IZ Express

Issue 1779: October 9, 2024

Top Stories
 
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources 
 
Featured Resources
 
Notable Publications
 
Global News
 
Upcoming Events

Top Stories

CDC updates its SchoolVaxView website with data for 2023–24 school year, documenting another year of decreasing vaccination coverage and increasing exemptions among kindergarteners

On October 2, CDC released the annual update to its SchoolVaxView website, documenting vaccination coverage and exemptions among kindergarteners for the 2023–24 school year based on data reported by the states and the District of Columbia (DC). A summary of the findings appears below. 

Vaccination Coverage During the 2023–24 School Year

  • National vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners decreased for all reported vaccines from the year before
  • National vaccination coverage was consistent across reported vaccines, in a narrow range from 92.3% for DTaP to 92.7% for MMR
  • State vaccination coverage with MMR, DTaP, polio, and varicella vaccines decreased in more than 30 states, compared with the year before
  • About 280,000 kindergartners attended school without documentation of completing the MMR vaccine series
Exemptions from Vaccination Requirements During the 2023–24 School Year
  • Nationwide, exemptions from one or more vaccines among U.S. kindergartners increased to 3.3% from 3.0% the previous year
  • Exemptions increased in 40 states and DC, with 14 states reporting exemptions exceeding 5%
  • About 127,000 kindergartners were exempt from one or more vaccine requirements


CDC will release a comprehensive report analyzing this data in MMWR on October 17.

Related Links

CDC posts 2024–25 COVID-19 Novavax vaccine standing orders templates and at-a-glance resources. Immunize.org updates “Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools.”

CDC posted highly anticipated new 2024–25 Novavax protein-based vaccine resources at its U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information main page. This page links to standing orders templates for COVID-19 Novavax vaccine and the mRNA vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. This page also links to at-a-glance summaries for each of the three 2024–25 vaccines. 

Immunize.org’s October 4 version of its Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools includes the revision dates and links to all of these updated 2024–25 resources.



All COVID-19 vaccine providers should regularly review this checklist. Download the latest documents and discard outdated versions.

Related Links


“COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among U.S. Adults Aged ≥18 Years—COVID-NET, 12 States, October 2023–April 2024” published in MMWR

CDC published COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among U.S. Adults Aged ≥18 Years—COVID-NET, 12 States, October 2023–April 2024 on October 3 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. 

Hospitalization due to COVID-19 remains a public health concern. The risk for hospitalization among adults increases with age. . . .

During October 2023–April 2024, adults aged ≥65 years accounted for 70% of all COVID-19–associated hospitalizations among adults. Most hospitalized adults had multiple underlying medical conditions. Only 12% had received the recommended COVID-19 2023–2024 formula vaccine. . . .

Adults at increased risk for COVID-19–associated hospitalization should reduce their risk for severe COVID-19 by adopting measures to reduce risk for contracting COVID-19, receiving recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, and seeking prompt outpatient antiviral treatment after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result.



Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.

Related Link

  • CDC: MMWR main page providing access to the MMWR family of publications

It’s the perfect time for you and your patients to get influenza vaccine; influenza disease activity is low nationally

October is the official beginning of the 2024–25 U.S. influenza season and is the perfect time to vaccinate against influenza. For the final week of the 2023–24 influenza season, week 39, ending September 28, CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView shows low or minimal respiratory illness activity nationally. One pediatric influenza-associated death in October 2023 was reported this week, bringing the total number of pediatric deaths during the 2023–24 season to 201. These childhood deaths, and the decline in childhood influenza vaccination rates during the 2023–24 season, underscore the importance of influenza vaccination to protect more children this season.



RESP-NET
Visit the CDC Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) for weekly reports of hospitalizations due to three vaccine-preventable seasonal respiratory viruses: COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. 

Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shows that, as of September 14, 78 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed in the United States. Projected U.S. influenza vaccine supply for the 2024–25 season is expected to total 148 million doses.

CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. Influenza and other vaccines (e.g., COVID-19 vaccine, RSV vaccine) may be given at the same visit, if needed. Infants age 6 months and older may receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit when they receive the RSV preventive antibody, nirsevimab. Identify pharmacies in your area that may offer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines by entering a zip code in the VaccineFinder on  Vaccines.gov or Vacunas.gov.

Related Links


Immunize.org’s Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll recognizes 587 institutions, including two new honorees

Immunize.org is pleased to welcome two new institutions into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, which now recognizes 587 honorees. The new birthing institutions appear below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.   

  • Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, IL (90%) 
  • Rome Memorial Hospital, Rome, NY (94%) 

Please join us in recognizing these honorees with sustained excellence that qualify for an additional year:   

  • WVU Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Glen Dale, WV (92%) (2 years) 
  • NYC Health + Hospitals–Elmhurst, Elmhurst, NY (96%) (3 years) 
  • Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Flushing, NY (96%) (6 years) 
  • CarolinaEast Medical Center, New Bern, NC (91%) (7 years) 

The Honor Roll includes 587 birthing institutions from 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, and our U.S. military hospital in England.   

The Honor Roll is a key part of Immunize.org’s initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to Give Birth to the End of Hep B. Hospitals and birthing centers are recognized for attaining high coverage for hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting additional criteria. To learn whether your organization qualifies and to access the application form, please see Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll online
 
Honorees receive an 8.5" x 11" color certificate suitable for printing and framing. Their acceptance is announced through Immunize.org’s social media channels and to IZ Express’s readers.  
  
Please visit the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and celebrates their vigorous efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission. 

Related Immunize.org Resources 


“Do Infants Born Soon After Maternal RSV Vaccination Need RSV Preventive Antibody?” Watch the 1-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube. 

This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is Do Infants Born Soon After Maternal RSV Vaccination Need RSV Preventive Antibody? The video explains that if infants are born less than 14 days after the mother received the RSV vaccine, they should receive nirsevimab.

The 1-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.


Vaccines in the news

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.


Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources

Spotlight on the Website: State Vaccine-Specific Requirements and Exemptions 

This week we spotlight two pages with important information for clinicians, public health authorities, vaccination advocates, and families: Vaccine-Specific Requirements by state and State Exemptions.

These can be found by choosing the Official Guidance tab at the top of every page, then selecting States from the left-hand list. 
 
Vaccine-Specific Requirements contains links to vaccine-specific requirements by state for daycare, school, and post-secondary education settings. Each vaccine listed on the page can be expanded to view links to each state’s requirements in a data table and as a downloadable map. State immunization program managers reported these data in May 2024. A link to view an archive or past year’s requirements is also available. 

The State Exemptions page links to a map and data table showing which states accept medical, religious, and personal vaccination exemptions and a map of exemptions permitted for school and childcare. In addition, it links to policy statements from medical organizations endorsing strong school and childcare vaccination requirements. Also provided is a link to view an archive of the past year’s requirements.


Virtual: Questions about our website? Get them answered live. Register for the next Immunize.org Website Office Hours on October 15 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) or October 16 at 4:00 p.m. (ET).

If you have challenges or questions about using the Immunize.org website, please register for a Website Office Hours session on Tuesday, October 15 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) or Wednesday, October 16 at 4:00 p.m. (ET). We are offering two online Website Office Hours sessions every other week, and plan to adjust as needed to support our users.

We will open the upcoming sessions with a short, live demonstration on navigating the Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) website section. You will be able to submit your questions through the question-and-answer feature on Zoom. We may not get to every question during a session, but we will hold these sessions regularly and develop additional resources to support users based on your feedback.

Register today for an Immunize.org Website Office Hours session:

Mark your calendar for our future Immunize.org Website Office Hours.
 
Featured Resources

Medscape offers educational activity on measles in the United States; CE credit available 

Medscape Education released an education curriculum, Measles—United States, January 1, 2020–March 28, 2024, for healthcare professionals who care for patients at risk for measles. The activity will help learners evaluate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of measles infections in the United States between 2020 and 2024.

To earn CME, internal medicine maintenance of certification (MOC), or CE credit, please click here.


Hepatitis B Foundation shares Liver Cancer Awareness Month social media toolkit

Liver cancer is a serious consequence of untreated hepatitis B, which is a vaccine-preventable disease. The Hepatitis B Foundation recognizes Liver Cancer Awareness Month this October with a social media toolkit. The toolkit features real-life stories from individuals affected by hepatitis B and liver cancer, adding a personal touch to the fight against these diseases. This social media toolkit is for professionals, community advocates, and anyone passionate about raising awareness about liver cancer. These resources may help your patients understand the importance of vaccinating everyone younger than age 60 against hepatitis B, as recommended by CDC and ACIP since 2022.



View the social media toolkit.


Encountering nervous patients as respiratory vaccination season begins? Use Immunize.org’s suite of clinical resources to offer a positive vaccination experience and ease injection anxiety.

In Clinical Resources: Improving the Vaccination Experience, Immunize.org provides print and video tools to create a positive vaccination experience and ease injection anxiety in children and adults. Links to additional resources from trusted partner organizations are also provided.

The web page links to all our printable clinical resources on addressing vaccination anxiety, two in-depth webinars, and six brief videos that run 4 minutes or less. The short videos are ideal to share with patient families on your website or social media. As with all Immunize.org resources, these are free to download, link, copy, and share.



The video topics include:

Related Link


Help Immunize.org reach more vaccinators through your social media networks. Follow us and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Immunize.org launched a social media program to highlight our educational resources for a new audience of vaccinators. Our social media channels now feature our most popular printable resources and Ask the Experts questions, as well as announcements important to frontline vaccinators. Please view and share our newest feature, the Ask the Experts Video Series.

         

Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise:


Mighty handy! Immunize.org offers adult and lifetime handheld immunization record cards you can provide your patients. 

Immunize.org's personal immunization record cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, waterproof paper, are designed to last a lifetime. They fit in a wallet when folded. The record cards are for you to give to your patients as a permanent personal vaccination record and are sold in boxes of 250.

Make bulk purchases and receive quantity discounts. For quotes on larger quantities or customizing, or to request sample cards, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.

Related Links

Make bulk purchases and receive quantity discounts. For quotes on larger quantities or customizing, or to request sample cards, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.

Related Links


Notable Publications

“Nirsevimab and Acute Bronchiolitis Episodes in Pediatric Emergency Departments" published in Pediatrics 

In the October 2024 issue, Pediatrics published Nirsevimab and Acute Bronchiolitis Episodes in Pediatric Emergency Departments. This study from Spain found a 63% decrease in pediatric hospitalizations and ICU admissions due to acute bronchiolitis (most commonly caused by RSV) in the 2023–24 RSV season compared to RSV seasons from 2018 through 2023. A portion of the abstract appears below. 

In the 2023–2024 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, Spain became one of the first countries to introduce universal RSV prophylaxis, during which all infants born at this time were eligible to receive nirsevimab. Locally, most Spanish regions also immunized infants younger than age 6 months at the start of the season (extended catch-up). The aim of this study was to assess how RSV prophylaxis affected the number of infants presenting to pediatric emergency departments with acute respiratory infections. . . .

Nirsevimab can protect a broad infant population against RSV infection with high effectiveness. Approaches including extended catch-up are the most effective, although cost-effectiveness must be considered.




A video abstract is available for the article


Global News

“Interim Effectiveness Estimates of 2024 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Vaccines in Preventing Influenza-Associated Hospitalization—REVELAC-i Network, Five South American Countries, March–July 2024” published in MMWR

CDC published Interim Effectiveness Estimates of 2024 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Vaccines in Preventing Influenza-Associated Hospitalization—REVELAC-i Network, Five South American Countries, March–July 2024 on October 3 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. 

Influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) varies by season. . . .

In five South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay) the 2024 Southern Hemisphere seasonal influenza vaccine reduced the risk for influenza-associated hospitalization among high-risk groups by 35%. VE might be similar in the Northern Hemisphere if similar A(H3N2) viruses predominate during the 2024–25 influenza season. . . .

CDC recommends that all eligible persons aged ≥6 months receive seasonal influenza vaccine. Early antiviral treatment can complement vaccination to protect against severe influenza-related morbidity.

Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.

Related Link

  • CDC: MMWR main page providing access to the MMWR family of publications

Upcoming Events

Tomorrow! Virtual: National Association of County and City Health Officials and CDC host webinar titled “Respiratory Virus Season” on October 10 at 2:00 p.m. (ET).
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and CDC will host a webinar titled Respiratory Virus Season, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (ET) on October 10. Participants will learn about the current state of respiratory illnesses, vaccination and prevention strategies, and updated CDC messaging on COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. The session will spotlight a local health department's vaccination campaign and include time for questions and answers.

Register for the webinar


Virtual: North Dakota State University hosts webinar titled “Pediatric Respiratory Virus Update: COVID-19, RSV, and Flu” on October 17 and 21 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)

North Dakota State University's Center for Immunization Research and Education (CIRE) will host a webinar titled Pediatric Respiratory Virus Update: COVID-19, RSV, and Flu, 1:00–2:00 p.m. (ET) on October 17 and 21. The webinar will provide an update on the status of pediatric respiratory viruses, including current trends, recommendations for prevention, and best practices. The speaker is Tracie Newman, MD, MPH, pediatrician and medical director of CIRE.
 
Free pediatric maintenance of certification (MOC) credit(is available for this activity.

Register for the webinar.



CIRE offers free access to recordings of its monthly webinars on its website. Participants who watch the full recording and complete the pre- and post-training quizzes may earn free CE credit for each webinar.

Learn more about CE opportunities


For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.

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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ISSN 2771-8085

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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