CDC, AAFP, ACOG, and ACP have endorsed and released the "Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults--United States, 2010." On January 15, CDC published the schedule in MMWR.

The MMWR article is reprinted below in its entirety, excluding two figures and references. CDC has posted downloadable versions of the 2010 U.S. Adult Immunization Schedule; links are provided at the end of this IAC Express article.

To access all schedules (the 2010 U.S. Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedules and the 2010 U.S. Adult Immunization Schedule), go to: http://www.immunize.org/cdc/schedules

CDC has published a fact sheet titled "Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response" that describes steps that relief workers can take before, during, and after a trip to Haiti to stay healthy.

To access this fact sheet, go to:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/news-accouncements/relief-workers-haiti.aspx

Additional related CDC resources are listed below.

Health Recommendations for Relief Workers Responding to Disasters
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/relief-workers.aspx

Public Health Issues and Priorities for the Haiti Earthquake
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/healthconcerns_haiti.asp

Travel Health Warning
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/travel-health-warning/haiti-earthquake.aspx

CDC Emergency Twitter account
http://twitter.com/cdcemergency

On January 15, CDC published "Interim Results: Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccination Coverage--United States, October-December 2009" as an MMWR Early Release. The first paragraph is reprinted below.

To access the full article in web-text (HTML) format, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm59e0115a1.htm

The nomination form for the National Influenza Vaccine Summit's Immunization Excellence Awards is now available. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions toward improved adult and/or childhood influenza vaccination within their communities. Awards will be presented during the National Influenza Vaccine Summit meeting May 17-19, in Tucson, AZ. The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2010.

There are four categories of recognition:

• Overall Season Activities
   
• Healthcare Personnel Campaign
   
• Immunization Coalitions/Public Health/Community Campaign
   
• Corporate Campaign

To access complete information and the online nomination form, go to: http://fs16.formsite.com/APhA/2010NIVSAwards

Vaccination experts at CDC recently reviewed and updated information on IAC's online "Ask the Experts" Q&A section about Hib disease and vaccination. All of IAC's "Ask the Experts" Q&As are reviewed and updated annually. The process is ongoing; IAC Express will inform readers as sections are reviewed and revised.

To access the revised Hib Q&As, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_hib.asp

To access the index page of "Ask the Experts" Q&As for all other vaccines, go to: http://www.immunize.org/askexperts

IAC encourages IAC Express readers to watch a 30-second video on influenza created by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. Showing young adults coughing and getting sicker as they attempt to finish a Pictionary-style game, this PSA uses humor to remind viewers that influenza can be a serious illness.

The video will be available on the home page of IAC's website through January 24. To access it, go to: http://www.immunize.org and click on the image under the words Video of the Week. It may take a few moments for the video to begin playing; please be patient!

Remember to bookmark IAC's home page to view a new video every Monday. To view an IAC Video of the Week from the past, go to the video archive at http://www.immunize.org/votw

On January 12, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced two new public service announcement (PSA) campaigns that urge American Indians and Alaska Natives to get vaccinated against H1N1 influenza.

One PSA series features Yvette Roubideaux, MD, MPH, Director, Indian Health Service, and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of HHS. These two TV and radio spots encourage American Indians and Native Alaskans to get vaccinated against influenza.

The second PSA series features Wes Studi, an American Cherokee actor who is noted for his roles in the movies Dances with Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo: An American Legend, and The New World. In two PSAs titled "Take 3" and "Protect the Circle of Life," Studi describes how to stop influenza viruses from spreading among native peoples and tribal nations.

To access any of these PSAs, go to http://www.flu.gov/psa and scroll to the "Help Keep Indian Country Healthy" section.

Families Fighting Flu recently launched its "Be a Flu Free Family" campaign. The educational campaign features an original animation segment, illustrating a young boy's perspective about why it's important for his family to be vaccinated against influenza.

To view the video and related campaign materials, including a downloadable coloring book, go to:
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/familiesfightflu/42001

To access the video on YouTube, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McwZcabH3co

Visit the Families Fighting Flu website at
http://www.familiesfightingflu.org

Shot of Prevention is a community blog where individuals, parents, medical professionals, and others can gather to discuss questions and current events regarding immunizations. The blog is edited by Amy Pisani, executive director of Every Child By Two (ECBT), and Danielle Romaguera, a mother of three who lost a child to pertussis.

Individuals with questions about vaccines may find this new blog a helpful resource. Clinicians should feel free to refer vaccine-hesitant parents and patients to Shot of Prevention at http://www.shotofprevention.com

Feel free to visit and recommend the other ECBT websites as well: http://www.ecbt.org and http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org

On January 11, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a landmark study titled "Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C." Among the IOM report's key findings:

• Public health resources are inadequate for chronic viral hepatitis prevention, control, and surveillance programs.
   
• As many as 1 in 50 Americans are afflicted with chronic viral hepatitis and overwhelming majorities don't know they are infected.
   
• Healthcare and social service providers lack knowledge and awareness about chronic viral hepatitis.
   
• Chronic infection with viral hepatitis B and C are among the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide.

To read the IOM hepatitis report online, go to:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12793&page=1

To purchase a hard copy of the IOM report, go to:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12793

To read a related press release from the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, go to:
http://www.nvhr.org/pdf/NVHR-Press-Release-on-IOM%20Report-1-11-10.pdf

The VIS for live attenuated seasonal influenza vaccine (nasal spray) is now available in Amharic (spoken in Ethiopia). IAC gratefully acknowledges the Minnesota Department of Health and the DSMA Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Parish Nursing Program, Minneapolis, MN, for the translation.

To access the new Amharic translation for the live seasonal influenza VIS, as well as this VIS in English and other translations, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/vis_flu_live.asp Click on the pertinent language.

To access all available VISs for the inactivated (injectable) seasonal influenza vaccine, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/vis_flu_inactive.asp

For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in more than 35 languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at
http://www.immunize.org/vis

For general information about VISs from CDC's website go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis