IAC Express 2011 |
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Issue number 923: April 11, 2011 |
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as well as other FREE IAC periodicals. |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
- CDC
website posts ACIP's provisional recommendations for use of Tdap vaccine
among healthcare personnel
- APHA and
AMDA issue position statements in support of mandating influenza
vaccination for healthcare workers, joining seven other professional
associations on IAC's Honor Roll for Patient Safety
- Pediatric
Infectious Diseases Society adopts position statement regarding personal
belief exemption from immunization mandates
- IAC's
Video of the Week features a discussion between authors Paul Offit and
Seth Mnookin on the challenges of communicating vaccine information
- CDC
issues new edition of the VIS for yellow fever vaccine
- IAC
updates its two professional educational-guidance handouts on medical
management of vaccine reactions
- CDC
reports on measles imported by returning U.S. travelers ages 6-23 months
during 2001-11
- CDC
reports on a measles outbreak in Hennepin County, Minnesota, during
February-March 2011
- Spotlight
on immunize.org: answers to frequently asked questions
- IAC
updates online "Ask the Experts" Q&A section related to MMR vaccine
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Important update: CDC's April 21 Net Conference will cover ACIP's changes
to the use of Tdap vaccine in adolescents and adults, as well as the
general recommendations for combination vaccines
- CDC
reports on an assessment of the completeness of reporting on perinatal
hepatitis B infection in the U.S.
- Six
updated IAC handouts now available in Turkish
-
Proportion of deaths from influenza and pneumonia remains higher than
expected, so please keep vaccinating!
-
Award-winning DVD! "Immunization Techniques: Best Practices with Infants,
Children, and Adults"--from the California Department of Public Health,
Immunization Branch
- CDC
reports on an assessment of influenza-like illness surveillance at the
U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009
- Some of
PKIDs' April and May webinars on using social media are related to
immunization
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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 923: April 11, 2011 |
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1. |
CDC website posts ACIP's provisional recommendations for use of Tdap vaccine
among healthcare personnel
On April 4, CDC's website posted ACIP's
provisional
recommendation titled "ACIP Provisional Recommendations for
Health Care Personnel on use of Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced
Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap) and
use of Postexposure Antimicrobial Prophylaxis." Portions of
the provisional recommendations are reprinted below.
On February 23, 2011, the ACIP approved revised
recommendations for healthcare personnel on use of tetanus
toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis
vaccine (Tdap) and use of postexposure antimicrobial
prophylaxis. Revised recommendations on use of Tdap in
healthcare personnel incorporate the changes made by ACIP at
the October 2010 meeting and support direct language to
remove barriers to facilitate the uptake of Tdap.
USE OF TDAP IN HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL:
- The ACIP recommends that all healthcare personnel (HCP),
regardless of age, should receive a single dose of Tdap as
soon as feasible if they have not previously received Tdap
and regardless of the time since last Td dose.
- Tdap is not currently licensed for multiple
administrations. After receipt of Tdap, HCP should receive
routine booster immunization against tetanus and diphtheria
according to previously published guidelines.
- Hospitals** and ambulatory-care facilities should provide
Tdap for HCP and use approaches that maximize vaccination
rates (e.g., education about the benefits of vaccination,
convenient access, and the provision of Tdap at no charge).
POSTEXPOSURE ANTIMICROBIAL PROPHYLAXIS IN HEALTHCARE
PERSONNEL:
- Healthcare facilities should maximize efforts to prevent
transmission of Bordetella pertussis. Respiratory
precautions should be taken to prevent unprotected exposure
to pertussis.
- Data on the need for postexposure antimicrobial
prophylaxis in Tdap-vaccinated HCP are inconclusive. Some
vaccinated HCP are still at risk for B. pertussis. Tdap may
not preclude the need for postexposure antimicrobial
prophylaxis.
- Postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis is recommend for
all HCP who have unprotected exposure to pertussis and are
likely to expose a patient at risk for severe pertussis
(e.g., hospitalized neonates and pregnant women). Other HCP
should either receive postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis
or be monitored daily for 21 days after pertussis exposure
and treated at the onset of signs and symptoms of pertussis.
**Hospitals, as defined by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, do not include
long-term-care facilities such as nursing homes, skilled-nursing facilities, or rehabilitation and convalescent care
facilities. Ambulatory-care settings include all outpatient
and walk-in facilities.
To access the complete provisional recommendations, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/provisional/default.htm#acip
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2. |
APHA and AMDA issue position statements in support of mandating influenza
vaccination for healthcare workers, joining seven other professional
associations on IAC's Honor Roll for Patient Safety
The American Public Health Association (APHA) and
American
Medical Directors Association (AMDA) recently released
position statements supporting mandatory annual influenza
vaccination of healthcare personnel. APHA and AMDA join the
following seven professional associations included on IAC's
Honor Roll for Patient Safety for developing position
statements that endorse influenza vaccination mandates for
healthcare workers:
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); American College of
Physicians (ACP); Association for Professionals in Infection
Control and Epidemiology (APIC); Infectious Diseases Society
of America (IDSA); National Foundation for Infectious
Diseases (NFID); National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF);
and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
To access the APHA position paper, go to:
http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1410
To access the AMDA position statement, go to:
http://www.amda.com/governance/resolutions/J11.cfm
The Immunization Action Coalition's Honor Roll for Patient
Safety recognizes the professional associations listed above
for developing position statements that advocate mandatory
healthcare worker influenza vaccination. To access all
position statements, go to: http://www.immunize.org/honor-roll Scroll down to the subhead
titled Position Statements Endorsing Strong Mandates for
Healthcare Workers.
IAC's honor roll recognizes hospitals, medical practices,
professional organizations, and government entities that
have taken a stand for patient safety by strengthening their
mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare
workers. To find out more about the honor roll, access
specific information on the mandates of the enrolled
organizations, or submit your organization's application for
the honor roll, go to: http://www.immunize.org/honor-roll
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3. |
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society adopts position statement regarding
personal belief exemption from immunization mandates
In March, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Society (PIDS)
adopted a position statement titled "A Statement Regarding
Personal Belief Exemption from Immunization Mandates." In
the statement, PIDS outlines its rationale for its position,
which is that PIDS "opposes any legislation or regulation
that would allow children to be exempted from mandatory
immunizations based simply on their parents', or, in the case of adolescents, their own, secular personal beliefs."
To access the complete position statement, go to:
http://www.pids.org/images/stories/pdf/pids-pbe-statement.pdf
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4. |
IAC's Video of the Week features a discussion between authors Paul Offit and
Seth Mnookin on the challenges of communicating vaccine information
IAC encourages IAC Express readers to watch a
16-minute
video of a discussion between Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatric
infectious disease expert and rotavirus vaccine developer,
and Seth Mnookin, contributing editor to Vanity Fair
magazine and other publications. Both have recently
published well-received books on current vaccination issues.
The video is part of a YouTube video series produced by the
College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
The video will be available on the home page of IAC's
website through April 17. To access it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org and click on the image under the
words Video of the Week. After April 17, it is available on
the History of Vaccines website at
http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/blog/interview-paul-offit-and-seth-mnookin
The History of Vaccines is a project of the College of
Physicians of Philadelphia. For more information, go to:
http://www.historyofvaccines.org
Remember to bookmark IAC's home page to view a new video
every Monday. To view an IAC Video of the Week from the
past, go to the video archive at http://www.immunize.org/votw
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5. |
CDC issues new edition of the VIS for yellow fever vaccine
On March 30, CDC issued a new edition of the VIS
for yellow
fever vaccine. Information in the new edition corresponds
with information found in the most recently published ACIP
yellow fever recommendations (published July 2010). Because
the new edition of the VIS contains updated information on
rates of adverse events, as well as other changes, CDC
suggests that healthcare providers start using it
immediately.
To access the new edition of the yellow fever VIS, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/yellow_fever.pdf
For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in more
than 35 languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at
http://www.immunize.org/vis
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6. |
IAC updates its two professional educational-guidance handouts on medical
management of vaccine reactions
IAC recently revised the following two
educational pieces
for healthcare professionals: "Medical Management of Vaccine
Reactions in Children and Teens" and "Medical Management of
Vaccine Reactions in Adult Patients."
To access "Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in
Children and Teens," go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3082a.pdf
To access "Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Adult
Patients," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3082.pdf
IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web section offers
healthcare professionals and the public approximately 250
FREE English-language handouts (many also available in
translation), which we encourage website users to print out,
copy, and distribute widely. To access all of IAC's free
handouts, go to: http://www.immunize.org/handouts
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7. |
CDC reports on measles imported by returning U.S. travelers ages 6-23 months
during 2001-11
CDC published "Measles Imported by Returning U.S.
Travelers
Aged 6-23 Months, 2001-2011" in the April 8 issue of MMWR.
The first paragraph is reprinted below.
In the first 2 months of 2011, CDC received reports of seven
imported measles cases among returning U.S. travelers aged
6-23 months; four required hospitalization. Young children
are at greater risk for severe measles, death, or sequelae
such as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Although all
seven children had been eligible for vaccination before
travel, none had received measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
vaccine, the only measles-containing vaccine currently
available in the United States. To characterize imported
measles cases reported in the first 2 months of 2011 in U.S.
travelers aged 6-23 months and compare them with cases in
recent years, CDC analyzed data from the National Notifiable
Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) for the period January
2001-February 2011. The results of that analysis indicated
that, during January-February 2011, a total of 13 imported
cases were reported in U.S. residents, including the seven
children aged 6-23 months. During 2001-2010, a total of 159
imported cases were reported in U.S. residents, including 47
(range: 3-8 per year) in children aged 6-23 months (three of
whom had been vaccinated before travel). Because measles
remains endemic in much of the world, international
travelers should be up-to-date on vaccinations. In
accordance with the Advisory Committee for Immunization
Practices (ACIP) recommendations, U.S. children who travel
or live abroad should be vaccinated at an earlier age than
those living in the United States because of the greater
risk for exposure to measles outside the United States, and
particularly outside the Americas. . . .
To access the full article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6013a1.htm
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8. |
CDC
reports on a measles outbreak in Hennepin County, Minnesota, during
February-March 2011
CDC published "Notes from the Field: Measles
Outbreak--Hennepin County, Minnesota, February-March 2011" in the
April 8 issue of MMWR. Portions of the article are reprinted
below.
On March 2, 2011, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
confirmed measles in a Hennepin County resident aged 9
months. As of April 1, investigation of contacts and
heightened surveillance had revealed a total of 13
epidemiologically linked cases in Hennepin County residents.
Of those cases, 11 were laboratory confirmed, and two were
in household contacts of confirmed cases and met the
clinical case definition for measles.
The patients included children aged 4 months-4 years and one
adult aged 51 years; seven of the 13 were of Somali decent.
Eight patients were hospitalized. Vaccination status was
known for 11 patients: five were too young to have been
vaccinated, and six (all of Somali descent) had not been
vaccinated because of parental concerns about the safety of
the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The most
recent rash onset was March 28. An additional, unrelated
case of measles was confirmed in a Hennepin County resident
aged 34 years who was exposed in Orlando, Florida, sometime
during March 1-10. . . .
To access the full article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6013a6.htm
Note from the IAC Express editor: To access information
about the measles outbreak in the Twin Cities area and to
read updated vaccination recommendations for all Hennepin
County residents and Somalis living in the greater
metropolitan area, go to the Minnesota Department of Health
website at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/measles At
this link, you can also subscribe to receive regular updates
about the measles outbreak.
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Spotlight on immunize.org: answers to frequently asked questions
Looking for help locating information on our
website? Look
no further. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) web
section includes a listing of answers to FAQs about IAC's
handouts, VISs, periodicals, and additional website content.
The FAQs section also includes contact information for CDC
and others as well as helpful resources in your quest to
find answers to your vaccine-related questions.
To access IAC's FAQs section, visit http://www.immunize.org/faq
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10. |
IAC updates online "Ask the Experts" Q&A section related to MMR vaccine
IAC's online "Ask the Experts" Q&A section about
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was recently updated with input
from vaccination experts at CDC. IAC's "Ask the Experts"
Q&As are reviewed and updated annually. The process is
ongoing; IAC Express will inform readers as sections are
reviewed and revised.
To access the revised measles, mumps, and rubella Q&As, go
to: http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_mmr.asp
To access the index page of "Ask the Experts" Q&As for all
other vaccines, go to: http://www.immunize.org/askexperts
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11. |
Important update: CDC's April 21 Net Conference will cover ACIP's changes to
the use of Tdap vaccine in adolescents and adults, as well as the general
recommendations for combination vaccines
The next "Current Issues in Immunization" Net
Conference
will be held on April 21 from noon to 1PM Eastern Time.
Andrew Kroger, MD, MPH, will speak on the general
recommendations for combination vaccines. Jennifer L. Liang,
DVM, MPVM, will discuss recent policy changes ACIP made to
the recommendations for use of Tdap vaccine in adolescents
and adults.
Registration is limited and will close on April 19 or when
the course is full. To register, go to:
http://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/ciinc
IMPORTANT NOTE: The July 14 Net Conference has been
rescheduled for June 2.
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12. |
CDC reports on an assessment of the completeness of reporting on perinatal
hepatitis B infection in the U.S.
CDC published "Assessing Completeness of
Perinatal Hepatitis
B Virus Infection Reporting Through Comparison of
Immunization Program and Surveillance Data--United States"
in the April 8 issue of MMWR. A press summary of the article
is reprinted below.
Approximately 24,000 women with hepatitis B give birth each
year, and without vaccination, their infants are at risk of
contracting the disease. Infants infected with hepatitis B
have a 90 percent chance of developing a life-long infection
and a 25 percent risk of premature death. To prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, all pregnant women
need to be tested for hepatitis B and all infections should
be reported to local and state health departments. If
infected, a woman should be referred for evaluation and
treatment, and her infant should receive hepatitis B vaccine
at the time of birth in order to prevent infection. All
infants should receive the first shot in the hepatitis B
vaccine series before getting discharged from the hospital.
Identifying pregnant women who are infected with hepatitis B
and providing clinical care and monitoring of the women and
their infants can prevent future cases of liver disease,
liver cancer, and even death. This article describes how
federally funded state and local immunization programs work
to eliminate hepatitis B in the United States by monitoring
hepatitis B infected pregnant women and their infants.
Actively collected immunization program data on infant
hepatitis B infections are more complete than passively
collected surveillance data.
To access the full article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6013a4.htm
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13. |
Six updated IAC handouts now available in Turkish
Current versions of six IAC handouts are now
available in
Turkish translation. IAC gratefully acknowledges Mustafa
Kozanoglu, MD, Adana, Turkey, for the translations. The
handouts are as follows.
1. "ALL KIDS NEED HEPATITIS B SHOTS!"
Turkish: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4055-21.pdf
English: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4055.pdf
2. "IMMUNIZATIONS FOR BABIES: A GUIDE FOR
PARENTS--THESE ARE THE VACCINATIONS YOUR BABY NEEDS!"
Turkish: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-21.pdf
English: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010.pdf
3. "ARE YOU 11-19 YEARS OLD? THEN YOU NEED TO BE VACCINATED
AGAINST THESE SERIOUS DISEASES!"
Turkish: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4020-21.pdf
English: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4020.pdf
4. "SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ADULT IMMUNIZATION"
Turkish: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065-21.pdf
English: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065.pdf
5. "SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CHILD AND TEEN IMMUNIZATION"
Turkish: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060-21.pdf
English: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060.pdf
6. "WHEN DO CHILDREN AND TEENS NEED VACCINATIONS?"
Turkish: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-21.pdf
English: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050.pdf
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14. |
Proportion of deaths from influenza and pneumonia remains higher than
expected, so please keep vaccinating!
CDC reports that as of the week ending April 2,
the
proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza
was at or above the level expected for the tenth consecutive
week. Influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone age
6 months and older, so please keep vaccinating your
patients.
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15. |
Award-winning DVD! "Immunization Techniques: Best Practices with Infants,
Children, and Adults"--from the California Department of Public Health,
Immunization Branch
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH),
Immunization Branch, has updated its award-winning training
video, "Immunization Techniques: Best Practices with
Infants, Children, and Adults." The 25-minute program can be
used to train new employees and to refresh the skills of
experienced staff. The video demonstrates the skills and
techniques needed to administer vaccines to patients of all
ages. It includes instruction on the following:
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Selecting, preparing, and administering injectable, oral,
and nasal vaccines
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Documenting immunizations
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Making patients comfortable and educating them
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Facilitating staff and patient communication
Prices start at $17 each for 1-9 copies and are greatly
reduced for large orders, dropping to $3 each for 1,000-1,499 copies.
To learn more about the DVD, and find out how to order it,
go to: http://www.immunize.org/shop/toolkit_iztechdvd.asp
For quotes on larger quantities, call (651) 647-9009 or
email admininfo@immunize.org
The Immunization Action Coalition is the only nationwide
vendor of this new DVD.
Note for healthcare settings located in California: Contact
your local health department immunization program for a free
copy.
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16. |
CDC reports on an assessment of influenza-like illness surveillance at the
U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009
CDC published "Assessment of ESSENCE Performance
for
Influenza-Like Illness Surveillance After an Influenza
Outbreak--U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, 2009" in the
April 8 issue of MMWR. Portions of a press summary of the
article are reprinted below.
The Electronic Surveillance System for the Early
Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE), version
II, is an Internet-based syndromic disease surveillance
system designed as an early warning system to detect and
monitor an outbreak. After a 2009 pandemic influenza A
(H1N1) outbreak at the U.S. Air Force Academy, CDC conducted
an evaluation of the ESSENCE influenza-like illness (ILI)
surveillance system and found strengths in data quality,
flexibility, representativeness, and ability to monitor
seasonal influenza. However, ESSENCE was not useful for
detecting or monitoring the localized 2009 H1N1 outbreak due
to a lack of timeliness (1-3 day delay), inadequate
sensitivity (71.4 percent), and poor predictive value
positive (31.8 percent). . . .
To access the full article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6013a3.htm
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17. |
Some of PKIDs' April and May webinars on using social media are related to
immunization
PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases)
has
scheduled new webinars for April and May, some of which
focus on using social media in communicating immunization
information.
Simple registration (free) is all that's required to learn
more about the webinars, register for them, and watch
archived versions of them. To register, go to
http://network.pkids.org or
http://www.pkids.org/cme
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