Issue
Number 537
July 11, 2005
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- DHHS announces addition of influenza vaccine to the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
- New: Johns Hopkins report on adolescent and adult
pertussis now available online
- New: Article reveals that containment of 2004 measles
outbreak cost Iowa $142,000
- Reminder: Register soon for the two-day course
"Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases"
- Order soon: Price of DVD version of "Immunization
Techniques" video will increase to $35 on August 1
- Updated: IAC revises its parent-education piece "When Do
Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?"
- Polio update: CDC reports on India's progress toward
polio eradication, WHO reports on Indonesia's new polio cases
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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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July 11, 2005
DHHS ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF INFLUENZA VACCINE TO THE NATIONAL VACCINE INJURY
COMPENSATION PROGRAM
On July 1, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued a press
release announcing that influenza vaccine injuries had been added to the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, effective July 1. Portions of
the press release are reprinted below.
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People thought to be injured by influenza vaccines given annually will be
eligible for compensation under [the] National Vaccine Injury Compensation
Program (VICP), effective July 1, 2005.
The VICP, created by Congress in 1986 as an alternative to traditional civil
litigation, provides financial compensation to eligible individuals thought
to be injured by covered childhood vaccines. Administered by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services
Administration, the program allows compensation for past and future medical
expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. In addition, compensation may
also be awarded for attorneys' fees and costs. . . .
To access the Federal Register notice announcing coverage of the influenza
vaccine under the VICP, to learn how to file a claim, or to obtain more
information on the program, visit
http://www.hrsa.gov/osp/vicp, or call (800) 338-2382.
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To access the complete press release, go to:
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2005/HHS-influenza-vaccine.htm
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July 11, 2005
NEW: JOHNS HOPKINS REPORT ON ADOLESCENT AND ADULT PERTUSSIS NOW AVAILABLE
ONLINE
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recently published a
comprehensive report that reviews the nationwide burden of pertussis in
adolescents and adults. Titled "The Rise of Adolescent and Adult Pertussis
in the United States," the report was published in the May issue of the
school of medicine's journal Advanced Studies in Medicine.
The report comprises five articles:
- "Trends in Pertussis: Increasing Disease
Incidence Across All Ages" by Dennis A. Brooks, MD, MPH, MBA
- "Pertussis Epidemiology and Transmission"
by Kathryn M. Edwards, MD
- "Age-Specific Presentation and Burden of
Pertussis" by Sarah S. Long, MD
- "Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prophylaxis of
Pertussis in Adolescents and Adults" by James D. Cherry, MD, MSc
- "Overcoming Barriers to Adolescent and
Adult Pertussis Control" by Richard D. Clover, MD
To download a ready-to-print (PDF) version of
the report, click
here. Click on the links to the Introduction and Full Program Content.
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July 11, 2005
NEW: ARTICLE REVEALS THAT CONTAINMENT OF 2004 MEASLES OUTBREAK COST IOWA
$142,000
On July 5, the Iowa Department of Public Health issued a press release
summarizing the results of an economic analysis of a 2004 measles outbreak
in eastern Iowa. The electronic article was published in the July issue of
the journal Pediatrics. The press release is reprinted below in its
entirety. Links to the Pediatrics article are given at the end of this
article.
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Measles Outbreak Cost Iowa $142,000
Costs would have soared had outbreak not been stopped
While the cost of treating an illness can be high, the cost of not
treating or not preventing an infectious illness will be much higher. That
conclusion comes from an economic analysis of a measles outbreak in
Eastern Iowa in spring 2004. The study is published in the July issue of
Pediatrics.
The outbreak began when an unvaccinated college-aged student was exposed
to measles while overseas, became ill while returning to Iowa, then
infected two others. The public health response totaled over 25-hundred
hours of staff time at a cost of $142,452. Based on that review, the
report concluded the direct cost of protecting a community from one case
of an infectious disease is expensive and time-consuming. The report also
praised efforts by the public health community to stop the outbreak,
saying it had the potential of infecting nearly 1,000 people with measles
at a potential cost of over $700,000.
"This report shows not only the benefits of a strong public health system,
but the collaborative efforts that need to be part of that system," said
Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, Iowa state epidemiologist. "Protecting the public
from infectious disease has not only a personal health benefit, but an
economic benefit to the community as well," she added.
The report authors also admit this analysis took a very conservative view
of the economic cost of a disease outbreak. It did not include costs
incurred by the private sector (i.e., expenses of private doctors and
clinics), nor costs occurred in other states that also rapidly vaccinated
airline passengers.
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To access the press release, click
here.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) reprint of the Pediatrics article, go to:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/116/1/e1.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/116/1/e1
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July 11, 2005
REMINDER: REGISTER SOON FOR THE TWO-DAY COURSE "EPIDEMIOLOGY & PREVENTION
OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES"
NIP's popular two-day course "Epidemiology & Prevention of
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" is scheduled for three sites in 2005. On
August 17-18, the course will be given in Charleston, SC; on November
14-15, in Sacramento, CA; and on November 17-18, in Torrance, CA.
PLEASE NOTE: July 17 is the deadline for receiving the "early-bird" hotel
rate for the South Carolina course. For more information or to register,
contact Susan A. Smith, MN, RN, by phone at (803) 898-0869 or by email at
smithsl@dhec.sc.gov
For more information or to register for the California courses, contact
Myan Nguyen at (510) 540-2065 or by email at
mnguyen2@dhs.ca.gov
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July 11, 2005
ORDER SOON: PRICE OF DVD VERSION OF "IMMUNIZATION TECHNIQUES" VIDEO WILL
INCREASE TO $35 ON AUGUST 1
On August 1, the price of the DVD version of the popular video
"Immunization Techniques: Safe, Effective, Caring" will increase from $30
to $35. The VHS videotape version will remain $30. Following is information
about the video's content, the differences between the DVD and VHS
versions, and ordering. BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS FOR THE DVD VERSION
BEFORE AUGUST 1!
CONTENT OF THE IMMUNIZATION TECHNIQUES VIDEO. Every healthcare site in the
United States that delivers vaccination services should have a copy of
this 35-minute video. Developed by the California Department of Health
Services Immunization Branch in collaboration with a team of national
experts, the video teaches best practices for administering intramuscular
(IM) and subcutaneous (SC) vaccines to infants, children, and adults. It
is designed for use as a "hands-on" instructional program for new staff,
as well as a refresher course for experienced health professionals.
Available since 2001 as a VHS videotape, the video now comes in DVD format
as well.
VHS VIDEOTAPE INFORMATION. The VHS is available from IAC in English only
and comes with the following English-language print materials: (1)
presenter's notes that include instructional objectives, pre- and
post-tests, and photos showing vaccination sites appropriate for infants
and toddlers and (2) a skills checklist to help you document that your
staff is well trained.
DVD INFORMATION. The DVD contains both an English version of the video and
a version dubbed in Spanish. You can watch the DVD on a television with a
DVD player or on a computer with a DVD drive.
The DVD includes English- and Spanish-language versions of the following
print materials: (1) the presenter's notes described above, (2)
"Comforting Restraint," a poster that clearly shows parents how to hold a
child during vaccination, and (3) "Be there for your child," a poster that
presents ideas parents can use before, during, and after vaccination to
make the experience easier for their child. The DVD also includes the
following print materials in English only: (1) the skills checklist
described above, (2) "Immunization Record and History," a chart that
allows health professionals to document vaccine administration information
for each of the recommended childhood vaccines, and (3) a resource list
that directs parents to sources of reliable immunization information.
PLEASE NOTE: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above to view and
print the materials included on the DVD.
ORDERING INFORMATION. The cost for each VHS videotape or DVD is $30. On
August 1, the cost of the DVD will increase to $35. Discounts are
available for orders of 20 or more by calling (651) 647-9009.
To order online (U.S. addresses only), go to:
https://www.immunize.org/iztech
To order by mail or fax, go to:
https://www.immunize.org/catg.d/2020a.pdf
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July 11, 2005
UPDATED: IAC REVISES ITS PARENT-EDUCATION PIECE "WHEN DO CHILDREN AND
TEENS NEED VACCINATIONS?"
IAC recently updated its one-page parent-education piece "When Do Children
and Teens Need Vaccinations?" The piece was revised to add information
about the new meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) and to include
additional footnotes.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the updated piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/when1.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/n17/when1.htm
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July 11, 2005
POLIO UPDATE: CDC REPORTS ON INDIA'S PROGRESS TOWARD POLIO ERADICATION,
WHO REPORTS ON INDONESIA'S NEW POLIO CASES
CDC and WHO recently reported on the status of polio in India and
Indonesia. Information from both reports follows.
INDIA. CDC published "Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication--India,
January 2004-May 2005" in the July 8 issue of MMWR. The opening paragraph
of the article is reprinted below.
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Since 1988, the global incidence of polio has decreased by more than 99%,
and three World Health Organization (WHO) regions (Americas, Western
Pacific, and European) have been certified as polio-free. India, the
largest of the six countries where polio remains endemic, experienced a
large polio outbreak (1,600 cases) in 2002. Since then, the Government of
India (GOI) has accelerated its polio eradication activities by increasing
the number and quality of supplementary immunization activities (SIAs),
which reduced the number of reported cases to 225 in 2003, 134 in 2004,
and 18 in 2005 (as of June 18). During 2004 and early 2005, taking
advantage of the geographic restriction of wild poliovirus (WPV)
circulation, GOI and its partners launched several immunization and
surveillance strategies to maximize the probability of eliminating
poliovirus transmission in India. With continued high-quality
interventions, interruption of WPV transmission in India by the end of
2005 appears feasible. This report summarizes progress toward polio
elimination during January 2004-May 2005 toward that end. . . .
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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5426a3.htm
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5426.pdf
To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP
statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
INDONESIA. WHO published "Poliomyelitis, Indonesia--Update" in the July 8
issue of the Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER). It is reprinted below in
its entirety.
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On 5 July 2005, 21 new polio cases were confirmed in Indonesia, bringing
the total number of cases to 100. Twenty of the new cases are from the
province of Banten, and 1 of the cases is from Lampung province, Sumatra.
The recently confirmed cases in Sumatra and Central Java occurred outside
the area where an emergency "mop-up" campaign was held from 31 May to 2
June, and again on 29 June. Sumatra and Central Java will be included in
the next phase of the large-scale immunization campaigns, which will start
[in] August. A large outbreak-response immunization [campaign] targeting
78,000 children aged less than 5 years was held [beginning] 25 June around
the case in Central Java.
Prior to this outbreak, [which followed] an importation, Indonesia had not
had a wild poliovirus case since 1995.
Further information can be found by clicking
here and
http://www.polioeradication.org
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To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of WER, go to:
http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8027.pdf
To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to:
http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8027/en/print.html |
