IAC Express 2008
Issue number 705: January 14, 2008
 
Contents of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article.
  1. New: CDC, AAP, and AAFP release the 2008 Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Age 0-18 Years
  2. Article published in an AMA journal counters the recurrent and unsubstantiated claim that exposure to thimerosal in vaccines is a cause of autism
  3. January issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter now available online
  4. IAC updates "Immunizations for Babies" and "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?"
  5. Here's a round up of IAC's newly translated print education materials for staff and patients
  6. Important: Be sure to give influenza vaccine throughout the influenza season--from now through spring
  7. VIS translation: Interim VIS for meningococcal vaccines now available in Turkish
  8. Reminder: January 15 is registration deadline for net conference on zoster disease/vaccine and adolescent immunization recommendations
  9. Slides and audio of AHIP's virtual seminar on "Medicare Part D and Vaccine Claims Submission" now available
 
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 705: January 14, 2008
1.  New: CDC, AAP, and AAFP release the 2008 Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Age 0-18 Years

CDC, AAP, and AAFP have endorsed and released the "Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0-18 Years--United States, 2008." On January 11, CDC published the schedule as an MMWR QuickGuide; it is reprinted below in its entirety, excluding references, two figures, and a table.

In addition, the NCIRD website posted black and white and color versions of the schedule's figures, table, and references, as well as presentation graphics (for use in PowerPoint presentations). Also, AAFP published an article about the schedule in the January issue of the journal American Family Physician, and AAP published an article in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics. AAP also published an article in AAP News and issued a related press release. Links to the NCIRD, AAFP, and AAP materials are given at the end of this IAC Express article.

CDC recapped the MMWR QuickGuide information in two resources: the January issue of the Immunization Works electronic newsletter and a January 11 CDC press release titled "Health Groups Release 2008 Immunization Schedules: Children and adolescents now protected against more diseases than ever before." The Immunization Works recap is printed in full in article #3 of this IAC Express issue. A link to the January 11 CDC press release is given at the end of this IAC Express article.


The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) annually publishes a recommended immunization schedule for persons aged 0-18 years to reflect changes in vaccine formulations and current recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines. Changes to the previous schedule are as follows:
  • The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) footnote reflects updated recommendations for incompletely vaccinated children aged 24-59 months, including those with underlying medical conditions.
     
  • Recommendations for use of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) now include healthy children aged as young as 2 years. LAIV should not be administered to children aged <5 years with recurrent wheezing. Children aged <9 years who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time or who were vaccinated for the first time last season, but only received 1 dose, should have 2 doses of vaccine, at least 4 weeks apart. Other updates are included.
     
  • For meningococcal vaccines, changes affect certain children aged 2-10 years. Vaccinating with meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is preferred to meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4) for children at increased risk for meningococcal disease, including children who are traveling to or residents of countries in which the disease is hyperendemic or epidemic, children who have terminal complement component deficiencies, and children who have anatomic or functional asplenia. The catch-up schedule for youths aged 13-18 years has been updated. MPSV4 is an acceptable alternative for short-term (i.e., 3-5 years) protection against meningococcal disease for persons aged 2-18 years.
     
  • The tetanus and diphtheria toxoids/tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Td/Tdap) catch-up schedule for persons aged 7-18 years who received their first dose before age 12 months now indicates that these youths should receive 4 doses, with at least 4 weeks (not 8 weeks) between doses 2 and 3.
     
  • The catch-up bars for hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine have been deleted on the routine schedule for persons aged 0-6 years. The figure title refers users to the catch-up schedule for patients who fall behind or start late with vaccinations.

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act requires that healthcare providers provide parents or patients with copies of Vaccine Information Statements before administering each dose of the vaccines listed in the schedule. Additional information is available from state health departments and from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/default.htm

Detailed recommendations for using vaccines are available from package inserts, ACIP statements (available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/acip-list.htm), and the 2006 Red Book. Guidance regarding the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System form is available at http://www.vaers.hhs.gov or by telephone, (800) 822-7967.


To access a web-text (HTML) version of the QuickGuide, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5701a8.htm

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5701.pdf

To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html

NCIRD materials:
To access the figures, table, and references from the 2008 schedule, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm#printable and click on the pertinent link.

To access the presentation graphics for use in PowerPoint presentations, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm#presentation and click on the pertinent link.

AAFP materials:
In the January 2008 issue of American Family Physician, AAFP published "Practice Guidelines: ACIP Releases 2008 Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedules."

To access a web-text (HTML) version of the article, go to:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20080101/practice.html#p1

AAP materials:
In the January 2008 issue of Pediatrics, AAP published "Recommended Immunization Schedules for Children and Adolescents--United States, 2008" as a policy statement from its Committee on Infectious Diseases.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the article, go to:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/1/207

On January 2, AAP issued a press release, "AAP Issues Recommended 2008 Immunization Schedules, for Children, Adolescents."

To access it, go to:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jan08immunization.htm

The January issue of AAP News published "Highlights of the 2008 Immunization Schedules"; the highlights are available to subscribers only.

To access the highlights, go to: http://aapnews.aappublications.org/current.shtml and scroll down to the four links to "Highlights of the 2008 Immunization Schedules."

CDC press release:
To access the January 11 press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2008/r080111.htm

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2 Article published in an AMA journal counters the recurrent and unsubstantiated claim that exposure to thimerosal in vaccines is a cause of autism

An article in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a journal published by the American Medical Association (AMA), refutes the claim that childhood exposure to thimerosal is a cause of autism. Titled "Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California's Developmental Services System: Mercury in Retrograde," the article is written by Robert Schechter, MD, MSc, and Judith K. Grether, PhD. The abstract is reprinted below.

A related editorial by Eric Fombonne, MD, titled "Thimerosal Disappears but Autism Remains," also appears in the issue. A link to an extract (the first 150 words) of the editorial appears at the end of this IAC Express article. In addition, the website of the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) posted a synopsis of the article that will be useful to the public and media. A link to the synopsis also appears at the end of this IAC Express article.


ARTICLE ABSTRACT
Context: Previous analyses of autism client data reported to the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) have been interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that autism is caused by exposure to the preservative thimerosal, which contains ethylmercury. The exclusion of thimerosal from childhood vaccines in the United States was accelerated from 1999 to 2001. The Immunization Safety Review Committee of the Institute of Medicine has recommended surveillance of trends in autism as exposure to thimerosal during early childhood has decreased.

Objective: To determine whether trends in DDS autism client data support the hypothesis that thimerosal exposure is a primary cause of autism.

Design, Setting, and Patients: Study of time trends in the prevalence by age and birth cohort of children with autism who were active status clients of the DDS from January 1, 1995, through March 31, 2007.

Main Outcome Measure: Prevalence of autism among children with active status in the DDS.

Results: The estimated prevalence of autism for children at each year of age from 3 to 12 years increased throughout the study period. The estimated prevalence of DDS clients aged 3 to 5 years with autism increased for each quarter from January 1995 through March 2007. Since 2004, the absolute increase and the rate of increase in DDS clients aged 3 to 5 years with autism were higher than those in DDS clients of the same ages with any eligible condition including autism.

Conclusions: The DDS data do not show any recent decrease in autism in California despite the exclusion of more than trace levels of thimerosal from nearly all childhood vaccines. The DDS data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to thimerosal during childhood is a primary cause of autism.


To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of both the abstract and article, go to:
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/65/1/19

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the extract (the first 150 words) of Eric Fombonne's editorial, go to:
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/65/1/15

To access the NNii synopsis of the article, go to:
http://www.immunizationinfo.org/immunization_science_detail.cfv?id=134

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3 January issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter now available online

The January issue of Immunization Works, a monthly email newsletter published by CDC, is available on the website of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). 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 January issue has already appeared in previous issues of IAC Express. Following is the text of two articles we have not covered, as well as an article about the 2008 Childhood/Adolescent Immunization Schedule (also covered in article #1 of this issue of IAC Express).


FRONT PAGE NEWS
Updated Childhood/Adolescent Immunization Schedules: The Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons 0-18 and the catch-up immunization schedule for 2008 have just been approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Academy of Pediatrics.

The childhood schedule expands the recommendation for the nasal spray influenza vaccine, FluMist, to include healthy children from 2 to 5 years of age who are healthy and don't have a history of asthma or wheezing. The vaccine, which contains a weakened form of the live virus and is sprayed in the nose, had previously been limited to healthy children 5 years of age and older and healthy adults up to age 50.

Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) is now recommended for routine vaccination for children 11–12 years of age and of adolescents 13-18 years of age who have not been previously vaccinated and other people at increased risk of meningococcal disease, including college freshmen living in dorms and military recruits.

This recommendation modifies and simplifies the previous recommendation for routine vaccination with MCV4 of children at 11-12 years of age, adolescents before high school entry (approximately 15 years of age), and other people at increased risk.

The new schedule also updates recommendations for use of pneumococcal vaccine. Healthy children 24 through 59 months of age who are incompletely vaccinated should receive one dose of PCV4. More information about the schedule can be found in the full article in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).


MEETINGS, CONFERENCES & RESOURCES
NEXT ACIP MEETING: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will hold its next meeting on February 27-28, 2008, at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. This meeting is open to the general public, but advanced registration is required. More information can be found on the ACIP website [http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/ACIP/meetings.htm].


ON-SITE TRAINING IN ATLANTA: A two-day Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases course [http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/ACIP/meetings.htm] will be held in Atlanta on April 15-16, 2008, at CDC. Space is limited. Questions can be directed to Laverne Graham at (404) 639-8225.

Issues of Immunization Works are posted on CDC's Vaccines & Immunizations website a few days after publication. To access the January issue, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/news/newsltrs/imwrks Click on the link titled "Jan" under the banner titled "2008 Newsletters Available Online."

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4 IAC updates "Immunizations for Babies" and "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?"

IAC recently revised two of its parent-education print materials: "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents" and "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" Minor changes were made to both pieces.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated "Immunizations for Babies," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010.pdf

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050.pdf

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5 Here's a round up of IAC's newly translated print education materials for staff and patients

In recent months, the IAC website has posted translations of several print education materials in Spanish. In addition, one piece, "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization," is now available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese, as well as Spanish. Following is a listing of these print materials.

PRINT MATERIALS NEWLY AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
To access "Screening Questionnaire for Intranasal Influenza Vaccination" in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4067-01.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Intranasal Influenza Vaccination" in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4067.pdf

To access "Are You 11-19 Years Old? Then you need to be vaccinated against these serious diseases!" in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4020-01.pdf

To access "Are You 11-19 Years Old? Then you need to be vaccinated against these serious diseases!" in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4020.pdf

To access "Questions Frequently Asked About Hepatitis B" in SPANISH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4090-01.pdf

To access "Questions Frequently Asked About Hepatitis B" in ENGLISH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4090.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Injectable Influenza Vaccine" in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4066-01.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Injectable Influenza Vaccine" in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4066.pdf

To access "Vaccinations for Adults: You're never too old to get immunized!" in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4030-01.pdf

To access "Vaccinations for Adults: You're never too old to get immunized!" in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4030.pdf

To access "If You Have HIV, Which Vaccinations Do You Need?" in SPANISH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4041-01.pdf

To access "If You Have HIV, Which Vaccinations Do You Need?" in ENGLISH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4041.pdf

To access "If You Have Hepatitis C, Which Vaccinations Do You Need?" in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4042-01.pdf

To access "If You Have Hepatitis C, Which Vaccinations Do You Need?" in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4042.pdf

"SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ADULT IMMUNIZATION" NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AND SEVERAL ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES
To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in SPANISH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-01.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in ARABIC, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-20.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in CHINESE, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-08.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in FRENCH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-10.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in KOREAN, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-09.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in RUSSIAN, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-07.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in VIETNAMESE, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-05.pdf

To access "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" in ENGLISH, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065.pdf

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6 Important: Be sure to give influenza vaccine throughout the influenza season--from now through spring

Influenza vaccination should continue through the early months of 2008. 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 Seasonal Flu web section at http://www.cdc.gov/flu

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7 VIS translation: Interim VIS for meningococcal vaccines now available in Turkish

The current version (dated 8/16/07) of the interim VIS for meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4) and meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is now available on the IAC website in Turkish. IAC gratefully acknowledges Mustafa Kozanoglu, MD, and Murat Serbest, MD, for the translation.

To obtain the interim VIS for meningococcal vaccines in Turkish, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/tu_men.pdf

To obtain the interim VIS for meningococcal vaccines in English, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/menin06.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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8 Reminder: January 15 is registration deadline for net conference on zoster disease/vaccine and adolescent immunization recommendations

The next NCIRD live Net Conference will cover shingles (zoster) disease and vaccine and adolescent vaccination recommendations. It is scheduled from noon to 1PM ET on January 17. Registration will close on January 15 at midnight ET or when the course is full. To register, go to:
http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/isd/ciinc

For additional information, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/ciinc

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9 Slides and audio of AHIP's virtual seminar on "Medicare Part D and Vaccine Claims Submission" now available

In November 2007, the trade association America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), presented a virtual seminar--"Medicare Part D and Vaccine Claims Submission." Slides with audio are now available, as are slides without audio.

To access both the slides with audio and the slides without audio, go to: http://www.ahip.org/virtual/medicarepartd Scroll down to the section titled Registered Attendees and click on the pertinent link.

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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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