Issue Number 619            September 5, 2006

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. IAC releases new and revised standing orders for administering vaccines and managing vaccine reactions
  2. Updated: IAC revises three influenza pieces
  3. IAC redesigns home page of website to highlight new information
  4. Immunization Coalitions Technical Assistance Center offering teleconference in October
  5. Contemporary Pediatrics offers teleconference series on pediatric influenza immunization
  6. Late August issue of CDC's Pandemic Influenza Update now available on IAC's website
  7. CDC adds information about vaccine shortages to its website
  8. CDC provides information on new micro-chip test for quick diagnosis of influenza strains
  9. WHO provides case definitions for human infections with influenza A (H5N1) virus
  10. MMWR includes CDC's report on plague in the United States
  11. Local immunization coalition sponsoring conference in Kentucky

----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

---------------------------------------------------------------

ABBREVIATIONS: AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IAC, Immunization Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; NIP, National Immunization Program; VIS, Vaccine Information Statement; VPD, vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health Organization.
---------------------------------------------------------------

(1 of 11)
September 5, 2006
IAC RELEASES NEW AND REVISED STANDING ORDERS FOR ADMINISTERING VACCINES AND MANAGING VACCINE REACTIONS

IAC has posted new and revised standing orders for vaccine administration for adults, children, and teens and a new piece on the management of vaccine reactions for children and teens on its website.

All available standing orders protocols are listed below along with their release dates.

"Standing Orders for Administering DTaP to Children Younger than Age 7 Years" (7/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Haemophilus influenzae type b Vaccine to Children" (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis A Vaccine to Children & Teens" (7/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis B Vaccine to Children & Teens" (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine to Children & Teens" (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccines to Children & Adolescents" (TIV and LAIV) (8/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Measles, Mumps & Rubella Vaccine to Children & Teens" (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal Vaccine to Children & Teens" (MCV4 and MPSV4) (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine to Children (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine to Children & Teens" (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Td/Tdap to Children Ages 7 Years and Older" (7/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Varicella Vaccine to Children & Teens" (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis A Vaccine to Adults" (7/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis B Vaccine to Adults" (12/03)

"Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Adults" (TIV and LAIV) (8/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Measles, Mumps, & Rubella Vaccine to Adults" (12/03)

"Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal Vaccine to Adults" (MCV4, MPSV4) (5/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccine to Adults" (6/04)

"Standing Orders for Administering Tetanus-Diphtheria Toxoids & Pertussis Vaccine (Td/Tdap) to Adults" (7/06)

"Standing Orders for Administering Varicella (Chickenpox) Vaccine to Adults" (12/03)

"Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Children and Teens" (8/06)

"Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Adult Patients" (12/03)

"Guidelines for Standing Orders in Labor & Delivery and Nursery Units to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus Transmission to Newborns" (4/06)

Links to all these standing orders and medical management protocols are available on one web page at http://www.immunize.org/standingorders

IAC will be releasing updated versions of "Standing Orders for Administering Measles, Mumps, & Rubella Vaccine to Adults," "Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccine to Adults," "Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis B Vaccine to Adults," and "Standing Orders for Administering Varicella (Chickenpox) Vaccine to Adults" in the near future.

IAC is in the process of developing standing orders for the use of rotavirus vaccine now that ACIP recommendations have been published in MMWR. Standing orders for zoster and HPV vaccines will be released after ACIP recommendations are published.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(2 of 11)
September 5, 2006
UPDATED: IAC REVISES THREE INFLUENZA PIECES

In addition to the standing orders for influenza vaccines mentioned in the first article, IAC has recently revised the following print pieces related to influenza vaccination.

"Screening Questionnaire for Injectable Influenza Vaccination"

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4066.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4066.htm

"Screening Questionnaire for Intranasal Influenza Vaccination"

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4067.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4067.htm

"Give these people influenza vaccine!"

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2013flu.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2013flu.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(3 of 11)
September 5, 2006
IAC REDESIGNS HOME PAGE OF WEBSITE TO HIGHLIGHT NEW INFORMATION

IAC recently modified the home page of its website for healthcare professionals to make it easier to find what's new. Prominently placed at the top of the home page are two new links titled "New Releases" and "What's New at IAC."

"New Releases" includes information from federal agencies on vaccine licensures, recommendations, and resources. Look here first for newly released VISs from CDC, recommendations from ACIP, vaccine policy statements from AAP, and clinically relevant press releases.

"What's New at IAC" lists new and revised materials on our website in date order. This page includes both print pieces and web pages created by IAC.

To access these new pages, go to http://www.immunize.org and click on the new links under "Welcome!" Don't forget to bookmark them for easy future reference!
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(4 of 11)
September 5, 2006
IMMUNIZATION COALITIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER OFFERING TELECONFERENCE IN OCTOBER

The Immunization Coalitions Technical Assistance Center has scheduled a program titled "Engaging Faith Communities" on October 10 at 1:00 pm EDT. The presenter will be the Reverend Cassandra Sparrow. To register for this teleconference, send an email to IZTA@aed.org Include this message: "Sign me up for the Faith Communities call."

To access earlier programs, go to:
http://www.izcoalitionsta.org/confcall.cfm
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(5 of 11)
September 5, 2006
CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRICS OFFERS TELECONFERENCE SERIES ON PEDIATRIC INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION

Contemporary Pediatrics is sponsoring a series of ten teleconferences about pediatric influenza immunization. The program schedule begins August 31, and runs through September 21. Each program is approximately 45 minutes in length and is followed by a live question-and-answer session. Continuing education credit for physicians and nurses is available.

For more information, go to:
http://www.medconference.net/Advanstar/Pediatric.nsf/Pages/ProgramInformation

To register online, go to:
http://www.medconference.net/Advanstar/Pediatric.nsf/Register!OpenForm
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(6 of 11)
September 5, 2006
LATE AUGUST ISSUE OF CDC'S PANDEMIC INFLUENZA UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE ON IAC'S WEBSITE

CDC recently issued a late August issue of the email newsletter Pandemic Influenza Update. To access it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/pandemic/panflu_late806.pdf

To access a range of pandemic influenza resources on the IAC website, go to http://www.immunize.org/pandemic
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(7 of 11)
September 5, 2006
CDC ADDS INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE SHORTAGES TO ITS WEBSITE

CDC recently added the following vaccine shortage information to its website.

Merck is currently experiencing temporary packaging constraints affecting the immediate availability of the adult formulations of hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines. Customers may experience backorders for these adult vaccines and may contact 1-800-MERCK-90 [1-800-637-2590] for current information about availability. GlaxoSmithKline's adult hepatitis products are in good supply.

Sanofi pasteur is experiencing temporary supply constraints affecting Tdap (brandname Adacel). Customers may experience backorders for these vaccines and may contact 1-800-VACCINE [1-800-822-2463] for information about availability. GlaxoSmithKline's adolescent Tdap (brandname Boostrix) is in good supply. Please note that Adacel is indicated for adolescents and adults 11-64 years of age while Boostrix is indicated for adolescents 10-18 years of age.

Information on all vaccine shortages can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/shortages
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(8 of 11)
September 5, 2006
CDC PROVIDES INFORMATION ON NEW MICRO-CHIP TEST FOR QUICK DIAGNOSIS OF INFLUENZA STRAINS

On August 28, CDC released information about a new microchip test that allows laboratories to quickly analyze influenza viruses. The first two paragraphs of the press release follow.

***********************

Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a microchip-based test that may allow more labs to diagnose influenza infections and learn more about the viruses causing illness. The FluChip successfully distinguished among 72 influenza strains—including the H5N1 avian influenza strain—in less than 12 hours. The research was led by University of Colorado scientist Kathy L. Rowlen, PhD, and was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Laboratories across the United States can do basic tests to determine the type and subtype of an influenza virus within several hours. However, only the CDC and a handful of other labs internationally have the high-level biosafety facilities needed to perform specialized tests that reveal critical details about the virus's geographic origin and other features. Because the FluChip technology could be used in lower level biosafety facilities, it could expand influenza diagnostic capacity by allowing more labs to determine the geographic origin of a newly emergent virus and whether its source is human or nonhuman; learn how closely related a new virus is to ones that circulated previously; and detect genetic changes that may signal the virus is becoming more virulent.

***********************

To read the entire press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r060828.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(9 of 11)
September 5, 2006
WHO PROVIDES CASE DEFINITIONS FOR HUMAN INFECTIONS WITH INFLUENZA A (H5N1) VIRUS

On August 29, the World Health Organization (WHO) released case definitions for human infections with influenza A (H5N1) virus. The background section states, "Prompt and accurate reporting of H5N1 influenza cases to WHO is the cornerstone for monitoring both the global evolution of this disease and the corresponding risk that a pandemic virus might emerge."

Standardized case definitions facilitate reporting and classification of human cases of H5N1 infection by national and international health authorities, provide a standard language for communication purposes, and allow comparison of data across time and geographical areas.

To read the WHO document, go to:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/case_definition2006_08_29/en/index.html
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(10 of 11)
September 5, 2006
MMWR INCLUDES CDC'S REPORT ON PLAGUE IN THE UNITED STATES

CDC published "Human Plague—Four States, 2006" in the September 1 MMWR. Previously, the article was available only in electronic format as an MMWR Dispatch dated August 25.

To access a web-text (HTML) version of the MMWR article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5534a4.htm

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5534.pdf

To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
---------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(11 of 11)
September 5, 2006
LOCAL IMMUNIZATION COALITION SPONSORING CONFERENCE IN KENTUCKY

Let's Immunize Very Early (LIVE) is sponsoring a conference on October 5, from 9:00-2:00 CST at the Medical Center Auditorium in Bowling Green, KY. LIVE is a grassroots community partnership that has helped increase local pediatric immunization rates to 90 percent. Speakers at the conference will share their strategies for success.

For more information about the program "Steps to Building Your Immunization Coalition," call Brenda Iler at (270) 781-2490, extension 219, or go to http://www.barrenriverhealth.org/community/SAPO/coalitionbuilding101.htm

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 Disclaimer
ISSN 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

This page was updated on .