Issue 1491: April 22, 2020
TOP STORIES
- World Meningitis Day is Friday, April 24.
Spread the word, stop the germs!
- National Infant Immunization Week runs
Saturday, April 25–May 2; CDC website provides tools you can use
- Make the switch! CDC released updated
VISs for DTaP, Td, Tdap, multi-vaccine, and yellow fever
- CDC releases guidance to prevent
mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B during COVID-19 pandemic
- IAC Spotlight! Explore IAC’s
“Ask the Experts” gateway page for more than 1,000 Q&As about vaccine recommendations, administration, storage and handling,
scheduling, and more
- Reminder: CDC, AAP, AAFP post
guidelines for routine childhood, adolescent, and adult immunization during COVID-19 response
- Not-to-miss immunization articles in the
news
- Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus
information
FEATURED RESOURCES
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS
CONFERENCES AND
MEETINGS
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
TOP STORIES
World Meningitis Day is Friday, April 24. Spread the word, stop the germs!
World
Meningitis Day is observed every year on April 24, organized by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO). CoMO is an international
member organization that works to reduce the incidence and impact of meningitis worldwide. CoMO brings together health professionals,
patient groups, and meningitis survivors and families from more than 25 countries to help prevent meningitis.
The theme of the 2020 campaign is "Defeat Meningitis." The key messages of the 2020 campaign are:
- Meningitis and septicemia are medical emergencies; prevention and early recognition are key
- Meningitis can affect anyone at any time and can kill in hours
- We can all do our part to help #DefeatMeningitis
Visit the Confederation
of Meningitis Organisations website for more information on World Meningitis Day 2020, including resources to help spread awareness of
meningococcal disease.
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National Infant Immunization Week runs Saturday, April 25–May 2; CDC
website provides tools you can use
National
Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 25–May 2, is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from
vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization partners. The 2020 observance will be challenging for many due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Consider using this week to restate the importance of immunization for your community.
Since 1994, hundreds of U.S. communities have joined together during NIIW to celebrate the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our children,
communities, and public health. Giving babies and toddlers the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from 14
serious childhood diseases.
Save time by using CDC's 2020 NIIW Digital Media Toolkit to plan and implement your organization's
NIIW activities. The toolkit includes updated logos, sample social media content, social graphics, and key messages. Please share them as you are
able using the hashtag #ivax2protect.
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Make the switch! CDC released updated VISs for DTaP, Td, Tdap, multi-vaccine,
and yellow fever
On April 1, CDC released interim versions of the Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) for DTaP, Td, Tdap, and multi-vaccine, and a final version of
the yellow fever VIS.
Access these VISs on their respective IAC web pages by clicking on the links below.
For both interim and final VISs, CDC encourages providers to begin using them immediately, but stocks of the previous editions may be used until
exhausted.
CDC states that translations of interim VISs that are out of date may continue to be used, because there have not been significant content changes.
However, the corresponding up-to-date English-language VIS must also be provided when providing an out-of-date translation.
IAC expects to offer translations in fall 2020.
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CDC releases guidance to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B
during COVID-19 pandemic
The following information was posted to CDC's Schedule Changes & Guidance gateway page:
Interim guidance to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus during COVID-19-related
disruptions in routine preventive services
This guidance is being provided to ensure that certain safety nets are in place to prevent mother-to-child hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission in
the event of significant COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions in routine preventive services before, during, and after labor and delivery. The guidance is
intended to be used by obstetric and pediatric care staff for consideration while prioritizing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
recommendations for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HBV infection.
Prenatal care of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive women
Ensure that HBsAg-positive pregnant women are able to advocate for the proper care of their HBV-exposed infants in case labor and delivery
occurs at an unplanned facility or is attended by staff that are not knowledgeable about managing HBV-exposed infants:
- Educate HBsAg-positive women on their HBsAg status and the importance of proper preventive care for their infant, including hepatitis
B immune globulin (HBIG) and single antigen hepatitis B vaccine at birth, hepatitis B vaccine series completion at six months of age, and post-vaccination
serologic testing.
- Supply HBsAg-positive women with documentation of HBsAg laboratory results and ask them to provide this documentation to labor and
delivery staff at the time of delivery.
Labor and Delivery Care
- Identify HBsAg status of all women presenting for delivery.
- If a woman’s HBsAg status is positive, HBIG and single antigen hepatitis B vaccine should be administered to her infant within
12 hours of birth.
- If a woman’s HBsAg status is unknown, single antigen hepatitis B vaccine should be administered to her infant within 12 hours
of birth. Administration of HBIG should be determined per ACIP recommendations infants weighing <2,000 grams should receive HBIG if the
mother’s HBsAg status cannot be determined within 12 hours of birth.
- Provide the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to all other newborns within 24 hours of birth to prevent horizontal hepatitis B virus
transmission from household or other close contacts.
Pediatric care of HBV-exposed infants
- Every effort should be made to ensure HBV-exposed infants complete the hepatitis B vaccine series following the ACIP
recommendations. Providers using single-component vaccine who are experiencing immunization service disruption should administer hepatitis B
vaccine as close to the recommended intervals as possible, including series completion at 6 months, and follow ACIP recommendations for post-
vaccination serologic testing.
- If post-vaccination serologic testing is delayed beyond 6 months after the hepatitis B series is completed, the provider should consider
administering a “booster” dose of single antigen hepatitis B vaccine and then ordering post-vaccination serologic testing (HBsAg &
antibody to HBsAg [anti-HBs]) 1-2 months after the “booster” dose.
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IAC Spotlight! Explore IAC’s “Ask the Experts” gateway page
for more than 1,000 Q&As about vaccine recommendations, administration, storage and handling, scheduling, and more
IAC’s Ask
the Experts gateway page can be found at www.immunize.org/askexperts. Here you will find more than 1,000 Q&As on all vaccines routinely recommended in
the United States, as well as information on administering vaccines, documenting vaccination, scheduling vaccines, vaccine recommendations,
precautions and contraindications, storage and handling, and vaccine safety. IAC wishes to recognize its team of experts: Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
(lead); Carolyn Bridges, MD, FACP; William Atkinson, MD, MPH; and Deborah Wexler, MD.
Here are links to some of our most popular pages within the Ask the Experts gateway page:
Explore all IAC's Ask the Experts Q&As by clicking on the graphic below and bookmarking this valuable resource.
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Reminder: CDC, AAP, AAFP post guidelines for routine childhood, adolescent, and
adult immunization during COVID-19 response
In case you missed it, CDC, AAP, and AAFP have issued guidance for routine childhood, adolescent, and adult immunization during the COVID-19
response. Portions of their guidelines are reprinted below.
Childhood Immunizations
From CDC's Information for Pediatric Healthcare Providers: Maintaining Childhood Immunizations during COVID-19
Pandemic web page:
Healthcare providers in communities affected by COVID-19 are using strategies [such as these from AAP] to separate well
visits from sick visits. Examples include:
- Scheduling well visits in the morning and sick visits in the afternoon
- Separating patients spatially, such as by placing patients with sick visits in different areas of the clinic or another location from patients
with well visits
- Collaborating with providers in the community to identify separate locations for holding well visits for children
Because of personal, practice, or community circumstances related to COVID-19, some providers may not be able to provide well-child visits,
including provision of immunizations, for all patients in their practice. If a practice can provide only limited well-child visits, healthcare
providers are encouraged to prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and young children (through 24 months of age) when
possible. CDC is monitoring the situation and will continue to provide guidance.
Childhood, Adolescent, and Adult Immunizations
AAFP posted the following guidance, titled COVID-19: Guidance for Family Physicians
on Preventive and Non-urgent Care:
The AAFP supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) mitigation strategy as a framework for family
physicians to protect patients, families, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic....
Due to personal, practice, or community circumstances related to COVID-19, some family physicians may be unable to provide preventive health care
visits, including the provision of immunizations. If only limited well-child visits can be provided, family physicians are encouraged to prioritize newborn care
and vaccination of infants and young children (through 24 months of age), when possible.
Adult Immunizations
The CDC guidance for adult preventive services, including immunizations, can be found on CDC's Resources for Hospitals and Healthcare Professionals Preparing for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-
19 gateway page. Recognizing that clinicians need to provide clinical services in safe environments, CDC has issued new pandemic guidance
for adult immunization in areas with community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. CDC recommends that needed immunizations be postponed, except
when:
- The adult is present for some other purpose and the immunization can be delivered during that visit with no additional risk, or
- The adult and their clinician find a compelling need to receive the immunization after concluding that potential benefits outweigh risk of
exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
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Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
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Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus information
CDC, NIH, WHO, and Johns Hopkins are closely monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Be sure to check the resources below for the latest information. Stay in touch with your local and state health
departments.
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FEATURED
RESOURCES
For World Meningitis Day, check out IAC's website,
www.Give2MenACWY.org, to enhance your efforts at increasing rates of the MenACWY booster and other adolescent vaccines
Last fall, IAC implemented a major upgrade to its collaborative website promoting the importance of receiving a booster dose of meningococcal
ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine.
Aimed at healthcare professionals, the site was revised to incorporate newly updated materials and to highlight the importance of all recommended
vaccines for 16-year-olds. A simplified navigation structure makes locating information a breeze.
The colorful
Give2MenACWY.org website is divided into five easy-to-access sections:
- Vaccinate Teens – The tools included on this web page offer helpful information on teen vaccination schedules and tips for
improving adolescent vaccination rates
- Give
2 Doses – Fewer than half of teens have received the recommended second dose of MenACWY vaccine; this web page offers tools to
help providers improve second dose coverage
- 16-Year-Old Visit – These resources help both providers and their patients remember the important vaccines recommended for
16-year-olds
- Tools for Providers – These tools from CDC, IAC, and other organizations explain meningococcal ACWY vaccine
recommendations and assist in improving adolescent coverage for all recommended vaccines
- Resources – This section assists provider efforts to improve adolescent vaccination rates; the materials are subdivided into
subsections for print materials, links to organizations involved in adolescent immunization, personal
stories about the importance of vaccination, and additional resources of interest
Additional time savings are provided by the site’s single location where all website materials are listed according
to whether they are primarily of interest to providers or to patients/parents. Other sections relate to general adolescent immunization, as well as
meningococcal disease and vaccine information.
Visit
Give2MenACWY.org and enjoy browsing (and deploying) its bountiful resources, brought to you by our collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur.
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Think 16! “Dear Colleague” call-to-action letter from AAFP,
AAP, ACHA, ACOG, APhA, SAHM, and IAC stresses implementation of immunization visit at 16 years of age
On August 1, 2019, IAC and six professional societies published a "Dear Colleague" letter titled 16-
Year-Old Patients: Make Sure They Receive Their Annual Well Visit and Vaccinations. Click on the image below to read the letter.
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“Shop IAC” on immunize.org offers many resources
for your practice. Order laminated 2020 U.S. immunization schedules for your exam rooms today!
On the Shop
IAC web page you will find many resources such as laminated vaccination schedules, personal immunization record cards, pins for your lapel,
and more! Your purchases will help IAC keep delivering free, educational materials to healthcare professionals and to the public.
IAC's laminated versions of the 2020 U.S. child/adolescent immunization schedule and the 2020 U.S. adult immunization schedule are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccinations are given.
 
The schedules' coating can be wiped down, and they’re durable enough to stand up to a year's worth of use. Visit the Shop
IAC: Laminated Schedules web page for more information on the schedules.
IAC’s three personal immunization record cards—child & teen, adult, and lifetime—are printed on durable rip-, smudge-, and
water-proof paper. Sized to fit in a wallet when folded, the cards are brightly colored to stand out. Give these nearly indestructible personal record cards to
your patients. They're sold in boxes of 250.
You too can show your support for vaccination with IAC’s elegantly designed “Vaccines Save Lives” pin on your lapel. The pin makes
a refined statement in hard black enamel with gold lettering and edges, measuring 1.125" x 0.75”. Order yours today to show how much you
value immunizations!
Note: Due to the Minnesota Governor's order regarding essential services, the IAC office will not ship orders until the week of April 27. Our
online shopping cart will continue to take orders and they will be fulfilled as soon as possible. If your need for the item is urgent, please email us at
admininfo@immunize.org.
Related Links:
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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND
NEWSLETTERS
“Disparities in Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Series Completion by
Adolescent Males: A Retrospective Cohort Study” published in Academic Pediatrics
In the May 17, 2019, issue, Academic Pediatrics published
Disparities in Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Series
Completion by Adolescent Males: A Retrospective Cohort Study, by Atu Agawu, et al. A portion of the results and conclusions appear below.
RESULTS: In total, 42% of males in the cohort (16,691) completed the vaccine series. In the permissive
vaccine era (2009–2011), non-black patients (53%) were more likely to complete than black patients (32%) and non-Medicaid patients (49%) were
more likely to complete than Medicaid patients (33%). These differences persisted in the routine recommendation era (2012–2013). In both the
permissive and routine eras, Medicaid insurance was associated with a larger reduction in the predicted probability of vaccine series completion for non-
black patients....
CONCLUSIONS: We found significant disparities in HPV vaccine series completion rates among male patients based on race
and insurance, unchanged based on era of initiation or visit frequency.
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“Centralized Reminder/Recall to Increase Influenza Vaccination Rates: A
Two-State Pragmatic Randomized Trial” published in Academic Pediatrics
In the November 4, 2019, issue, Academic Pediatrics published
Centralized Reminder/Recall [C-R/R] to Increase
Influenza Vaccination Rates: A Two-State Pragmatic Randomized Trial, by Allison Kempe, et al. The conclusions appear below.
CONCLUSIONS: C-R/R for influenza vaccine using autodial had low-level effects on increasing influenza rates in 2 states.
Given the feasibility and low cost of C-R/R in previous trials, its utility for influenza should be re-examined using different modalities.
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“Russian Twitter Accounts and the Partisan Polarization of Vaccine
Discourse, 2015–2017” published in American Journal of Public Health
In the June 29, 2019, issue, American Journal of Public Health published Russian Twitter Accounts and the Partisan Polarization of Vaccine Discourse, 2015–2017, by Dror Walter, et al. Their public-health
implications appear below.
IRA [Russian Internet Research Agency] accounts discussed vaccines online in ways that evoked political identities. This could exacerbate recently
emerging partisan gaps relating to vaccine misinformation, as differently valenced messages were targeted at different segments of the U.S. public. These
sophisticated targeting efforts, if repeated and increased in reach, could reduce vaccination rates and magnify health disparities.
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CONFERENCES AND
MEETINGS
Texas Perinatal Hepatitis B Virtual Summit to be held
on June 25; CE available
The Texas Department of State Health Services will hold Texas Perinatal Hepatitis B Virtual Summit virtually on June 25 from 8:30
a.m.–4:00 p.m. (CT). Experts will share, discuss, and recommend strategies to prevent and decrease the incidence of hepatitis B transmission and
improve the care of those at risk for perinatal hepatitis B.
Registration is free and CE credit is offered for multiple disciplines.
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Indiana Immunization Coalition will host HPV webinar
on April 30; CE available
The Indiana Immunization
Coalition will hold an HPV
webinar on April 30 at 8:00 a.m. (ET), free of charge, requiring registration:
HPV Infection and the Association with Head and Neck Cancers, presented by Jessica Yesensky, MD, Indiana University Health
Physicians Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Free CME, CNE, social work, pharmacy, and dental credits are offered.
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ON THE LIGHTER
SIDE
Nostalgic look at vaccine advocacy for Immunization
Action Month in 1974
Nostalgic look at vaccine advocacy 46 years ago: Low-budget animation promoting Immunization Action Month (1974) childhood vaccination. Produced
by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1974.
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