Issue Number 205            November 3, 2000

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. CDC issues notice of contract for additional 9 million doses of influenza vaccine
  2. Questions about flu vaccine delays? Check out CDC's Influenza Vaccine Availability Website
  3. New! CDC influenza vaccine flyers available online
  4. CDC publishes article on progress toward interrupting indigenous measles transmission in the Americas
  5. Fact sheet on hepatitis B and international adoption from the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board
  6. Employment opportunity: CDC is recruiting candidates for chief of the training and education branch of the Immunization Services Division

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(1)
November 3, 2000
CDC ISSUES NOTICE OF CONTRACT FOR ADDITIONAL 9 MILLION DOSES OF INFLUENZA VACCINE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Notice to Readers in the November 3, 2000, issue of the MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT (MMWR), titled "CDC Contract for Additional 9 Million Doses of Influenza Vaccine for the 2000-01 Season."

The notice is reprinted below:

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CDC has contracted with Aventis-Pasteur, Inc. (Av-P) for the production of 9 million doses of influenza vaccine for the 2000-01 season. This additional production ensures that approximately the same quantity of influenza vaccine is available for the 2000-01 season as the previous year. The 9 million doses are not intended to substitute for vaccine that is already ordered and expected to be delivered.

For the 1999-2000 influenza season, approximately 77 million doses of influenza vaccine were distributed in the United States, of which 3 million doses were returned to the manufacturers. For the 2000-2001 influenza season, distribution of approximately 75 million doses is anticipated, including the 9 million doses contracted by CDC. Av-P will give first priority to orders from providers who plan to vaccinate primarily high-risk persons. Applications for vaccine orders from health-care providers and programs should be sent directly to Av-P beginning November 3, 2000. Wholesale distributors can apply to purchase vaccine starting December 4, 2000, if doses remain available. Once an application has been received by Av-P, notification regarding order acceptance will be provided to the applicant before mid-December. Delivery of vaccine is anticipated to begin December 12, 2000, and end by early January 2001.

Additional information about the application process and vaccine availability is available through Av-P, telephone (800) 720-8972, or World-Wide Web, http://www.vaccineshoppe.com (click on Fluzone Application Form link). Completed application forms can be faxed to (888) 889-7129. Orders for this vaccine will not be taken by telephone.

CDC's National Immunization Program (NIP) has developed an "Influenza Vaccine Availability" website that will provide information about the availability of influenza vaccine from manufacturers and wholesale distributors and will list state health departments that may have information about vaccine availability among local providers. This website will be updated weekly. The website can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/flu-vac-supply The updated ACIP
recommendations for influenza vaccine for the 2000-01 season and other influenza-related information can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/fluvirus.htm
Additional information and assistance can be obtained by contacting NIP by e-mail, nipinfo@cdc.gov, or by telephone, (800) 232-2522.

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To view the complete text of this notice online, including references, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4943a5.htm

To find out how to obtain a free electronic subscription to the MMWR, see the instructions that follow article four below.
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(2)
November 3, 2000
QUESTIONS ABOUT FLU VACCINE DELAYS? CHECK OUT CDC'S INFLUENZA VACCINE AVAILABILITY WEBSITE

CDC has launched a new website as part of its National Immunization Program (NIP). Aimed at health care providers who are seeking to obtain influenza vaccine for the 2000-2001 season, the website posts the names of vaccine manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors who report having influenza vaccine doses available. The site also lists state health departments that have agreed to track local providers who have surplus vaccine they are willing to make available to others, as permitted by law.

The website will be updated at least weekly, and more information is expected as influenza vaccination programs get underway and more influenza vaccine becomes available in mid-November.

To visit the website, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/flu-vac-supply/default.htm
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(3)
November 3, 2000
NEW! CDC INFLUENZA VACCINE FLYERS AVAILABLE ONLINE

CDC's National Immunization Program (NIP) has produced three health education flyers on the influenza vaccine. Aimed at the public, these flyers dispel common myths about influenza and the flu shot.

The educational flyers are available to download from the Immunization Action Coalition's website. They can be printed in color or black and white, and each flyer includes a blank space where you can add your logo or contact information.

To obtain "Which People Are at High Risk for Complications from the Flu?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/news.d/people1.pdf

To obtain "Your Flu Shot Protects You and Those You Love," go to: http://www.immunize.org/news.d/flushot1.pdf

To obtain "Send Holiday Cheer to Everyone You Love--Not the Flu," go to: http://www.immunize.org/news.d/holiday1.pdf
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(4)
November 3, 2000
CDC PUBLISHES ARTICLE ON PROGRESS TOWARD INTERRUPTING INDIGENOUS MEASLES TRANSMISSION IN THE AMERICAS

CDC published a report in the November 3, 2000, issue of the MMWR titled "Progress Toward Interrupting Indigenous Measles Transmission--Region of the Americas, January 1999-September 2000."

According to the Editorial Note, "Countries in the Region of the Americas have made important progress in interrupting measles transmission. Countries have dedicated heath-care personnel, resources, and political support to both vaccination programs and intensified disease surveillance." The report goes on to note that countries adequately implementing all of the strategies recommended by the Pan American Health Organization have successfully interrupted measles transmission. Endemic transmission continues in Haiti and the Dominican Republic despite nationwide vaccination campaigns, "mainly because measles coverage in the campaigns did not reach 95 percent."

To view the full text of this article online, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4943a4.htm

HOW TO OBTAIN A FREE ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MMWR:
To obtain a free electronic subscription to the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR), visit CDC's MMWR website at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr
Select "Free MMWR Subscription" from the menu at the left of the screen. Once you have submitted the required information, weekly issues of the MMWR and all new ACIP statements (published as MMWR's "Recommendations and Reports") will arrive automatically by e-mail.
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(5)
November 3, 2000
FACT SHEET ON HEPATITIS B AND INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION FROM THE VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION BOARD

The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board offers a fact sheet on hepatitis B for parents who are adopting a child from abroad. The fact sheet answers common questions about hepatitis B virus (HBV), how it is acquired, what tests adopted children should have, and what parents should do if their child tests positive for HBV. The fact sheet also directs readers to websites in six languages for more information.

To view or download this fact sheet in a camera-ready format (PDF version 4.0), go to: http://www.vhpb.org/vhfs5.pdf

For other resources on viral hepatitis, visit the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board's home page at: http://www.vhpb.org/
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(6)
November 3, 2000
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: CDC IS RECRUITING CANDIDATES FOR
CHIEF OF THE TRAINING AND EDUCATION BRANCH OF THE IMMUNIZATION SERVICES DIVISION

CDC has a position opening for the Chief of Training and Education Branch within the Immunization Services Division of its National Immunization Program. 

The position is posted as a Supervisory Health Education Specialist. It will remain open until November 24, 2000. 

To view the online position description for this opportunity on the CDC website, go to: http://www2.cdc.gov/hrmo/vdetail.asp?AnnouncementNumber=1-01-090

For application guidelines, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ and click on "Training and Employment." 

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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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