Issue Number 597            May 8, 2006

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. New: White House releases implementation component of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza
  2. New: "Vaccines for Adolescents" patient-education piece now on NIP website
  3. New: CDC website posts a fact sheet for the general public about HPV disease and vaccine
  4. May issue of CDC's Immunization Works electronic newsletter now available on the NIP website
  5. CDC's surveys of parents indicate at least 300,000 U.S. children had autism in 2003-04
  6. For information on "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America," contact your state health department's communications office
  7. More than $1 billion awarded for cell-based influenza vaccine; background information posted on CDC website

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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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May 8, 2006
NEW: WHITE HOUSE RELEASES IMPLEMENTATION COMPONENT OF THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

The federal government recently released a 233-page document titled "National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan." On May 3, the online newsletter The CDC Public Health Law News announced the document's release. The announcement is reprinted below in its entirety.

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PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. This afternoon, the White House released the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza. The Implementation Plan covers more than 300 critical actions to address the threat of pandemic influenza and details command, control, and coordination of the federal response, as well as roles and responsibilities. To read the Plan, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi_implementation.pdf

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May 8, 2006
NEW: "VACCINES FOR ADOLESCENTS" PATIENT-EDUCATION PIECE NOW ON NIP WEBSITE

On May 3, the NIP website posted a new patient-education piece, "Vaccines for Adolescents: Help keep adolescents healthy and safe with immunizations." The one-page sheet briefly describes five vaccines and the diseases they prevent: tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap), meningococcal conjugate (MCV4), hepatitis B, varicella, and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR).

To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of the fact sheet, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/flyers/f_imz_child.pdf
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May 8, 2006
NEW: CDC WEBSITE POSTS A FACT SHEET FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT HPV DISEASE AND VACCINE

CDC's Sexually Transmitted Diseases web section recently posted a fact sheet on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the vaccines currently in development to prevent the disease.

To access the fact sheet, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm#vaccine
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May 8, 2006
MAY ISSUE OF CDC'S IMMUNIZATION WORKS ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE ON THE NIP WEBSITE

The May 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 May issue has already appeared in previous issues of IAC Express. Following is the text of six articles we have not covered.

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WELCOME TO THE NEW IMMUNIZATION WORKS
Immunization Works is expanding to reflect the new National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (see Immunization Works April 2006 edition, http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/newsltrs/imwrks/2006/200604.htm). In addition to articles about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases, readers can now expect to see articles about respiratory diseases. As always, Immunization Works is committed to providing CDC partners with new information and resources that can help frontline health professionals.

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Other News and Summaries

PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE HAS UNEXPECTED BENEFITS:
Two recent journal articles solidify the importance of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). While the protection of vaccinated children—those aged 2 to 23 months—was expected, additional, unexpected benefits from the vaccine were also found.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked at invasive pneumococcal disease among infants before and after introduction of PCV7. This prospective, population-based study of infants in the U.S. found conclusive results; since the introduction of PCV7, rates of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants too young to [be] vaccinated have decreased significantly, along with rates for the vaccinated children themselves. The abstract for this article can be found at JAMA's website at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/295/14/1668

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine [NEJM] looked at the effect of introducing the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. It tracked cases of serious pneumococcal disease in a population of nearly 17 million people between 1998 and 2004—both before and after the introduction of the vaccine. In 2004, four years after the introduction of the vaccine, there were 13,000 fewer severe illnesses caused by resistant pneumococcal strains than in 1999, the year before the vaccine was licensed. An unexpected and strong finding also points to how many cases of serious pneumococcal disease were prevented in adults, who do not receive the vaccine, by vaccinating children—a great demonstration of the "herd immunity" effect crossing generations and offering benefits to the community as a whole. The abstract for this article can be found on the [NEJM] website at http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/354/14/1455

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Meetings, Conferences, and Resources

IMMUNIZATION PROVIDER PROJECTS: New funding is currently available to support projects to inform and educate immunization providers about immunization issues. A cooperative agreement entitled "Using Immunization Provider Partnerships to Increase Immunization Rates" will support approximately five awards, averaging $140,000 per year, for a three-year period. Letters of Intent are due May 12, 2006, and applications are due June 12, 2006. For a copy of the full announcement and detailed application requirements, please visit http://www.grants.gov and search for "immunization provider."

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NEXT ACIP MEETING: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will hold its next meeting on June 29-30, 2006, at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. The draft agenda will be available in late May on ACIP's website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/ACIP/dates.htm Participants can also register for the June meeting at ACIP's website. This meeting is open to the general public, but advanced registration is required.

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WATCH FOUR-PART BROADCAST: It is not too late to watch CDC's annual four-part broadcast Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. The four-part broadcast is now available in two formats, internet-based program or DVD. The internet version can be found at http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/PHTN//webcast/epv06/default.asp The DVD can be ordered using the online order form found at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/default.htm The four-part series is the last item listed on the "CDC Online Order Form."

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UPCOMING SATELLITE BROADCASTS: The annual summer offering of Immunization Update 2006 is scheduled for August 10, 2006. Anticipated topics include influenza vaccine, pertussis vaccine for adolescents and adults, revised recommendations for hepatitis A vaccination of children, and the new vaccines for rotavirus and herpes zoster. For further details, please visit http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/immup-2006

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To access the complete May issue from the NIP website, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/newsltrs/imwrks/2006/200605.htm
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May 8, 2006
CDC'S SURVEYS OF PARENTS INDICATE AT LEAST 300,000 U.S. CHILDREN HAD AUTISM IN 2003-04

CDC published "Mental Health in the United States: Parental Report of Diagnosed Autism in Children Aged 4-17 Years—United States, 2003–2004" in the May 5 issue of MMWR.

In addition, CDC also conducted a press briefing about the surveys' findings and made fact sheets about the surveys and about autism research available on its website. Links to the transcript of the press briefing and to both fact sheets appear at the end of this IAC Express article.

Portions of the MMWR article summary that CDC made available to the press are reprinted below.

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Parent-reported prevalence estimates from 2 surveys in which parents were asked whether their child had been diagnosed with autism were 5.7 per 1,000 school-aged children (National Health Interview Survey [NHIS]) and 5.5 per 1,000 school-aged children (National Survey of Children's Health [NSCH]). Together, these two national surveys of parents suggest that over 300,000 school-aged children had autism in 2003-04. . . . In these independent national surveys, both conducted during 2003-2004, parents of randomly selected children were asked if a doctor or healthcare provider had ever told them their child had autism. Children reported to have autism from these surveys were also reported as experiencing a high level of social and behavioral difficulties and receiving special education or other services for emotional, developmental, or behavioral problems. Population-based surveys like NHIS and NSCH might be useful in the future to assess the impact of an autism diagnosis on the child and family. This is one of several methods CDC is using to determine how common autism is in the U.S. This method complements CDC's tracking of autism in metropolitan Atlanta and in other sites across the U.S. using information obtained from education and health records. Autism is a lifelong neuro-developmental disorder characterized by early onset of problems with social interaction and communication, and unusual, stereotyped behaviors.

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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete MMWR article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5517a3.htm

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5517.pdf

To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html

To access the transcript of the press briefing, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t060504.htm

To access the fact sheet about the surveys, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/ASDMMWRfactSheet.pdf

To access the fact sheet about autism research, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/AutismResearchFactSheet.pdf
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May 8, 2006
FOR INFORMATION ON "FATAL CONTACT: BIRD FLU IN AMERICA," CONTACT YOUR STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

On May 9, the ABC television network will air the made-for-TV movie "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America." The movie is a fictional work of entertainment, not a factual account of a real world event. Despite this, you or your colleagues may receive phone calls and email messages about it from the public or the mass media.

It is suggested that you refer calls and messages from the public to your state health department's communications office. Calls and messages from the press can be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Press Office at (202) 690-6343.

For additional information about the movie, visit the ABC website at http://abc.go.com/movies/birdflu.html
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May 8, 2006
MORE THAN $1 BILLION AWARDED FOR CELL-BASED INFLUENZA VACCINE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION POSTED ON CDC WEBSITE

On May 4, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a press release announcing that it is awarding more than $1 billion to five vaccine manufacturers to develop and produce cell-based influenza vaccine. In addition, the federal government's pandemic influenza website (www.pandemicflu.gov) posted background information outlining cell-based vaccine production.

The opening paragraph of the HHS press release is reprinted below.

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For immediate release
Thursday, May 4, 2006

HHS AWARDS CONTRACTS TOTALING MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO DEVELOP CELL-BASED INFLUENZA VACCINE

As part of the President's plan to prepare for a pandemic, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today awarded more than $1 billion to accelerate development and production of new technologies for influenza vaccines within the U.S. These five contracts support the advanced development of cell-based production technologies for influenza vaccines and will help to modernize and strengthen the nation's influenza vaccine production by creating an alternative to producing influenza vaccines in eggs. These funds are part of $3.3 billion proposed by the President and appropriated by Congress to HHS for fiscal year 2006 to help the nation prepare for a pandemic.

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To access the complete press release, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060504.html

To access the background information on cell-based vaccine production, go to:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/vaccine/vproductioncells.html

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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Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
  • Web Edition Managers
    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Contributing Writer
    Laurel H. Wood, MPA
  • Technical Reviewer
    Kayla Ohlde

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