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IAC Express 2006 |
| Issue number 632: November 27, 2006 |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
- New: CDC
posts provisional recommendations for use of shingles (herpes zoster)
vaccine on the ACIP web section
- CDC
releases Dear Colleague letter from Dr. Gerberding about National
Influenza Vaccination Week
- National
Influenza Vaccination Week is the time to motivate everyone in your
community to get vaccinated; many resources are available to drive the
message home
- CDC
provides guidance for providers without sufficient vaccine to meet demand
during National Influenza Vaccination Week
- IAC
updates its online Ask the Experts information on measles, mumps, rubella,
rabies, and meningococcal disease
- IAC
revises two of its staff education pieces
- MMWR
publishes information about December 7 satellite broadcast
- November
issue of CDC's Pandemic Influenza Update now available on IAC's website
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| Abbreviations |
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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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Issue 632: November 27, 2006 |
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1. |
New: CDC posts provisional
recommendations for use of shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine on the ACIP web
section
On November 20, CDC posted
provisional recommendations for use of shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine on
the ACIP web section. The provisional recommendations are reprinted below in
their entirety.
ACIP PROVISIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF ZOSTER VACCINE
Date of ACIP vote: October 25, 2006
Date of posting of provisional recommendations: November 20, 2006
Tentative date of publication of recommendations in CDC Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report: June 2007
On October 25, 2006, the ACIP made policy recommendations for use of live,
attenuated varicella zoster virus vaccine for prevention of herpes zoster
(shingles) and post-herpetic neuralgia.
Provisional recommendations for prevention of herpes zoster and post-herpetic
neuralgia:
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A single dose of zoster vaccine
is recommended for adults 60 years of age and older whether or not they
report a prior episode of herpes zoster. Persons with chronic medical
conditions may be vaccinated unless a contraindication or precaution
exists for their condition.
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Contraindications and precautions
to use of zoster vaccine are available at
http://www.fda.gov/Cber/label/zosmer052506LB.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the provisional recommendations,
go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/provisional_recs/zoster-11-20-06.pdf
All provisional ACIP recommendations can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/provisional_recs
All published ACIP recommendations can be accessed at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ACIP
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2. |
CDC releases Dear Colleague
letter from Dr. Gerberding about National Influenza Vaccination Week
On November 21, CDC released a Dear Colleague letter signed by
Julie Gerberding, MD, CDC Director, intended for healthcare
professionals who provide influenza vaccination. The letter
describes the purpose of National Influenza Vaccination Week
(NIVW), and encourages providers to offer vaccine to every
patient who wishes to be protected against influenza.
The letter recommends that providers schedule additional clinics
and/or extend clinic hours when feasible and also let patients
know about plans for vaccination opportunities during the coming
weeks. Providers who do not have sufficient quantity of the
vaccine during NIVW should inform their patients that they can
still be vaccinated against influenza after November.
Dr. Gerberding reminds providers: "As long as you have vaccine
available, we hope you will offer it to every patient who enters
your clinic or office. Even patients who do not typically seek
vaccination are often motivated to do so when their provider
recommends it. . ."
To access the letter in its entirety, go to:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/36/summit_nivw_gerberdi.pdf
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3. |
National Influenza Vaccination
Week is the time to motivate everyone in your community to get vaccinated;
many resources are available to drive the message home
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC have
designated the week of November 27-December 3 as National
Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). Professional societies,
federal and state health agencies, and immunization
organizations have developed numerous resources to help
communities promote NIVW and to assist providers with all
aspects of influenza vaccination.
1. The National Influenza Vaccine Summit recently launched
http://www.preventinfluenza.org This website offers healthcare
professionals, the public, and the media one-stop shopping for
resources that encourage and facilitate influenza vaccination
throughout December and into the first months of 2007. The
website includes recommendations, dosing and vaccine
administration resources, toolkits, VISs, standing orders,
screening questionnaires, patient-education materials, Medicare
billing information, and more. The website is updated
frequently, so please visit it often. (And if you have a
website, please create a link to http://www.preventinfluenza.org).
It also includes a newsletter published on November 21,
describing how local Community Immunization Providers (CIPs),
such as the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, are offering
to work in partnership with state and local health departments
and other healthcare organizations during NIVW. To read the
entire article, which lists participating CIPs, go to:
http://www.preventinfluenza.org/summit_news_4b.pdf
The Summit's website also provides a link to the American
Medical Association's Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking
System, which provides healthcare professionals looking for
vaccine with continually updated information on distributors who
have vaccine to sell or donate
(http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16919.html).
2. The homepage of CDC's Influenza web section has been
completely reformatted and updated to promote influenza
vaccination during NIVW and beyond. New information includes two
short podcasts for the public that stress the seriousness of
influenza disease and the effectiveness of the vaccine. To
access the Influenza web section go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu
The web section also provides a link to a newly developed web
page of promotional materials in English and Spanish, such as
NIVW television and radio ads and public service announcements
that local, county, and state health departments can use during
NIVW (some can also be used after NIVW). The web page is located
on the website of the National Immunization Coalition TA
[technical assistance] Network (a program of the Academy for
Educational Development) at
http://www.izcoalitionsta.org/category.cfm?id=23
3. Persons looking for an influenza clinic can use the American
Lung Association's website to find a clinic in their area.
Called the Flu Clinic Locator, the website locates public
clinics based on the user's five-digit zip code. The Flu Clinic
Locator will remain active as long as public influenza clinics
are offered. To access it, go to: http://www.flucliniclocator.org
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4. |
CDC provides guidance for
providers without sufficient vaccine to meet demand during National Influenza
Vaccination Week
On November 21, CDC published "Guidance for Providers without
Sufficient Vaccine to Meet Demand During National Influenza
Vaccination Week (NIVW)." The document is reprinted below in its
entirety.
While CDC anticipates an unprecedented number of influenza
vaccine doses this season and understands from the manufacturers
that the vast majority of doses will be distributed by the end
of November, we recognize that many providers didn't receive
their vaccine as early in the vaccination season as they would
have liked, making it difficult for them to vaccinate all of
their patients during October and early November. In addition,
some providers may still be awaiting completion of their vaccine
orders as NIVW begins. This brief document is intended to
provide guidance and suggestions for providers in that
situation.
The purpose of NIVW is to emphasize the importance of influenza
vaccination and the need to continue vaccination activities
beyond Thanksgiving and into December and January, with
providers implementing outreach and offering vaccination prior
to, during, and following NIVW that are tailored to the patients
they plan to serve and the vaccine supply that they have
available.
For providers who are concerned that they will not have
sufficient vaccine available during NIVW, we recommend using
this week to do outreach to patients, letting them know that
vaccination opportunities will continue into December and
beyond, what those opportunities are, and if needed, to schedule
appointments for those opportunities. Providers can also contact
their local or state health department to learn about other
healthcare providers and clinics in their communities that are
administering influenza vaccine.
If patients reach out to a provider for vaccination and vaccine
is not yet available, the importance of this outreach can be
positively reinforced with the patient, and information can be
shared about the opportunities that the provider is planning for
vaccination in the coming weeks. If appointments will be needed
for these opportunities, an appointment can also be scheduled.
For patients who express concern about the fact that a
vaccination isn't immediately available at the time they contact
the provider, the following information and talking points are
suggested:
- I appreciate your interest in calling about an influenza
vaccination for yourself or your family member.
- Ideally, people should be vaccinated by the end of November,
but it is certainly not too late to get the vaccine in
December or January in most years. The flu season typically
peaks in February or later, so CDC recommends continuing to
vaccinate into December, January, and beyond as needed.
- This is why CDC and other groups are sponsoring National
Influenza Vaccination Week during the last week of November,
to get out the message that continuing to vaccinate beyond
Thanksgiving is important to protect Americans against the
flu.
- At this time, I am planning to administer the vaccine
________________ (timing and types of vaccination
opportunities that are planned) ________.
For providers who have already used their doses and aren't
scheduled to receive further shipments, additional vaccine is
still available for purchase. Distributors with vaccine for sale
have been invited to post vaccine availability at this AMA-sponsored website:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16919.html
For more information about NIVW, go to the CDC website at:
www.cdc.gov/flu
To access the document online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/nivwguidance.htm
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5. |
IAC updates its online Ask the
Experts information on measles, mumps, rubella, rabies, and meningococcal
disease
The IAC website recently posted updated Ask the Experts
information on the following diseases and vaccines: measles,
mumps, rubella, rabies, and meningococcal disease. IAC extends
thanks to William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, and Andrew T. Kroger,
MD, MPH, for reviewing and revising these Ask the Experts web
pages so that they reflect the most current information. Both
are medical epidemiologists with CDC's National Center for
Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
To access the measles, mumps, and rubella Ask the Experts, go
to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021c.htm
To access the rabies Ask the Experts, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021p.htm
To access the meningococcal disease Ask the Experts, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021j.htm
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6. |
IAC revises two of its staff
education pieces
IAC recently updated the following education pieces for
healthcare professionals:
"Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Adult Patients" was
recently reformatted. To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version
of the reformatted piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3082.pdf
"Vaccine Administration Record for Adults" was changed to
include an example page that demonstrates how to record
combination vaccines. To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version
of the expanded piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2023b.pdf
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7. |
MMWR publishes information about
December 7 satellite broadcast
CDC published "Notice to Readers: Satellite Broadcast: Adult
Immunization 2006" in the November 24 issue of MMWR. The article
is reprinted below in its entirety.
CDC and the Public Health Training Network will present the
satellite broadcast and webcast, "Adult Immunization 2006" on
December 7, 2006, at noon EST. The 2.5-hour broadcast will
outline vaccine-preventable diseases among adults in the United
States, highlight the 2006–2007 Adult Immunization Schedule, and
describe strategies to improve adult vaccination coverage
levels. The program will include a discussion of vaccines
routinely recommended for adults, including influenza,
pneumococcal, Tdap, human papillomavirus, and herpes zoster. The
program also will address vaccines recommended for healthcare
workers and identify resources for vaccine recommendations for
international travel. Participants nationwide can interact with
course instructors via toll-free telephone lines during a live
question-and-answer session.
Additional information about the program is available at
http://www2.cdc.gov/phtn/adult-imm06/default.asp
Information
for site administrators about establishing and registering a
viewing location for groups is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/phtnonline This website also is appropriate
for individual participants who wish to view the broadcast from
a specific location or who seek Continuing Education credit.
No registration is necessary to access the webcast via an
Internet connection. The webcast will be available until January
8, 2007, and will become available as a self-study DVD and
Internet-based program in February 2007.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5546a5.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5546.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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8. |
November issue of CDC's Pandemic
Influenza Update now available on IAC's website
CDC recently issued the November
issue of the email newsletter
Pandemic Influenza Update. To access it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/pandemic/panflu1106.pdf
To access a range of pandemic influenza resources on the IAC
website, go to http://www.immunize.org/pandemic
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