On August 1, CDC launched a multi-media, bi-lingual campaign to vaccinate pre-teens and adolescents. The campaign's primary audience are the parents and guardians of pre-teens and adolescents, as well as pediatricians and family physicians and their staffs. Also on August 1, CDC issued a press release titled "CDC Urges Parents to Protect Pre-Teens with Three Recommended Vaccines: New CDC campaign launched during National Immunization Awareness Month encourages a routine health checkup for 11- and 12-year-olds." Excerpts from the press release appear at the end of this IAC Express article.

Though the campaign stresses vaccinating all 11- and 12-year-olds against meningococcal disease (MCV4) and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), and 11- 12-year-old girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), it also encourages pre-teens and adolescents to get caught up on missed childhood vaccines, such as those that protect against hepatitis B virus, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella.

To access campaign materials, including posters intended for Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic populations; flyers for parents in English and Spanish; and web banners and buttons in English and Spanish, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol/07gallery/default.htm

To access an extensive selection of resources for parents, pre-teens, and adolescents, as well as for health professionals, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol.htm

Excerpts from the press release are reprinted below.

To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070801.htm

The live satellite broadcast and webcast "Immunization Update 2007" will provide up-to-date information on the rapidly changing field of immunization. Anticipated topics include influenza, rotavirus, varicella, and zoster vaccines; the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines; and other emerging vaccine issues.

The 2.5-hour broadcast is scheduled for August 9 from 9AM to 11:30AM ET; it will be re-broadcast later in the day from 12 noon to 2:30PM ET. Both broadcasts will feature a live question-and-answer session in which participants nationwide can interact with the course instructors on toll-free telephone lines.

Faculty. The course instructors include William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH; Donna L. Weaver, MN, RN; and Andrew T. Kroger, MD, MPH. All are with the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Audience. The program's intended audience includes physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, Department of Defense paraprofessionals, pharmacists, health educators, and their colleagues who either administer vaccines or set policy for their offices, clinics, or communicable disease or infection control programs. Private and public healthcare providers, including pediatricians, family practice specialists, residents, and medical and nursing students are encouraged to participate.

Registration. Registration is not required. HOWEVER, ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS. To register, go to: http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline

Questions. For additional registration information, email ce@cdc.gov or call (800) 418-7246. For additional program information, send an email to nipinfo@cdc.gov

Webcast. The program will have a live webcast at http://www2a.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/immup-2007

CDC has recently posted the May 2007 edition of its booklet "Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women" on its Vaccines and Immunizations web section. The information is abstracted from recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

To access the web-text (HTML) version of the guidelines, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/preg-guide.htm

To access the ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/downloads/b_preg_guide.pdf

To access all resources the Vaccines and Immunization section offers in the category titled "For Specific Groups of People: Pregnant Women," go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/pregnant.htm

On August 2 the CDC website posted a footnote on its Chart of Vaccines in Delay or Shortage announcing that Merck's hepatitis A vaccines are on backorder owing to production delays. The production delays have NOT resulted in any change in routine recommendation for hepatitis A vaccine. The footnote is reprinted below in its entirety.

To access the information from the CDC website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/shortages

Dated 7/18/07, the interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine is now available on the IAC website in Turkish. IAC gratefully acknowledges Mustafa Kozanoglu, MD, and Murat Serbest, MD, Adana, Turkey, for the translation.

To obtain a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine in Turkish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/tu_hpb01.pdf

To obtain it in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/hepb01.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

In April 2007, IAC's izcoalitions.org website (http://www.izcoalitions.org) listed information from 150 immunization coalitions. Now, four months later, it has grown to include information from 160 coalitions.

Launched in 2002, the site includes data from coalitions at all levels (local, state, regional, and national) and of all types, vaccine-specific as well as age-specific (childhood, adult, senior).

This online database allows health professionals, immunization advocates, parents, and others to contact specific coalitions to find resources, share ideas, and form strategic partnerships. Searches can be done by coalition name or geographic area.

Be sure your coalition is part of this powerful web-based networking tool by logging on and checking for your coalition's listing. If your coalition is not listed, sign up today. If you're already signed up, and information about your coalition has changed, be sure to update your listing to help us keep izcoalitions.org current and accurate.

To search the izcoalitions.org website, go to:
http://www.izcoalitions.org

If you have questions or difficulties using the website, send an email to Janelle at janelle@immunize.org or call her at (651) 647-9009.