Issue Number 343            October 21, 2002

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. ACIP voted to expand recommendations on smallpox vaccine administration at its October 16-17 meeting
  2. New! IAC creates "Improving Immunization Practices" web page
  3. IAC's updated "Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination" now in PDF and HTML formats
  4. IAC's Revised "Labor & Delivery and Nursery Unit Guidelines to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus Transmission" now in PDF and HTML formats
  5. MMWR notifies readers about pneumococcal vaccination for cochlear implant recipients
  6. TeleClinics on rabies, tetanus, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B set for October 22, 24, and 28

----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(1 of 6)
October 21, 2002
ACIP VOTED TO EXPAND RECOMMENDATIONS ON SMALLPOX VACCINE ADMINISTRATION AT ITS OCTOBER 16-17 MEETING

During its October 16-17 meeting, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), made recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the following eight vaccine implementation issues:

  1. Types of health care workers that should be included in Smallpox Health Care Teams
  2. Care of the smallpox vaccination site
  3. Need for administrative leave for vaccinated health care workers
  4. Screening for atopic dermatitis as a contraindication for vaccination
  5. Screening for pregnancy as a contraindication for smallpox vaccination
  6. Screening for HIV infection as a contraindication for smallpox vaccination
  7. Simultaneous administration of smallpox vaccines with other vaccines
  8. Vaccination of smallpox vaccinators

ACIP made the recommendations at CDC's request for additional guidance and after consulting with CDC's Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). ACIP is forwarding its recommendations to HICPAC for review and consideration on October 22 and 23. In coming weeks, the joint ACIP-HICPAC recommendations will be forwarded to CDC and DHHS for review and consideration.

For a camera-ready (PDF) version of "ACIP Smallpox Vaccination Recommendations: Summary," go to: http://www.immunize.org/acip/acip1021.pdf

To access CDC's ever-expanding website of information on smallpox, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/smallpox
----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(2 of 6)
October 21, 2002
NEW! IAC CREATES "IMPROVING IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES" WEB PAGE

The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has recently developed a one-stop source of practical information for immunization providers.

The "Improving Immunization Practices" web page has resources on the following topics: Storage and handling of vaccines, screening for contraindications/precautions and needed vaccines, rules and recommendations, vaccine administration, explaining the risks/benefits of vaccines, record keeping, and assessing and improving vaccination rates.

To view the new web page, go to: http://www.immunize.org/izpractices/
----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(3 of 6)
October 21, 2002
IAC'S UPDATED "HEPATITIS B FACTS: TESTING AND VACCINATION" NOW IN PDF AND HTML FORMATS

Earlier in October, the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) made minor editing and formatting revisions to its one-page professional education piece "Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination." The factual  content did not change.

A valuable resource for health professionals, the piece presents information on the following: who  needs hepatitis B vaccine, who needs serologic testing, hepatitis B nomenclature, and how to interpret the hepatitis B panel.

A camera-ready (PDF) version of the revised piece is available at
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2110.pdf

The HTML version can be accessed at
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2110.htm
----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(4 of 6)
October 21, 2002
IAC'S REVISED "LABOR & DELIVERY AND NURSERY UNIT GUIDELINES TO PREVENT HEPATITIS B VIRUS TRANSMISSION" NOW IN PDF AND HTML FORMATS

Earlier in October, the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) updated its one-page professional education piece "Labor & Delivery and Nursery Unit Guidelines to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus Transmission." The piece is intended to help hospitals establish standing orders for preventing perinatal  hepatitis B virus transmission in labor and delivery and nursery units. The revision contains minor editing changes only.

For a camera-ready (PDF) version of the revised piece, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130per.pdf

The HTML version can be accessed at
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130.htm
----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(5 of 6)
October 21, 2002
MMWR NOTIFIES READERS ABOUT PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION FOR COCHLEAR IMPLANT RECIPIENTS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Notice to Readers titled "Pneumococcal Vaccination for Cochlear Implant Recipients" in the October 21 issue of the Morbidity  and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The entire notice, excluding the six footnoted references, reads as follows:

***************

CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with state health departments, are investigating the occurrence of bacterial meningitis among cochlear implant recipients. The implant, as a foreign body, and the design of the electrode are considered possible risk factors. Other potential  risk factors for meningitis among cochlear implant recipients include a history of meningitis (a leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss), a history of recurrent otitis media, immunodeficiency, a pre-existing inner ear abnormality, and an occult cerebrospinal fluid leak.

As of October 4, 2002, a total of 53 cases of meningitis were reported in the United States among cochlear implant recipients. In the United States, approximately 21,000 persons have cochlear implants. Of the 23 cases for which bacterial culture results were available, 16 were caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).

Vaccination against pneumococcal disease is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for persons at increased risk for pneumococcal meningitis. Because preliminary data suggest a higher risk for pneumococcal meningitis in cochlear implant recipients, CDC recommends that all persons with cochlear implants receive age-appropriate vaccination against pneumococcal disease as recommended for other persons at high risk for invasive pneumococcal disease; recommendations will be reviewed after completion of the investigation. These persons should  receive the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate (Prevnar) or 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide (Pneumovax and Pnu-Imune) vaccine, or both, according to ACIP schedules for persons at high risk.  During the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine shortage, children aged 5 years and under with  cochlear implants should be given the same priority for available vaccine as children in other high-risk  groups. Additional information on the use of vaccines for cochlear implant recipients is available from CDC's National Immunization Program at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/issues/cochlear/cochlear-hcp.htm

***************

To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5141a5.htm

To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5141.pdf

HOW TO OBTAIN A FREE ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MMWR:
To obtain a free electronic subscription to the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR), visit CDC's MMWR website at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr Select "Free Subscription" from the menu at the left of the screen. Once you have submitted the required information, weekly issues of the MMWR and all new ACIP statements (published as MMWR's "Recommendations and Reports") will arrive automatically by email.
----------------------------------------------------------

Back to Top

(6 of 6)
October 21, 2002
TELECLINICS ON RABIES, TETANUS, HEPATITIS A, AND HEPATITIS B SET FOR OCTOBER 22, 24, AND 28

The interactive TeleClinic "Immunization Update: Rabies, Tetanus, and Hepatitis A & B" will be held this Tuesday, October 22, at 10a.m. ET, and this Thursday, October 24, at 4p.m ET. Another session will  be held on Monday, October 28, at 1p.m. ET. Participants may earn 1 continuing medical education (CME) or nursing contact hour.

The presenter is William H. Schoff, MD, Associate Professor, Director, PENN Travel Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia.

To register for a TeleClinic online, go to: http://www.interactiveTeleClinics.com/BAYRAB_contact.shtml

To register for a TeleClinic by phone, call (800) 870-8376. 

About IZ Express

IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. 1NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085

Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
  • Web Edition Managers
    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Contributing Writer
    Laurel H. Wood, MPA
  • Technical Reviewer
    Kayla Ohlde

This page was updated on .