- Immunize.org updates "Ask the Experts: COVID-19" questions and answers section for the 2025–26 season
- Immunize.org updates its "Vaccines A–Z: COVID-19" web page
- Immunize.org updates three “Questions and Answers” resources on measles, mumps, and rubella
- National Influenza Vaccination Week reminds us all to keep vaccinating after Thanksgiving
- “Past HepB Vaccination, Negative Screening Anti-HBs. What Now?” Watch the 3-minute video, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.
- Vaccines in the news
- Spotlight on the website: Institutional honor rolls for vaccination excellence
- Recap: NEW! Immunize.org posts printable resource "QR Code Links to Spanish Translations of Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)."
- Recap: Immunize.org updates its timely patient handout, “Vaccinations Are Safe: Explaining Why”
- Recap: Use Immunize.org’s updated “Key Vaccination Resources for Healthcare Professionals” to train new and seasoned staff
- Recap: Immunize.org updates Spanish version of “Screening Checklist for Contraindications to HPV, MenACWY, MenB, and Tdap Vaccines for Teens" handout for caregivers
- Summary: Updated Immunize.org clinical resources, web pages, webinars, and videos released in October and November
- Hepatitis B Foundation updates media toolkit to explain the importance of the HepB birth dose
- Clinical Care Options offers new education program to test your knowledge and gain confidence in infant RSV prevention
- Download the Voices for Vaccines app to gain skills and facts to advocate for public health and vaccination
- Explore the www.Give2MenACWY.org website to increase coverage for the MenACWY booster and other adolescent vaccinations
- Tomorrow! Virtual: December 4–5 ACIP meeting to discuss vaccine safety, childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, and HepB.
- Virtual: Register for Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Join a 30-minute discussion about image library, webinars, videos, and social media content on December 10 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or December 11 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions archived.
- Virtual: CDC hosts COCA call, “2025–2026 Clinical Recommendations for Seasonal Influenza Prevention and Control,” on December 11 at 2:00 p.m. (ET); CE credit offered
Immunize.org revised its Ask the Experts: COVID-19 section, updating all content for the 2025–26 COVID-19 season, based upon the CDC interim clinical considerations published on November 4, 2025. Hyperlinks were updated or deleted as needed. Links to 2025–26 season COVID-19 vaccination recommendations from professional medical societies were added.
Three new questions were added:
- Where can I find conditions that have been shown to increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness?
- What is the difference between Spikevax and mNexspike by Moderna?
- When giving COVID-19 vaccine is use of a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) required?
Immunize.org’s Ask the Experts main page leads you to 30 web pages on various topics with more than 1,300 common or challenging questions and answers about vaccines and their administration. Immunize.org’s team of experts includes Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH (team lead); Carolyn B. Bridges, MD, FACP; Iyabode Beysolow, MD, MPH; and Jane Zucker, MD, MSc.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Ask the Experts main page with more than 1,300 questions and answers
- Immunize.org: Ask the Experts: COVID-19 web page
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: COVID-19 main page
The Immunize.org Vaccines A–Z: COVID-19 main page was updated for the 2025–26 COVID-19 season, including links to Immunize.org’s new standing orders templates for COVID-19 vaccines. This page connects you to all COVID-19 vaccine content from Immunize.org, in addition to key links from governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: COVID-19 main page
- Immunize.org: Ask the Experts: COVID-19 web page
Immunize.org updated links and content in three of its "Questions and Answers" resources:
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Measles main page
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Mumps main page
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Rubella main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
This week we observe National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). NIVW is our annual December reminder of the critical importance of sustaining influenza vaccination practices beyond Thanksgiving. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the weekly CDC FluView update report was delayed until December 1. As a result, a summary is not included in this week’s IZ Express.
Available surveillance data show that our annual influenza epidemic is beginning and will inevitably be accelerated by holiday travel and gatherings. In addition to FluView, the CDC RESP-NET web page on influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 hospitalizations provides important information about the activity of all three vaccine-preventable diseases in your area.
The time for protecting people with vaccination ahead of the worst of the respiratory virus season is growing shorter. Act now to urge your patients, family, and community to protect themselves and their loved ones.
- Families Fighting Flu: National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) Resources main page
- CDC: FluView main page
- CDC: RESP-NET main page
This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is Past HepB Vaccination, Negative Screening Anti-HBs. What Now? The video briefly describes whether adults in the general public who were properly vaccinated with HepB need to be revaccinated if they have a negative surface antibody (anti-HBs) result on their triple panel screening test for hepatitis B.
The 3-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.
Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.
- Facebook at ImmunizeOrg
- Instagram at ImmunizeOrg
- LinkedIn at ImmunizeOrg
- YouTube at ImmunizeOrg
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
- New York Times, Opinion: The Virus That Took My Father Could Become a Greater Threat (12/1/25)
- NBC: Surging Measles Cases Are ‘Fire Alarm’ Warning That Other Diseases Could Be Next (11/28/25)
- AP: West Virginia Parents Can Cite Religious Beliefs to Opt Out of School Vaccines, Judge Says (11/26/25)
- KFF: South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation (11/26/25)
- STAT, Opinion: Why My Colleagues and I Are Undertaking an Independent Review of the Hepatitis B Birth Dose (11/26/25)
- NBC: Flu Season Is Just Beginning, but Doctors Are Already on High Alert (11/24/25)
- National Academies of Medicine: Statement on CDC’s Changes to Guidance on Vaccines and Autism (11/23/25)
This week’s Spotlight highlights Immunize.org's three honor rolls that recognize institutional excellence in vaccination policy and practice. You can locate the honor rolls under the About menu tab by selecting the “Recognizing Excellence” menu item. Links are provided to each honor roll with an option to view the current honorees.
The Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll recognizes healthcare organizations that require influenza vaccination for employees to protect their patients. Honorees include 1,246 healthcare systems, hospitals, medical practices, pharmacies, and others.
The Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll recognizes U.S. birthing institutions that achieve HepB birth dose coverage rate of 90% or greater. Honorees must also adopt birth dose policies, procedures, and protocols. Currently, there are 594 honorees.
The MenB Vaccination Honor Roll recognizes institutions of higher education that adopt policies requiring or recommending MenB vaccination to protect their students and help prevent outbreaks. There are 271 honorees currently listed.
Each honor roll landing page lists the requirements for your institution to be included and displays an online application. Relevant links to government vaccination mandates, position statements from leading medical organizations, journal articles, editorials, websites, toolkits, and personal stories from those affected by these vaccine-preventable diseases are provided.
You can look for your institution among current honor roll honorees on a single page. Filter honorees by honor roll type, facility type, and by U.S. state, territory, or military base abroad.
Immunize.org posted QR Code Links to Spanish Translations of Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), a 3-page PDF table of QR codes that can be scanned with the camera of a smartphone or tablet for instant access to each Spanish language VIS and the Immunization Information Statement for RSV preventive antibody products. Travel and other nonroutine vaccines are included. A QR code for the main translations page at Immunize.org also simplifies access to all available VIS translations. Post this resource where staff or Spanish-speaking patients can use it. This new tool is great for any facility that provides vaccination services to anyone whose preferred language is Spanish.
These QR codes do not go out of date when VISs are updated. When Immunize.org posts an updated VIS, the QR code will automatically link to the new version.
Immunize.org updated its handout for patients, Vaccinations Are Safe: Explaining Why. This 8-page document explains the science underpinning today's vaccines. It is an excellent tool for people who seek detailed information about vaccine safety.
Changes include updated references, hyperlinks, and disease statistics.
Immunize.org updated its annotated list of key training and reference materials for people who vaccinate or oversee vaccination clinics. Key Vaccination Resources for Healthcare Professionals provides a strong foundation for building and sustaining vaccination skills.
Recent changes include:
- Updated resources and links
- Added links to Immunize.org's new LetsGetRealAboutVaccines.org website
- Added links to vaccine recommendations from professional societies, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Immunize.org updated its Spanish version of Screening Checklist for Contraindications to HPV, MenACWY, MenB, and Tdap Vaccines for Teens with web links that correspond to CDC guidance.
View the screening checklist in Spanish.
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare professionals and handouts for patients. All Immunize.org materials are free to distribute.
In case you missed them during recent weeks, the following updated materials were posted for clinicians:
New! Three standing orders for administering:
- 2025–2026 Formula mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine to Children 6 Months through 11 Years
- 2025–2026 Formula mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine to Individuals 12 Years and Older
- 2025–2026 Formula Adjuvanted Protein COVID-19 Vaccine to Individuals 12 Years and Older
Other materials to support immunization and administration:
- Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools
- Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations
- Need Help Responding to Vaccine-Hesitant Parents?
- Key Vaccination Resources for Healthcare Professionals
- QR Code Links to:
- Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine Recommendations by Age and Risk Factor
- Screening Checklist for Contraindications to HPV, MenACWY, MenB, and Tdap Vaccines for Teens (Spanish translation)
Information and immunization schedules to share with patients:
- Reliable Sources of Immunization Information: Where Parents Can Go to Find Answers!
- Vaccines Work!
- Vaccines are Safe: Explaining Why
- Immunizations for Babies: A Guide for Parents
- Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Age 0–10 Years
- When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?
- Vaccinations for Preteens and Teens
- You’re 16 . . . We Recommend These Vaccines for You!
- Vaccinations for Adults: You’re Never Too Old to Get Vaccinated!
- Vaccinations for Adults with Diabetes
- Vaccinations for Adults with Heart Disease
- Vaccinations for Adults with Lung Disease
- Vaccinations for Adults with Chronic Liver Disease or Infection
- Vaccinations for Adults with HIV Infection
- Vaccinations for Adults Without a Spleen
- Vaccinations for Men Who Have Sex with Men
Website Office Hours webinars and training videos:
- Website Office Hours: Clinical Resources (37:48)
- Website Training Videos: Clinical Resources (16:12)
- Website Office Hours: Travel Vaccines (28:18)
- Website Training Videos: Travel Vaccines (15:47)
Hepatitis B Foundation updated its media toolkit to emphasize the pivotal importance of the HepB birth dose for newborns. This resource includes fact sheets, ready-to-use social media messages, and other materials to help share accurate information about protecting infants from hepatitis B infection.
View the toolkit.
Related Links
- MedRxiv: Economic Evaluation of Delaying the Infant Hepatitis B Vaccination Schedule (11/25/25)
- Immunize.org: Give Birth to the End of Hep B main page
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Hepatitis B main page
Clinical Care Options released a new educational program to help you improve your knowledge of RSV prevention in infants. The resources include downloadable slides, on-demand webcasts, and answers to frequently asked questions from a satellite symposium at the American Academy of Pediatrics fall 2025 conference. Experts in pediatrics and neonatology are featured, including Immunize.org's director for research, Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH.
This free activity is supported through an independent educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
Learn more about the program.
Voices for Vaccines offers a free app that provides trustworthy, science-based information that can help users navigate difficult vaccine questions, debunk myths, and support confidence in vaccination. The app offers graphics and tools to help facilitate effective conversations. The app also helps users connect with local coalitions. If you want to more effectively advocate for vaccination, this app can be downloaded at no cost from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Immunize.org's www.Give2MenACWY.org website promotes the importance of adolescent vaccination, including the recommended MenACWY vaccine booster dose at age 16. Many teens are behind on vaccines, so vaccine outreach is more important than ever.
If you are looking for tools to explain meningococcal vaccine recommendations and assist in improving adolescent coverage for all recommended vaccines, view this site. Check out the many helpful tools from Immunize.org, CDC, and other organizations.
The website is divided into five easy-to-access sections:
- Vaccinate Teens: teen vaccination schedules and tips for improving vaccination rates
- Give 2 Doses: tools to help improve second dose coverage of MenACWY vaccine
- 16-Year-Old Visit: resources to help providers and patients remember the important vaccines recommended for 16-year-olds
- Tools for Providers: tools to explain meningococcal ACWY vaccine recommendations and improve coverage for all adolescent vaccines
- Resources: links to print materials, organizations involved in adolescent vaccination, personal stories about the importance of vaccination, and other resources of interest
The site also categorizes materials according to whether they are primarily of interest to providers, to adolescents, or to parents.
Visit Give2MenACWY.org and enjoy browsing (and deploying) its bountiful resources.
Related Links
- MenACWY: You're Not Done If You Give Just One: Give 2 Doses to Strengthen Protection
- Recommending MenACWY: What to Say and How to Say It
- Top 10 Ways to Improve Adolescent Immunization Rates
- Developing an Immunization Culture in Your Office
- Know Your Rates: Measuring Immunization Success in Your Practice
- You're 16: We Recommend These Vaccines for You
- Dear Colleague Letter: 16-Year-Old Patients: Make Sure They Receive Their Annual Well Visit and Vaccinations, signed by six medical societies
- Ask the Experts: Meningococcal ACWY
- CDC: ACIP Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations
- CDC: Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years—National Immunization Survey–Teen, United States, 2024
In its November 24 issue, Nature published A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Vaccination on Prevention of Long COVID. A portion of the abstract appears below.
The pooled odds ratio (OR) of long COVID in those vaccinated (any dose) versus unvaccinated is 0.77 . . . ORs were also lower for primary course vaccination versus unvaccinated . . . booster vaccination versus unvaccinated . . . and booster vaccination versus primary course vaccination . . . These findings indicate that booster vaccination can provide additional protection against long COVID, highlighting the importance of seasonal vaccination against new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
CDC will convene the ACIP on December 4–5, starting at 9:00 a.m. (ET). The announcement, posted on November 12, indicates the meeting will discuss vaccine safety, the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, and HepB. Recommendation votes may be scheduled for HepB and its consideration for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. A draft agenda is available now; agenda items are subject to change.
No registration is required to watch webcasts of live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone.
Related Links
- CDC: ACIP main page for access to webcast, agendas
- CDC: ACIP Meeting Information for presentation slides, content from previous meetings, and information about future meetings
To learn simple tips and tricks for using our websites efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, December 10, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, December 11, at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions.
We will open each 30-minute session with a short, live demonstration on navigating our image library, webinars, videos, and social media (YouTube) website sections. You can submit questions when you register or live on Zoom during the session.
Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both):
The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize.org’s "Webinars & Videos" page.
Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours.
CDC will host a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call titled 2025–2026 Clinical Recommendations for Seasonal Influenza Prevention and Control, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (ET) on December 11. During this COCA call, presenters will provide an overview of the burden of influenza disease and discuss recommendations for influenza vaccination, testing, and treatment for people of all ages for the 2025–26 season.
A recording of the presentation will be archived for viewing on the COCA call web page a few hours after the live event ends.
Free continuing education credit (CME, CPE, CNE, and other) will be offered for this COCA call. Registration is not required.
Link for the December 11 call.
For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.