Issue 1068: July 23, 2013

TOP STORIES


IAC WEB SECTIONS

VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS

FEATURED RESOURCES

JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS


TOP STORIES

CDC issues updated recommendations for use of VariZIG immune globulin for varicella postexposure prophylaxis
CDC published Updated Recommendations for Use of VariZIG—United States, 2013 in the July 19 issue of MMWR (pages 574–576). The section titled "CDC Recommendations for Use of VariZIG" is reprinted below.
 
The decision to administer VariZIG depends on three factors: 1) whether the patient lacks evidence of immunity to varicella, 2) whether the exposure is likely to result in infection, and 3) whether the patient is at greater risk for varicella complications than the general population. For high-risk patients who have additional exposures to varicella-zoster virus ≥3 weeks after initial VariZIG administration, another dose of VariZIG should be considered.

Timing of VariZIG administration. CDC recommends administration of VariZIG as soon as possible after exposure to varicella-zoster virus and within 10 days.

Patient groups for whom VariZIG is recommended. Patients without evidence of immunity to varicella who are at high risk for severe varicella and complications, who have been exposed to varicella or herpes zoster, and for whom varicella vaccine is contraindicated, should receive VariZIG. Patient groups recommended by CDC to receive VariZIG include the following:

  • Immunocompromised patients without evidence of immunity.
  • Newborn infants whose mothers have signs and symptoms of varicella around the time of delivery (i.e., 5 days before to 2 days after).
  • Hospitalized premature infants born at ≥28 weeks of gestation whose mothers do not have evidence of immunity to varicella.
  • Hospitalized premature infants born at <28 weeks of gestation or who weigh ≤1,000 g at birth, regardless of their mothers' evidence of immunity to varicella.
  • Pregnant women without evidence of immunity.
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Adult vaccination providers—please list your clinics with the HealthMap Vaccine Finder; newsletter publishers and Twitter account holders—please promote the Vaccine Finder
With flu season just around the corner, now’s the time for vaccination providers (clinics, pharmacies, health departments, and other venues) to provide the HealthMap Vaccine Finder with data on their vaccination services. Last year, this free online tool helped direct more than 500,000 patients to vaccination providers in their area. We encourage providers to take advantage of this free opportunity to list their vaccination clinics following the steps below.

List your clinics
This year, HealthMap Vaccine Finder is asking providers for information on clinics that administer seven kinds of influenza vaccines (trivalent, quadrivalent, high dose, intradermal, cell culture-based, recombinant, and nasal spray) and ten other adult vaccines (hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV, MMR, Td, Tdap, meningococcal, pneumococcal, varicella, and zoster).

If you are a provider who participated last year, you can log in to your account and update your information by following the directions on the Help tab.

If you are a new provider, you must first register for an account. Once you receive your password and log in, you can upload the required information to your account.

Please direct questions to vaccine@healthmap.org.

Promote the Vaccine Finder

Newsletter drop-in. If you publish a newsletter geared toward vaccination providers, HealthMap urges you to drop the five paragraphs above into your newsletter to inform readers about this opportunity to promote their services

Sample tweets. If your group has a Twitter account, HealthMap encourages you to use the draft tweet messages below.
HealthMap is a team of researchers, epidemiologists, and software developers at Boston Children's Hospital.

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ACIP redesigns its vaccine recommendations web page and discontinues issuing provisional recommendations
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently posted a redesigned web page titled Vaccine Recommendations of the ACIP. Recommendations are grouped into those for specific vaccines, such as measles-mumps-rubella and pneumococcal, and comprehensive recommendations, such as those for healthcare personnel.

In addition, ACIP recently issued this announcement regarding provisional recommendations:

Provisional recommendations are no longer being prepared. All previous provisional recommendations have been incorporated into MMWR published recommendations. Recommendations of the ACIP are sent to the CDC Director for review. If the recommendations are adopted by the CDC Director, as delegated by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, they are published in MMWR as official HHS/CDC recommendations.

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 IAC Spotlight! Compelling videos featured each week on the vaccineinformation.org home page
IAC's Vaccine Information You Need website for the public is a comprehensive and user-friendly source of scientifically accurate and easily navigable immunization information on the Web today. Fresh content is highlighted on the home page of vaccineinformation.org each week: featured videos from the Video Library, personal testimonies about vaccine-preventable diseases, just released immunization resources, and more. Be sure to visit often!


We hope you'll take the time to explore www.vaccineinformation.org.

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IAC WEB SECTIONS

IAC updates online Ask the Experts Q&A web section on pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria diseases and vaccines
Based on content review by vaccine experts at CDC, IAC recently updated the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis section of Ask the Experts.

To access Ask the Experts sections for other vaccines and diseases, see the Ask the Experts index page.

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VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS

VISs for Tdap and HPV (Gardasil) vaccines now available in Spanish RTF 
IAC recently posted the VISs for the Tdap vaccine and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil in Spanish RTF.

Rich Text Format (RTF) files are intended for use in electronic systems, such as electronic medical records, immunization information systems, or other electronic databases. In the future, IAC will supply Spanish RTF files of VISs for each routinely recommended vaccine. IAC Express will notify readers when such files become available.
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IAC posts VIS for PCV vaccine in Haitian Creole and Portuguese, and multi-vaccine VIS in Thai
IAC recently posted the VIS for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in Haitian Creole and Portuguese and the multi-vaccine VIS in Thai. Learn about the multi-vaccine VIS and its use by reading the top few paragraphs on IAC's multi-vaccine VIS web page.

IAC thanks the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the Haitian Creole and Portuguese translations and Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Los Angeles, for the Thai translation.
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FEATURED RESOURCES

Vaccines for Maxine teaches children about immunization
Vaccines for Maxine tackles the topic of immunization in an entertaining and reader-friendly style, suitable for children and adults alike. In this short book, Maxine stages a play in her dream and travels through the story protected by her armor, illustrating how vaccines prevent various diseases.

Vaccines for Maxine is written by Geri Rodda, RN, public health nurse for New Milford, Connecticut. Ms. Rodda's other books include The Flu and You and Lyme in Rhyme.

Visit the Pumpkin Hill Productions' Book Catalog for more information. Any of these books can be purchased from the publisher as a single copy or a discounted 10-pack.

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Order IAC's popular full-size laminated versions of the 2013 U.S. immunization schedules 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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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS

Surveillance summary indicates vaccine-preventable diseases were spread through travel during 1997–2011
On July 19, CDC published a surveillance summary titled Surveillance for Travel-Related Disease—GeoSentinel Surveillance System, United States, 1997–2011. The document mentions that U.S. travelers developed certain vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs)—such as measles, mumps, H1N1 influenza, and viral hepatitis—when traveling to international locations where vaccination is less prevalent. U.S. outbreaks of some VPDs have been traced to people who had contact with travelers who returned to the U.S. with VPDs. CDC advises healthcare providers who see travelers before travel to consider country- and region-specific vaccination, prophylaxis, and disease avoidance recommendations when presented with a traveler’s itinerary.

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2013 Ohio Statewide Immunization Conference to be held in Cleveland on October 18
Scheduled for October 18 in Cleveland, the 2013 Ohio Statewide Immunization Conference will focus on effective strategies to improve the systems for immunizing adults, teens, and children. The conference brochure contains detailed information about the meeting; continuing education credits are available.

Registrations are being accepted online and by mail.

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CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

Archived video slide sets from the June ACIP meeting now available
ACIP recently posted the archived slide sets presented at the ACIP meeting held on June 19–20.

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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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