Issue
Number 562
October 31, 2005
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- ACIP recommends hepatitis A vaccine for all children
- CDC announces that nation's influenza vaccine supply
continues to increase, encourages broader use of vaccine
- DHHS awards a $62.5-million contract to Chiron to
manufacture avian influenza vaccine
- CDC adds lots of new and updated material to its
Influenza web section
- Vaccine Education Center website posts useful article
for parents on vaccine myths and vaccine safety
- NIAID press release reports on a study showing acellular
pertussis vaccine is effective in adults and adolescents
- PKIDS surveys parents and teens about adolescent
immunization and posts results on its website
- Immunization coalition teleconference to focus on using
an advisory committee to contribute to a pandemic influenza plan
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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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October 31, 2005
ACIP RECOMMENDS HEPATITIS A VACCINE FOR ALL CHILDREN
At the October 26-27 ACIP meeting, ACIP members voted that all children be
vaccinated against hepatitis A virus infection. On October 28, CDC issued a
press release announcing the decision. Portions of the press release are
reprinted below.
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For immediate release
October 28, 2005
CDC'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES EXPANDS HEPATITIS A
VACCINATION FOR CHILDREN; the recommendation for vaccination of children
between 1-2 years of age will be integrated into the routine childhood
vaccination schedule
An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has recommended that all children in the United States receive
hepatitis A vaccine. The previous recommendation of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP), in 1999, called for vaccinations in states
with the highest rates of hepatitis A.
About two-thirds of cases are now reported from states in which hepatitis A
vaccination of children was not recommended. The ACIP recommendation is for
children to receive the first dose of a two-dose series of hepatitis A
vaccine between 1 and 2 years of age and that the vaccine be integrated into
the routine childhood vaccination schedule. . . .
"Routine vaccination of children is the most effective way to reduce the
incidence of hepatitis A," said Dr. Steve Cochi, acting director of CDC's
National Immunization Program. "This recommendation is an important step
toward the total elimination of the transmission of hepatitis A virus in the
United States. . . ."
In 1999, the ACIP recommended routine hepatitis A vaccination for children
living in 11 states with the highest rates of hepatitis A. During the period
before vaccine was available, the average incidence of hepatitis A in these
states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington) had been at least 20 cases per
100,000 people, about twice the national average. In 1999, the ACIP also
recommended that vaccination be considered in an additional six states
(Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Texas, and Wyoming) where the
average incidence had been at least 10 but less than 20 cases per 100,000
people. During the period before vaccine was available, each year about
two-thirds of all hepatitis A cases nationwide were reported in these 17
states.
The ACIP continues to recommend hepatitis A vaccination for travelers to
countries with a high prevalence of hepatitis A, men who have sex with men,
illegal drug users, and persons with chronic liver disease.
Recommendations of the ACIP become recommendations of CDC once they are
accepted by the director of CDC and the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and are published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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As IAC Express went to press, the press release had not been posted on the
CDC website.
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October 31, 2005
CDC ANNOUNCES THAT NATION'S INFLUENZA VACCINE SUPPLY CONTINUES TO INCREASE,
ENCOURAGES BROADER USE OF VACCINE
On October 24, CDC issued a press release reporting that the nation's
influenza vaccine supply is continuing to increase and advising broader use
of the vaccine for the upcoming influenza season. Portions of the press
release are reprinted below.
***********************
For Immediate Release
October 24, 2005
CDC REPORTS THAT NATION'S INFLUENZA VACCINE SUPPLIES CONTINUE TO INCREASE;
ADVISES BROADENING OF VACCINATION EFFORTS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today said that the
supply of vaccine for this flu season is good and it is time to broaden
vaccinations beyond the high-risk groups. The CDC advised that flu shot
providers who have sufficient supplies of vaccine should broaden their
vaccination efforts to include other people, especially 50-to-64-year-olds
who are interested in getting an influenza vaccination.
The CDC had recommended that until October 24, healthcare providers focus
their vaccination efforts on people who are at highest risk of serious
complications from influenza. These include people 65 years old and older,
healthcare workers who provide patient care, pregnant women,
6-to-23-month-old children, and people with chronic health conditions (e.g.,
diabetes, asthma, and heart conditions). . . .
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To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r051024.htm
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October 31, 2005
DHHS AWARDS A $62.5-MILLION CONTRACT TO CHIRON TO MANUFACTURE AVIAN
INFLUENZA VACCINE
On October 27, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued a
press release announcing that it had awarded a contract to Chiron Corp. to
manufacture avian influenza vaccine. Portions of the press release are
reprinted below.
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For immediate release
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005
HHS BUYS ADDITIONAL VACCINE AS PREPARATIONS FOR POTENTIAL INFLUENZA PANDEMIC
CONTINUE
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the purchase of additional
vaccine that could be used in the event of a potential influenza pandemic.
The department has awarded a $62.5 million contract to Chiron Corporation to
manufacture an avian influenza vaccine designed to protect against the H5N1
influenza virus strain, which has caused an epidemic of avian flu in Asia
and has recently spread to Europe. The number of individuals who could be
protected by the newly contracted vaccine is still to be determined by
ongoing clinical studies.
"An influenza vaccine effective against the H5N1 virus is our best hope of
protecting the American people from a virus for which they have no
immunity," Secretary Leavitt said. "This contract will increase our
stockpile of the vaccine and is a continuation of our aggressive
multi-pronged approach to a potentially critical public health challenge."
This purchase builds on the department's current plans to buy enough H5N1
influenza vaccine for 20 million people and enough influenza antivirals for
another 20 million people. These supplies of vaccine and antiviral treatment
will be placed in the nation's Strategic National Stockpile where they will
be available for use should an influenza pandemic occur. Last month, HHS
awarded a $100 million contract to sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of
the sanofi-aventis Group, for avian flu vaccine. . . .
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To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20051027.html
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October 31, 2005
CDC ADDS LOTS OF NEW AND UPDATED MATERIAL TO ITS INFLUENZA WEB SECTION
CDC has recently added a significant number of educational materials to its
Influenza web section.
New pieces include the following:
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"How to order Flu Gallery posters"
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Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese versions of "Key facts about influenza
and the influenza vaccine"
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Spanish version of "Key facts about influenza (flu) vaccine"
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"Influenza antiviral medications: 2005-06 chemoprophylaxis (prevention)
and treatment guidelines."
To access these materials, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm#new and click on the pertinent
links.
Updated pieces include the following:
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"Posters: Provider-education materials"
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"Recent avian influenza outbreaks in Asia and Europe"
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"Fact sheet for healthcare professionals: All children 6 to 23 months
old should get a flu shot"
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"Questions & answers: Influenza antiviral medications"
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"Antiviral drugs and influenza"
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"Flyers: Patient educational materials"
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"Posters: Patient educational materials"
To access these materials, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm#updated and click on the pertinent
links
To access a broad range of continually updated influenza information, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu
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October 31, 2005
VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER WEBSITE POSTS USEFUL ARTICLE FOR PARENTS ON
VACCINE MYTHS AND VACCINE SAFETY
In its October issue, Parents Pack Newsletter reprinted an article from
September issue of Babytalk magazine. The article, "10 Vaccine
Myths--Busted," features the responses of several vaccine experts to
widely circulated myths about childhood vaccination. Healthcare
professionals who see children and their parents will find the article
useful in addressing parents' concerns and answering questions about
vaccination. The article offers factual information about myths such as
the following: "My baby might get the disease the vaccine is supposed to
prevent," "Vaccines cause autism and other disorders," and "As long as
other children are getting vaccinated, mine don't need to be."
Parents Pack Newsletter is an electronic publication of the Vaccine
Education Center of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The newsletter
is published to give parents and the public up-to-date information about
childhood immunization issues.
To access the October issue of Parents Pack Newsletter, go to:
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=81553 and
scroll down to the feature article.
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October 31, 2005
NIAID PRESS RELEASE REPORTS ON A STUDY SHOWING ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS
VACCINE IS EFFECTIVE IN ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS
On October 12, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID) issued a press release on the findings of a clinical study on
the efficacy of acellular pertussis vaccine in adults and adolescents.
The study findings were published in a recent issue of the New England
Journal of Medicine. Portions of the press release are reprinted below.
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For immediate release
October 12, 2005
ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS VACCINE PROVES EFFECTIVE IN ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS
A vaccine to protect adults and adolescents against illness due to
Bordetella pertussis infection--or whooping cough--has proved more than
90 percent effective in a national, large-scale clinical study,
according to research results published in this week's issue of The New
England Journal of Medicine. The vaccine, researchers say, could be used
to stem the increase in pertussis cases among adults and adolescents in
the United States and thereby prevent the prolonged cough illness, which
can result in hospitalization, pneumonia, and cracked ribs in those
populations. An important additional benefit of the vaccine may be to
decrease transmission of the B. pertussis bacterium to infants, who are
particularly vulnerable to severe illness, complications, and death
resulting from whooping cough. The illness annually affects 50 million
people worldwide.
"During the 1990s, the number of reported pertussis cases among
adolescents and adults more than doubled in the United States as the
protective effects of earlier childhood immunizations have waned," says
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, which
funded the study. "This new study shows that an effective adult
acellular pertussis vaccine is feasible and if routinely used could
provide the U.S. population greater protection against the disease. . .
."
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To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2005/pertussis.htm
The full text of the article is available only to New England Journal of
Medicine subscribers. To access the article abstract, go to:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/353/15/1555
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October 31, 2005
PKIDS SURVEYS PARENTS AND TEENS ABOUT ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION AND POSTS
RESULTS ON ITS WEBSITE
Recently, the website of PKIDS (Parents of Kids with Infectious
Diseases) posted the results of the organization's survey of parents and
teens about adolescent immunization. PKIDS surveyed the two groups as
the first step in developing its Teen Vaccine Initiative, a program
geared toward increasing the vaccination rates of adolescents ages 11-19
years.
Survey results indicate that adolescents primarily trust their parents
to give them accurate health information, and parents primarily rely on
health professionals for such information. Teens and their parents both
pay attention to websites, local newspapers, and posters in doctors'
offices. In addition, 37 percent of adolescents believe that not many
people get sick or die from vaccine-preventable diseases, and few
adolescents know where to start to find out about their immunization
needs.
To access the complete survey results, go to:
http://www.pkids.org/pkidstvireport.pdf
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October 31, 2005
IMMUNIZATION COALITION TELECONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON USING AN
ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO CONTRIBUTE TO A PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLAN
The National Immunization Coalition TA [technical assistance] Network
has scheduled a teleconference that will focus on using an advisory
committee to contribute to a pandemic influenza plan. It will be held at
1:00PM, ET, November 15.
NOTE: CDC will give updates on the current influenza vaccine supply at
the beginning of this teleconference and at the beginning of future
teleconferences throughout the influenza season.
The November 15 presenter is Lisa Kaplowitz, MD, MSHA, deputy
commissioner, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Virginia Department
of Health. Trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases, Dr.
Kaplowitz directed the HIV/AIDS Center of Virginia Commonwealth
University for 20 years.
To register for the teleconference, send an email to
IZTA@aed.org Include this message in
the subject heading: "Sign me up for the pandemic influenza plan
teleconference."
For additional information, or to access earlier programs, go to:
http://www.izcoalitionsta.org/confcall.cfm |
