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IAC Express 2007 |
| Issue number 681: August 27, 2007 |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
- Official
CDC Health Advisory: Hepatitis A in a food handler who served persons from
multiple states
- CDC
releases revised interim meningococcal VIS
- New:
Spanish-language version of the current recommended adult immunization
schedule now online
- MMWR
reports on respiratory illness mistakenly attributed to pertussis
- IAC
updates "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?"
- August
issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter now available
online
- MMWR
features chart illustrating HPV infection prevalence
- Vaccine
Education Center Newsletter includes important information for healthcare
professionals
- North
American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza released
- WHO
issues position paper on rotavirus vaccines
- Former
CDC director writes about changes in public health from 1998-2002
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| Abbreviations |
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AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP,
American Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices; AMA, American Medical Association; CDC, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IAC, Immunization
Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; NCIRD,
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; NIVS, National
Influenza Vaccine Summit; VIS, Vaccine Information Statement; VPD,
vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health Organization. |
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Issue 681: August 27, 2007 |
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1. |
Official CDC Health Advisory: Hepatitis A in a food handler who served
persons from multiple states
On August 26, CDC's Health Alert Network issued
an official CDC
Health Advisory titled "Hepatitis A in a Food Handler Who Served
Persons from Multiple States." It is reprinted below in its
entirety.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
recently been notified that an employee of a single Jamba Juice
store in San Jose, California was recently diagnosed with
hepatitis A. The food service worker also assisted with the
preparation of fresh fruit smoothies for distribution at the
booth of an exhibitor (JumpSport) at the 43rd Annual USA
Gymnastics (USAG) National Congress and Trade Show held in
conjunction with the 2007 Gymnastics National Championships, in
San Jose, California. Attendees at the trade show and gymnastics
competition were from a number of states and have since returned
home.
Because it is likely the employee followed good hand hygiene and
food safety practices, the risk of exposure is small. However,
persons exposed in the last 14 days can reduce their risk.
Persons who may have been exposed include:
- Persons who ate or drank at the 1140 Lincoln Avenue San Jose,
CA Jamba Juice on August 1-3, 6-9, 11, 13 and 15-16.
- Persons who drank fruit smoothies distributed from the
JumpSport booth at the USAG trade show on August 16 and 17.
People who have had a hepatitis A vaccine or have had the
illness in the past, are protected from hepatitis A infection.
CDC recommends that persons who are not protected and are within
14 days of exposure contact their medical provider or their
state or local health department to receive a dose of single
antigen hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin (IG).
- Healthy persons between the ages of 12 months and 40 years can
receive single antigen hepatitis A vaccine or IG.
- For persons over the age of 40 years, IG is preferred. Vaccine
can be used if IG cannot be obtained.
- IG should be used for children under the age of 12 months,
immune compromised persons, persons who have been diagnosed with
chronic liver disease, and persons for whom vaccine is
contraindicated.
In persons exposed more than 14 days ago, vaccine or IG
treatment will not prevent the illness. Those persons should
watch for symptoms of hepatitis A and practice good hygiene,
including frequent hand washing with soap and water.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus.
Symptoms usually occur abruptly and include fatigue, abdominal
pain, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice (yellowing of the skin
or eyes), and diarrhea. Symptoms usually last less than two
months; but some people may be ill for as long as six months.
The average time from exposure to symptoms is 28 days, but can
range from 15–50 days. Good personal hygiene, including frequent
hand washing with soap and water is very important in preventing
the spread of hepatitis A. If you experience symptoms, please
contact your health care provider.
People seeking medical care related to possible exposure can
contact Jamba Juice to learn about their reimbursement policy
for related medical expenses and obtain a reimbursement form by
calling (877) 217-4780.
More information about hepatitis A is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/ or by calling the
CDC information line at (800) CDC-INFO ([800] 232-4636).
To access the health advisory, go to:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/ArchiveSys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00266
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2. |
CDC releases revised interim meningococcal VIS
On August 16, CDC released a revised interim
edition of the VIS
for meningococcal vaccines. The interim meningococcal VIS has
been updated slightly to make it consistent with ACIP's recent
vote to recommend MCV4 for all children and adolescents 11-18
years of age, as published in an August 10, 2007, MMWR Notice to
Readers. The change affects only the first two paragraphs of
Section 3 of the VIS; providers may use up stocks of the
previous version, but should be prepared to explain the updated
indication to patients.
To access the interim VIS for meningococcal vaccines from the
CDC website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mening.pdf
To access it from the IAC website, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/menin06.pdf
For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in more than
30 languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at
http://www.immunize.org/vis
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3. |
New: Spanish-language version of the current recommended adult immunization
schedule now online
The October 2006-September 2007, Recommended
Adult Immunization
Schedule is now available in Spanish and can be printed from the
CDC website. The Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule--which
was released in English in October 2006--has been approved by
the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American
College of Physicians (ACP), and the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
To access the Spanish-language schedule directly, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/adult/06-07/adult-schedule-sp.pdf
To view, download, or print the adult schedule in various
formats, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/adult-schedule.htm
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4. |
MMWR reports on respiratory illness mistakenly attributed to pertussis
CDC published "Outbreaks of Respiratory Illness
Mistakenly
Attributed to Pertussis--New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and
Tennessee, 2004-2006" in the August 24 issue of MMWR. The
introduction and last paragraph of the Editorial Note are
reprinted below, excluding footnotes and one figure.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly infectious, nationally
notifiable respiratory disease associated with prolonged cough
illness and paroxysms of coughing, inspiratory "whoop," or
posttussive vomiting. Reported pertussis cases have tripled in
the United States since 2001, with 25,616 probable or confirmed
cases reported in 2005. This increase has been attributed to
increased circulation of Bordetella pertussis, waning vaccine-induced immunity among adults and adolescents, heightened
awareness of pertussis among healthcare providers, increased
public health reporting, and increased use of polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) testing for diagnosis. To minimize the spread of
pertussis, control measures must be implemented early in the
course of illness when the risk for transmission is highest.
However, diagnosis of pertussis is complicated by nonspecific
signs and symptoms, particularly in the early catarrhal stage of
disease. In addition, the lack of rapid, sensitive, and specific
laboratory tests makes early and accurate identification of
pertussis challenging. This report describes two hospital
outbreaks and one community outbreak of respiratory illness
during 2004-2006 in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Tennessee
that were attributed initially to pertussis. However, subsequent
investigations revealed negative or equivocal laboratory results
and epidemiologic and clinical features atypical of pertussis,
suggesting that pertussis was not the cause of these outbreaks.
The findings in this report underscore the need for thorough
epidemiologic and laboratory investigation of suspected
pertussis outbreaks when considering extensive control
measures . . . .
Considering the challenges of diagnosing pertussis and
controlling outbreaks, prevention of pertussis outbreaks through
widespread vaccination is an important strategy. The Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices recommends vaccination of
persons aged 11-64 years with the newly licensed Tdap vaccines,
which have been estimated 85%-92% effective. Achieving high
coverage is expected to prevent disease and decrease the
likelihood of future pertussis outbreaks. Although the
effectiveness of vaccination with Tdap in interrupting
transmission of pertussis during an outbreak has not been
established, persons previously vaccinated with Tdap should have
a lower risk for acquiring and transmitting pertussis, thereby
preventing the outbreak from expanding. Investigation of
suspected pertussis outbreaks should include timely
consideration of clinical, laboratory, and epidemiologic data,
including vaccination status of the population affected, to help
health officials implement appropriate control measures.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5633a1.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5633.pdf
To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which
includes new ACIP statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
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5. |
IAC updates "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?"
IAC recently revised "When Do Children and Teens
Need
Vaccinations?" to include updated information on hepatitis A,
influenza, Tdap, HPV, and meningococcal vaccination.
To access the newly revised piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050.pdf
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6. |
August issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter now available
online
The August issue of Immunization Works, a monthly
email
newsletter published by CDC, is available on the website of the
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
(NCIRD). The newsletter offers members of the immunization
community non-proprietary information about current topics. CDC
encourages its wide dissemination.
All of the information in the August issue has already appeared
in previous issues of IAC Express. The titles of the articles
appear below.
FRONT PAGE NEWS
CDC Launches Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign
OTHER NEWS & SUMMARIES
Influenza Update
Revised MCV4 Recommendations
Hepatitis A Vaccination Coverage, Children 24-35 Months
Progress toward Global Polio Eradication
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES & RESOURCES
HPV--Gardasil and GBS Fact Sheet
Save the Date, Immunization & Health Coalitions Conference
Updated VIS Statements
Updated "Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women"
Upcoming Broadcasts, Webcasts and Netconferences
Vaccine Safety Article
Issues of Immunization Works are posted on CDC's Vaccines &
Immunizations website a few days after publication. To access
the August issue, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/news/newsltrs/imwrks Click on the
link titled "Aug" under the banner titled "2007 Newsletters
Available Online."
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7. |
MMWR features chart illustrating HPV infection prevalence
In the August 24 issue of MMWR, CDC published a
chart titled
"QuickStats: Prevalence of HPV Infection Among Sexually Active
Females Aged 14-59 Years, by Age Group--National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2003-2004."
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the chart, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5633a5.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5633.pdf
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8. |
Vaccine Education Center Newsletter includes important information for
healthcare professionals
On August 14, the Vaccine Education Center (VEC)
at the
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) published an issue of
its electronic newsletter for healthcare providers. It includes
the following items.
(1) Information about the Vaccine Education Center Symposium
scheduled for September 15 at CHOP.
This one-day symposium for health professionals will focus on
concerns and questions related to vaccine financing, science,
and exemptions. The registration deadline is August 31. To
access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the symposium brochure,
go to: http://www.chop.edu/cme/2007/vaccine/pdf/vaccine_std.pdf
To register, go to CHOP's Continuing Medical Education
Department at http://www.chop.edu/cme or call (215) 590-5263.
(2) Ordering information for updated VEC educational materials.
VEC has revised "Meningococcus: What You Should Know" and
"Influenza: What You Should Know." These materials come in tear
pads of 50 sheets and are available in English and Spanish.
Healthcare professionals can order two pads of each title in
each language free of charge by contacting VEC by phone ([215]
590-9990), email (vaccines@email.chop.edu), fax ([215] 590-2025), or online at
http://vaccine.chop.edu (select "order
educational materials").
(3) Description of new materials promoting adolescent and teen
vaccination.
VEC has developed a new set of materials to help educate
families about adolescent and teen vaccines, including a parent
bookmark, adolescent and teen bookmarks, and a laminated 'tips'
card for healthcare offices. The bookmarks are available in
English and Spanish, and the teen bookmarks come in a choice of
four styles. To learn more or order materials, visit
http://vaccine.chop.edu
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9. |
North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza released
On August 21, the Presidents of the United States
and Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada announced the release of the
North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza. The plan was developed
as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North American, an
effort to increase security and enhance prosperity in Canada, Mexico, and the
United States through greater cooperation and information sharing.
The plan outlines how the three countries will work together to prepare for
and manage outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza and pandemic
influenza. The North American Plan provides a framework to accomplish the
following:
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Detect, contain, and control an avian influenza
outbreak and prevent transmission to humans;
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Prevent or slow the entry of a new strain of
human influenza into North America;
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Minimize illness and deaths; and
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Sustain infrastructure and mitigate the impact to
the economy and the functioning of society.
To read or download the North American Plan for
Avian and Pandemic Influenza, go to:
http://www.state.gov/g/avianflu/91242.htm
To read a related fact sheet, "Combatting Avian Flu in North American: The
North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza," go to:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/91387.pdf
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10. |
WHO issues position paper on rotavirus vaccines
The August 10 issue of the WHO periodical "Weekly
Epidemiological Record" covered the latest WHO position paper on
rotavirus vaccines. To access it, go to:
http://www.who.int/wer/2007/wer8232.pdf
A collection of WHO position papers on vaccines is available in
alphabetical order at
http://www.who.int/immunization/documents/positionpapers
They are available in chronological order on the IAC website at
http://www.immunize.org/who
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11. |
Former CDC director writes about changes in public health from 1998-2002
CDC published "Director's Perspective--Jeffrey P.
Koplan, MD,
MPH, 1998-2002" in the August 24 issue of MMWR. In commemoration
of CDC's 60th anniversary, MMWR has been publishing a series of
commentaries by CDC directors. This is the sixth of these
personal perspectives.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of this article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5633a3.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5633.pdf
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