| Issue 988: April 10, 2012 TOP STORIES
IAC HANDOUTS VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS FEATURED RESOURCES EDUCATION AND TRAINING TOP STORIES Spotlight on immunize.org: videos on pertussis (whooping cough) With the announcement this past week that pertussis (whooping cough) disease has reached epidemic levels in the state of Washington, IAC is featuring a collection of videos about pertussis and the importance of Tdap vaccination. The pertussis-related videos include personal testimonies from parents who have suffered the tragic loss of their babies to pertussis, as well as educational information from expert commentators. The featured videos are from the following organizations: California Immunization Coalition’s Shot-by-Shot project, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Immunization Action Coalition, March of Dimes, Medscape, Michigan Department of Community Health, PKIDs, and Texas Department of State Health Services. Additional Links:
CDC publishes report on meningococcal disease outbreak in an elementary school CDC published Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease Associated with an Elementary School–Oklahoma, March 2010 in the April 6 issue of MMWR (pages 217-221). The first paragraph is reprinted below. During March 10-31, 2010, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) investigated an outbreak of meningococcal (Neisseria meningitidis) disease involving a consolidated school district of 1,850 students in rural northeastern Oklahoma. An OSDH field investigation team and the Rogers County Health Department (RCHD) established operations at the affected elementary school as soon as the outbreak was recognized. Five cases of meningococcal disease (including one probable case) were identified among four elementary school students and one high school student. Two students died; two recovered fully, and one survivor required amputation of all four limbs and facial reconstruction. All N. meningitidis isolates were serogroup C with the same multilocus sequence type and an indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern. To interrupt the outbreak, mass vaccination and chemoprophylaxis clinics were conducted in the population at risk; 1,459 vaccinations and 1,063 courses of antibiotics were administered. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program received 1,092 of the vaccine doses, demonstrating that VFC is a feasible funding source for vaccine during an outbreak response. Back to top CDC publishes report on influenza outbreaks at two correctional facilities In the April 6 issue of MMWR (pages 229-232), CDC published Influenza Outbreaks at Two Correctional Facilities–Maine, 2011. The beginning of the first paragraph and part of the editorial note are reprinted below. On March 8, 2011, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) received a laboratory report of a positive influenza specimen from an intensive-care unit patient who was an inmate at a prison (facility A). That same day, the state medical examiner notified Maine CDC of an inmate death suspected to be have been caused by influenza at another, nearby prison (facility B). On March 9, Correctional Medical Services (CMS), which provides health services to both facilities, notified Maine CDC that additional inmates and staff members from both facilities were ill with influenza-like illness (ILI). CMS reported that influenza vaccination coverage among inmates was very low (<10%), and coverage among staff members was unknown but believed to be low. Correctional facilities face many unique challenges, and infection control is recognized to be difficult. These facilities often have high turnover of inmates and staff members, which can make routine disease surveillance and early identification of infectious diseases challenging. Some additional challenges encountered during these outbreaks included 1) insufficient staff to handle the medical surge, 2) no easily accessible medical records to establish vaccination status or determine underlying medical conditions, 3) lack of access to sufficient quantities of vaccine and antiviral drugs, and 4) lack of skilled personnel to administer a large volume of vaccine and antiviral drugs in a timely manner. Through collaboration between Maine CDC and Maine Department of Corrections, officials were able to screen and offer vaccination and antiviral drugs to approximately 1,000 inmates and 200 staff members. IAC HANDOUTS IAC updates "Should You Be Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B?" IAC recently revised Should You Be Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B? to include diabetes as a reason to be vaccinated. This screening questionnaire allows adult patients to assess their risk of hepatitis B virus infection without having to disclose a specific risk factor. IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web section offers healthcare professionals and the public more than 250 FREE English-language handouts (many also available in translation), which we encourage website users to print out, copy, and distribute widely. Back to top VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS IAC posts nine new VIS translations IAC recently posted French translations of the DTaP, PCV13, PPSV, and shingles vaccine VISs; Arabic translations of the DTaP and shingles vaccine VISs; Somali translations of the hepatitis A vaccine VIS; and Spanish translations of the rabies vaccine VIS on its website. IAC also posted the updated VIS for Gardasil human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine translated into Thai thanks to the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture.
FEATURED RESOURCES American College of Physicians releases free iPhone/iPad app for adult immunization The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released an app related to adult immunization for iPhones and iPads. The app is free and is based on the official 2012 immunization schedule. To download this resource, go to ACP's immunization portal website at http://immunization.acponline.org. Back to top EDUCATION AND TRAINING CDC, IAC, ANA, and NNINA present series of netconferences developed for nurses and others who provide immunizations CDC, along with IAC, the American Nurses Association (ANA), and the National Network of Immunization Nurses and Associates (NNINA), have collaborated to create a series of three netconferences developed specifically for nurses by nurses. The information presented in the series is also of value to anyone who provides immunizations. Presenters include experts from CDC, as well as expert immunization nurses from across the nation who offer practical tips and insights gained from their own experiences delivering vaccines. Each netconferences is structured in two parts. First, participants go online at a time of their choosing to view a prerecorded webcast. Second, they can join a live call-in discussion with CDC and other nurse immunization experts. Attendance at the live telephone sessions is limited to the first 1,000 people who dial in. Following are the netconference topics and schedule: Talking with Patients about Vaccines Webcast: available on March 21 (click here to download webcast [69 MB]) Live Call-in Seminar: occurred on April 4 Discussion Guide: Talking with Patients about Vaccines Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel: Educated Decisions, Caring Choices Webcast: available online after April 11 Live Call-in Seminar: April 25 at 2 PM ET Discussion Guide: Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel: Educated Decisions, Caring Choices Reducing Vaccine Administration Errors Webcast: available online after April 18 Live Call-in Seminar: May 2 at 2 PM ET More information is available via these links:
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ISSN 2771-8085
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ISSN 2771-8085
Editorial Information
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Editor-in-ChiefKelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
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Managing EditorJohn D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
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Associate EditorSharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
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Writer/Publication CoordinatorTaryn Chapman, MS
Courtnay Londo, MA -
Style and Copy EditorMarian Deegan, JD
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Web Edition ManagersArkady Shakhnovich
Jermaine Royes -
Contributing WriterLaurel H. Wood, MPA
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Technical ReviewerKayla Ohlde