IAC Express 2010

IAC's "Screening Questionnaire for Child and Teen Immunization" and "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" make it easy for healthcare professionals to screen for vaccine contraindications. Both were recently revised to add latex allergy as part of the screening for contraindications.

(1) To access the revised "Screening Questionnaire for Child and Teen Immunization," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060.pdf

(2) To access the revised "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065.pdf

(3) IAC updated some vaccine manufacturers' phone numbers on its "Emergency Response Worksheet." The worksheet lists the steps to take in case a power failure or other event results in vaccine storage outside the recommended temperature range. Go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3051.pdf

IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web section offers healthcare professionals and the public approximately 250 FREE English-language handouts (many also available in translation), which we encourage website users to print out, copy, and distribute widely. To access all of IAC's free handouts, go to: http://www.immunize.org/handouts

IAC's newest handout, titled "Personal belief exemptions for vaccination put people at risk. Examine the evidence for yourself," will be of interest to clinicians who interact with vaccine-hesitant parents, parents considering having their children exempted from state-mandated immunization requirements for child care and school attendance, state policymakers, and others.

The handout gives the summary and key findings of 14 studies that examined the relationship between personal belief exemptions and occurrences of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, varicella, and Hib. The evidence indicates that occurrences of these diseases were traceable to unvaccinated children (sometimes clustered in the same geographic area) in states that allow personal belief exemptions. Go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2069.pdf

IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web section offers healthcare professionals and the public approximately 250 FREE English-language handouts (many also available in translation), which we encourage website users to print out, copy, and distribute widely. To access all of IAC's free handouts, go to: http://www.immunize.org/handouts

To aid in efforts to vaccinate against influenza, the Immunization Action Coalition is inviting IAC Express readers to place orders now for bulk quantities of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit's 2010-11 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Pocket Information Guides. They're free--you can order them in the hundreds or thousands!

These laminated, 3.75 x 6.75-inch, 2-color cards serve as a convenient reference for front-line healthcare professionals who vaccinate patients. The cards provide the following information:

• Indications, contraindications, and precautions for the injectable and intranasal seasonal influenza vaccines
• Clear direction regarding which children need 2 doses of influenza vaccine this year
• Dosage, route of administration, and indicated age group for all the various seasonal influenza vaccine products
• Talking points for discussing seasonal influenza vaccination with patients

See an image of the seasonal influenza vaccine pocket guide at http://www.preventinfluenza.org/fluguide/pocketguide_flu.pdf

These pocket guides also serve as a reminder to keep giving seasonal influenza vaccine throughout influenza season (through the spring months).

The Summit is also pleased to be able to offer pocket guides for the administration of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV). See an image of the PPSV pocket guide at http://www.immunize.org/ppvguide/pocketguide.pdf

Each of these pocket guides is designed to be used by healthcare professionals only; THEY ARE NOT PATIENT HANDOUTS.

HOW TO ORDER
Place your order at http://www.preventinfluenza.org/pocketguides There is no cost for the pocket guides, shipping, or handling within the U.S. They're going fast, so to avoid disappointment, place your order ASAP!

If you have questions, email admininfo@immunize.org

BACKGROUND
These pocket guides were developed by, and are being provided under the sponsorship of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit, http://www.preventinfluenza.org The Summit brings together public and private stakeholders to facilitate and promote influenza vaccination. The pocket guides are also distributed by many major medical, nursing, and pharmacist organizations, specialty societies, state health departments, Indian Health Service Area facilities, Quality Improvement Organizations, Visiting Nurse Associations, community vaccinators, and many others.

Thanks for your dedication to immunization, and don't forget to keep vaccinating against seasonal influenza through the spring months!

IAC encourages IAC Express readers to watch "The Flu Ends With U," a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) developed by the Department of Health and Human Services. The PSA announcer asks viewers to think of something that can help stop the spread of influenza. Then, the announcer gives this answer: "You can. Get the facts. Get the vaccine."

The PSA will be available on the home page of IAC's website through November 7. To access it, go to: http://www.immunize.org and click on the image under the words Video of the Week.

To access "The Flu Ends With U" PSA and all of CDC's podcasts, videos, and PSAs related to seasonal influenza, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/media.htm

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

Looking for slides for an upcoming presentation on immunization? Look no further. The Presentations web section on immunize.org includes immunization-related slide sets from IAC, CDC, and others.

The latest addition to the Presentations web section is IAC's Photos of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases slide set. To review this presentation in PDF format, go to http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/s8010.pdf To obtain the slide set in PowerPoint format, simply request it from IAC by sending an email to admin@immunize.org

Other slide set topics include essential vaccine administration information for healthcare professionals, communicating with parents about vaccines, and improving immunization practices.

Browse IAC's collection of presentation slides for ideas and content for your next educational offering on immunization or vaccine-preventable diseases: http://www.immunize.org/presentations

In addition to the Presentations listing, IAC's online compendium of immunization resources includes descriptions and links for the following sections: Books and Periodicals, CDC Materials, Continuing Education, Email News, Government Agencies, Hotlines, Package Inserts, Partner Organizations, International Organizations, and Vaccine Manufacturers. To access these sections, go to: http://www.immunize.org/resources

The "CDC Features" web section now includes a 3-minute video, "Protect Yourself, Protect Your Baby." Its message is that influenza vaccine can protect pregnant women, their unborn babies, and even the baby after it is born.

To access "Protect Yourself, Protect Your Baby!" go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J5ijqtmkPk

Accompanying print information is available on the Features section of the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/PregnancyAndFlu

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

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Immunization Branch, recently updated its award-winning training video, "Immunization Techniques: Best Practices with Infants, Children, and Adults." The 25-minute program can be used to train new employees and to refresh the skills of experienced staff. The video demonstrates the skills and techniques needed to administer vaccines to patients of all ages. It includes instruction on the following:

• Selecting, preparing, and administering injectable, oral, and nasal vaccines
• Documenting immunizations
• Making patients comfortable and educating them
• Facilitating staff and patient communication

Prices start at $17 each for 1-9 copies and are greatly reduced for large orders, dropping to $4.25 each for 1,000-1,500 copies.

To learn more about the DVD, and find out how to order it, go to: http://www.immunize.org/shop/toolkit_iztechdvd.asp

For quotes on larger quantities, call (651) 647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org

The Immunization Action Coalition is the only nationwide vendor of this new DVD.

Note for healthcare settings located in California: Contact your local health department immunization program for a free copy.

On October 26, the World Health Organization issued a press release titled "Africa seizes chance against polio: More than 72 million children to be immunized across 15 countries to tackle remaining risks." Portions of the press release are reprinted below.

(Note: The 15 nations involved are Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Sudan.)

CDC published "Global Routine Vaccination Coverage, 2009" in the October 29 issue of MMWR. A summary made available to the press is reprinted below.

To access the full article in web-text (HTML) format, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5942a3.htm

If you're looking for a way to deliver basic information about vaccines to refugees and others with limited English-language skills, the Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH's) "Understanding Vaccines" DVD might help you out. Developed by the ECHO-TV collaborative as an educational and outreach tool, the DVD contains a 20-minute TV program that explains how getting vaccinated protects an individual, family, and community against disease and stresses that vaccines are tested and their use monitored to ensure their safety.

Each DVD presents the entire 20-minute program in seven languages: English, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. All non-English versions are subtitled in English. A web-streaming format of the program is also available.

The DVD can be checked out of MDH's Refugee Health Lending Library at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/refugee/library/videos/echovax.html

For more information and direct links to the streaming video, go to: http://www.echominnesota.org/library/understanding-vaccines-0

"Practice Efficiency & Business of Vaccines," a CME conference for physicians and other pediatric healthcare providers, is scheduled for November 13 in Phoenix. It is sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Banner Health Systems in collaboration with The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI).

For details on the conference agenda and CME credit, and to download a registration form, see the conference brochure at http://azaap.net/userfiles/PracMgmnt2010_Flyer.pdf

The annual scientific meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) will be held in Dallas on April 1-4, 2011. The deadline for abstracts is November 7, 2010. For complete details on abstract submission, go to: http://www.shea2011.com/abstracts

To access the preliminary program, go to: http://www.shea2011.com/agenda

For registration information, go to: http://www.shea2011.com/registration