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IAC Express 2007 |
| Issue number 672: July 02, 2007 |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
- New: CDC
publishes ACIP's influenza vaccination recommendations for 2007
- ACIP
votes to recommend routine use of meningococcal conjugate vaccine in
adolescents ages 11-18 years
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Reformatted: IAC's popular online Ask the Experts web section offers users
fast, easy navigation
- IAC
introduces new pieces that answer patients' questions about Hib and
shingles (zoster)
- September
15 is the date for CHOP's Vaccine Education Symposium
- New:
CDLHN offers CD of printable materials to promote the use of Tdap vaccine
to professionals and adult patients
- Annual
Immunize Georgia Conference set for September 20 in College Park, GA
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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; AMA, American Medical Association; CDC, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IAC, Immunization
Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; NCIRD,
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; NIVS, National
Influenza Vaccine Summit; VIS, Vaccine Information Statement; VPD,
vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health Organization. |
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Issue 672: July 2, 2007 |
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1. |
New: CDC publishes ACIP's influenza vaccination recommendations for 2007
CDC published "Prevention and Control of
Influenza:
Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP), 2007" in electronic format in the June 29 MMWR
Early Release. The summary and a box titled "Persons for Whom
Annual Vaccination Is Recommended" are reprinted below.
SUMMARY
This report updates the 2006 recommendations by CDC's Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of
influenza vaccine and antiviral agents (CDC. Prevention and
control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2006;55[No. RR-10]). The
groups of persons for whom vaccination is recommended and the
antiviral medications recommended for chemoprophylaxis or
treatment (oseltamivir or zanamivir) have not changed. Estimated
vaccination coverage remains <50% among certain groups for whom
routine annual vaccination is recommended, including young
children and adults with risk factors for influenza
complications, healthcare personnel (HCP), and pregnant women.
Strategies to improve vaccination coverage, including use of
reminder/recall systems and standing orders programs, should be
implemented or expanded. The 2007 recommendations include new
and updated information.
Principal updates and changes include
(1) reemphasizing the importance of administering 2 doses of
vaccine to all children aged 6 months-8 years if they have not
been vaccinated previously at any time with either live,
attenuated influenza vaccine (doses separated by =>6 weeks) or
trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (doses separated by =>4
weeks), with single annual doses in subsequent years;
(2) recommending that children aged 6 months-8 years who
received only 1 dose in their first year of vaccination receive
2 doses the following year, with single annual doses in
subsequent years;
(3) highlighting a previous recommendation that all persons,
including school-aged children, who want to reduce the risk of
becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to
others should be vaccinated;
(4) emphasizing that immunization providers should offer
influenza vaccine and schedule immunization clinics throughout
the influenza season;
(5) recommending that healthcare facilities consider the level
of vaccination coverage among HCP to be one measure of a
patient-safety quality program and implement policies to
encourage HCP vaccination (e.g., obtaining signed statements
from HCP who decline influenza vaccination); and
(6) using the 2007-2008 trivalent vaccine virus strains
A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like (new for this season),
A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like, and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like
antigens.
This report and other information are available at CDC's
influenza website (http://www.cdc.gov/flu). Updates or
supplements to these recommendations (e.g., expanded age or
risk-group indications for currently licensed vaccines) might be
required. Immunization providers should be alert to
announcements of recommendation updates and should check the CDC
influenza website periodically for additional information. . . .
BOX. PERSONS FOR WHOM ANNUAL VACCINATION IS RECOMMENDED
Annual vaccination against influenza is recommended for
- all persons, including school-aged children, who want to
reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of
transmitting influenza to others;
- all children aged 6-59 months (i.e., 6 months-4 years);
- all persons aged >=50 years;
- children and adolescents (aged 6 months-18 years) receiving
long-term aspirin therapy who therefore might be at risk for
experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
- women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
- adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including
asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic,
hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes
mellitus);
- adults and children who have immunosuppression (including
immunosuppression caused by medications or by human
immunodeficiency virus);
- adults and children who have any condition (e.g., cognitive
dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other
neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory
function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can
increase the risk for aspiration;
- residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities;
- healthcare personnel;
- healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers
of children aged <5 years and adults aged >=50 years, with
particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children aged
<6 months; and
- healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers
of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher
risk for severe complications from influenza. . . .
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the recommendations,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr56e629.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the recommendations, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr56e629a1.htm
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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2. |
ACIP votes to recommend routine use of meningococcal conjugate vaccine in
adolescents ages 11-18 years
At its June 27-28 meeting, ACIP voted to expand
part of its
recommendations for the use of meningococcal conjugate vaccine
(MCV4). ACIP voted to recommend giving a one-time dose of MCV4
to all adolescents ages 11-18 years. The vote does not alter the
remainder of the recommendations, which includes giving the
vaccine to college freshmen living in dormitories and to other
persons at risk for meningococcal disease or its complications.
ACIP recommendations become the official recommendations of CDC
once they are accepted by the director of CDC and the Secretary
of Health and Human Services and are published in the Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report.
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3. |
Reformatted: IAC's popular online Ask the Experts web section offers users
fast, easy navigation
IAC recently reformatted its very popular and
much-visited
online Ask the Experts web section. Ask the Experts is a
compilation of questions and answers about immunization and
viral hepatitis that have appeared in past issues of IAC's three
print periodicals, Needle Tips, Vaccinate Adults, and Vaccinate
Women. It is written by CDC experts William L. Atkinson, MD,
MPH; Andrew T. Kroger, MD, MPH; and Joanna Buffington, MD, MPH.
The section's main page now features a clean, visually appealing
design, a disease/vaccine index, and a left-column navigation
bar. In addition, many of the disease/vaccine pages offer users
an index of subtopics pertinent to the disease/vaccine, as well
as tables and other graphic elements that organize and explain
complex information.
Information in the Ask the Experts web section is reviewed at
least every six months and updated as necessary. Please browse
through it at your convenience, and visit it whenever you need
reliable, comprehensive immunization and hepatitis information.
To access it, go to: http://www.immunize.org/askexperts
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4. |
IAC introduces new pieces that answer patients' questions about Hib and
shingles (zoster)
IAC recently developed ready-to-print versions of
some of the
CDC-reviewed Q&A material located on IAC's Vaccine Information
website (www.vaccineinformation.org). The website is intended
for the public, health professionals, and the media.
The newly formatted Q&As present information on the following
diseases and vaccines: Hib and shingles (zoster). In the next
several weeks, IAC Express will announce the availability of
more ready-to-print Q&As on additional vaccine-preventable
diseases and vaccines.
Organized in an easy-to-follow Q&A format, these pieces can be
printed and handed out to patients to help educate them about
the seriousness of VPDs and the importance of vaccination. Links
to the new ready-to-print Q&As follow:
To access "Hib: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4206.pdf
To access "Shingles (Zoster): Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4221.pdf
In the June 4, 11, 18, and 25 issues of IAC Express, we
announced newly formatted Q&As on 14 other diseases and
vaccines. Following are the direct links to them:
To access "Chickenpox (Varicella): Questions and Answers," go
to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4202.pdf
To access "Diphtheria: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4203.pdf
To access "HPV: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4207.pdf
To access "Tetanus: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4220.pdf
To access "Rubella: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4218.pdf
To access "Polio: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4215.pdf
To access "Meningococcal: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4210.pdf
To access "Rotavirus: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4217.pdf
To access "Mumps: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4211.pdf
To access "Pertussis: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4212.pdf
To access "PPV: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4213.pdf
To access "Hepatitis A: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4204.pdf
To access "Hepatitis B: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4205.pdf
To access "Measles: Questions and Answers," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4209.pdf
To access IAC's online disease/vaccine Q&A material for patients
and parents, go to: http://www.vaccineinformation.org and click
on the pertinent link(s).
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5. |
September 15 is the date for CHOP's Vaccine Education Symposium
On September 15, the Vaccine Education Center at
Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is sponsoring a one-day
symposium for health professionals that will focus on concerns
and questions related to vaccine financing, science, and
exemptions. The following topics will be discussed:
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History of vaccines
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Medical update of thimerosal in vaccines
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Thimerosal in court
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Thimerosal in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
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Influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel
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Philosophical exemptions and pertussis
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Rights of those who choose vaccination
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the symposium
brochure, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/cme/2007/vaccine/pdf/vaccine_std.pdf
For additional information, contact CHOP's Continuing Medical
Education Department at (215) 590-5263 or visit
http://www.chop.edu/cme
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6. |
New: CDLHN offers CD of printable materials to promote the use of Tdap
vaccine to professionals and adult patients
The California Distance Learning Health Network (CDLHN)
is now
offering a CD of six printable flyers that promote the use of
Tdap vaccine to health professionals, parents, and adult
patients. The files on the CD can be edited to include an
organization's contact information, logo, or other information.
The flyers on the CD include the following:
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"Grandparents: Protect Your Grandbabies from Whooping Cough"
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"Parents: Protect Yourself and Your Children from Whooping
Cough"
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"Protect Your Baby from Whooping Cough"
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"If You Work in a Health Care Setting: It's Time for Your
Tetanus Booster"
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"Check Your Vials: Is it Tdap, DTaP, or Td?"
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"Tetanus Prophylaxis in Wound Management"
The CD costs $25. To order, go to:
http://cdlhn.com and click
"Online Store" in the navigation column at the left of the page.
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7. |
Annual Immunize Georgia Conference set for September 20 in College Park, GA
The annual Immunize Georgia Conference will be
held on September
20 at the Georgia International Convention Center, College Park,
GA (near the Atlanta International Airport). The registration
deadline is August 28; late registrations will be accepted after
that date. The conference is sponsored by the Georgia Department
of Human Resources and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
To access a comprehensive conference brochure, which includes
registration, program, and speaker information, go to:
http://www.choa.org/menus/documents/cme/ImmGA.pdf
For additional information, contact Angie Matthiessen at (404)
785-7225 or angie.matthiessen@choa.org
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