Issue
Number 522
April 25, 2005
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- U.S. Congress accepts plan for major reorganization of
CDC
- New: The 2005 annual report of the National Immunization
Program now available online and in print
- April 24 marks the start of National Infant Immunization
Week, now in its second decade
- New: CDC's commemorative timeline, 50th Anniversary of
the Polio Vaccine, is posted on NIP's website
- Coming soon: The National Immunization Coalition TA
Network plans two influenza teleconferences for May
- "Immunization Works," the statewide Iowa immunization
conference, is scheduled for June 2 in West Des Moines
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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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April 25, 2005
U.S. CONGRESS ACCEPTS PLAN FOR MAJOR REORGANIZATION OF CDC
CDC published "Notice to Readers: CDC Announces Landmark Reorganization" in
the April 22 issue of MMWR. The notice is reprinted below in its entirety.
***********************
As the world copes with 21st-century health threats such as terrorism, avian
influenza, and the unrelenting stresses of modern life, CDC has taken a
landmark step in its readiness to confront these challenges. After
notification by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on April 5,
2005, the U.S. Congress officially accepted CDC's plans for internal
restructuring, making it official on April 21. These proposed changes will
enable CDC to pursue its mission in preparing for new and unpredictable
health threats and protecting the health and quality of life of all U.S.
residents throughout their lives.
CDC is also changing to keep up with more complex health concerns such as
childhood asthma, AIDS, catastrophic natural disasters, and a barrage of
global health threats. During its most recent major transformation nearly 20
years ago, CDC had approximately 4,000 employees and a budget of $411
million. Today, its combined workforce of employees and contractors totals
nearly 14,000, with a budget of approximately $8 billion. The agency is
changing to meet 21st-century challenges such as new technology, complex
information flow, and rising healthcare costs. Change also includes
modernizing its management and accountability to realize tangible savings
that can go directly to science and programs that affect public health.
This modernization involves a new organizational structure, including a
framework for four new coordinating centers that will help CDC scientists
combine their expertise to solve public health problems, streamline the flow
of information for leadership decision-making, and better leverage the
expertise of CDC partners. CDC has also added two new centers to focus on
health informatics and health marketing, which are vital in translating
scientific data into usable information and health messages that help U.S.
residents make sound health decisions.
Additional information about the reorganization of CDC is
available at http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media
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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the notice, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5415a8.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5415.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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April 25, 2005
NEW: THE 2005 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM NOW
AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN PRINT
NIP's annual report for 2005, National Immunization Program: Immunization in
the 21st Century, is available in two online formats and as a soft-bound
print book:
ONLINE
To access the printable online version (by section), click
here. To access the
screen-reader device version (by section), click
here. PRINT
To order one free copy, go to NIP's online order form at
https://www2.cdc.gov/nchstp_od/PIWeb/niporderform.asp Look for item
#99-6550 under the section Publications for Health Care Providers.
NIP is requesting readers' comments about the report. To make comments, send
an email to uzr9@cdc.gov
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April 25, 2005
APRIL 24 MARKS THE START OF NATIONAL INFANT IMMUNIZATION WEEK, NOW IN ITS
SECOND DECADE
On April 22, CDC issued a press release, National Infant Immunization Week
Urges Parents to Vaccinate: Annual Observance Enters 2nd Decade. It is
reprinted below in its entirety.
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For immediate release
April 22, 2005
NATIONAL INFANT IMMUNIZATION WEEK URGES PARENTS TO VACCINATE:
Annual Observance Enters 2nd Decade
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will launch the second decade of
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) with events beginning April 24 and
continuing through April 30, 2005. Immunization has been cited as one of the
ten great public health achievements of the 20th century.
For the second year, CDC will partner with the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO), the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission (USMBHC),
and more than 35 other nations for Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) in
order to reach out to parents, caregivers, healthcare providers, and
communities throughout the Western Hemisphere to highlight the need for
routine infant vaccinations. "We can
now protect children from more vaccine preventable diseases than ever
before," said Dr. Stephen L. Cochi, Acting Director of the National
Immunization Program for CDC. "Millions of children have been vaccinated,
and millions of cases of disease, disability, and death have been
prevented."
Recently, several important milestones have been reached in controlling
vaccine-preventable diseases among infants and adults worldwide:
- July 2004: The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services announced that the nation's childhood immunization
rates are at record high levels.
[www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040729.html]
- March 2005: CDC announced that rubella is
no longer a major health threat to expectant mothers and their unborn
children, thanks to a safe and effective vaccine, high vaccine coverage,
and parents' confidence in the vaccination recommendation.
[www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050321.htm]
- April 2005: marks the 50th anniversary of
the introduction of the polio vaccine. "Safe, effective, and potent." On
April 12, 1955, Dr. Thomas Francis Jr., director of the Poliomyelitis
Vaccine Evaluation Center at the University of Michigan, School of Public
Health, announced to the world that the Salk polio vaccine was up to 90%
effective in preventing paralytic polio.
[www.cdc.gov/nip/events/polio-vacc-50th]
Every day, 11,000 babies are born in the
United States who will need to be immunized against 12 diseases before age
two. Despite recent gains in infant immunization coverage, more than 20% of
the nation's two-year-olds do not get fully immunized against infectious
diseases to which they are especially vulnerable.
"A substantial number of children in the United States still aren't
adequately protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," said Dr. Cochi.
"The suffering or death of even one individual from a vaccine-preventable
disease is an unnecessary human tragedy. Let us renew our efforts to ensure
that no child, adolescent, or adult will have to needlessly suffer from a
vaccine-preventable disease."
More than 500 NIIW events across the United States to promote and provide
infant vaccinations will reflect this year's NIIW theme "Love them. Protect
them. Immunize them."
To support NIIW, DHHS and CDC produced two 30-second English- and
Spanish-language PSAs [public service announcements] titled "Love them.
Protect them. Immunize them." The PSAs stress the importance of immunizing
and protecting children ages two and younger from vaccine-preventable
diseases. Each PSA features parents sharing their experiences about barriers
to vaccinating their infants and how they overcame these obstacles. The PSAs,
set to begin airing during NIIW, will be sent via satellite to major markets
throughout the United States and are intended to be broadcast through April
2006.
The Department of Health and Human Services' mission is to protect health
and give a special helping hand to those who need assistance. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention protects people's health and safety by
preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions
by providing creditable information on critical health issues; and promotes
healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and
international organizations. For more information, please visit
www.cdc.gov/nip or call (800)
CDC-INFO [(800) 232-4636].
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To access the press release on the CDC website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050422.htm
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April 25, 2005
NEW: CDC'S COMMEMORATIVE TIMELINE, 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE POLIO VACCINE,
IS POSTED ON NIP'S WEBSITE
To mark the 50th anniversary of the announcement of the polio vaccine, CDC
has developed a commemorative timeline. Titled 50th Anniversary of the
Polio Vaccine, it charts major milestones in polio disease, vaccine, and
eradication efforts. To access it, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/polio-vacc-50th/timeline.htm
To access an array of resources marking the 50th anniversary of the polio
vaccine, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/polio-vacc-50th/default.htm
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April 25, 2005
COMING SOON: THE NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION COALITION TA NETWORK PLANS TWO
INFLUENZA TELECONFERENCES FOR MAY
The National Immunization Coalition TA [technical assistance] Network has
scheduled two teleconferences on influenza for May. The network is a
program of the Center for Health Communication, Academy for Educational
Development.
(1) The first, Gearing Up for the Upcoming Flu Season, is scheduled for
May 17, 1PM ET. Facilitators are L.J. Tan, PhD, infectious diseases
director, American Medical Association, and Raymond Strikas, MD, medical
director, CDC. They will provide updates on the 2005-06 influenza season
based on discussions held during the National Influenza Vaccine Summit.
The updates will include the status of influenza vaccine supply as
discussed by manufacturer; clarification, if needed, on ordering vaccine;
and action items that emerge from the summit.
To register, email Katherine Shrout at
kshrout@aed.org In your email,
include this message: "Sign me up for the Flu Season call."
(2) The second, Communication Challenges Facing Us in the Upcoming
Influenza Season, is scheduled for May 24, 1PM ET. The facilitator is Glen
Nowak, PhD, acting director of media relations, CDC. He will relate the
probable communication challenges for 2005-06 (as discussed at the
National Influenza Vaccine Summit), ways to address them, and
communication-related "lessons learned" from the 2004-05 influenza season.
To register, email Katherine Shrout at
kshrout@aed.org In your email,
include this message: "Sign me up for the Communication Challenges call."
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April 25, 2005
"IMMUNIZATION WORKS," THE STATEWIDE IOWA IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE, IS
SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 2 IN WEST DES MOINES
The Immunization Program, Iowa Department of Public Health, has scheduled
"Immunization Works," the statewide Iowa immunization conference, for June
2 at the Hy-Vee Convention Center, West Des Moines. Attendance of more
than 500 is anticipated.
The conference is intended for nurses, nurse practitioners, medical
assistants, public health staff, physicians, physician assistants, and
medical and nursing students. Speakers include William Atkinson, MD, MPH,
NIP/CDC, and Paul Offit, MD, Vaccine Education Center, Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia.
For additional information, contact Becky Woodcock at Training Resources
at (515) 309-3315 or
info@trainingresources.org |
