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IAC Express 2007 |
| Issue number 646: February 19, 2007 |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
- FDA
issues Public Health Notification on information on RotaTeq and
intussusception
- National
Influenza Vaccine Summit announces recipients of the 2007 Immunization
Excellence Awards
- Reminder:
Be sure to continue administering influenza vaccine during the early
months of 2007
-
Infectious Diseases in Children publishes two-part report on the
challenges of vaccination reimbursement
- IAC's
hepatitis website celebrates its six-year anniversary
- February
14 issue of IAC's Hep Express electronic newsletter available online
- CDC
outlines differences in HPV vaccination recommendations issued by ACIP and
the American Cancer Society
- February
issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter available online
- CDC
reports on U.S. influenza activity from October 2, 2006, to February 3,
2007
- CDC's
Influenza web section updates five resources on seasonal influenza
- National
Viral Hepatitis Training Center announces 2007 training dates
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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 646: February 19, 2007 |
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1. |
FDA issues Public Health
Notification on information on RotaTeq and intussusception
On February 13, FDA issued an FDA
Public Health Notification titled "Information on RotaTeq and Intussusception."
It discussed 28 post-marketing reports of intussusception following
administration of RotaTeq, a live, oral, pentavalent rotavirus vaccine
manufactured by Merck and Co., Inc.
On February 14, CDC released additional information on its website on this
topic. The CDC information includes Key Facts and a Q&A about RotaTeq and
intussusception. CDC has not changed its vaccination policy and continues to
support the ACIP recommendation for routine immunization of all U.S. infants
with three doses of RotaTeq vaccine at ages 2, 4, and 6 months.
WHO also released a statement on the topic, as did the PATH Rotavirus Vaccine
Program.
The CDC information is printed below in its entirety. A link to the FDA's
notification and to the WHO and PATH statements are included at the end of
this IAC Express article.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified health care
providers and consumers about reports of intussusception
following administration of Rotavirus, Live, Oral, Pentavalent
vaccine (trade name RotaTeq), manufactured by Merck and Co., Inc
(http://www.fda.gov/cber/safety/phnrota021307.htm) FDA has
issued this notification to encourage the reporting of any
additional cases of intussusception that may have occurred or
will occur in the future after administration of RotaTeq. The
number of intussusception cases reported to date after RotaTeq
administration does not exceed the number we would expect to
occur without vaccination. Although the data we have received so
far suggests that RotaTeq does not cause intussusception, it is
possible that because of incomplete reporting of cases to VAERS
[Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System] and other factors, some
increased risk of intussusception associated with RotaTeq
vaccination could yet be found. Thus, CDC and FDA are continuing
to carefully monitor reports of possible adverse effects of the
vaccine.
KEY FACTS
- We are not surprised by the number of reported intussusception
cases following RotaTeq vaccination.
- Intussusception, a form of bowel obstruction, occurs
spontaneously in the absence of vaccination. There are a
number of intussusception cases that occur every year in
children in the age group recommended for RotaTeq (6-32 weeks
of age) and are not related to the vaccine.
- The number of intussusception cases reported to date after
RotaTeq administration is consistent with the number of cases
we expected to see based on background rates in unvaccinated
children.
- These cases were detected through routine monitoring of a new
vaccine using the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
(VAERS). This routine monitoring is done to ensure the safety
of all vaccines. We are closely monitoring VAERS reports for
this vaccine as we would with any newly licensed vaccine.
However, we are aware of past issues with rotavirus vaccine
and intussusception and, therefore, we will continue to
closely watch for cases of intussusception following rotavirus
vaccination.
- This notice does not mean there is a problem with the RotaTeq
vaccine. CDC is not changing its policy at this time. CDC
continues to support the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices' (ACIP) recommendation for routine immunization of
all U.S. infants with three doses of RotaTeq administered
orally at ages 2, 4, and 6 months.
(http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/acip-list.htm)
- This report will be discussed at the February 21-22 ACIP
meeting.
- CDC and FDA encourage all healthcare providers and other
individuals to report any cases of intussusception or other
severe adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System. For a copy of the vaccine reporting form, call (800)
822-7967 or report online to http://www.vaers.hhs.gov
QUESTIONS ABOUT ROTATEQ & INTUSSUSCEPTION
* What is rotavirus?
Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe diarrhea, vomiting,
fever, and dehydration (gastroenteritis) in infants and young
children. It is the leading cause of gastroenteritis in infants
and children worldwide.
Each year in the United States, rotavirus is responsible for
more than 400,000 doctor visits; more than 200,000 emergency
room visits; 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations; and between 20
and 60 deaths. In developing countries, rotavirus is a major
cause of childhood deaths, estimated to cause more than half a
million deaths each year in children less than 5 years of age.
* What is RotaTeq vaccine?
RotaTeq vaccine is the only vaccine approved in the United
States for prevention of rotavirus disease. Licensed in 2006,
RotaTeq is the best way to protect your child against rotavirus
disease. Studies indicate that RotaTeq will prevent about 74
percent of all rotavirus cases and about 98 percent of the most
severe cases, including 96 percent of cases requiring
hospitalization.
* Is this the same vaccine for rotavirus that was taken off the
market because of problems?
No, this is not the same vaccine. In 1999, RotaShield, a
different rotavirus vaccine, was withdrawn from the market after
it was found to be associated with a type of bowel obstruction
called intussusception.
* What is intussusception?
Intussusception is a serious, life-threatening condition that
occurs when the intestine or bowel becomes blocked. One portion
of the intestine telescopes into a nearby portion, causing the
obstruction. This leads to inflammation, swelling, and
eventually decreased blood flow. With prompt detection and
treatment, almost all patients fully recover. Although persons
of any age can get intussusception, it is most common among
infants in the first year of life. Each year, approximately
1,400 U.S. infants less than 12 months of age are hospitalized
for intussusception. These cases occurred every year before use
of any rotavirus vaccines in the United States.
* Has the association between the new RotaTeq vaccine and
intussusception been studied in clinical trials?
Yes. The risk of intussusception for RotaTeq was evaluated prior
to licensure in a large clinical study involving more than
70,000 children. In that study, there was no association found
between RotaTeq and intussusception. Now that the vaccine is
being broadly administered, CDC and FDA continue to monitor
RotaTeq for problems in those who receive the vaccine.
* How are CDC and FDA monitoring RotaTeq's safety?
Following licensure and general use of RotaTeq and other
vaccines in the United States, safety is closely monitored by
the FDA and CDC through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS). These agencies monitor and evaluate all reports
of intussusception and other side effects reported to VAERS.
In addition, CDC is conducting a large study to rapidly detect
any association between RotaTeq and intussusception, as well as
other potential adverse events through its Vaccine Safety
Datalink (VSD). The VSD evaluates vaccine safety in
approximately 90,000 infants born each year. Merck and Co., the
vaccine's manufacturer, will conduct a separate post-licensure
study of approximately 44,000 children.
* Are all adverse events reported to VAERS caused by vaccines?
No. It is important to know that many adverse events reported to
VAERS may not be caused by vaccines. Reports to VAERS may be
submitted by anyone, including healthcare providers, patients,
and family members. Because of this, VAERS is subject to several
limitations including inaccurate reporting and incomplete
information.
VAERS receives reports of many events that occur after
immunization. Some of these events may occur coincidentally
following vaccination, while others may actually be caused by
vaccination. The fact that an adverse event occurred following
immunization is not conclusive evidence that the event was
caused by a vaccine. Factors such as medical history and other
medications taken near the time of the vaccination must be
examined to determine if they could have caused the adverse
event.
* Does the available data since RotaTeq has been on the market
indicate that the vaccine is associated with intussusception?
No. Since its licensure on February 3, 2006, until January 31,
2007, CDC and FDA through VAERS have received 28 reports of
intussusception 0-73 days following RotaTeq vaccination. Half of
these cases—14—occurred within 21 days following vaccination.
The number of intussusception cases reported to date after
RotaTeq administration does not exceed the number we would
expect to occur without vaccination. Although the data we have
received so far suggests that RotaTeq does not cause
intussusception, it is possible that because of incomplete
reporting of cases to VAERS and other factors, some increased
risk of intussusception associated with RotaTeq vaccination
could yet be found. Thus, CDC and FDA are continuing to
carefully monitor reports of possible adverse effects of the
vaccine.
* Have the recommendations regarding RotaTeq vaccination
changed?
No. This notice does not mean there is a problem with the
vaccine. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has
not made any changes to the RotaTeq vaccination guidelines, and
CDC is not changing its policy at this time. ACIP recommends
routine immunization of all U.S. infants with three doses of
RotaTeq administered orally at ages 2, 4, and 6 months. ACIP
will discuss this report at its February meeting.
It is important to remember that the known benefits of the
vaccine in preventing rotavirus disease—the cause of one of our
most common and potentially severe childhood illnesses—far
outweigh any known risks to date.
* How can I report any serious side effects following
vaccination with RotaTeq or other vaccines?
Adverse reactions and other problems related to vaccines should
be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which
is administered by CDC and the FDA. For a copy of the vaccine
adverse event reporting form, call (800) 822-7967, or report
online at http://www.vaers.hhs.gov
Related information:
[For] February 2006 information on CDC's Advisory Committee
Recommendation of a New Vaccine to Prevent Rotavirus, consult
CDC's Press Release
[http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/pr/pr_rotavirus_feb2006.htm] and
Questions and Answers about Rotavirus
[http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/rota/rota-faqs.htm]. Also, the
MMWR dated August 11, 2006 (Volume 55): Prevention of Rotavirus
Gastroenteritis Among Infants and Children
[http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5512a1.htm].
To access the CDC information issued on 2/14/07, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/rota/rotateq_2-07.htm
To access the FDA Public Health Notification, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/safety/phnrota021307.htm
To access WHO's "Statement on RotaTeq vaccine and
intussusception," go to:
http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/rotavirus/rotateq_statement/en/print.html
To access PATH's statement, "FDA issues information update on
rotavirus vaccine," go to:
http://www.rotavirus.org/RotaFlash_FDA_Feb2007_000.htm
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2. |
National Influenza Vaccine Summit
announces recipients of the 2007 Immunization Excellence Awards
On February 14, the National
Influenza Vaccine Summit issued a
press release announcing the winners of its 2007 Immunization
Excellence Awards. A portion of the press release is reprinted
below.
The National Influenza Vaccine Summit announces the recipients
of the first Annual National Influenza Vaccine Summit (NIVS)
Immunization Excellence Awards: Overall 2006-07 Season Activity:
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore,
Maryland; Healthcare Worker Campaign: Virginia Mason Medical
Center, Seattle, Washington; and Late-Season Activities:
GetAFluShot.com, Portland, Oregon.
The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have
made extraordinary contributions towards improved adult and/or
childhood influenza vaccination rates within their communities.
The awards will be presented at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Conference on March
5, 2007, in Kansas City, MO.
To access the entire press release, go to:
http://www.preventinfluenza.org/newsr_award.pdf
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3. |
Reminder: Be sure to continue administering influenza vaccine during the
early months of 2007
Remember, influenza vaccination
should continue through the
early months of 2007. Visit the following websites often to find
the information you need to keep vaccinating. Both are
continually updated with the latest resources.
The National Influenza Vaccine Summit website at
http://www.preventinfluenza.org
CDC's Influenza web section at http://www.cdc.gov/flu
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4. |
Infectious Diseases in Children publishes two-part report on the challenges
of vaccination reimbursement
In its January and February
issues, Infectious Diseases in Children published a two-part report on the
challenges of vaccination reimbursement. The report developed from a
round-table discussion held in October 2006 during an AAP meeting held in
Atlanta. Following are links to both parts of the report.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the first part of the report,
"Pediatric Practitioners Feeling the Squeeze: The first part of this round
table highlights the problem that many pediatricians face—keeping up with the
ever-changing vaccine administration schedule and getting reimbursed," go to:
http://www.idinchildren.com/200701/frameset.asp?article=roundtable.asp
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the second part of the report,
"Experts Propose Solutions to the Vaccine Reimbursement Issue: The second
part of this round table highlights the importance of setting standards for
vaccine reimbursement," go to:
http://www.idinchildren.com/200702/frameset.asp?article=roundtable.asp
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5. |
IAC's hepatitis website celebrates its six-year anniversary
IAC's hepatitis website,
www.hepprograms.org, was launched in
March 2001 as part of a cooperative agreement with CDC's
Division of Viral Hepatitis. The site features programs
successfully preventing hepatitis A, B, and/or C in individuals
at risk of infection. The content is targeted toward public
health and social service managers who might be able to use the
information to start or improve hepatitis prevention programs.
Currently, the site highlights 90 programs in 10 risk
categories.
Many programs have been added recently. To access a detailed
list of new additions, go to:
http://www.hepprograms.org/hepexpress/issue52.asp#n1
To access the homepage of the hepprograms website, go to:
http://www.hepprograms.org
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6. |
February 14 issue of IAC's Hep Express electronic newsletter available online
The February 14 issue of Hep
Express, an electronic newsletter
published by IAC, is now available online. It is intended for
health professionals, program planners, and advocates involved
in prevention, screening, and treatment of viral hepatitis.
IAC Express has already covered some of the information
presented in the February 14 Hep Express; titles of articles we
have not yet covered follow.
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Hepatitis B Foundation's B Connected newsletter provides
information about living well with hepatitis
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PKIDS' Virtual Connections online community supports families
affected by chronic infectious disease
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Rhode Island expands its perinatal hepatitis B prevention
program to include hepatitis C prevention
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LiverHope provides information and support for people with
hepatitis
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Washington State Asian Pacific Islander Hepatitis B Task Force
meeting set for March 8
To access the February 14 issue, go to:
http://www.hepprograms.org/hepexpress/issue52.asp
To sign up for a free subscription to Hep Express, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/subscribe
To access previous issues of Hep Express, go to:
http://www.hepprograms.org/hepexpress
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7. |
CDC outlines differences in HPV vaccination recommendations issued by ACIP
and the American Cancer Society
CDC recently prepared a document
outlining the differences in
the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination recommendations
issued by ACIP and the American Cancer Society (ACS). A portion
of the document is reprinted below.
ACS and ACIP recommendations are similar. Both recommend
vaccination targeting 11- to 12-year-old females. The ACS
recommendations differ from ACIP in that ACS recommends catch-up
vaccination of 13- to 18-year-old females; ACIP recommends
catch-up vaccination of 13- to 26-year-old females.
To access the entire CDC document, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/cdc/acs-acip.htm
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8. |
February issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter available
online
The February issue of
Immunization Works, a monthly email
newsletter published by CDC, is available on NIP's website. The
newsletter offers members of the immunization community non-proprietary information about current topics. CDC encourages its
wide dissemination.
Some of the information in the February issue has already
appeared in previous issues of IAC Express. Following is the
text of five articles we have not covered.
LEAD ARTICLE
CDC BEGINS CENTRALIZED VACCINE DISTRIBUTION ROLL-OUT. On
February 5, 2007, a three-year initiative to centralize
pediatric vaccine distribution will begin its final phase:
implementing the new distribution process. This initiative,
known as the Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project
(VMBIP), began with the creation of a team to review all
elements of the vaccine supply chain that supports 64 state and
local immunization programs (e.g., states, territories, and 6
city grantees). The major goals of this effort have been to
1. Simplify processes for the ordering, distribution, and
management of vaccines to be able to respond more quickly and
effectively to public health crises related to disease
outbreaks, vaccine shortages, and disruptions of the vaccine
supply.
2. Implement a more efficient vaccine distribution system.
3. Reduce the lead time between orders for vaccine and delivery
of vaccine, as well as enable the direct delivery of vaccines to
providers.
Implementation of centralized vaccine distribution will begin
with four pilot grantees: California, Chicago, Maryland, and
Washington. Once the process has been tested in the four pilot
sites, the program will be expanded to other state and local
programs in two phases: (1) third-party consolidation, which
primarily includes programs that currently contract out their
distribution to a third-party distributor; and (2) in-house
consolidation, which includes the remaining programs that
currently distribute vaccine using their own vaccine storage
facilities and staff. The entire implementation period will last
from February 2007 through March 2008.
In addition to the physical flow of vaccine, information flows
are also being improved. One of the major elements for
completion of the implementation process will be the creation of
a new Vaccine Ordering Distribution System (VODS) that will
support the ordering and management of vaccines. Unlike the
current ordering system, VODS will allow providers to place
vaccine orders directly into a web-based ordering system. For
more information about the VMBIP initiatives visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vmbip/default.htm
OTHER NEWS AND SUMMARIES
NEW MEDICAL CODING STANDARD FOR VAERS. January 17, 2007, marked
a significant milestone for the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS), the nation's frontline vaccine safety
surveillance system jointly administered by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). Since its inception in November 1990,
VAERS had used the FDA's Coding Symbols for a Thesaurus of
Adverse Reaction Terms (COSTART) medical coding terminology. On
January 17, VAERS transitioned to the Medical Dictionary for
Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) system for medical coding of
adverse event case reports. This change is expected to enhance
vaccine safety monitoring by improving the description and
analysis of adverse event case reports. MedDRA is an
internationally accepted medical terminology system [that]
provides improved sensitivity for characterizing symptoms and
adverse events through the provision of more than 63,000 lower-level terms (LLTs). It also promotes improved standardization in
the representation of distinct medical concepts through the
provision of more than 17,000 preferred terms (PTs). For more
information on VAERS and MedDRA coding, please visit the
respective websites at http://www.vaers.hhs.gov and
http://meddramsso.com/MSSOWeb
PREPARE FOR NATIONAL INFANT IMMUNIZATION WEEK, 2007. National
Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) will be held April 21-28, 2007,
to promote, through community events and media activities, the
benefits of immunizations and to highlight the importance of
vaccinating children by the age of 2. "Love them. Protect them.
Immunize them." is the theme for this year's observance. CDC is
providing Technical Assistance (TA) to aid program coordinators,
health departments, coalitions, and others in their efforts to
disseminate NIIW messages. English and Spanish-language
resources, supporting local NIIW activities are available online
at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw CDC is also offering two
teleconferences to provide information about NIIW activities and
resources.
Teleconferences dates:
March 13 at 12PM–1PM (ET)
March 14 at 3PM–4PM (ET)
To register for the teleconference and receive connection
information and materials, email Cindy Fowler at
ctg7@cdc.gov
Please include the teleconference date and time and put
"Campaign Teleconference Registration" in the subject line of
the email.
Let us know what you are doing to promote childhood immunization
during the week of April 21-28, and find out how others will
celebrate NIIW. Add your events to the national NIIW event
listing located at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/2007/activity_form.htm
JOIN THE BRIGHTON COLLABORATION. The Brighton Collaboration, an
activity of the Immunization Safety Office (ISO), would like to
invite healthcare professionals to join the newly established
Bell's Palsy Working Group. In an effort to ensure comparability
of future studies of Bell's palsy as a potential adverse event
following immunization (AEFI), the Brighton Collaboration aims
to develop a case definition and guidelines that would
standardize vaccine safety data. Active involvement in the
Working Group would entail participation in monthly one-hour
conference calls and email correspondence. Additionally, members
are asked to review updated documents that are provided prior to
each call. For further details on this process, please visit:
http://www.brightoncollaboration.org/internet/en/index/process.html Recruitment for the Working Group will continue through the
end of February 2007. To volunteer or for additional questions,
please contact us at secretariat@brightoncollaboration.org
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, AND RESOURCES
AUTOMATIC VIS UPDATES. A new feature has just been added to the
Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) page on the NIP website. This
feature is located at the top of the page at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis and it allows
individuals to sign up for email notification when changes are
made to the VIS web page, including new VISs, as well as
updates.
To access the complete February issue, go to:
http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/isd/immunizationworks/february
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9. |
CDC
reports on U.S. influenza activity from October 2, 2006, to February 3, 2007
CDC published Update: Influenza Activity—United States, October
1, 2006-February 3, 2007" in the February 16 issue of MMWR. A
portion of the article is reprinted below.
This report summarizes U.S. influenza activity since the
beginning of the 2006-07 influenza season (October 1, 2006) and
updates the previous summary. Low levels of influenza activity were reported from October through early December. Activity increased from mid-December through the end of the year, declined slightly in early January, and then increased again in mid-January.
Viral surveillance
During October 1, 2006-February 3, 2007, World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories in the
United States reported testing 83,332 specimens for influenza
viruses, and 6,244 (7.5%) tested positive. Of these, 5,161 (82.7%) were influenza A viruses, and 1,083 (17.3%) were
influenza B viruses. A total of 1,696 (32.9%) of the 5,161
influenza A viruses have been subtyped: 1,507 (88.9%) were
influenza A (H1) viruses, and 189 (11.1%) were influenza A (H3)
viruses. From October 1, 2006, through January 6, 2007, 6.2% of
the subtyped influenza A viruses were A (H3). From January 7
through February 3, the percentage of influenza A viruses
subtyped as A (H3) increased to 16.9%. Although influenza A (H3)
viruses have been identified in all nine surveillance regions,
of the 189 influenza A (H3) viruses reported to CDC this season,
117 (61.9%) were from the Mountain and Pacific regions.
Antigenic characterization
CDC has antigenically characterized 161 influenza viruses collected since October 1, 2006, and submitted by U.S. laboratories: 99 influenza A (H1), seven influenza A (H3), and 55 influenza B viruses. Ninety-three (94%) of the influenza A (H1) viruses were characterized as A/New Caledonia/20/99-like, the influenza A (H1) component of the 2006-07 influenza vaccine; six (6%) had reduced titers with ferret antisera produced against A/New Caledonia/20/99. Four (57%) of the seven influenza A (H3) viruses were characterized as A/Wisconsin/67/2005-like, the influenza A (H3) component of the 2006-07 influenza vaccine, and three (43%) had reduced titers with ferret antisera produced against A/Wisconsin/67/2005. Influenza B viruses currently circulating can be divided into two antigenically distinct lineages represented by B/Victoria/02/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88. Thirty-seven (67%) of the 55 influenza B viruses characterized belong to the B/Victoria lineage of viruses: 18 (49%) were similar to B/Ohio/01/2005, the influenza B component of the 2006-07 influenza vaccine, and 19 (51%) had reduced titers with antisera produced against B/Ohio/01/2005. Eighteen (33%) of the 55 influenza B viruses characterized belong to the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses.
Influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance
During the current influenza surveillance season, weekly percentages of patient visits for ILI reported by approximately 1,300 U.S. sentinel providers in 50 states, Chicago, the District of Columbia, New York City, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have ranged from 1.0 to 3.2%. The national percentage of outpatient visits for ILI during 7 weeks was above the national baseline of 2.1%. For the week ending February 3, 2007, eight of the nine influenza surveillance regions reported ILI at or above their region-specific baselines. . . .
Pneumonia and influenza-related mortality
Pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death for 7.4% of all deaths reported through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System for the week ending February 3, 2007. During the current influenza season, the weekly percentage of deaths associated with P&I has ranged from 5.6% to 7.5% but has not exceeded the epidemic threshold.
Influenza-associated pediatric hospitalizations
Pediatric hospitalizations associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza infections are monitored in two population-based surveillance networks, the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) and the New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN). From October 1, 2006, through January 20, 2007, the preliminary laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalization rate reported by EIP sites for children aged 0-17 years was 0.13 per 10,000 (0.34 per 10,000 children aged 0-4 years and 0.05 per 10,000 children aged 5-17 years). From November 5, 2006, through January 20, 2007, the preliminary laboratory-confirmed influenza associated hospitalization rate for children aged 0-4 years in NVSN was 0.63 per 10,000 children.
Influenza-related pediatric mortality
For the 2006-07 influenza season, nine influenza-related pediatric deaths have been reported from six states (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Texas) through the CDC Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System. Children ranged in age from 3 months to 14 years (mean: 7.5 years). Five children were male, and four were female. All patients tested positive for influenza A virus; two specimens were further subtyped as influenza A (H1) virus. . . .
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5606a3.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5606.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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10. |
CDC's Influenza web section updates five resources on seasonal influenza
CDC recently updated five pages
on its Influenza web section:
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"Fact Sheet: Influenza symptoms, protection, and what to do if
you get sick" (2/14/07)
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"Antiviral Drugs and Influenza" (2/14/07)
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"Questions and Answers: Information for schools" (2/13/07)
-
"Infection Control Guidance for the Prevention and Control of
Influenza in Acute-Care Facilities" (2/8/07)
-
"Infection Control Measures for Preventing and Controlling
Influenza Transmission in Long-Term Care Facilities" (2/6/07)
To access these resources, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm#updated and click on the
pertinent link.
To access a broad range of continually updated information on
seasonal influenza, avian influenza, pandemic influenza, and
swine influenza, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu
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11. |
National Viral Hepatitis Training Center announces 2007 training dates
[The following is cross posted
from IAC's Hep Express electronic
newsletter, 2/14/07]
The National Viral Hepatitis Training Center at the New York
State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is funded by CDC to develop
and provide training related to integrating viral hepatitis
prevention into settings that serve people at high risk of
infection.
"It's Time: Integrate viral hepatitis into your work" is a two-day training tailored for staff working in settings that serve
people at high risk for viral hepatitis, including substance use
programs, HIV/AIDS programs, correctional settings, and public
health/STD clinics. The training provides individuals working in
these settings with tools and skills to integrate hepatitis
prevention, education, and counseling services into existing
programs.
The center also offers a related Training of Trainers (TOT)
program. Upon successful completion of the TOT, more than 70
agencies have been authorized to offer the "It's Time" training.
Authorized training agencies can train their own staff and other
providers in their region.
In 2007, the National Viral Hepatitis Training Center will offer
the entire "It's Time" training and TOT in three locations:
Chicago, Illinois: April 2–5, 2007
Albany, New York: June 4-7, 2007
West coast training to be offered in September 2007
For more information on registering for a training or becoming
an authorized training agency, please contact
mag20@health.state.ny.us or visit the NYSDOH website at
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/aids/training/viralhepatitis.htm
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