On March 30, CDC published two new interim VISs--one for each of the two human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines licensed for use in the United States. One VIS is intended for use when administering Gardasil (Merck) and the other when administering Cervarix (GSK). These interim VISs replace the single HPV vaccine VIS dated 2/2/07. Stocks of the 2/2/07 VIS may be used up, although the updated editions are preferred. The 2/2/07 VIS may be supplemented verbally or with written materials as appropriate to inform patients of changes (e.g., use of Gardasil in males).

To access the 3/30/10 interim VIS for Gardasil HPV vaccine from the IAC website, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/vis-hpv-gardasil.pdf

To access the 3/30/10 interim VIS for Cervarix HPV vaccine from the IAC website, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/vis-hpv-cervarix.pdf

For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in more than 35 languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at http://www.immunize.org/vis

For general information about VISs from CDC's website go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis

For CDC's latest news on VISs, go to
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/vis-news.htm

At a press briefing held on March 29, U.S. government health officials reported that three states in the Southeast--Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina--are experiencing more regional H1N1 influenza activity than they have in several months. Georgia in particular is being hit hard, with the Georgia Department of Community Health reporting an increase in influenza-related hospitalizations. Local activity is reported in Puerto Rico and eight states, mostly in the southeast--Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, as well western states--Hawaii and New Mexico. Adults with chronic illnesses and those of advanced age are more likely to become severely ill if they encounter the H1N1 virus. Minority groups are not participating in national vaccination effort at the rate other population  groups are, yet minorities experience higher rates of the chronic illnesses that put them at risk for influenza complications.

The health officials, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin and assistant U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Anne Schuchat, stated repeatedly that vaccination is the single best protection against H1N1 influenza virus. Supplies of H1N1 influenza vaccine are plentiful, the circulating virus closely matches the one in the vaccine, and the H1N1 vaccine has an excellent safety record.

IAC also encourages continued vaccination against H1N1 and seasonal influenza (as vaccine supplies permit). Remember: 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine will not protect people against seasonal influenza, and seasonal influenza vaccine will not protect against H1N1 influenza.

Providers who don't have H1N1 vaccine or seasonal influenza vaccine can direct patients to the Google Flu Shot Finder at
http://www.google.com/flushot

CDC published "Interim Results: Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent and Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel--United States, August 2009-January 2010" in the April 2 issue of MMWR. The first paragraph is reprinted below.

CDC published "Interim Results: State-Specific Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccination Coverage--United States, October 2009-January 2010" in the April 2 issue of MMWR. The first paragraph is reprinted below.

IAC encourages IAC Express readers to view a video set from the Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition depicting four real-life scenarios that illustrate the importance of adult vaccination for people of various ages, from young adults preparing for college to older adults. The video is available in two formats--a 2-minute public service announcement and a 17-minute video. The presenter is Paul Offit, MD, of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The PSA and video will be available on the home page of IAC's website through April 11. To access them, go to: http://www.immunize.org and click on the image under the words Video of the Week. It may take a few moments for your video selection to begin playing; please be patient!

Remember to bookmark IAC's home page to view a new video every Monday. To view an IAC Video of the Week from the past, go to the video archive at http://www.immunize.org/votw

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases. This year NIIW will be held April 24-May 1 and will coincide with Vaccination Week in the Americas.

Any health department or immunization coalition interested in promoting infant immunization within their community will find abundant useful information on the CDC's NIIW website. Resources include tools for planning events and promoting them through the media; listings of NIIW activities and events planned across the nation; and educational materials for providers and parents.

To access these NIIW resources, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw

CDC encourages all organizations that are planning an NIIW activity to fill out a form to share information about their activity with others. To access the form, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/2010/activity-form.htm

CDC recently released the March issue of its monthly newsletter Immunization Works and posted it on the website of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). The newsletter offers the immunization community information about current topics. The information is in the public domain and can be reproduced and circulated widely.

Some of the information in the March issue has already appeared in previous issues of IAC Express. Following is the text of some articles we have not covered.

The "CDC Features" web section now includes information for the public on two immunization topics: pertussis and mumps.

(1) "Pertussis (Whooping Cough)--What You Need to Know" informs parents that pertussis is highly contagious and can cause serious illness, especially in infants too young to be vaccinated. It encourages childhood vaccination with the full 5-dose series and underscores that adolescent and adult vaccination is particularly important for families with new infants.

To access "Pertussis (Whooping Cough)--What You Need to Know," go to: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Pertussis

(2) "MMR Vaccine: The Best Protection against Mumps" discusses the current mumps outbreak that has infected 2,500 people in the Northeastern U.S., lists mumps complications, encourages parents to verify that their child has received 2 doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and warns that some adults need MMR vaccination.

To access "MMR Vaccine: The Best Protection against Mumps," go to: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Mumps

To access an index of all "CDC Features," go to: http://www.cdc.gov/features

The National Immunization Conference is scheduled for April 19-22 in Atlanta. Only on-site registration is available.

For comprehensive information, including the conference agenda (with online access to abstracts) and accommodations, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/nic

For additional information, contact the Conference Planning Team at (404) 639-8225 or at nipnic@cdc.gov

The National Training Center (NTC) for Integrated Hepatitis HIV/STD Prevention Services provides training to frontline workers in community-based organizations and clinics on hepatitis prevention, diagnosis, management, treatment, and integration. NTC has posted two viral hepatitis training videos; both require Windows Media Player.

The video "ABC's of Hepatitis--Information for the Front Line Worker" has a run time of 45 minutes and comes with 16 pages of downloadable handouts. The presenter is Laura Bachmann, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. To access the video, go to: http://www.knowhepatitis.org/abcstraining?skipped=1

The video "Institute of Medicine Report: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C" has a run time of 40 minutes. The presenter is John W. Ward, MD, director, Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC. To access the video, go to: http://www.knowhepatitis.org/iomtraining?skipped=1