Issue 1091: December 3, 2013

TOP STORIES

VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS

FEATURED RESOURCES

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS



TOP STORIES

Reminder: November issues of Needle Tips and Vaccinate Adults available online

The November 2013 issues of Needle Tips and Vaccinate Adults are available online. Vaccinate Adults is an abbreviated version of Needle Tips with the pediatric content removed.

Click on the images below to download the entire November 2013 issues (PDF) of Needle Tips and/or Vaccinate Adults.
Download the November issue of Needle TipsDownload the November issue of Vaccinate Adults
Needle Tips: View the table of contents, magazine viewer, and back issues.

Vaccinate Adults: View the table of contents, magazine viewer, and back issues.

If you would like to receive immediate email notification whenever new issues of Needle Tips or Vaccinate Adults are released, visit IAC's subscribe page to sign up.

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CDC issues health advisory for clinicians related to meningococcal outbreaks at Princeton University and the University of California, Santa Barbara

On November 27, the CDC Health Alert Network issued a CDC Health Advisory titled Notice to Healthcare Providers: Recognizing and Reporting Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease Associated with Outbreaks at Princeton University and the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The purpose of this advisory is to:
  1. Alert healthcare providers and health departments about a prolonged meningococcal disease outbreak at Princeton University and a recent outbreak at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the potential for cases to occur among students traveling to their home states for Thanksgiving break.
  2. Advise healthcare providers about reporting suspected cases of meningococcal disease to the New Jersey Department of Health and California Department of Public Health.
  3. Provide information about PCR testing of isolates from serogroup B meningococcal disease cases at CDC.
Access the complete CDC HAN Health Advisory.

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CDC issues two new travel health notices concerning polio outbreaks in Syria and Cameroon, and updates travel health notices about polio in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia

On November 26, CDC Travelers' Health issued two new travel health notices concerning polio outbreaks in Syria and Cameroon, respectively. CDC also issued updated travel health notices about polio in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Please refer to these notices for information about polio vaccination recommendations for these countries and bordering countries.

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IAC enrolls five more birthing institutions into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll

The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) is delighted to announce that five new institutions have been accepted into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll. The institutions are listed below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
  • Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls, KY (92%)
  • Hereford Regional Medical Center, Hereford, TX (100%)
  • Mother/Baby Unit Grady Health Systems, Atlanta, GA (100%)
  • Pampa Regional Medical Center, Pampa, TX (98%)
  • Wayne Memorial Hospital, Jesup, GA (97%)
The Honor Roll now includes 35 birthing institutions from 17 states.

The Honor Roll is a key part of IAC’s major initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to Give birth to the end of Hep B. Hospitals and birthing centers are recognized for attaining high coverage rates for administering hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting specific additional criteria. The initiative urges qualifying healthcare organizations to apply for the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll online.

To be included in the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, a birthing institution must have: (1) reported a coverage rate of 90% or greater, over a 12-month period, for administering hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge to all newborns, including those whose parents refuse vaccination, and (2) implemented specific written policies, procedures, and protocols to protect all newborns from hepatitis B virus infection prior to hospital discharge.

Honorees are also awarded an 8.5" x 11" color certificate suitable for framing and their acceptance is announced to IAC Express’s approximately 50,000 readers.

Please visit the new Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and their exceptional efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission.

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National Influenza Vaccination Week is almost here!

This year, National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is planned for December 8–14. CDC continues to add new resources to help you highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination. Here are some selected NIVW resources from CDC.
Don't forget to access CDC's submission form to list the activities you have planned for NIVW!

Access CDC's NIVW web section.
 
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IAC Spotlight! Influenza vaccination-related handouts for patients and staff

Gathering resources for National Influenza Vaccination Week? If so, you will find quick access to influenza vaccination-related handouts for patients and staff on immunize.org. IAC's Influenza Handouts web section features more than a dozen pieces to help you carry out your vaccination activities this week and during the entire flu season. Several of the handouts are also available in Spanish and other languages.

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CDC expands its vaccine safety web content to include "Frequently Asked Questions about HPV Vaccine Safety"

CDC’s Immunization Safety Office has expanded its vaccine safety web content to include a comprehensive new Q&A section: "Frequently Asked Questions about HPV Vaccine Safety."

Find the answers to important HPV vaccine safety-related questions, including ones frequently asked by patients and parents and spread by social media, at Frequently Asked Questions about HPV Vaccine Safety.

Related Links
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VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS

IAC posts corrected Marshallese translations of influenza VISs

IAC recently posted corrected Marshellese translations of the inactivated influenza (IIV) and live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) VISs. Marshallese-speaking healthcare workers in Arkansas pointed out that Section 2 of the IIV VIS was incorrectly translated. The originator of the translation, the Hawaii Department of Health, corrected the translation and made a minor text edit to the LAIV translation as well.
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IAC posts Thai translation of LAIV VIS

IAC recently posted a Thai translation of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) VIS. The Thai version of the inactivated influenza vaccine VIS was posted to the website in August. IAC thanks Asian Pacific Health Care Venture of Los Angeles for the Thai translations.
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FEATURED RESOURCES

Spending a lot of time talking with parents about vaccines? Download CDC resources for healthcare professionals.

As a healthcare professional, you are parents’ most trusted source for information about their child’s vaccines. However, making time to talk with parents about vaccines during the well child visit may be challenging. To help, CDC has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians to create Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations with Parents. This suite of materials is designed to support the conversations you are already having with parents about their children’s vaccines. The resources present helpful information about how to communicate with parents in ways that will meet their personal information needs, with the hopes of ensuring your continued success in immunizing infants and children according to the recommended immunization schedule.    

On this site, you will find downloadable materials such as:
  • Tools to help you address parents’ questions and concerns about vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases, and vaccine safety
  • Fact sheets for you and your staff to stay up-to-date with vaccine research and to share with parents
  • Multimedia tools for sharing immunization information, such as website buttons and shareable videos
CDC is committed to helping healthcare professionals continue important conversations about childhood vaccination. For more information, visit CDC's Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations with Parents web section.

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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, and is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older. If you don't provide influenza vaccination in your clinic, please recommend vaccination to your patients and refer them to a clinic or pharmacy that provides vaccines or to the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to locate sites near their workplaces or homes that offer influenza vaccination services.

Following is a list of resources related to influenza disease and vaccination for healthcare professionals and the public:
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Bulk quantities of laminated pocket guides for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are available—free—from the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit and IAC

To aid in efforts to vaccinate against two diseases, influenza and pneumococcal, the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS) and IAC invite you to place orders for bulk quantities of the following pocket guides:
  • 2013–14 Influenza Vaccine Pocket Guide (created by IAC in collaboration with NAIIS)
  • Pneumococcal Vaccine Pocket Guide (also created by IAC in collaboration with NAIIS)
Both are free—you can order them in the hundreds or thousands!

These laminated, 3.75" x 6.75", two-color cards serve as a convenient reference for front-line healthcare professionals who vaccinate patients. Place a bulk order now, and hand them out to healthcare professionals at your workplace or at conferences. Each staff person who administers influenza and pneumococcal vaccines needs these handy resources.

These pocket guides are designed to be used by healthcare professionals only; they are NOT patient handouts.

Related Links
How to Order

Place your order today using IAC's online order form. There is no cost for the pocket guides, shipping, or handling within the U.S.

If you have questions, email admininfo@immunize.org.

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Illinois AAP chapter to host December 10 webinar on influenza

The Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Vaccinate Illinois Week partners are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, December 10, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT that will feature Dr. Lyn Finelli, surveillance and outbreak response team lead, Influenza Division, CDC, and Shelle Allen from Families Fighting Flu. Shelle's 12-year-old daughter, Madi, was hospitalized for 93 days with influenza in 2011.

The presentation will give providers an update on current influenza activity for the 2013–2014 influenza season and cover the importance of yearly influenza vaccination. Join the webinar to hear these updates and Madi's story.

Access more information on the webinar.

Access the webinar registration form.

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CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

Save the date: Conference on Vaccine Research scheduled for April 28–30, 2014

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is hosting its Conference on Vaccine Research in Bethesda, MD, on April 28–30. Now in its 17th year, the conference has become the largest scientific meeting devoted exclusively to research on vaccines and associated technologies for disease prevention and treatment through immunization.

NFID encourages individuals in the early stages of their career in any field of vaccinology to apply for the Maurice R. Hilleman Early-Stage Career Investigator Award. The award memorializes the lifetime achievements of Dr. Maurice Hilleman, a long-serving member of the NFID Board of Directors.

December 2, 2013, is the deadline for both abstract submissions and Hilleman award applications.

Access more information about abstract submission and the Hilleman award.

Access the registration form and additional information on conference content.

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Save the date: California Immunization Coalition Summit to be held May 4–5, 2014

The 2014 California Immunization Coalition Summit, "The Power of Community," will take place in Sacramento, California, on May 4–5.

This meeting will provide an opportunity to learn more about the innovative and creative ways to work together to increase immunization rates and support vaccination activities at the local, state, and national levels. The 2014 summit will highlight projects and people working with their communities to promote vaccine acceptance and access across the lifespan.

Access the registration form and additional information on conference content.

The California Immunization Coalition is a non-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to achieving and maintaining full immunization protection for all Californians to promote health and prevent serious illness.

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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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