IAC Express 2007
Issue number 677: August 06, 2007
 
Contents of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article.
  1. New: CDC's Pre-Teen Vaccine campaign urges vaccination with meningococcal, Tdap, HPV vaccines--and others
  2. Reminder: August 9 is the date for CDC's satellite broadcast "Immunization Update 2007"
  3. Updated: CDC website posts May 2007 edition of its booklet "Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women"
  4. Merck notifies CDC of delays in production of its pediatric and adult hepatitis A vaccines
  5. IAC website posts interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine in Turkish
  6. For coalitions: IAC's www.izcoalitions.org website keeps on growing--be sure your coalition is in on the action
 
Abbreviations
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.
  
Issue 677: August 6, 2007
1.  New: CDC's Pre-Teen Vaccine campaign urges vaccination with meningococcal, Tdap, HPV vaccines--and others

On August 1, CDC launched a multi-media, bi-lingual campaign to vaccinate pre-teens and adolescents. The campaign's primary audience are the parents and guardians of pre-teens and adolescents, as well as pediatricians and family physicians and their staffs. Also on August 1, CDC issued a press release titled "CDC Urges Parents to Protect Pre-Teens with Three Recommended Vaccines: New CDC campaign launched during National Immunization Awareness Month encourages a routine health checkup for 11- and 12-year-olds." Excerpts from the press release appear at the end of this IAC Express article.

Though the campaign stresses vaccinating all 11- and 12-year-olds against meningococcal disease (MCV4) and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), and 11- 12-year-old girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), it also encourages pre-teens and adolescents to get caught up on missed childhood vaccines, such as those that protect against hepatitis B virus, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella.

To access campaign materials, including posters intended for Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic populations; flyers for parents in English and Spanish; and web banners and buttons in English and Spanish, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol/07gallery/default.htm

To access an extensive selection of resources for parents, pre-teens, and adolescents, as well as for health professionals, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol.htm

Excerpts from the press release are reprinted below.


As children approach their teen years, parents often worry about how to protect them from new risks and potential dangers. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today [August 1] launched a campaign to educate parents about one of the things they can do to protect their children at 11 and 12 years of age and for years to come: make sure they are vaccinated against serious, sometimes life-threatening diseases such as meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and cervical cancer.

The CDC's Pre-Teen Vaccine campaign is designed to inform parents, caregivers, family physicians, and pediatricians about CDC's new vaccination recommendations for 11- and 12-year-olds. The three pre-teen vaccines include MCV4, which protects against meningitis and its complications; Tdap, which is a booster against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis or "whooping cough"; and for girls, the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against HPVs that are the most common causes of cervical cancer.

The campaign's launch coincides with National Immunization Awareness Month in August.

A new website, http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol.htm, provides easy-to-understand, downloadable educational materials in English and Spanish for parents and healthcare providers about the vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

"Many parents do not realize that some childhood vaccines, such as those for tetanus and whooping cough, wear off over time and, as they get older, young people are at risk of exposure to different diseases at school, camp, or in other new situations," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Research shows that pre-teens generally do not get preventive healthcare, visiting the doctor only when they are sick. One goal of this campaign is to encourage parents to take their pre-teens in for the recommended 11- or 12-year-old check-up, which is endorsed by the American Academy for Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, in addition to CDC. "The pre-teen check-up is a great time to talk with your child's healthcare provider about your child's development, nutrition, safety, and vaccination status," said Dr. Schuchat. . . .

To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070801.htm

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2 Reminder: August 9 is the date for CDC's satellite broadcast "Immunization Update 2007"

The live satellite broadcast and webcast "Immunization Update 2007" will provide up-to-date information on the rapidly changing field of immunization. Anticipated topics include influenza, rotavirus, varicella, and zoster vaccines; the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines; and other emerging vaccine issues.

The 2.5-hour broadcast is scheduled for August 9 from 9AM to 11:30AM ET; it will be re-broadcast later in the day from 12 noon to 2:30PM ET. Both broadcasts will feature a live question-and-answer session in which participants nationwide can interact with the course instructors on toll-free telephone lines.

Faculty. The course instructors include William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH; Donna L. Weaver, MN, RN; and Andrew T. Kroger, MD, MPH. All are with the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Audience. The program's intended audience includes physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, Department of Defense paraprofessionals, pharmacists, health educators, and their colleagues who either administer vaccines or set policy for their offices, clinics, or communicable disease or infection control programs. Private and public healthcare providers, including pediatricians, family practice specialists, residents, and medical and nursing students are encouraged to participate.

Registration. Registration is not required. HOWEVER, ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS. To register, go to: http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline

Questions. For additional registration information, email ce@cdc.gov or call (800) 418-7246. For additional program information, send an email to nipinfo@cdc.gov

Webcast. The program will have a live webcast at http://www2a.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/immup-2007

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3 Updated: CDC website posts May 2007 edition of its booklet "Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women"

CDC has recently posted the May 2007 edition of its booklet "Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women" on its Vaccines and Immunizations web section. The information is abstracted from recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

To access the web-text (HTML) version of the guidelines, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/preg-guide.htm

To access the ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/downloads/b_preg_guide.pdf

To access all resources the Vaccines and Immunization section offers in the category titled "For Specific Groups of People: Pregnant Women," go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/pregnant.htm

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4 Merck notifies CDC of delays in production of its pediatric and adult hepatitis A vaccines

On August 2 the CDC website posted a footnote on its Chart of Vaccines in Delay or Shortage announcing that Merck's hepatitis A vaccines are on backorder owing to production delays. The production delays have NOT resulted in any change in routine recommendation for hepatitis A vaccine. The footnote is reprinted below in its entirety.


Merck & Co., Inc., is experiencing production delays for Pediatric and Adult hepatitis A vaccine (Pediatric & Adult VAQTA) resulting in backorders for these products. GSK production and supply of their Pediatric and Adult hepatitis A vaccine (Pediatric & Adult Havrix) and their Adult hepatitis A/hepatitis B combination vaccine (Twinrix) are currently in good supply to meet demand. GSK has initiated plans to increase production of Havrix and Twinrix, to help ensure uninterrupted supply for the U.S. market.

To access the information from the CDC website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/shortages

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5 IAC website posts interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine in Turkish

Dated 7/18/07, the interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine is now available on the IAC website in Turkish. IAC gratefully acknowledges Mustafa Kozanoglu, MD, and Murat Serbest, MD, Adana, Turkey, for the translation.

To obtain a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine in Turkish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/tu_hpb01.pdf

To obtain it in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/hepb01.pdf

For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in more than 30 languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at http://www.immunize.org/vis

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6 For coalitions: IAC's www.izcoalitions.org website keeps on growing--be sure your coalition is in on the action

In April 2007, IAC's izcoalitions.org website (http://www.izcoalitions.org) listed information from 150 immunization coalitions. Now, four months later, it has grown to include information from 160 coalitions.

Launched in 2002, the site includes data from coalitions at all levels (local, state, regional, and national) and of all types, vaccine-specific as well as age-specific (childhood, adult, senior).

This online database allows health professionals, immunization advocates, parents, and others to contact specific coalitions to find resources, share ideas, and form strategic partnerships. Searches can be done by coalition name or geographic area.

Be sure your coalition is part of this powerful web-based networking tool by logging on and checking for your coalition's listing. If your coalition is not listed, sign up today. If you're already signed up, and information about your coalition has changed, be sure to update your listing to help us keep izcoalitions.org current and accurate.

To search the izcoalitions.org website, go to:
http://www.izcoalitions.org

If you have questions or difficulties using the website, send an email to Janelle at janelle@immunize.org or call her at (651) 647-9009.

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About IZ Express

IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. 1NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

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Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
  • Web Edition Managers
    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Contributing Writer
    Laurel H. Wood, MPA
  • Technical Reviewer
    Kayla Ohlde

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