Issue Number 415            October 6, 2003

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. National health officials urge influenza and pneumococcal vaccination at NFID/NCAI press conference
  2. Stephen L. Cochi, MD, MPH, named deputy director of CDC's National Immunization Program
  3. "Immunization Techniques" video will update your staff's vaccine administration skills for flu vaccination season
  4. IAC adds "MSM Vaccination" page to its website
  5. CDC offers new resources for preventing hepatitis A at concerts and festivals
  6. CDC adds vaccine manufacturers' current phone numbers to its emergency procedures for protecting vaccine inventories
  7. New: Bilingual video and DVD explain the inactivated influenza VIS to English- and Spanish-speaking patients
  8. New: IAC website posts new VIS translations for inactivated influenza vaccine and meningococcal vaccine
  9. CDC notifies readers about SARS and the use of influenza vaccine
  10. CDC reports on incidence of cardiac deaths following 1947 New York City smallpox vaccination campaign
  11. CDC reports on investigation of deaths among U.S. postal service workers potentially exposed to bacillus anthracis
  12. Rescheduled: October 23 is the new date for "Vaccinate Before You Graduate" adolescent immunization broadcast

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October 6, 2003
NATIONAL HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE INFLUENZA AND PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION AT NFID/NCAI PRESS CONFERENCE

At a press conference held in Washington, DC, September 23, Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other national health officials urged immunization against influenza this fall. They also encouraged those 65 years and older and in certain risk groups to be immunized against pneumococcal disease.

Health officials fear the mild influenza seasons of the last two years may cause people to become complacent about protecting themselves against influenza this year. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) and the National Coalition for Adult Immunization (NCAI) organized the press conference.

To access a camera-ready (PDF) copy of the complete press  release, go to:
http://www.connectlive.com/events/infectiousdiseases/RELEASE%20FINAL2.pdf

To access an archived video webcast of the press conference, go to: http://www.connectlive.com/events/infectiousdiseases
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October 6, 2003
STEPHEN L. COCHI, MD, MPH, NAMED DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CDC's NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM

On September 29, Walter Orenstein, MD, director, National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that Stephen L. Cochi, MD, MPH, accepted the position of deputy director of the National Immunization Program. Dr. Cochi received his medical degree from Duke University and his public health degree from Emory University. Board certified in pediatrics and preventive medicine, he joined the National Center for Prevention Services, Division of Immunization in 1985.

Dr. Cochi is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a member of the American Public Health Association. He has received many CDC and U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) honors and awards, including the USPHS Commendation Medal, Outstanding Service Medal, and Distinguished Service Medal. In addition, he received the Philip R. Horne Award, the highest award for a National Immunization Program employee, and was co-recipient of two Charles C. Shepard Science Awards; he also received the Emory School of Public Health's Second Annual Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.
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October 6, 2003
"IMMUNIZATION TECHNIQUES" VIDEO WILL UPDATE YOUR STAFF'S VACCINE ADMINISTRATION SKILLS FOR FLU VACCINATION SEASON

With influenza vaccine plentiful for the 2003-04 influenza vaccination season, we can all hope that record numbers of people will show up for flu vaccine. The question is, is your staff ready for them?

You can ensure your staff has expertise in giving influenza vaccine injections by ordering and showing them the video "Immunization Techniques: Safe, Effective, Caring." The video offers practical information on immunizing everyone from infants to senior citizens against this potentially serious and contagious disease, as well as against all vaccine-preventable diseases.

The video is such a high-quality, cost-effective immunization-training tool that health professionals across the nation have ordered more than 8,500 copies of it from the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) since September 2001, when IAC first offered it.

Developed by the California Department of Health Services Immunization Branch and a team of national experts, the 35-minute video is designed for use as a "hands-on" instructional program. It can be used to train new staff and to provide a refresher course for experienced staff who administer vaccines.

It teaches best practices for administering intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) vaccines to infants, children, and adults and discusses the following:

  • Anatomic sites
  • Choice of needle size
  • Vaccines and routes of administration
  • How to "draw up" doses of vaccine from a vial

The video comes with presenter's notes that include instructional objectives, pre- and post-tests, photos showing vaccination sites appropriate for vaccinating people of different ages, and a skills checklist to help you document that your staff is well trained.

IAC distributes the video and presenter's notes at $25 per set (to U.S. addresses). If you wish to order online (U.S. addresses only), go to:
https://www.immunize.org/iztech

To order by mail or fax, print and fill out an IAC order form, available at http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2020a.pdf

Mail your order payment (check, credit card information, or purchase order) to Immunization Action Coalition, 1573 Selby Ave., Ste. 234, St. Paul, MN 55104, and include your complete mailing information and phone number. Or fax your order form with payment information to IAC at (651) 647-9131. If you are placing an order from outside the United States, please call IAC at (651) 647-9009 for shipping cost information or email us at admin@immunize.org

A Spanish-language version of the video is available through the California Distance Learning Health Network (CDLHN) for $25. To order, call (619) 594-3348, email info@cdlhn.com or visit CDLHN online at http://www.cdlhn.com
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October 6, 2003
IAC ADDS "MSM VACCINATION" PAGE TO ITS WEBSITE

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "HEP EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 10/3/03.]

The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) recently launched a new web page devoted to the prevention of viral hepatitis infection among men who have sex with men (MSM).

MSM should be vaccinated against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B, yet many remain unprotected. The new web page includes links to journal articles, recommendations, and other resources to help health professionals provide appropriate viral hepatitis screening and preventive services to MSM.

"MSM Vaccination" is located under Topics of Interest in the right column of the IAC home page. To access the new web page, go to: http://www.immunize.org/msm
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October 6, 2003
CDC OFFERS NEW RESOURCES FOR PREVENTING HEPATITIS A AT CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "HEP EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 10/3/03.]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a multi-state outbreak of hepatitis A among young adults who attended outdoor concert and camping events featuring "jam bands." A total of 26 cases have been reported among residents of 10 states. Such concerts often involve camping on established or impromptu campgrounds, and sanitary conditions sometimes are poor.

In response to this outbreak, CDC has developed a new web page titled "Preventing Hepatitis A Among Concert-Goers." This page includes sanitation and health department links that health departments may find helpful in preparing for concerts in their area. For example, the Portable Sanitation Association International provides guidelines regarding the number of portable toilet units required based on expected crowd size, event length, mix of men and women, and whether or not alcohol is being served.

CDC has also developed a new flyer for the public: "What Can Concert-Goers Do to Prevent Hepatitis A?" This flyer can be downloaded from the site in color or black and white, and features 1960s-style "flower power" graphics.

Access "Preventing Hepatitis A Among Concert-Goers" at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/jam_band.htm
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October 6, 2003
CDC ADDS VACCINE MANUFACTURERS' CURRENT PHONE NUMBERS TO ITS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR PROTECTING VACCINE INVENTORIES

The National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently updated the phone numbers for vaccine manufacturers on its web page "Emergency Procedures for Protecting Vaccine Inventories."

In light of the recent weather emergencies, it is a good idea for private practices and clinics that store vaccine to keep vaccine manufacturers' phone numbers near their vaccine storage guidelines. Following are the current phone numbers for several vaccine manufacturers:

Aventis Pasteur: (800) 822-2463
Chiron Vaccines: (800) 244-7668
GlaxoSmithKline: (888) 825-5249
Merck & Co.: (800) 672-6372
Wyeth Vaccines: (800) 666-7248

To access CDC's updated web page of emergency procedures for protecting vaccines, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/vacc_weather_emerg.htm
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October 6, 2003
NEW: BILINGUAL VIDEO AND DVD EXPLAIN THE INACTIVATED INFLUENZA VIS TO ENGLISH-AND SPANISH-SPEAKING PATIENTS

If your clinic is involved in mass immunization with inactivated influenza vaccine, Healthway Software of Fargo, ND, has a product likely to reduce staff time and increase patient comprehension.

Available in video and DVD formats, "Influenza Vaccine 2003-2004 VIS" contains both English and Spanish versions of the information found in the most current (5/6/03) inactivated influenza vaccine information statement (VIS) produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is especially useful in clinical settings and for annual influenza vaccine clinics that immunize large numbers of people. The audio and graphics enhance patient understanding, making it an excellent choice for patients who lack fluency in English or have limited reading skills.

Priced at $18 each, the video and DVD come with English- and Spanish-language inactivated influenza VISs. The DVD can be played on a computer, using the DVD drive, or on a television set.

To access an order form for mail and fax orders, go to:
http://www.healthwaysoftware.com/Order.htm

To access additional information about the video, go to:
http://www.healthwaysoftware.com/fluvideo.htm

To access additional information about the DVD, go to:
http://www.healthwaysoftware.com/fludvd.htm
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October 6, 2003
NEW: IAC WEBSITE POSTS NEW VIS TRANSLATIONS FOR INACTIVATED INFLUENZA VACCINE AND MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINE

Updated 5/6/03, the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for inactivated influenza vaccine is now available in Spanish and Korean. The VIS for meningococcal vaccine, updated 7/28/03, is now available in Turkish. All three have been posted on the website of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC).

IAC gratefully acknowledges the California Department of Health Services for the Spanish translation, the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services for the Korean translation, and Mustafa Kozanoglu, MD, and Murat Serbest, MD, of Adana, Turkey, for the Turkish translation.

To access a camera-ready (PDF) copy of the inactivated influenza vaccine VIS in Spanish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/spflu03.pdf

To access a camera-ready (PDF) copy of the inactivated influenza vaccine VIS in Korean, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/ko_flu03.pdf

To access a camera-ready (PDF) copy of the meningococcal vaccine VIS in Turkish, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/tu_men03.pdf

For more information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in a total of 29 languages, visit IAC's VIS web page at http://www.immunize.org/vis
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October 6, 2003
CDC NOTIFIES READERS ABOUT SARS AND THE USE OF INFLUENZA VACCINE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Notice to Readers: SARS, Influenza, and Use of Influenza Vaccine" in the October 3 issue of the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). The notice is reprinted below in its entirety.

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CDC supports and emphasizes the use of influenza vaccination for reducing influenza infections and their associated complications. CDC does not recommend influenza vaccination for the primary purpose of reducing the number of persons who might be evaluated for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Influenza vaccine is effective only against influenza virus infection and is the best option for preventing influenza and its complications. These complications occur most often in children aged less than 24 months, persons aged 65 years and older, and those of any age who have certain medical conditions placing them at high-risk for having complications from influenza infection.* Annual vaccination is recommended for persons at high risk aged 6 months and older and for persons in other target groups, including family members and other close contacts of high-risk persons, those aged 50-64 years, and health-care workers. Vaccination is encouraged, when feasible, for children aged 6-23 months and for their household contacts and out-of-home caregivers. Influenza vaccination of health-care workers is especially important for reducing transmission of influenza viruses to patients with high-risk conditions in hospital and other health-care settings and for protecting the health-care workforce during the influenza season. Additional information about prevention and control of influenza is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5208a1.htm

On a population level, widespread use of the influenza vaccine will reduce the number of influenza cases and might decrease the number of persons with a febrile respiratory illness who are evaluated for SARS. However, such secondary benefits cannot be reliably anticipated. For example, the overall decrease in febrile respiratory illnesses would be minimal if circulating levels of influenza viruses are low or if other respiratory pathogens are actively circulating in a community.

Persons vaccinated against influenza can still have a febrile respiratory illness because influenza vaccine will not prevent infection by noninfluenza agents and the effectiveness of influenza vaccine is less than 100%. Therefore, receipt of influenza vaccination in a person who subsequently experiences a febrile respiratory illness does not eliminate influenza as a possible cause nor necessarily increase the likelihood that the illness is SARS.

* Persons at high risk include residents of chronic care facilities, persons with chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular disorders (e.g., asthma, chronic metabolic diseases, renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies, or immunosuppression), children receiving long-term aspirin therapy, and women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season.

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To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5239a5.htm

To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5239.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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October 6, 2003
CDC REPORTS ON INCIDENCE OF CARDIAC DEATHS FOLLOWING 1947 NEW YORK CITY SMALLPOX VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Cardiac Deaths After a Mass Smallpox Vaccination Campaign--New York City, 1947" in the October 3 issue of the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). A summary made available to the press is reprinted below in its entirety.

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A review of death records by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) shows no evidence that smallpox vaccine causes an increase in cardiac-related deaths.

Over the course of a three-week period during April and May 1947, during a smallpox outbreak in New York City (NYC), more than 6,000,000 New Yorkers were vaccinated in a four-week period using the same smallpox vaccine strain used today. To determine whether smallpox vaccination increased risk of cardiac death, researchers at the NYC DOHMH reviewed NYC death certificates dated March to June for 1946, 1947, and 1948 (n=81,529). No increases in cardiac deaths, atherosclerotic deaths, or all-cause deaths were observed, when more than 80% of the NYC population was vaccinated. This suggests that cardiac deaths observed in 2003 vaccine recipients may be unrelated to smallpox vaccination.

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To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5239a1.htm

To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5239.pdf
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October 6, 2003
CDC REPORTS ON INVESTIGATION OF DEATHS AMONG U.S. POSTAL SERVICE WORKERS POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO BACILLUS ANTHRACIS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Follow-up of Deaths Among U.S. Postal Service Workers Potentially Exposed to Bacillus Anthracis--District of Columbia, 2001" in the October 3 issue of the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). A summary made available to the press is reprinted below in its entirety.

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The findings indicate that the rates and causes of death among the United States Postal Service (USPS) employees during the 12 months following the anthrax attacks were not different from those expected or unusual.

CDC, in collaboration with state and local health departments in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, conducted a yearlong investigation to evaluate the deaths of 11 USPS workers who may have been exposed to Bacillus anthracis spores. The deaths of 11 USPS Brentwood employees raised questions about whether mortality was unusually high among Brentwood employees following the deaths of two postal workers infected by anthrax contaminated letters that were processed at the facility in October 2001. The study, conducted from October 12, 2001 to October 11, 2002, involved analyzing death certificate data of the employees and found no unusual rates or causes of death among these postal workers. Also, their deaths could not be attributed to an adverse drug reaction to the post-exposure prophylaxis recommended to approximately 10,000 persons potentially exposed to anthrax.

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To obtain the complete text of the article online, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5239a2.htm

To obtain a camera-ready (PDF format) copy of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5239.pdf
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October 6, 2003
RESCHEDULED: OCTOBER 23 IS THE NEW DATE FOR "VACCINATE BEFORE YOU GRADUATE" ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION BROADCAST

The threat of Hurricane Isabel led the planners of the "Vaccinate Before You Graduate" immunization conference to reschedule the conference broadcast for 8 am to 10 am EST, October 23. It had originally been scheduled for September 18.

Planned for broadcast from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, the conference is intended for a nationwide audience of public and private immunization providers, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and medical students.

Though the conference and broadcast are free, registration is required. To register, call (800) 395-2453 or (757) 668-7500 weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm ET.

Program materials, satellite specifications, and the toll-free telephone number are available on the conference website at http://www.chkd.org/vbg

For additional information, email NascaSR@chkd.org or call (757) 668-6488.

To access an article about the conference published in the August 18 issue of "IAC EXPRESS," go to: http://www.immunize.org/genr.d/issue406.htm#n5

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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    Courtnay Londo, MA
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