page sheet briefly describes five vaccines and the diseases they
prevent: tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap), meningococcal
conjugate (MCV4), hepatitis B, varicella, and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR).
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of the fact sheet, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/flyers/f_imz_child.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(3 of 7)
May 8, 2006
NEW: CDC WEBSITE POSTS A FACT SHEET FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT HPV DISEASE
AND VACCINE
CDC's Sexually Transmitted Diseases web section recently posted a fact sheet
on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the vaccines currently in
development to prevent the disease.
To access the fact sheet, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm#vaccine
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(4 of 7)
May 8, 2006
MAY ISSUE OF CDC'S IMMUNIZATION WORKS ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE ON
THE NIP WEBSITE
The May issue of Immunization Works, a monthly email newsletter published by
CDC, is available on NIP's website. The newsletter offers members of the
immunization community non-proprietary information about current topics. CDC
encourages its wide dissemination.
Some of the information in the May issue has already appeared in previous
issues of IAC Express. Following is the text of six articles we have not
covered.
************************
WELCOME TO THE NEW IMMUNIZATION WORKS
Immunization Works is expanding to reflect the new National Center for
Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (see Immunization Works April 2006
edition,
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/newsltrs/imwrks/2006/200604.htm). In
addition to articles about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases,
readers can now expect to see articles about respiratory diseases. As
always, Immunization Works is committed to providing CDC partners with new
information and resources that can help frontline health professionals.
************************
Other News and Summaries
PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE HAS UNEXPECTED BENEFITS:
Two recent journal articles solidify the importance of the pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine (PCV7). While the protection of vaccinated children—those
aged 2 to 23 months—was expected, additional, unexpected benefits from the
vaccine were also found.
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked
at invasive pneumococcal disease among infants before and after introduction
of PCV7. This prospective, population-based study of infants in the U.S.
found conclusive results; since the introduction of PCV7, rates of invasive
pneumococcal disease in infants too young to [be] vaccinated have decreased
significantly, along with rates for the vaccinated children themselves. The
abstract for this article can be found at JAMA's website at
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/295/14/1668
An article in the New England Journal of Medicine [NEJM] looked at the
effect of introducing the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on drug-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae. It tracked cases of serious pneumococcal disease
in a population of nearly 17 million people between 1998 and 2004—both
before and after the introduction of the vaccine. In 2004, four years after
the introduction of the vaccine, there were 13,000 fewer severe illnesses
caused by resistant pneumococcal strains than in 1999, the year before the
vaccine was licensed. An unexpected and strong finding also points to how
many cases of serious pneumococcal disease were prevented in adults, who do
not receive the vaccine, by vaccinating children—a great demonstration of
the "herd immunity" effect crossing generations and offering benefits to the
community as a whole. The abstract for this article can be found on the [NEJM]
website at
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/354/14/1455
************************
Meetings, Conferences, and Resources
IMMUNIZATION PROVIDER PROJECTS: New funding is currently available to
support projects to inform and educate immunization providers about
immunization issues. A cooperative agreement entitled "Using Immunization
Provider Partnerships to Increase Immunization Rates" will support
approximately five awards, averaging $140,000 per year, for a three-year
period. Letters of Intent are due May 12, 2006, and applications are due
June 12, 2006. For a copy of the full announcement and detailed application
requirements, please visit
http://www.grants.gov and search for "immunization provider."
************************
NEXT ACIP MEETING: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
will hold its next meeting on June 29-30, 2006, at the CDC in Atlanta,
Georgia. The draft agenda will be available in late May on ACIP's website at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ACIP/dates.htm Participants can also register for
the June meeting at ACIP's website. This meeting is open to the general
public, but advanced registration is required.
************************
WATCH FOUR-PART BROADCAST: It is not too late to watch CDC's annual
four-part broadcast Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable
Diseases. The four-part broadcast is now available in two formats,
internet-based program or DVD. The internet version can be found at
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/PHTN//webcast/epv06/default.asp The DVD can be
ordered using the online order form found at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/default.htm The four-part series is
the last item listed on the "CDC Online Order Form."
************************
UPCOMING SATELLITE BROADCASTS: The annual summer offering of Immunization
Update 2006 is scheduled for August 10, 2006. Anticipated topics include
influenza vaccine, pertussis vaccine for adolescents and adults, revised
recommendations for hepatitis A vaccination of children, and the new
vaccines for rotavirus and herpes zoster. For further details, please visit
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/immup-2006
************************
To access the complete May issue from the NIP website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/newsltrs/imwrks/2006/200605.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(5 of 7)
May 8, 2006
CDC'S SURVEYS OF PARENTS INDICATE AT LEAST 300,000 U.S. CHILDREN HAD AUTISM
IN 2003-04
CDC published "Mental Health in the United States: Parental Report of
Diagnosed Autism in Children Aged 4-17 Years—United States, 2003–2004" in
the May 5 issue of MMWR.
In addition, CDC also conducted a press briefing about the surveys' findings
and made fact sheets about the surveys and about autism research available
on its website. Links to the transcript of the press briefing and to both
fact sheets appear at the end of this IAC Express article.
Portions of the MMWR article summary that CDC made available to the press
are reprinted below.
***********************
Parent-reported prevalence estimates from 2 surveys in which parents were
asked whether their child had been diagnosed with autism were 5.7 per 1,000
school-aged children (National Health Interview Survey [NHIS]) and 5.5 per
1,000 school-aged children (National Survey of Children's Health [NSCH]).
Together, these two national surveys of parents suggest that over 300,000
school-aged children had autism in 2003-04. . . . In these independent
national surveys, both conducted during 2003-2004, parents of randomly
selected children were asked if a doctor or healthcare provider had ever
told them their child had autism. Children reported to have autism from
these surveys were also reported as experiencing a high level of social and
behavioral difficulties and receiving special education or other services
for emotional, developmental, or behavioral problems. Population-based
surveys like NHIS and NSCH might be useful in the future to assess the
impact of an autism diagnosis on the child and family. This is one of
several methods CDC is using to determine how common autism is in the U.S.
This method complements CDC's tracking of autism in metropolitan Atlanta and
in other sites across the U.S. using information obtained from education and
health records. Autism is a lifelong neuro-developmental disorder
characterized by early onset of problems with social interaction and
communication, and unusual, stereotyped behaviors.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete MMWR article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5517a3.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5517.pdf
To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP
statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
To access the transcript of the press briefing, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t060504.htm
To access the fact sheet about the surveys, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/ASDMMWRfactSheet.pdf
To access the fact sheet about autism research, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/AutismResearchFactSheet.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(6 of 7)
May 8, 2006
FOR INFORMATION ON "FATAL CONTACT: BIRD FLU IN AMERICA," CONTACT YOUR STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
On May 9, the ABC television network will air the made-for-TV movie "Fatal
Contact: Bird Flu in America." The movie is a fictional work of
entertainment, not a factual account of a real world event. Despite this,
you or your colleagues may receive phone calls and email messages about it
from the public or the mass media.
It is suggested that you refer calls and messages from the public to your
state health department's communications office. Calls and messages from the
press can be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Press Office at (202) 690-6343.
For additional information about the movie, visit the ABC website at
http://abc.go.com/movies/birdflu.html
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Top
(7 of 7)
May 8, 2006
MORE THAN $1 BILLION AWARDED FOR CELL-BASED INFLUENZA VACCINE; BACKGROUND
INFORMATION POSTED ON CDC WEBSITE
On May 4, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a press
release announcing that it is awarding more than $1 billion to five vaccine
manufacturers to develop and produce cell-based influenza vaccine. In
addition, the federal government's pandemic influenza website (www.pandemicflu.gov)
posted background information outlining cell-based vaccine production.
The opening paragraph of the HHS press release is reprinted below.
*****************
For immediate release
Thursday, May 4, 2006
HHS AWARDS CONTRACTS TOTALING MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO DEVELOP CELL-BASED
INFLUENZA VACCINE
As part of the President's plan to prepare for a pandemic, HHS Secretary
Mike Leavitt today awarded more than $1 billion to accelerate development
and production of new technologies for influenza vaccines within the U.S.
These five contracts support the advanced development of cell-based
production technologies for influenza vaccines and will help to modernize
and strengthen the nation's influenza vaccine production by creating an
alternative to producing influenza vaccines in eggs. These funds are part of
$3.3 billion proposed by the President and appropriated by Congress to HHS
for fiscal year 2006 to help the nation prepare for a pandemic.
*****************
To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060504.html
To access the background information on cell-based vaccine production, go
to:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/vaccine/vproductioncells.html |
