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IAC Express 2008 |
| Issue number 719: March 24, 2008 |
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Contents
of this Issue
Select a title to jump to the article. |
- Resources
available to help professionals answer questions related to recent vaccine
court case
- CDC
releases 2006 U.S. surveillance data for acute viral hepatitis
- CDC
reports on progress U.S. Immunization Information Systems made during 2006
- CDC
website posts images of the three 2008 childhood vaccination schedules
- MMWR
announces that March 24 is World TB Day and publishes information about TB
trends in the U.S. during 2007
- AARP
surveys seniors about their attitudes toward and knowledge of influenza
and pneumococcal immunization
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Important: Be sure to give influenza vaccine throughout the influenza
season--through spring
- CDC
website posts presentation slides from the February ACIP meeting
- CDC
issues "Summary of Notifiable Diseases--United States, 2006"
- Federal
government adds several new resources to its PandemicFlu website
-
Massachusetts adult immunization conference set for May 22 in Worcester
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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 719: March 24, 2008 |
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1. |
Resources available to help professionals answer questions
related to recent vaccine court case
Recently, CDC, professional associations,
advocacy groups, and individuals have posted resources that can help
healthcare professionals answer patients' and parents' questions regarding a
recent vaccine injury compensation case concerning the Poling family. A
listing of resources follows:
CDC's resources on mitochondrial disease:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/mitochondrial.htm
FAQs about mitochondrial disease:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/mitochondrial_faqs.htm
Statement from, Cristy Balcells, executive director, Mitochondrial Disease
Action Committee:
http://www.blog.mitoaction.org/2008/03/21/statement-on-autism-vaccines-mitochondrial-disease
AAP's "Facts for Parents About Autism and Vaccine Safety":
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/autismfactsforparents.pdf
AAFP's statements on the vaccine injury compensation case and comments made
by Senator John McCain, click
here.
Statement from Dr. Geri Dawson, chief science officer, Autism Speaks:
http://www.autismspeaks.org/dawson_statement_vaccine_case.php
Statement from Dr. DiMauro, chair, United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
Scientific & Medical Advisory Board, click
here.
Press release from HHS's Health Resources Services Administration:
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2008/vaccinestatement.htm
HHS information on the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program:
http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation
Article by Dr. Rahul Parikh published in Salon.com:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/03/13/poling
Article by Dr. Rahul Parikh published in the AAP journal Pediatrics:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/3/621
Article by Kathleen Seidel published on the neurodiversity weblog:
http://neurodiversity.com/weblog/article/148
Transcript of a CDC press briefing, held on March 8:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/2008/t080307.htm
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2. |
CDC releases 2006 U.S.
surveillance data for acute viral
hepatitis
On March 21, CDC published "Surveillance for
Acute Viral
Hepatitis--United States, 2006" as one of its Surveillance
Summaries. A portion of the abstract is reprinted below.
Reporting Period Covered: Cases in 2006, the most recent year
for which data are available, are compared with those from
previous years.
Description of System: Cases of acute viral hepatitis are
reported voluntarily to CDC by state and territorial
epidemiologists via CDC's National Notifiable Disease
Surveillance System (NNDSS). Reports are received electronically
via CDC's National Electronic Telecommunications System for
Surveillance (NETSS).
Results: During 1995-2006, hepatitis A incidence declined 90% to
the lowest rate ever recorded (1.2 cases per 100,000
population). Declines were greatest among children and in those
states where routine vaccination of children was recommended
beginning in 1999. An increasing proportion of cases occurred in
adults. During 1990-2006, acute hepatitis B incidence declined
81% to the lowest rate ever recorded (1.6 cases per 100,000
population). Declines occurred among all age groups but were
greatest among children aged <15 years. Following a peak in the
late 1980s, incidence of acute hepatitis C declined through the
1990s; however, since 2003, rates have plateaued, with a slight
increase in reported cases in 2006. In 2006, as in previous
years, the majority of these cases occurred among adults, and
injection-drug use was the most common risk factor.
Interpretation: The results documented in this report suggest
that implementation of the 1999 recommendations for routine
childhood hepatitis A vaccination in the United States has
reduced rates of infection and that universal vaccination of
children against hepatitis B has reduced disease incidence
substantially among younger age groups. Higher rates of
hepatitis B continue among adults, particularly males aged 25-44
years, reflecting the need to vaccinate adults at risk for HBV
infection. The decline in hepatitis C incidence that occurred in
the 1990s was attributable primarily to a decrease in incidence
among injection-drug users. The reasons for this decrease were
unknown but likely reflected changes in behavior and practices
among injection-drug users.
Public Health Actions: The expansion in 2006 of recommendations
for routine hepatitis A vaccination to include all children in
the United States aged 12-23 months is expected to reduce
hepatitis A rates further. Ongoing hepatitis B vaccination
programs ultimately will eliminate domestic HBV transmission,
and increased vaccination of adults with risk factors will
accelerate progress toward elimination. Prevention of hepatitis
C relies on identifying and counseling uninfected persons at
risk for hepatitis C (e.g., injection-drug users) regarding ways
to protect themselves from infection and on identifying and
preventing transmission of HCV in healthcare settings.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the surveillance
summary, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/ss/ss5702.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the surveillance summary,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5702a1.htm
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3. |
CDC reports on progress U.S. Immunization Information Systems
made during 2006
CDC published "Immunization Information Systems
Progress--United
States, 2006" in the March 21 issue of MMWR. Portions of a
summary made available to the press are reprinted below.
This report highlights selected data from CDC's 2006
Immunization Information System Annual Report (IISAR). The data
indicated that 65 percent of all U.S. children aged <6 years,
approximately 15 million children, participated in an
Immunization Information System (IIS), an increase from 56
percent in 2005. IISs can provide accurate data on which to make
informed immunization decisions and better protect against
vaccine-preventable diseases. Most grantees (70 percent)
reported that their IISs have the capacity to track vaccinations
for persons of all ages. Data on vaccinations were entered
within 30 days of vaccine administration for 69 percent of
children aged <6 years. However, results for several data
completeness measures are low. These findings underscore the
need to continue efforts to address challenges to full
participation and ensure high quality information.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5711a4.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5711.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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4. |
CDC website posts images of the three 2008 childhood
vaccination schedules
CDC recently posted the three childhood
immunization schedules
in image-only format (jpg). These are suitable for
presentations. Links to the three images follow:
To access the image of the Recommended Immunization Schedule for
Persons Aged 0-6 Years, United States 2008, click
here.
To access the image of the Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged
7-18 Years, United States 2008, click
here.
To access the image of the Catch-up Immunization Schedule for
Persons Aged 4 Months-18 Years Who Start Late or Who Are More
Than 1 Month Behind, United States 2008, click
here.
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5. |
MMWR announces that March 24 is World TB Day and publishes
information about TB trends in the U.S. during 2007
CDC published "World TB Day--March 24, 2008" and
"Trends in
Tuberculosis--United States, 2007" in the March 21 issue of
MMWR. "World TB Day--March 24, 2008" is reprinted in its
entirety below, as is a press summary of "Trends in
Tuberculosis--United States, 2007."
"WORLD TB DAY--MARCH 24, 2008"
World TB Day is observed each year on March 24 to commemorate
the date in 1882 when Robert Koch announced the discovery of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes
tuberculosis (TB). Worldwide, TB remains one of the leading
causes of death from infectious disease. An estimated 2 billion persons (i.e., one-third of the world's population) are infected
with M. tuberculosis. In 2005, approximately 8.8 million persons
became ill from TB, and 1.6 million died from the disease. World
TB Day provides an opportunity for TB programs, nongovernmental
organizations, and other partners to describe problems and
solutions related to the TB pandemic and to support worldwide
TB-control efforts. The U.S. theme for this year's observance is
Partnerships for TB Elimination.
After approximately 30 years of decline, the number of TB cases
reported in the United States increased 20% during 1985-1992.
This led to a renewed emphasis on TB control and prevention
during the 1990s and actions that reversed the increase in
cases. Although the 2007 TB rate (4.4 cases per 100,000
population) was the lowest recorded in the United States since
national reporting began in 1953, the average annual decline has
slowed since 2000. In addition, multidrug-resistant TB remains a
threat, extensively drug-resistant TB has become an emerging
threat, and racial/ethnic minorities and foreign-born persons
continue to account for a disproportionate number of TB cases.
CDC and its partners are committed to eliminating TB in the
United States. In many states, education and awareness programs
convened by local TB coalitions will be conducted in
commemoration of World TB Day. Additional information about
World TB Day and CDC TB-elimination activities is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday
PRESS SUMMARY OF "TRENDS IN TUBERCULOSIS--UNITED STATES, 2007"
A CDC analysis of 2007 national tuberculosis (TB) surveillance
data shows continuing disparities and a slowing decline in U.S.
TB rates.
In 2007, the national TB rate fell to an all-time low of 4.4
cases per 100,000 people (13,293 new cases). However, progress
in eliminating TB has slowed recently, with 3.8 percent average
annual declines in rates for 2000-2007, compared with 7.3
percent average annual declines for 1993-2000. TB continues to
disproportionately affect foreign-born persons and racial/ethnic
minorities. Foreign-born persons had a TB rate nearly 10 times
higher than U.S.-born persons (20.6 vs. 2.1 cases per 100,000)
and accounted for 58.5 percent of all cases with known origin.
Hispanics had a rate seven times higher than whites, and for the
fourth consecutive year, accounted for more TB cases than any
other racial/ethnic group. The TB rate was 23 times higher in
Asians than in whites. Blacks had a rate eight times higher than
whites, and accounted for the greatest disparity in TB rates
among U.S.-born persons. Among persons with TB and a known HIV
test result, 11.3 percent were co-infected with HIV, a major
risk factor for TB disease. The proportion of multidrug-resistant TB cases remained stable in 2006, accounting for 1.1
percent of cases for which these data are available. The authors
note that continued disparities among persons with TB and the
diminishing decline of TB incidence threaten progress toward TB
elimination in the U.S.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of "World TB Day--March 24,
2008," go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5711a1.htm
To access a web-text (HTML) version of "Trends in Tuberculosis—United States, 2007," go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5711a2.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5711.pdf
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6. |
AARP surveys seniors about their attitudes toward and
knowledge of influenza and pneumococcal immunization
In November 2007, AARP published the results of a
telephone
survey of adults age 50 years and older to learn about their
influenza and pneumococcal immunization histories and their
preferred sources of immunization information. AARP is a
national nonprofit association that works on behalf of people
age 50 years and older.
The survey, conducted from September 28 to October 21, 2007,
indicated the following:
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About 85 percent of respondents said they had not received an
influenza shot for the 2007-08 influenza season. The high number
of unvaccinated respondents may reflect the timing of the survey
(early in the vaccination season). About 56 percent said they
had received a shot for the 2006-07 season.
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Of those who did not get a shot for the 2006-07 season, 38
percent said they didn't think they needed one, 13 percent were
concerned about possible side effects, and 12 percent said they
never get influenza disease.
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About half (53 percent) of the respondents said they have
never had a pneumococcal shot. Of those, about four in ten (39
percent) said they didn't think they needed one, and one-fifth
(21 percent) said they never get pneumonia.
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When asked about the recommended age for a healthy adult to
get a pneumococcal shot, slightly more than one-quarter (27
percent) said age 65 or older, about one-fifth (19 percent) said
between 55 and 64 years of age, and another fifth (20 percent)
said between 45 and 54 years of age. Notably, nearly one-quarter
(23 percent) said they did not know the recommended age for
receiving a pneumococcal shot.
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When asked about the recommended frequency for receiving a
pneumococcal shot, about three in ten (28 percent) said once a
year. In contrast, about one in six (16 percent) correctly said
once in a lifetime.
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More than six in ten (62 percent) respondents who said they
have ever received an influenza or pneumococcal shot said they
got it at their doctor's office. About one in nine (11 percent)
said they got the shot at their local health department, while
about half as many said they received it at an employer-sponsored health fair (7 percent), at a local clinic, hospital,
or health center (7 percent), or at their local pharmacy (6
percent)
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When asked about their trusted sources of information, 69
percent said their family doctor is their most trusted source of
information. None of the other sources of information were cited
by more than one in twenty respondents.
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When asked about how they prefer to receive information about
immunizations, 61 percent said from their doctor, while about 15
percent said through printed materials. None of the remaining
options were cited by more than 7 percent of respondents.
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When asked if they had been a caregiver in the past year or
were currently one, 27 percent said yes.
To access the entire survey from the AARP website, go to:
http://www.aarp.org/research/health/prevention/flu_pneumonia.html
In the box titled Learn More, click on the link titled Full
Report (PDF).
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7. |
Important: Be sure to give influenza vaccine throughout the
influenza season--through spring
Influenza is currently circulating, and
vaccination should
continue from now through May. 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 Seasonal Flu web section at http://www.cdc.gov/flu
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8. |
CDC website posts presentation slides from the February ACIP
meeting
The CDC website recently posted the PowerPoint
slides presented
at the February 27-28 ACIP meeting. Slides are available on the
following topics:
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Influenza vaccines
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Meningococcal vaccine (MCV4)
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Use of vaccines during pregnancy/breastfeeding
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines
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Immunization safety--measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV)
vaccine
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Vaccine supply
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Measles outbreak
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Rotavirus vaccines
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Economic analyses of vaccines and immunization
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Rabies vaccine and biologicals
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General recommendations
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Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccines
To access the slides, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/slides-feb08.htm
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9. |
CDC
issues "Summary of Notifiable Diseases--United States, 2006"
CDC published "Summary of Notifiable
Diseases--United States,
2006" in the March 21 issue of MMWR Summary of Notifiable
Diseases.
The 100-page summary has three primary sections. They are Part
1: Summaries of Notifiable Diseases in the United States, 2006;
Part 2: Graphs and Maps for Selected Notifiable Diseases in the
United States, 2006; and Part 3: Historical Summaries of
Notifiable Diseases in the United States, 1975-2006.
The opening paragraph of the preface follows.
The Summary of Notifiable Diseases--United States, 2006 contains
the official statistics, in tabular and graphic form, for the
reported occurrence of nationally notifiable infectious diseases
in the United States for 2006. Unless otherwise noted, the data
are final totals for 2006 reported as of June 30, 2007. These
statistics are collected and compiled from reports sent by state
and territorial health departments to the National Notifiable
Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), which is operated by CDC
in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists (CSTE). The Summary is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/summary.html This site also includes
publications from previous years.
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the summary online, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5553a1.htm
Because the summary is a large file, printing problems may occur
because of printer memory size. One solution is to print a few
pages at a time. To access more tips on downloading and printing
large PDF files, go to: http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/tips.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5553.pdf
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10. |
Federal government adds several new resources to its PandemicFlu website
CDC recently added several resources to its
PandemicFlu website:
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"Secretary Leavitt Writes about Pandemic Exercise with
Bloggers" (March 20; blog entry)
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"HHS Releases 'Pandemic Planning Update V' Report" (March 19;
report)
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"U.N. Group Warns Indonesia Situation Critical" (March 18;
news release)
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"Webcast on State Pandemic Planning Assessments" (March 13;
archived webcast)
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"Join Us Wednesday, April 2, at 2 PM ET" (announcement of an
upcoming live online discussion to aid state pandemic planners)
To access these resources, go to:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov 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. |
Massachusetts adult immunization conference set for May 22 in Worcester
An adult immunization conference, "Current Trends
in Emerging
Infectious Diseases and Adult Vaccines," is scheduled for May 22
at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. It is sponsored by Masspro
and the Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition.
To access the conference brochure, which includes a registration
form and conference agenda, go to:
http://www.masspro.org/IFCF/AIPT/docs/events/281701PHImmunBrocFNL.pdf
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