CDC, AAP, and AAFP have endorsed and released the "Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0-18 Years誘nited States, 2007". On January 5, CDC published the schedule as an MMWR QuickGuide; it is reprinted below in its entirety, excluding references, two figures, and a table.

Additional materials. AAP published an article about the 2007 schedule in the January 2007 issue of the journal Pediatrics and also issued a press release. CDC issued a press release about the schedule. Links to the Pediatrics article, AAP press release, and CDC press release are given at the end of this IAC Express article.

Remember, influenza vaccination should continue in the early months of 2007. Visit the following websites often to find the information you need to keep vaccinating. Both are continually updated with the latest resources.

The National Influenza Vaccine Summit website at http://www.preventinfluenza.org

CDC's Influenza web section at http://www.cdc.gov/flu

On January 3, kaisernetwork.org, a service of the Kaiser Family Foundation, announced that it will host a live web cast on implementing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It will be held January 10 at 2PM ET. The announcement is reprinted below.

The CDC website now has updated information on the satellite broadcast of Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Online registration for continuing education credit will open on January 10 (details are at the end of this article).

Dates and times:
Presented in four sessions, the course will be held on consecutive Thursdays: January 25, and February 1, 8, and 15. All sessions will be broadcast from 12 noon ET to 4PM ET. The broadcast will feature a question-and-answer session in which participants nationwide can interact with the course instructors by toll-free telephone lines.

Each of the four sessions can be viewed independently for CE credit. Each will have a live web cast, available through the Internet for one month following the broadcast. To access the web casts, go to: http://www2a.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/epv07

In addition to online registration information, the updated material includes the following (taken from the course overview at http://www2.cdc.gov/phtn/epv07).

The four-session outline:
Session One will cover principles of vaccination, general recommendations on immunization, and vaccine storage, handling, and administration and vaccine safety. Session Two will cover pertussis, pneumococcal disease (childhood), polio, rotavirus, and Hib. Session Three will cover measles, rubella, varicella, zoster, and meningococcal disease. Session Four will cover hepatitis B, hepatitis A, influenza, HPV, and pneumococcal disease (adult).

If you have questions regarding program content, email nipinfo@cdc.gov

The faculty:
William Atkinson, MD, MPH; Andrew Kroger, MD, MPH; Judy Schmidt, RN, EdD; Donna Weaver, RN, MN. All are with CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Course materials:
Participants are strongly encouraged to obtain the primary course text, Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. This is accessible online at no charge at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink It is also available in hard copy from the Public Health Foundation (PHF). The new 10th edition will become available sometime in February. Order by phone at (877) 252-1200 or visit the PHF website at http://bookstore.phf.org/prod463.htm

Beginning the Monday before each broadcast, course participants are encouraged to visit the Broadcast Updates and Resources website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/UpdatesandResources.htm to download and print slide sets and other materials that will be useful to have in print format during each session.

Registration and Continuing Education (CE) Credit: You do NOT need to register to participate in the web cast.

For CE credit, you must register online at http://www2a.cdc.gov/phtnonline In addition, you need to complete the course evaluation. CE credit for this program will expire on March 15.

For questions about registration, call (800) 418-7246 or email ce@cdc.gov

In the coming weeks, IAC Express will update readers on additional information about the course.

IAC recently revised it patient-education form "Should You Be Tested for Hepatitis C? A screening questionnaire for adults." Information was added to tell patients that they can be tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) without indicating if they are in a specific risk group for contracting HCV. In addition, minor revisions were also made.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2192hepc.pdf

Yikes! Here it is January 8 and you haven't registered for this year's National Immunization Conference (NIC)! Lucky for you, the people in charge at NIC have posted everything you need online.

Where is it and when is it? NIC is scheduled for March 5-8, in Kansas City, MO.

What does registration cost and how do I register? The fee for early-bird registration is $200. Wait until January 13, and it's $225 for standard registration; wait until February 17, and it's $250 for late and onsite registration. To register online, go to: http://conferences.taskforce.org/nic/2007nic.htm

What's happening at NIC this year?
For comprehensive program information, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/nic

For additional information, contact the NIC conference planning team at (404) 639-8225 or nipnic@cdc.gov

To plan some fun in Kansas City, visit the official tourism website at http://www.visitkc.com

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) is seeking nominations for the 2007 "Natalie J. Smith, MD, Award." The award, which will be presented at the National Immunization Conference in Kansas City, MO, in March, was established to honor the memory of Dr. Smith's outstanding management and leadership skills in the area of state and national vaccine-preventable disease programs. Eligible candidates are current or recently retired immunization program managers who are designated as the persons primarily responsible for directing the 64 city, state, or territorial immunization programs directly funded by the National Immunization Program. The deadline for nominations is February 9.

Dr. Smith, who died in 2003 at age 41, was deputy director, National Immunization Program, CDC. Prior to accepting the NIP position, she served for eight years as chief, Immunization Branch, California Department of Health Services. Dr. Smith served as a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and as chair of the Association of Immunization Managers. She wrote numerous significant publications on immunization and was a frequent presenter and consultant on immunization-related issues.

To access more information about the award, including the nomination criteria and a 2007 nomination form, go to: http://www.immunizationmanagers.org/pdfs/NatalieJSmithAwardNominationForm2007.doc

CDC published "Notice to Readers: Tenth Annual Conference on Vaccine Research" in the January 5 issue of MMWR. The notice is reprinted below in its entirety.