Issue Number 368            February 24, 2003

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. CDC publishes information on smallpox vaccine adverse events among the first wave of vaccinated civilians
  2. CDC publishes recommendations for clinicians on smallpox vaccination and adverse reactions
  3. Update: IAC adds more video clips and photos to its new website for the public and health professionals
  4. Update: IAC makes minor revisions to "It's Federal Law!!" professional education piece on Vaccine Information Statements
  5. Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine set for May 7-11 in New York
  6. Reader alert: February 28 is registration deadline for Minnesota conference on adult vaccine preventable diseases

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February 24, 2003
CDC PUBLISHES INFORMATION ON SMALLPOX VACCINE ADVERSE EVENTS AMONG THE FIRST WAVE OF VACCINATED CIVILIANS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Smallpox Vaccine Adverse Events Among Civilians--United States, January 24-Feburary 18, 2003" in the February 21 issue of the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR).

Following are excerpts from the article.

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During the civilian smallpox vaccination program, CDC and state health departments are conducting surveillance for vaccine-associated adverse events. In the first stage of the program, active surveillance is being conducted for potentially life-threatening, moderate-to-severe, and other serious adverse events and for vaccinia transmission to contacts of vaccinees. Nonserious events are reported via passive surveillance and are expected to be underreported. This report summarizes smallpox vaccine adverse events reported among civilians vaccinated as of February 14, 2003, and received by CDC from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) as of February 18. . . .

Reported adverse events are not necessarily associated with vaccination, and some or all of these events might be coincidental.

During January 24-February 14, 2003, smallpox vaccine was administered to 4,213 civilian health-care workers in 27 jurisdictions. No potentially life threatening or moderate-to-severe adverse events have been reported. Among seven vaccinees with reported nonserious adverse events, the most common signs and symptoms were fever (n = two), rash (n = two), malaise (n = two), pruritus (n = two),  hypertension (n = two), and pharyngitis (n = two).

Surveillance for adverse events during the civilian smallpox vaccination program is ongoing. Regular surveillance reports will be published in MMWR.

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To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5207a4.htm

To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5207.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.
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February 24, 2003
CDC PUBLISHES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICIANS ON SMALLPOX VACCINATION AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Smallpox Vaccination and Adverse Reactions: Guidance for Clinicians" in the February 21 issue of the "MMWR Recommendations and Reports" (MMWR). Originally published January 24 in the Web-based "MMWR Dispatch," the report has not been available in hard-copy format until now.

The 28-page report includes information on interpreting vaccination results, transmission of vaccinia virus, adverse reactions, prophylaxis, laboratory diagnosis, treatments, and smallpox vaccine adverse event reporting.

To obtain the complete text of the report online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5204a1.htm

To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of the report, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5204.pdf

To access an article about the "MMWR Dispatch" version of the report that appeared in the January 27 "IAC EXPRESS," go to: http://www.immunize.org/genr.d/issue362.htm#n3
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February 24, 2003
UPDATE: IAC ADDS MORE VIDEO CLIPS AND PHOTOS TO ITS NEW WEBSITE FOR THE PUBLIC AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Developed for anyone interested in vaccines and the diseases they prevent, the Immunization Action Coalition's newest website, "Vaccine Information for the Public and Health Professionals," is being continually updated. Recent additions include five video clips about chickenpox and several photographs of adults and children suffering the effects of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).

Two of the new video clips present two mothers, Rebecca Cole and Kathy Atchison, recounting their sons' deaths from complications of chickenpox.

To view the clip of Rebecca Cole, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/vari_rebeccacole.ram

To view the clip of Kathy Atchison, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/vari_atch.ram

Three other clips feature two eminent health professionals, Paul A. Offit, MD, Chief, Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Jane Seward, MBBS, MPH, Chief, Viral Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They discuss chickenpox prevention, health risks, and complications, as well as the  chickenpox recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

To access the complete video clip collection, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video

Also, be sure to watch and listen to the four video clips of children of various ages with whooping cough.

To view a baby with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_4.ram

To view an infant with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_1.ram

To view a toddler with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_3.ram

To view a child with pertussis, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/video/pert_2.ram

Since its recent update, the website now features photographs of more than 150 children and adults with VPDs. Many photos are copyright-free and can be downloaded and used in posters, presentations, and brochures.

To access the photographs, go to:
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/photos

For an array of information on vaccines and the disease they prevent, go to the website's home page at http://www.vaccineinformation.org
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February 24, 2003
UPDATE: IAC MAKES MINOR REVISIONS TO "IT'S FEDERAL LAW!!" PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PIECE ON VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS

The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) recently revised the one-page professional education piece "It's Federal Law!! You Must Give Your Patients Current Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)." The  piece was originally written by Neal A. Halsey, MD, Director, Institute for Vaccine Safety, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. IAC updates it periodically.

IAC made two revisions: In the section headed "Most current versions of VISs," the date for the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) VIS was changed to 1/15/03, and the date for the PCV7 (pneumococcal conjugate) VIS was changed to 9/30/02.

Federal law requires that health professionals give patients or their parents/guardians the most current VIS available for a vaccine before administering it.

To access the revised piece in camera-ready (PDF) format, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2027law.pdf

To access it in HTML format, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2027law.htm

For information about the use of VISs and for VISs in up to 28 languages, visit IAC's website at http://www.immunize.org/vis
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February 24, 2003
CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF TRAVEL MEDICINE SET FOR MAY 7-11 IN NEW YORK

Scheduled for May 7-11, the Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

The conference is intended for health care practitioners, physicians, nurses, scientists, public health officials, and allied health professionals interested in increasing their knowledge of the health risks associated with mobile populations, including travelers, military personnel, and migrant populations.

To access the conference brochure in camera-ready (PDF) format, go to:
http://www.talley.com/ISTM/ISTM%20Reg%20Brochure.pdf

To register online, go to: https://www.one-stop-registration.com/istm

For additional information, visit the ISTM website at http://www.istm.org or email cistm8@laser-registration.com or call (202) 347-2227.
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February 24, 2003
READER ALERT: FEBRUARY 28 IS REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR MINNESOTA CONFERENCE ON ADULT VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES

A one-day conference, "Issues and Strategies in Adult Vaccine Preventable Diseases," will be held on March 7 at the Doubletree Hotel in Bloomington, MN. The registration deadline is February 28.

Presented by the Minnesota Coalition for Adult Immunization, the conference is intended for health  care providers committed to preventing influenza, pneumococcal disease, and other vaccine preventable diseases. The goal of the conference is to increase participants' knowledge about the impact of these diseases and help them develop, implement, and evaluate prevention programs.

For information, contact Chere Wood by email at mnpro.cwood@sdps.org or by phone at (952) 853-8558. 

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.

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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
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    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Contributing Writer
    Laurel H. Wood, MPA
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    Kayla Ohlde

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