Issue 1053: April 30, 2013

TOP STORIES

IAC HANDOUTS

OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEATURED RESOURCES

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS



TOP STORIES

WHO reports on four additional cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9)
On April 23, WHO published Human Infection with Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus in China—Update. Portions of the report are reprinted below.

... To date, a total of 108 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China, including 22 deaths have been reported to WHO. Contacts of the confirmed cases are being closely monitored.

National authorities continue to implement prevention and control measures.

Investigations into the possible sources of infection and reservoirs of the virus are ongoing. Until the source of infection has been identified, it is expected that there will be further cases of human infection with the virus in China. So far, there is no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission.

WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event, nor does it recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied....


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Keep the momentum from National Infant Immunization Week going strong!
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) ended April 27, so now is a great time to evaluate your efforts, compile lessons learned, and begin thinking about NIIW 2014. CDC has put together a new web page, NIIW: Keep the Momentum Going, which offers a certificate of appreciation for your volunteers, an evaluation template, and suggestions on how to continue fostering relationships with partners in your community. You can also sign up to get email updates from CDC to prepare for NIIW 2014!

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IAC Spotlight! Six more healthcare organizations join IAC's Honor Roll for Patient Safety
IAC urges qualifying healthcare organizations to apply for its Honor Roll for Patient Safety. The honor roll recognizes hospitals, medical practices, professional organizations, and government entities that have taken a stand for patient safety by implementing mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare personnel. More than 250 organizations are now enrolled.

Since March 26, when IAC Express last reported on the Honor Roll for Patient Safety, the following six organizations have been enrolled.

Healthcare organizations and health agencies: Mercy Hospital Ardmore, Ardmore, OK; Avera Queen of Peace, Mitchell, SD; Platte Health Center Avera, Platte, SD; St. Michael's Hospital Avera, Tyndall, SD; Capitol Hill Nursing Center, Washington, DC; and Carroll Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Washington, DC.

Related Links

  • Listing of all honorees by state
  • Position statements from professional societies and leading healthcare organizations in support of mandatory influenza vaccination
  • Honor roll web section, which includes access to the application form (see the gold trophy cup in right column, and click on the words "Apply for the Honor Roll")
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CDC publishes report on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use worldwide
CDC published Progress in Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine—Worldwide, 2000–2012 in the April 26 issue of MMWR (pages 308-311). A summary made available to the press is reprinted below.

Globally, Streptococcus pneumoniae is a significant cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis in children aged <5 years. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are safe and effective for prevention of this disease, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that PCV be included in all routine immunization programs. By 2012, 86 (44 percent) WHO member states had included PCV in routine immunization programs. Gaps in PCV introductions were noted in Asia and countries with large birth cohorts, as only 31 percent of the world's birth cohort currently has access to PCV; concerted efforts should be focused in these settings. The success of PCV introductions and the lessons learned from countries that have added PCV to their immunization programs will help guide decisions about future PCV introductions and sustained use. Findings in this report suggest that efforts to increase PCV introduction and use globally are succeeding; however, gaps in PCV use remain in Asia and countries with large birth cohorts, where concerted efforts should be focused.

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IAC HANDOUTS

IAC makes correction to Tdap/Td standing orders
IAC recently corrected its standing orders for administering Tdap/Td vaccine. In section 5a, "4 calendar months" was changed to "6 calendar months" as a minimum interval for scheduling the last 2 doses in the Tdap/Td series given to children age 7 years and older and to adults.

IAC Express editor's note: The versions of these two standing orders that contained the error were posted on the IAC website on March 22, 2013. The corrected versions were posted on April 25, 2013. If you downloaded these two standing orders between March 22 and April 25, be sure to reprint them and note the change.

IAC extends thanks to the readers who spotted the error and notified us. We regret any inconvenience the error has caused users.

Revised standing orders Related Link
IAC's Handouts for Patients & 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.

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IAC updates three resources for healthcare professionals and their patients
IAC recently updated the following three resources:
  1. Hepatitis B and A Vaccines Are Imperative for Families Adopting from Abroad was updated with new recommendations on hepatitis A prevention for family members of foreign adoptees. Current contact information for Dr. Jane Aronson, the author, was also added. This piece is appropriate for both parents anticipating an international adoption and for healthcare professionals.
     
  2. Standing Orders for Administering Haemophilus influenzae Type B Vaccine to Children was revised to include information about vaccination of high-risk children age 5 years and older and guidance about prevention of syncope in older children and teens.
     
  3. Meningococcal Vaccination Recommendations by Age and/or Risk Factor was updated to include the new recommendation to give MCV4 to certain at-risk adults age 56 years and older.
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OFFICIAL RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Share a post and unlock $5 for global vaccination
As part of the United Nations Foundation's Global Mom Relay, Johnson & Johnson and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation agreed to donate money to four causes that help women and children around the world. One of these projects is the Shot@Life campaign, which aims to increase childhood vaccination worldwide

By sharing a post through Facebook, Twitter, or email, you can unlock a $5 donation from the donors. The deadline for Shot@Life is May 3, so start sharing!

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FDA contributes to global fight against polio
As part of World Immunization Week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an article for consumers. Titled FDA Contributing to Fight Against Polio, the article discusses how the organization works with the World Health Organization and other partners to make safe and effective vaccines available all over the world.

Although a successful vaccination program has eliminated polio in the U.S., the disease still exists in some parts of the world and can easily spread to countries where it has previously been eradicated. It has been discovered that viruses in the oral vaccine used in the global eradication campaign can mutate to virulent forms that circulate in the population; hence, the need for new vaccines against poliovirus. FDA scientists help by assessing new virus strains that CDC colleagues propose for the manufacture of improved oral polio vaccines and by providing advice on various issues, including adjuvant development, polio eradication, regulatory affairs, and manufacturing.

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FEATURED RESOURCES

Newly available! IAC's popular full-size  laminated versions of the 2013 U.S. immunization schedules. Order a supply for your healthcare setting today!
IAC's laminated versions of the 2013 U.S. child/teen and adult immunization schedules are covered with a tough, washable coating that lets them stand up to a year's worth of use in every area of your healthcare setting where immunizations are given. Each has six pages (i.e., three double-sided pages) and is folded to measure 8.5" by 11".

IAC's Laminated Child and Teen Immunization SchedulesIAC's Laminated Adult Immunization Schedules
Laminated schedules are printed in color for easy reading, come complete with essential tables and footnotes, and include contraindications and precautions—a feature that will help you make an on-the-spot determination about the safety of vaccinating patients of any age.

PRICING
1-4 copies: $7.50 each
5-19 copies: $5.50 each
20-99 copies: $4.50 each
100-499 copies: $4.00 each
500-999 copies: $3.50 each

For quotes on customizing or placing orders for 1,000 copies or more, call (651) 647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org

You can access specific information on both schedules, view images of both, order online, or download an order form at the Shop IAC: Laminated Schedules web page.

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National Foundation for Infectious Diseases releases new and updated resources for adult pneumococcal vaccination
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has developed new and updated resources to support adult pneumococcal disease prevention efforts.

New Resource
Adult Pneumococcal Vaccination Guide for HCPs
This document provides an outline of CDC’s adult pneumococcal vaccination schedule, which now calls for use of pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines for certain adults. It includes an Illustrated timeline for administration and a table of risk conditions to aid healthcare professionals (HCPs) in assessing patients’ pneumococcal vaccination needs.

Updated Materials/Toolkits
Public Health Resources & Toolkit
Designed for public health professionals, this toolkit supports education of HCPs and community members. It includes at-a-glance fact sheets to educate patients with specific pneumococcal risk factors and the HCPs who treat them, pneumococcal vaccination guides and trackers for HCPs and patients, and media outreach materials.

Pneumococcal Disease Professional Practice Toolkit
This toolkit can aid HCPs in implementing key education and vaccination strategies and includes ready-to-use and customizable patient education materials (English and Spanish) and resources to implement in-practice vaccination efforts.

Professional Practice Toolkit
This toolkit provides additional materials that discuss adult pneumococcal vaccination plus other recommended adult vaccines.

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Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition website offers new design and resources
The Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition (CIIC) recently redesigned its website to offer a more user-friendly experience. The site has materials targeted to both consumer and healthcare professionals, including fact sheets, videos, social media sharing tools, real-life stories, and reports—all focusing on promoting childhood influenza vaccination.

Certain resources, such as webinar slides, are password protected and available only to CIIC members. For more information about accessing these resources, email CIIC.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases leads this coalition of more than 30 of the nation’s leading public health, medical, patient, and parent groups.

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Influenza is serious; vaccination is recommended for nearly everyone, so please keep vaccinating your patients
Vaccination remains the single most effective means of preventing influenza. Vaccination is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older, so please continue to vaccinate your patients. If you don't provide influenza vaccination in your clinic, please recommend vaccination to your patients and refer them to the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to locate sites near their workplaces or homes that offer influenza vaccination services.

If you are seeking influenza vaccine for your clinic, check the Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System (IVATS), which is a resource for healthcare settings looking to purchase influenza vaccine. The IVATS chart contains information from approved, enrolled, and participating wholesale vaccine distributors or manufacturers of U.S. licensed influenza vaccine. Information is updated on an ongoing basis.

Following is a list of resources related to influenza disease and vaccination for healthcare professionals and the public.
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CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

Save the date! Minnesota Department of Health immunization conference to be held October 10-11
The Minnesota Department of Health's "Got Your Shots?" immunization conference will be held in Bloomington, MN, on October 10-11.

Preliminary conference agenda

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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.IZ Express DisclaimerISSN 2771-8085

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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