Issue
Number 499
December 20, 2004
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- Happy Holidays from all of us at IAC
- ACIP expands priority groups for inactivated influenza vaccination
- ACIP issues an interim resolution regarding the groups eligible to
receive VFC influenza vaccine
- Corrected Spanish-language VIS for live attenuated influenza vaccine
now on IAC's website
- CDC reports on estimated influenza vaccination coverage in the U.S.
during September 1-November 30, 2004
- CDC summarizes survey data on influenza vaccination of high-priority
persons in the U.S. during October-November 2004
- Update: CDC continues to supplement its website with information
related to the influenza vaccine shortage
- December issue of CDC's "Immunization Works!" electronic newsletter
now available on the NIP website
- MMWR tells readers where to find information about influenza disease
and vaccine
- "Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, October
2004-September 2005" now on NIP website
- New: CDC and Clean Hands Coalition offer parents and teachers
resources to help children avoid colds and influenza
- CDC reports on the U.S. public's awareness of influenza-prevention
measures and willingness to use them
- CDC reports on respiratory syncytial virus activity in the U.S. during
2003-04
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ABBREVIATIONS: AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP, American
Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices;
CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug
Administration; IAC, Immunization Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report; NIP, National Immunization Program; VIS, Vaccine
Information Statement; VPD, vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health
Organization.
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December 20, 2004
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT IAC
All of us at the Immunization Action Coalition wish the readers of IAC
EXPRESS a safe, happy, and relaxing holiday season—without the flu.
This is our last issue for 2004. We'll email you the next issue on January
3, 2005.
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December 20, 2004
ACIP EXPANDS PRIORITY GROUPS FOR INACTIVATED INFLUENZA VACCINATION
On December 17, CDC issued a press release announcing that ACIP has expanded
the priority groups for inactivated influenza vaccine. Effective January 3,
2005, in areas where vaccine supply is sufficient to meet demand, priority
groups will include adults ages 50-64 years and out-of-home caregivers and
household contacts of persons in high-risk groups. The press release is
reprinted below in its entirety.
*******************
For immediate release
December 17, 2004
CDC'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES EXPANDS PRIORITY GROUPS
FOR INACTIVATED INFLUENZA VACCINATION
Adults aged 50-64 and close contacts of persons in high-risk groups will be
eligible for influenza vaccination in areas where vaccine supply is
sufficient to meet demand.
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded the list of priority
groups recommended to receive inactivated influenza vaccine this flu season,
depending on the availability of influenza vaccine in state or local health
jurisdictions.
Effective January 3rd, in locations where state and local health authorities
judge vaccine supply to be adequate to meet demand, the priority groups for
inactivated influenza vaccine will include adults age 50-64 and out-of-home
caregivers and household contacts of persons in high-risk groups. People in
the high-risk groups for serious complications from influenza include
persons aged 65 years or older, children aged less than 2 years, pregnant
women, and people of any age who have certain underlying health conditions
such as heart or lung disease, transplant recipients, or persons with AIDS.
"In most communities we're still targeting vaccine to the people in the
highest priority groups," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the CDC.
"The challenge is that in some places, health departments and private
providers currently do not have enough demand from people in those priority
groups. We don't want those doses to go to waste, so some states are
expanding to make good use of those doses. The ACIP's recommendation is
consistent with this approach."
In response to this season's vaccine shortage, the ACIP previously
recommended inactivated influenza vaccine for all children aged 6–23 months,
adults aged 65 years and older, persons aged 2–64 years with underlying
chronic medical conditions, all women who will be pregnant during the
influenza season, residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities,
children aged 6 months–18 years on chronic aspirin therapy, healthcare
workers involved in direct patient care, and out-of-home caregivers and
household contacts of children aged <6 months.
The ACIP suggested that health departments and healthcare providers
implement the expanded recommendations on January 3, 2005, to provide more
time for unvaccinated persons in current priority groups to seek
vaccination. In addition, for those who need it, this date will also enable
health officials to plan for expanded efforts to reach the new priority
groups.
"Mid-season estimates of vaccination rates are below rates from last season
for adults in priority groups. We urge persons in priority groups to
continue to seek vaccination" said Dr. Gerberding. "If you're 65 or older or
you have any kind of chronic condition or you're a healthcare worker who
takes care of patients directly or if you're pregnant, you really should get
a flu shot this year and we're working hard to make sure it's available in
your community."
The Committee also passed a resolution for the Vaccines for Children (VFC)
program that expands the groups of eligible children to receive VFC
influenza vaccine to include VFC-eligible children who are household
contacts of persons in high-risk groups. This expansion of VFC is effective
today.
Influenza activity has been low so far this season. However, it is still
early and the timing and level of influenza activity is unpredictable. The
level of reported influenza activity can change at any time.
For more information about influenza and influenza vaccination visit
www.cdc.gov/flu
*******************
To obtain a copy of the press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r041217.htm
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December 20, 2004
ACIP ISSUES AN INTERIM RESOLUTION REGARDING THE GROUPS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE
VFC INFLUENZA VACCINE
On December 17, ACIP issued an interim resolution regarding the groups
eligible to receive Vaccines for Children (VFC) influenza vaccine during the
2004-05 influenza season. The interim resolution is reprinted below in its
entirety.
**********************
Resolution No. 12/04-1
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES
VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM
INFLUENZA
INTERIM VFC RESOLUTION
VACCINES TO PREVENT INFLUENZA
The purpose of this interim resolution is to update the previous interim
resolution (Resolution No. 10/04-1) regarding the groups eligible to receive
VFC influenza vaccine during the 2004/05 influenza season. For purposes of
the 2004/05 influenza season, the Eligible Groups for Inactivated Influenza
Vaccine section in VFC resolution 6/02-1 is amended as follows:
ELIGIBLE GROUPS FOR INACTIVATED INFLUENZA VACCINE
- Children aged 6 months through 23 months.
- Children and adolescents aged 2 through 18
years with chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems,
including asthma.
- Children and adolescents aged 2 through 18
years who have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization
during the preceding year because of chronic metabolic diseases (including
diabetes mellitus), renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies, or
immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by
human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]).
- Children and adolescents aged 2 through 18
years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and may therefore be at
risk for developing Reye's syndrome after influenza.
- Children and adolescents aged 2 through 18
years who are residents of nursing homes and other long-term care
facilities that house persons at any age who have chronic medical
conditions.
- Adolescent females aged <19 years who will
be pregnant during the influenza season.
- Children and adolescents aged 2 through 18
years who are household contacts or out-of-home caregivers of persons in
high-risk groups (e.g., persons aged 65 years or older, transplant
recipients, persons with AIDS, and children aged less than 2 years).
Adopted: December 17, 2004
Effective: December 17, 2004
Expiration: June 30, 2005
**********************
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December 20, 2004
CORRECTED SPANISH-LANGUAGE VIS FOR LIVE ATTENUATED INFLUENZA VACCINE NOW ON
IAC'S WEBSITE
IAC recently posted to its website a corrected version of the
Spanish-language VIS for live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV).
Previously, the Spanish-language VIS for LAIV contained an error in section
6: Cuales son los riesgos de la vacuna intranasal viva contra la influenza?
(What are the risks from live, intranasal influenza vaccine?). The erroneous
VIS had stated that children 15-17 years of age have reported certain mild
problems. The age range for the children has been changed to 5-17 years on
the corrected VIS.
To access the corrected Spanish-language VIS for LAIV, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/spliveflu04.pdf
To access an English-language VIS for LAIV, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/liveflu.pdf
For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in a total of 32
languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at
http://www.immunize.org/vis
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December 20, 2004
CDC REPORTS ON ESTIMATED INFLUENZA VACCINATION COVERAGE IN THE
U.S. DURING SEPTEMBER 1-NOVEMBER 30, 2004
CDC published "Estimated Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among
Adults and Children--United States, September 1-November 30,
2004" in the December 17 issue of MMWR. Portions of the article
and the press summary are reprinted below.
***********************
[From the article]
Because of the unexpected reduction in the amount of available
inactivated influenza vaccine for the 2004-05 influenza season,
on October 5, 2004, the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) recommended that the vaccine be reserved for
persons in certain priority groups and asked others to defer or
forego vaccination. To assess the use of influenza vaccine and
the primary reasons reported for not receiving vaccine,
beginning November 1, questions were added to the ongoing
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. This
report analyzes data collected during December 1-11 on self-reported vaccination during September 1-November 30, which
indicated that persons in nonpriority groups had largely
deferred vaccination and that, among unvaccinated adults in
priority groups, one fourth tried to get vaccine but were unable
to do so. Vaccination coverage was suboptimal for persons in all
assessed priority groups. Because influenza activity peaks in
February or later in most years, persons in priority groups
should continue to seek vaccination. . . .
Vaccination Coverage Among Adults
Among adults in all priority groups, 34.8% reported receiving an
influenza vaccination during September 1-November 30, compared
with 4.4% of adults aged 18-64 years who were not in a priority
group. Coverage was highest (51.1%) among persons aged
>=65 years, followed by healthcare workers with patient contact
(34.2%), and adults aged 18-64 years with high-risk conditions
(19.3%). The percentage of persons reporting that they obtained
an influenza vaccination during September 1-November 30 was
smaller in each of these groups than the percentage who said
they obtained a vaccination during the previous influenza
season, September 1, 2003-March 31, 2004. Among persons aged
>=65 years who reported receiving influenza vaccine during the
2003-04 influenza season, 71.7% reported also being vaccinated
during the 2004-05 influenza season. State-specific, self-reported vaccination coverage among adults in priority groups
ranged from 18.0% to 60.3%, with a median of 37.6%. Among all
vaccinated adults, 1.6% reported receiving FluMist, the live
attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) approved for use by healthy
persons aged 5-49 years who are not pregnant and not contacts of
severely immunocompromised persons.
Among adults in priority groups who had not yet received
influenza vaccine, 23.3% reported that they attempted to obtain
vaccination but could not; among persons aged >=65 years, the
proportion was 32.5%. Among adults not in a priority group who
had not received vaccine, 10.4% reported that they attempted to
obtain vaccination but could not. Among adults in priority
groups, 10.0% of adults said they were saving the vaccine for
others, and 6.5% thought that they were not eligible to receive
the vaccine.
Vaccination Coverage Among Children
A substantially greater proportion of children in priority
groups received at least one influenza vaccination this season
compared with other children; 36.6% of children aged 6-23 months
and 26.8% of children aged 2-17 years with high-risk conditions
were vaccinated, compared with 8.9% of children aged 2-17 years
with no high-risk condition. Among those children aged
2-17 years with high-risk conditions who were vaccinated for
influenza during the 2003-04 influenza season, 51.6% also have
been vaccinated thus far this season.
Among respondents with an unvaccinated child aged 6-23 months,
62.9% reported that they thought the vaccine was not needed,
8.4% reported that they tried but could not obtain vaccination
for the child, 1.0% thought the child was ineligible for
influenza vaccination, and 0.3% said they were saving the
vaccine for those who needed it. For respondents with an
unvaccinated child aged 2-17 years with a high-risk condition,
38.4% reported that they thought vaccination was not needed,
14.4% reported that they tried but could not obtain vaccination,
12.5% thought their child was not eligible, and 10.3% said they
were saving the vaccine for others. . . .
[From the press summary]
Adults and children in ACIP-defined priority groups who have not
received an influenza vaccination during the 2004-05 season
should continue to seek vaccination as more vaccine is made
available. . . .
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5349a1.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5349.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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December 20, 2004
CDC SUMMARIZES SURVEY DATA ON INFLUENZA VACCINATION OF HIGH-PRIORITY PERSONS IN THE U.S. DURING OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2004
CDC published "Experiences with Obtaining Influenza Vaccination
Among Persons in Priority Groups During a Vaccine Shortage--United States, October-November 2004" in the December 17 issue
of MMWR. Portions of the article and the press summary are
reprinted below.
***********************
[From the article]
After the announcement that the supply of inactivated influenza
vaccine available to the U.S. public for the 2004-05 influenza
season would be reduced by approximately one half, the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that the
remaining vaccine supply should be reserved for (1) certain
groups of persons at high risk for serious health problems from
influenza, (2) healthcare workers involved in direct patient
care, and (3) close contacts of children aged <6 months. To
determine what proportion of persons at increased risk for
influenza complications had been vaccinated as of the day of the
survey, what proportion sought vaccination but did not receive
it because of the shortage, and what factors might be dissuading
persons at high risk from seeking influenza vaccination, Harvard
School of Public Health (HSPH), in collaboration with
International Communications Research, conducted a national
survey. This report summarizes the results of that survey, which
indicated that approximately 63% of persons aged >=65 years and
46% of chronically ill adults who tried to get the influenza
vaccine were able to do so. More than half of adults at high
risk did not try to get the influenza vaccine. Because available
supplies of inactivated influenza vaccine are targeted to high-risk groups, persons in these groups should continue to pursue
vaccination. . . .
[From the press summary]
The campaign to vaccinate [adults at high risk] should include
efforts to educate them about the severity of influenza and the
effectiveness of the vaccine. It should also address the
public's unwarranted fears of getting influenza from the
vaccine. . . .
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5349a2.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5349.pdf
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December 20, 2004
UPDATE: CDC CONTINUES TO SUPPLEMENT ITS WEBSITE WITH INFORMATION
RELATED TO THE INFLUENZA VACCINE SHORTAGE
CDC recently updated its Influenza web section, posting a Q&A
flyer that answers clinicians' questions about the nasal-spray
influenza vaccine, adding Dr. Julie Gerberding's December 16
telebriefing transcript on the current influenza season and the
U.S. influenza vaccine supply, creating a web page of
information about influenza vaccination coverage during the
current influenza season, and making a fact sheet of advice for
caregivers of children less than 6 months old available in four
additional languages. Following are descriptions of and links to
these documents.
(1) The two-page flyer "Questions and Answers for Clinicians
2004-2005: The Nasal-Spray Flu Vaccine--Live Attenuated
Influenza Vaccine (LAIV)" answers a host of questions about
LAIV, including vaccine indications, contraindications,
administration, and storage. To access a ready-to-print (PDF)
version of it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/flugallery/images04_05/FluMistQA.pdf
(2) The 12-page transcript of Dr. Julie Gerberding's
telebriefing on the current influenza season and the U.S.
influenza vaccine supply is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t041216.htm
(3) The new web page "Questions & Answers: Vaccination Coverage
of Population in the 2004-05 Season" presents statistical data
from a survey recently conducted by the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS). To access the web page, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/0405vaxcoverage.htm
(4) Issued on December 8, the new patient-education fact sheet
"Protecting Against the Flu: Advice for Caregivers of Children
Less Than 6 Months Old" is now available in Spanish, Chinese,
Tagalog, and Vietnamese, in addition to English.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/espanol/pdf/infantcare-spanish.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version in SPANISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/espanol/infantcare.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version in CHINESE, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/chi/pdf/infantcare-chinese.pdf
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version in TAGALOG, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/tgl/pdf/infantcare-tagalog.pdf
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version in VIETNAMESE, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vie/pdf/infantcare-vietnamese.pdf
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/infantcare.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version in ENGLISH, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/infantcare.htm
For ongoing information about new and updated additions to CDC's
Influenza web section, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm
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December 20, 2004
DECEMBER ISSUE OF CDC'S "IMMUNIZATION WORKS!" ELECTRONIC
NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE ON THE NIP WEBSITE
The December issue of "Immunization Works!" a monthly email
newsletter published by CDC, is available on NIP's website. The
newsletter offers members of the immunization community non-proprietary information about current topics. CDC encourages its
wide dissemination.
Some of the information in the December issue has already
appeared in previous issues of IAC EXPRESS. Following is the
text of six articles we have not covered.
************************
OTHER IMMUNIZATION NEWS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND AD COUNCIL
LAUNCH FLU VACCINE CAMPAIGN: Earlier this month, HHS [Health and
Human Services] and the Ad Council released a national public
service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to provide Americans
with critical information about flu vaccinations. The campaign
asks Americans to "Give Others a Shot" if they are not in a
priority group for the flu and provides simple tips to prevent
the flu's spread. The television, radio, and web PSAs encourage
audiences to visit www.cdc.gov/flu or call CDC's toll-free
number, (800) CDC-INFO, to get more information on this year's
flu season and to see if they're at high risk for the flu. The
PSAs also provide practical steps to help prevent the spread of
the flu, including
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Keep your distance from others if you are sick.
- When possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when
you are sick, and don't send your children to child care or
school if they are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean your hands often.
The PSAs are being distributed to up to 28,000 media outlets
nationwide this week and will air and run in advertising time
that is donated by the media.
VACCINE SAFETY AND REGISTRIES COMMUNITY WORKGROUP SOLICITS
FEEDBACK ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS
AND VACCINE ADVERSE EVENT REPORTING SYSTEM: The Vaccine Safety
and Registries Committee (VASREC) Workgroup is sponsored by the
American Immunization Registries Association (AIRA). It involves
CDC, state and private registries/Immunization Information
Systems, and other partners. The VASREC Workgroup is soliciting
reviews and comments of its recommendations captured in the
document "Immunization Information System (IIS)--Vaccine Adverse
Event Reporting System (VAERS) Collaboration for Vaccine Adverse
Event Reporting." The document is posted on the AIRA website at
http://www.immregistries.org/docs/IIS-VAERS_Coll_Desc_06-25-2004_v2.doc
It provides a consensus-based description of activities and flows
of information involving IIS data reporting to VAERS and is
purposely technology neutral and written at the
business/functional level. If you have comments or questions,
please email the VASREC Workgroup Chair, Warren Williams, at
wwilliams@cdc.gov For more information on AIRA, please visit
http://www.immregistries.org
CDC AND STATE TESTIFY BEFORE OKLAHOMA LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE:
Dr. Melinda Wharton, Acting Deputy Director of the National
Immunization Program, and Don Blose, Chief of the Immunization
Services Division of the Oklahoma Department of Health, spoke at
the November 10, 2004, meeting of the Oklahoma Legislature's
Appropriations and Budget Committee's Subcommittee for Health
and Social Services. The topic at the request of the
subcommittee was vaccine safety and thimerosal. Dr. Wharton
discussed the Institute of Medicine's findings and the research
that has taken place in regard to thimerosal with the
subcommittee as well as the influenza vaccine shortage. The
Immunization Program at CDC welcomes the opportunity to work
with state health departments and to provide technical
assistance to other state legislatures.
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, AND RESOURCES
FREE IMMUNIZATION-RELATED BROCHURES: For a limited time, the
National Immunization Program has a number of immunization
brochures available for healthcare professionals and consumers
that can be ordered in large quantities. These brochures include
topics such as VFC [Vaccines for Children], Vaccine Safety,
Schools, Registries, and Traveler's Health. Some Spanish
resources are also available. Supplies are limited. Visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/default.htm and click on
CDC Online Order Form. Additional resources are also listed.
These resources are free of charge, and there is no cost for
shipping.
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN VACCINE STORAGE AND HANDLING:
The December 1, 2004, satellite broadcast is now available as a
webcast. You can view it at www.cdlhn.com The program discusses
real-life scenarios that immunization providers face every day
in quality assurance. These include how to protect vaccine
efficacy and avoid costly mishandling mistakes. The program also
looks at equipment needs, temperature logging and ranges, tips
for planning ahead, pandemic influenza considerations, and a Q&A
segment. This 90-minute program is a joint project of the
California Dept. of Health Services, California Distance
Learning Health Network, and CDC. Continuing education is
available through January 2, 2005.
39TH NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE: The 39th National
Immunization Conference is scheduled in Washington, DC, March
21-24, 2005, at the Washington Hilton and Towers. The goals of
the Conference are to help participants provide comprehensive
immunization coverage for all age groups and explore innovative
strategies for developing programs, policy, and research to
promote immunization coverage for all age groups. For more
information about the conference, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/nic
************************
To access the complete December issue from the NIP website, go
to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/newsltrs/imwrks/2004/200412.htm
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December 20, 2004
MMWR TELLS READERS WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT INFLUENZA
DISEASE AND VACCINE
CDC published "Notice to Readers: Where To Find Information on
Influenza and Influenza Vaccine" in the December 17 issue of
MMWR. The notice is reprinted below in its entirety.
***********************
To help the public locate the latest information about
influenza, CDC has created a comprehensive website, available at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu The site contains information targeted
to healthcare professionals, as well as CDC influenza fact
sheets and health education materials intended for the general
public. The site is updated as new information becomes
available.
CDC has also launched (800) CDC-INFO [(800) 232-4636], a new,
central hotline with recorded information available in English
and Spanish, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Hotline
callers can select voice messages on various influenza-related
topics, with the option to transfer for additional information.
The number for hearing impaired persons is (800) 243-7889
(TTY/TDD).
Any information CDC receives about problems finding influenza
vaccine will be shared with state health officials to help
direct available vaccine to persons and places where it is
needed.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the notice, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5349a5.htm To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5349.pdf
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December 20, 2004
"RECOMMENDED ADULT IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE--UNITED STATES,
OCTOBER 2004-SEPTEMBER 2005" NOW ON NIP WEBSITE
The "Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule—United States,
October 2004-September 2005" was recently posted on the NIP
website. The printable, four-page schedule is the one published
in the November 19 MMWR QuickGuide
(http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5345-Immunization.pdf).
To access the ready-to-print (PDF) version of the schedule from
the NIP website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.pdf
NIP will post two additional versions of the schedule to its
website in early 2005: the pocketsize version will be posted in
January or February 2005; the Spanish version will be posted in
February 2005. To check on the availability of these versions,
visit the NIP website at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.htm#print
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December 20, 2004
NEW: CDC AND CLEAN HANDS COALITION OFFER PARENTS AND TEACHERS
RESOURCES TO HELP CHILDREN AVOID COLDS AND INFLUENZA
On December 13, CDC issued a press release announcing that it
and the Clean Hands Coalition are making two resources available
to parents and teachers that can help children avoid colds and
influenza by practicing good handwashing habits. Portions of the
press release are reprinted below. *********************
For immediate release
December 13, 2004
CDC AND THE CLEAN HANDS COALITION HIGHLIGHT SHINING SOAPER-STARS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Clean Hands Coalition are pleased to highlight several resources
for parents and educators to promote good handwashing to help
protect children from illness this cold and flu season.
Nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the
common cold. One of the most common ways people catch colds is
by rubbing their noses or eyes after touching someone who is
sick or something that's contaminated with the cold virus.
Recent studies of school children show that scheduled
handwashing, at least four times a day, can reduce
gastrointestinal illnesses and related absences by more than
50 percent.
The Clean Hands Coalition, an alliance of public and private
partners dedicated to creating and supporting initiatives to
promote hand hygiene, is calling upon kids and parents
nationwide to help slow the spread of colds and flu by washing
their hands often with soap and water, especially after they
cough or sneeze. If soap and water isn't near, people can use
an alcohol-based hand cleanser.
"Keeping your hands clean is one of the most effective things
you can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illnesses to
others," says CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "We want to
encourage parents and schools to step up and promote these
practices--they really do make a difference."
This winter, CDC and the Clean Hands Coalition are pleased to
highlight two resources for parents and educators:
- The Scrub Club is an animated, interactive website
(http://www.scrubclub.org) developed as a fun way for kids to
learn the importance of washing hands to fight infectious and
foodborne diseases. . . .
- Healthy Schools Healthy People, It's a SNAP (School Network
for Absenteeism Prevention) [at] http://www.itsasnap.org is a
grass roots, education-based effort to improve health by
making hand-cleaning an integral part of the school day. SNAP
is designed to get the entire school community talking about
clean hands by providing tools for incorporating hand hygiene
into multiple subject areas and activities. . . .
In addition to resources for parents and educators, CDC offers
educational aids and other resources to promote hand hygiene by
food handlers and travelers and in healthcare settings. More
information about the Clean Hands Initiative can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/cleanhands
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December 20, 2004
CDC REPORTS ON THE U.S. PUBLIC'S AWARENESS OF INFLUENZA-PREVENTION MEASURES AND WILLINGNESS TO USE THEM
CDC published "Experiences with Influenza-Like Illness and
Attitudes Regarding Influenza Prevention--United States,
2003-04 Influenza Season" in the December 17 issue of MMWR. The
opening paragraph of the article is reprinted below.
***********************
Despite advances in medical treatment, influenza results in
approximately 36,000 deaths each year in the United States.
Vaccination has been a mainstay of influenza prevention, with
annual vaccination recommended for adults and children at high
risk; efforts to interrupt person-to-person transmission are
also important. In October 2003, CDC recommended that
healthcare facilities implement a Universal Respiratory Hygiene
Strategy, including providing masks or facial tissues in waiting
rooms to persons with respiratory symptoms. To gather
information on influenza-like illness (ILI) and attitudes
regarding prevention of ILI (including use of vaccine and
respiratory hygiene), CDC and 11 Emerging Infections Programs
(EIPs) conducted a random-digit-dialed telephone survey of
noninstitutionalized U.S. civilian adults in February 2004. This
report summarizes the results of that survey, which determined
that 43% of adults and 69% of children aged 6 months-17 years
with ILI visited a healthcare provider for the illness. Eight
percent of adults with ILI reported having been asked by a
healthcare provider to wear a mask; 82% said they would wear a
mask if requested. With the limited availability of influenza
vaccine this season, the use of masks by persons with cough
illnesses in healthcare settings, a component of the Universal
Respiratory Hygiene Strategy, might be a helpful and acceptable
method for decreasing influenza transmission.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5349a3.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5349.pdf
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Back to Top (13 of 13)
December 20, 2004
CDC REPORTS ON RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS ACTIVITY IN THE U.S.
DURING 2003-04
CDC published "Brief Report: Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Activity--United States, 2003-2004" in the December 17 issue of
MMWR. A summary made available to the press is reprinted below
in its entirety. A small portion of the article is also
reprinted.
***********************
[The press summary]
The 2004-2005 outbreak of RSV [respiratory syncytial virus]
infections has begun. Healthcare providers should consider RSV
infection in the differential diagnosis for persons of all ages
presenting with lower respiratory tract infection, implement
appropriate isolation precautions to prevent nosocomial spread
of virus, and provide appropriate immune prophylaxis to eligible
children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes annual winter
outbreaks of lower respiratory tract infections among young
children, the elderly, and persons with compromised respiratory,
cardiac, or immune systems. Data reported to the National
Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System suggest the
2004-2005 outbreak of RSV infections has begun in the South and
Northeast regions, and will likely begin in other regions soon.
Healthcare providers should consider RSV infection in the
differential diagnosis for persons of all ages presenting with
lower respiratory tract infection, implement appropriate
isolation precautions to prevent nosocomial spread of virus, and
provide monthly doses of humanized murine anti-RSV monoclonal
antibody to eligible children, including some premature infants
or infants and children with chronic lung and heart disease.
[From the article]
Accurate diagnosis of RSV infection is crucial for appropriate
infection control, to rule out cocirculating viruses (e.g.,
influenza viruses) and to avoid inappropriate use of
antimicrobial agents.
***********************
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go
to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5349a4.htm
To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR,
go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5349.pdf |
