Check it out: IAC's newly redesigned Unprotected People (UP) Reports web section (http://www.immunize.org/reports) features improved navigation, enhanced indexes, and fully formatted reports (PDF) that you can download and give to your patients as handouts. The UP Report web section is a compilation of almost 100 case reports, personal testimonies, and newspaper and journal articles about people who have suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases.

IAC recently posted ten UP Reports to the redesigned web section, including ones for new vaccine-preventable diseases: human papillomavirus (HPV), rotavirus, and shingles.

The UP Reports web section also has a collection of general reports that promote the importance of vaccination. The latest article posted to this section is a must-read editorial, "Fact: No Link of Vaccine, Autism," written by Dr. Arthur Caplan, Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.

The following is a rundown of the recently posted reports, which includes a brief summary and a link to the report:

GENERAL REPORT
Report #94: Fact: No Link between Vaccines and Autism
 Summary: In this editorial from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dr. Arthur Caplan calls the vaccine-autism link a "harmful urban legend" and says it is time to stop vaccine bashing.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report094.asp

HPV REPORTS
Report #86: HPV Vaccine Has Potential to Reduce Worldwide Cancer Deaths by More Than 200,000
Summary: The National Cervical Cancer Coalition executive director, Sarina Araujo, who battles persistent HPV infection, looks forward to her three daughters receiving their HPV/cervical cancer vaccine.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report086.asp

Report #91: Christine Baze's Story
Summary: Christine Baze, a Boston musician and cervical cancer survivor, shares her personal story to educate and empower women.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report091.asp

INFLUENZA REPORT
Report #93: Pandemic Influenza 1918
Summary: Professor N. R. Grist (Glasgow) shares a copy of a poignant letter written by a U.S. Army physician who witnessed first-hand the overwhelming loss of life during the influenza pandemic of 1918.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report093.asp

MEASLES REPORTS
Report #85: The Problem
Summary: As reported by the Measles Initiative, measles is a leading vaccine-preventable killer of children in the developing world.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report085.asp

Report #87: Open Letter to Parents (from Eileen M. Ouellette,
MD, JD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005-06)
Summary: Dr. Ouellette describes her own experience with measles as an 8-year-old in 1937.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report087.asp

Report #88: Schoolboy, 13, Dies as Measles Makes a Comeback
Summary: Measles had not claimed a life in Britain for 14 years, but this fact changed in 2006, when, tragically, a teenager who had not been vaccinated died from acute measles infection.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report088.asp

Report #90: New England Journal of Medicine Case Report: A 34-Year-Old Woman with Confusion and Visual Loss
Summary: Case presentation on subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a rare and severe neurological complication of measles infection.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report090.asp

ROTAVIRUS REPORT
Report #92: Holly's Experience with Rotavirus
Summary: Actress Holly Robinson Peete describes her experience as the mother of a toddler with rotavirus infection. While on a family vacation, Holly's son became extremely ill with profuse vomiting and dehydration.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report092.asp

SHINGLES REPORT
Report #89: Shingles: An Unwelcome Encore
Summary: Feature story on the cause, symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and prevention of shingles.
Link: http://www.immunize.org/reports/report089.asp

To access more than 90 Unprotected People Reports that relate accounts of people's experiences with more than 15 VPDs, go to: http://www.immunize.org/reports

Receive updates about new postings to the Unprotected People Reports web section by subscribing to IAC Express at http://www.immunize.org/subscribe You will receive FREE periodic email messages about new and important immunization and hepatitis B information.

In the May issue of the journal Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a statement endorsing CDC's "General Recommendations on Immunization: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)."

Published by CDC on December 1, 2006, the General Recommendations are available in ready-to-print (PDF) format at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5515.pdf

Dated 1/10/07, the interim VIS for varicella vaccine is now available on the IAC website in Chinese. IAC gratefully acknowledges the California Department of Health Services for the translation.

To obtain a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the interim VIS for varicella vaccine in Chinese, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/ch_varicella.pdf

To obtain it in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/varic07.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

The IAC website recently posted updated Ask the Experts information on human papillomavirus (HPV) disease and vaccine. IAC extends thanks to William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, and Andrew T. Kroger, MD, MPH, for reviewing and revising these Ask the Experts question-and-answer pages so that they reflect the most current information. Both are medical epidemiologists with CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

To access the HPV Ask the Experts, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2021q.htm

To access IAC's complete index of Ask the Experts information, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/askexperts

Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, and Montana now require immunization, or additional immunization, against varicella. Georgia and Mississippi now require immunization against pneumococcal disease. Georgia requires vaccination against hepatitis A, and Rhode Island requires expanded immunization against hepatitis B. More detailed information follows.


VARICELLA VACCINATION
Colorado: The state board of health enacted a regulation requiring a second dose of varicella vaccine for children entering kindergarten in the coming 2007-08 school year. The second-dose requirement will be implemented on a progressive schedule (i.e., applying to a successive grade in subsequent years). In addition, all new enrollees who wish to substitute a history of chickenpox disease in lieu of vaccination must have verification from a healthcare provider or laboratory confirmation of immunity.

Georgia: The Georgia Department of Human Resources Board approved a requirement for verification of a second dose of varicella vaccine for children entering kindergarten or grade 6, effective July 1. The second dose requirement also applies to all new enrollees in grades K-12.

Mississippi: By a change in administrative rules, all new enrollees in grades K-12 will be required to show documentation of two doses of varicella vaccine or a history of chickenpox disease beginning with the 2007-08 school year.

Montana: By a change in administrative rules, varicella vaccination is now required for all children younger than age 5 years who are attending a Montana day care facility. The rule took effect in September 2006.

With the addition of Montana, the total number of states requiring varicella vaccination or proof of disease in either day care facilities and/or schools has now increased to 47. Only Idaho, Vermont, and Wyoming still do not have requirements.

IAC has compiled a chart of information about all states that have varicella prevention mandates for day care, elementary, and middle school entry. To access the information, go to: http://www.immunize.org/laws/varicel.htm

This information is also depicted visually on a map of the United States. To access the map, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/varimap.pdf


PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION
Georgia: The Georgia Department of Human Resources Board approved a requirement for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for all day care enrollees younger than age 5 years, effective July 1.

Mississippi: By a change in administrative rules, first-time enrollees in day care will be required to be age-appropriately vaccinated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), effective August 1. This requirement will be expanded in January 2008 when a new law, signed by the governor on March 20, will require all children in day care (not just first-time enrollees) to have age-appropriate vaccination against pneumococcal disease.

IAC has compiled a chart of information about all states that have pneumococcal prevention mandates for day care entry. To access the information, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/pneuconj.htm

This information is also depicted visually on a map of the United States. To access the map, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/pneuconjmap.pdf


HEPATITIS A VACCINATION
Georgia: The Georgia Department of Human Resources Board approved a requirement for hepatitis A vaccination for all children born on or after January 1, 2006, who enroll in day care facilities or schools. It becomes effective July 1.

IAC has compiled a chart of information about all states that have hepatitis A prevention mandates. To access the information, go to: http://www.immunize.org/laws/hepa.htm

Note: There is no map of this information on the IAC website.


HEPATITIS B VACCINATION
Rhode Island: Through an April 2005 change in administrative rule, the hepatitis B requirement for college enrollees, previously required only for health science students, was expanded to cover all students, effective August 2006.

IAC has compiled a chart of information about all states that have hepatitis B prevention mandates for colleges and universities. To access the information, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/hepbcollege.htm

This information is also depicted visually on a map of the United States. To access the map, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/laws/hepbcolmap.pdf


To access more information about state mandates, visit our State Mandates on Immunization and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases web section at http://www.immunize.org/laws

IAC Express depends on readers to help us stay informed and ensure our website contains the most current and accurate information available. Please let us know when any changes occur in your state by emailing us at admin@immunize.org

IAC recently made minor revisions to two of its viral hepatitis screening questionnaires for adult patients: "Should You Be Vaccinated Against Hepatitis A? A screening questionnaire for adults," and "Should You Be Vaccinated Against Hepatitis B? A screening questionnaire for adults."

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the hepatitis A questionnaire, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2190hepa.pdf

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the hepatitis B questionnaire, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2191hepb.pdf

The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers parents a free subscription to its monthly email newsletter, "Parents PACK." The April issue features articles on pneumococcal vaccine, vaccines and antibiotics, and rotavirus vaccine and intussusception.

The newsletter is just one feature that parents will find on the Parents PACK web section of the CHOP website. Other features include vaccination FAQs, state-by-state listings of school entry requirements, vaccine science, an immunization scheduler, and other useful, science-based immunization information.

To access the Parents PACK web section, click here.

To access the April issue of the "Parents PACK" newsletter, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=85737

To sign up for a FREE subscription, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=79357

Immunization information has never been so entertaining as it is on getvaxed.org (http://www.getvaxed.org), PKIDs' witty new website. PKIDs developed the interactive site as a way to connect teens and twenty-somethings to vaccine information for their age group. It marries science with kicked-back jargon and comic videos to remind the tens of millions of undervaccinated people ages 16-29 that they, too, need vaccines.

As part of its launch, www.getvaxed.org is running a video contest through the popular self-broadcasting site YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/getvaxed). Winners get gift certificates worth up to $1,000. For contest rules, and to check out the new site, go to: http://www.getvaxed.org

The Immunization Coalitions Technical Assistance Network (IZTA) May 8 conference call will present an overview of the way CDC will communicate influenza vaccine information during the 2007-08 influenza season. The presenter will also describe the educational materials that will be available to coalitions to promote influenza vaccination in their communities. IZTA is a program of the Center for Health Communication, Academy for Educational Development.

Information for the call was part of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit's April 2007 meeting. The presenter is Kristine Sheedy, PhD, acting deputy associate director, Office of Communication, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC.

This call will be held twice on May 8--once at 1PM ET, and again at 3PM, ET. To register, send an email to izta@aed.org Include this message: "Sign me up for the Influenza Summit update on communication at [insert your preferred time--either 1PM ET or 3PM ET]."

For additional information, or to access earlier programs, go to: http://www.izta.org/confcall.cfm

The IAC website recently posted Turkish-language translations of two popular parent-education pieces, "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents" and "Are You 11-19 Years Old! Then you need to be vaccinated against these serious diseases!" IAC gratefully acknowledges Mustafa Kozanoglu, MD, and Murat Serbest, MD, for the translations.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents" in Turkish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010tu.pdf

To access it in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010imm.pdf

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version "Are You 11-19 Years Old! Then you need to be vaccinated against these serious diseases!" in Turkish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4020tu.pdf

To access it in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/11teens8.pdf

The website of Healthy Roads Media offers free health education materials in a number of languages and a variety of formats. IAC Express has previously promoted VISs that Healthy Roads Media makes available in enhanced formats--video, multimedia, and audio.

Now, Healthy Roads Media is asking for input from IAC Express readers. If you are a healthcare or social service professional who works with immigrant or refugee populations, here is your chance to shape future language/format choices. Please take a few minutes to share your experience working with these populations with Healthy Roads Media.

The process is simple: First, go to http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/topics/immunization.htm to view the current VIS choices, including the languages and formats available.

Then, click on the button at the top of the page titled: "Please take our short vaccine information survey!" You will be directed to a 10-question online survey.

The director of Healthy Roads Media, Mary Alice Gillispie, MD, thanks you for your help.