MMWR

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

1. Nonfatal Scald-related Burns Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years – United States, 2001-2006

Press Contact: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Phone: (770) 488-4902

With the growing number of the older adults in the population and the current burn rates, the prevalence of scald burns among older adults will increase dramatically. Through effective prevention measures, the expected number of scald burn injuries among older adults could be substantially reduced.   As the U.S. population ages, the number of older adults living alone has increased substantially, and so has the incidence of injuries among this population. One common injury is scald burns. During a six-year period, more than 52,000 adults aged 65 or older were treated in an emergency department for scald burns caused by hot liquid or steam. Researchers suggest that these types of injuries could be prevented by: not leaving food unattended on the stove; and keeping the hot water heater set to less than 120 degrees.

2. National, State, and Local Area Vaccination Coverage among Adolescents Aged 13-17 Years – United States, 2008

Press Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations
Phone: (404) 639-3286

• Press Release

Vaccination coverage among adolescents is improving. However, a continued effort to build awareness of the vaccination recommendations among parents and healthcare providers is needed to increase coverage rates among adolescents.  This is the third annual report of national adolescent vaccination coverage estimates based on provider-reported vaccination histories from the NIS-Teen and the first report of state and local area estimates. For the first time, Healthy People 2010 objectives of 90% coverage among adolescents 13-15 years of age were met for childhood administered vaccines (measles-mumps-rubella and Hepatitis B). Coverage levels for vaccines routinely recommended for adolescents (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis, meningococcal conjugate, and quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccines), continue to increase nationally, though there is substantial variation between state and local areas. Only three states had vaccination coverage estimates greater than 50% for all three adolescent vaccines. There were also some differences in coverage by race/ethnicity and poverty status. Vaccination coverage among adolescents is improving; however continued efforts are needed in order to achieve higher coverage levels in this population.

 

3. Update on Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus – Worldwide, January 2008-June 2009

Press Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations
Phone: (404) 639-3286

Control of Vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) transmission is important currently and in the post-eradication endgame.  Vaccine-derived polioviruses, recognized by their high genetic divergence (>1 percent nucleotide substitutions) from the oral poliovaccine strains, fall into three categories: 1) circulating VDPVs (cVDPVs) from outbreaks, 2) primary immunodeficiency-associated VDPVs (iVDPVs) from patients with defects in antibody production, and 3) ambiguous VDPVs (aVDPVs) for which there is insufficient evidence for definitive assignment to the other two categories.  In January 2008–June 2009, cVDPVs were found in Nigeria (type 2; multiple independent emergences resulting in a total of 281 cases since 2005), Guinea (1 case; importation from Nigeria), Democratic Republic of Congo (type 2; at least two independent emergences; 33 cases), and Ethiopia (type 2; 4 cases).  During the same period, iVDPVs were found in the United States (~13 years of chronic infection) and Argentina (~15 months of infection).  Highly divergent aVDPVs were found in sewage samples in Estonia, Finland, and Israel (two distinct emergences); unrelated aVDPVs were found in 8 other countries.

4.Recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for Use of Hepatitis A Vaccine in Close Contacts of Newly Arriving International Adoptees

Press Contact: CDC, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention         
Phone: (404) 639-8895

Close personal contacts of children adopted from countries with high rates of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) are at an increased risk for contracting the virus; for this reason the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has expanded its hepatitis A vaccine recommendations to include and protect these close personal contacts. These recommendations are critical because HAV can be passed on to others even when an infected person does not show signs of illness, and because most children adopted from abroad (99.8 percent) are from countries where HAV rates are high. The updated recommendations state that the hepatitis A vaccine be given to people who have not previously received it and will be a close personal contact (such as a household member or regular babysitter) of the adopted child. The hepatitis A vaccine is given in two shots; close personal contacts should receive the first dose as far in advance of contact with the child as possible – ideally, once the adoption is planned. The second dose should be administered 6-18 months later. An existing recommendation states that all persons travelling from the United States to countries with high or intermediate rates of HAV, including those who travel related to international adoption, receive the hepatitis A vaccination.

5. Licensure of a Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib) Vaccine (Hiberix) and Updated Recommendations for Use of Hib Vaccine

Press Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations
Phone: (404) 639-3286

No summary available.

6. Update: Influenza Activity – United States, April-August 2009

Press Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations
Phone: (404) 639-3286

No summary available.

 

 

 

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES