The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
Immunization Works Monthly Update is
provided to national health care provider
and consumer groups for distribution
to their members and constituencies.
The immunization information provided
is non-proprietary and is encouraged
to be widely disseminated and shared.
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National
Infant Immunization Week Being
Celebrated Across the Country
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April
24-30, marks the 10th Anniversary of
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW),
an annual observance to promote the benefits
of immunization and to improve the health
of children, especially those who are
two years old or younger. This week’s
activities are particularly noteworthy.
For
the first time ever, 35 countries throughout
the Western Hemisphere have also joined
together to concurrently promote childhood
immunization through the Vaccination
Week in the Americas (VWA). Joining this
unprecedented event are the United States,
Canada, Mexico and other members of the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The Vaccination Week in the Americas
was scheduled to coincide with the U.S.’s
National Infant Immunization Week, an
ongoing event throughout this country
since 1994. The Pan American Health Organization
expects more than 40 million individuals
to be vaccinated during this week.
Also
important this week is the 50th
Anniversary of the historic National
Field Trials of the Salk Vaccine.
On Monday, April 26, the March
of Dimes, with representatives
from many agencies and organizations,
hosted an event at the Franklin Elementary
School in Fairfax, Virginia. Franklin
Elementary School was the site of the
first vaccine trails started April 26,
1954. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, granddaughter
of March of Dimes founder President Franklin
D. Roosevelt was on hand at the event.
Other
events focusing on bi-national awareness
and education events were also held in
sister city sites along the US-Mexico
border including San Diego, California
and Tijuana, Mexico and El Paso, Texas,
Las Cruces, New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez,
Mexico and 14 additional sister cities.
Bi-national border events
during the week will include provider
education symposium featuring local,
state and national immunization experts,
children’s programs, health fairs,
media events, and immunization delivery
and outreach activities to under immunized
neighborhoods.
Nationally
over 400 communities from across the
United States will participate in NIIW
and VWA by planning community awareness
and media events to promote infant immunizations
and remind parents, caregivers, healthcare
providers, and communities about the
importance of routine vaccinations and
protecting children against 12 vaccine-preventable
diseases before the age of two. Consult
the
2004 NIIW activities, or visit the
most recent NIIW events at: www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/.
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Influenza
Vaccine Supply and Production:
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products
Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug
Administration met on February 18-19
and March 17 to determine the influenza
vaccine formulation for the U.S. during
the upcoming flu season. The formulation
includes one virus from last year’s
vaccine and two new viruses. Based on
early projections, the three manufacturers
anticipate total influenza vaccine production
of between 90 and 100 million doses.
Total production in 2003 was 86.9 million
doses. Healthcare providers should place
influenza vaccine orders now if they
have not already done so.
CDC
Futures Initiative Update:
CDC continues with its Futures Initiative,
a program to better organize and align
CDC’s structure and processes to
meet CDC public health goals. Based on
input from within CDC and from outside
partners, CDC has determined that we
can achieve many of our priorities by
retaining the best elements of the current
structure, while enhancing our ability
to address our strategic imperatives.
Agency-wide priorities and goals will
drive CDC, and elements of CDC’s
organizational structure will be designed
to support the functions needed to achieve
agency goals. For example, CDC will create
an organizational unit dedicated to agency-wide
strategy and goal development. Specific
goals that related both to preparedness
and to health promotion and prevention
throughout the lifespan are being developed.
CDC’s partners, current and future,
are critical to achieving our public
health goals and to delivering our products.
Government public health – federal,
state and local health agencies –
will continue to be the backbone of the
public health system. For more information
on the Futures Initiative, visit www.cdc.gov/futures.
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Registries
Website (AIRA):
The American Immunization Registry Association
(AIRA) has launched its expanded website.
This new website was redesigned and retooled
to provide a forum through which interested
organizations, individuals, and communities
can provide efforts and share knowledge
and experience. New sections have been
built into the website to facilitate
and encourage the development of a vibrant
community of practice built around immunization
registries including Registry Profiles
and Knowledge Sharing Repository pages.
The Registry Profiles are a database
of key information about most registries
in the United States. Users are able
to select a registry by map, alphabetical
listing or search criteria. The Knowledge
Sharing Repository is a database of registry-relevant
information. Conference and journal abstracts,
functional and technical standards, certification
information, best practices and sample
documents are housed in KSR. Visit the
website at www.immregistries.org.
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| Meetings,
Conferences, and Resources |
The
38th National Immunization Conference:
The 38th National Immunization Conference
is scheduled by May 11-14, 2004 in Nashville,
Tennessee. The conference will bring
together a wide variety of local, state,
federal, and private-sector immunization
partners to explore science, policy,
education, and planning issues related
to immunization in general and vaccine-preventable
disease. For more information visit www.cdc.gov/nip/nic.
National
Minority Organizations Immunization Projects:
CDC has made available funding to assist
national minority organizations with
the promotion and improvement of childhood,
adolescent, and adult immunization coverage
levels among racial and ethnic minorities.
Letters of Intent are due May 24, 2004,
the application deadline is June 21,
2004 and expected funding will be around
August 1, 2004. For a copy of the announcement,
visit www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/04051.htm.
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Request
for Proposal for Immunization Coalition
Technical Assistance and Training:
The CDC announces the availability of fiscal year 2004 funds
for a cooperative agreement program for technical assistance
and training for immunization coalitions and immunization
information dissemination. The purpose of the program is to
provide support for immunization coalitions and for the dissemination
of immunization information to enhance the effectiveness of
disease prevention programs that reduce the annual burden
of vaccine-preventable diseases. The complete program announcement
was published in the Federal Register, March 4, 2004, Volume
69, No. 43, Page 10233. It can also be accessed at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont04.html.
Click on Thursday, March 4 scroll down to CDC and select TEXT
or PDF version. Application materials can be found on CDC’s
funding website at www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grantmain.htm.
The application deadline is May 3.
Seventh
Annual Conference on Vaccine Research:
The
7th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research
will be held May 24-26, 2004 at the Crystal
Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
This conference provides current reports
of scientific progress featured in both
invited presentations and submitted abstracts.
International experts will lead seminars
and panel discussions on topical areas
of basic immunology, product development,
clinical testing, regulation, and other
aspects of vaccine research. For more
information visit www.nfid.org/conferences/vaccine04/
or e-mail vaccine@nfid.org.
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Free
CMEs Available Related to the Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS):
Healthcare
providers may access the “Vaccine Safety
Post-Marketing Surveillance: The Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System” with
free CMEs through September 19, 2004.
To access the CME article visit http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/VAERS/CME-post-mktg-surv.htm.
Additional information related to VAERS
is available at http://vaers.hhs.gov.
2004
HHS Grant Opportunities Notebook:
The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Center for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives in partnership with other
HHS agencies has developed a guide to
this year’s federal funding opportunities
for faith-based and community organizations
across the U.S. Included in the notebook
is grant information in the following
areas: At-Risk Children and Youth, Economic
Development, Health, Substance Abuse,
and significant Block and Formula Grants.
Also included is information on the Compassion
Capital Fund, how to be a grant reviewer,
how to make a Freedom of Information
request, and web resources for organizations
interested in federal funding. The notebook
is downloadable in PDF format at www.hhs.gov/fbci.
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Job Openings within the National Immunization Program:
NIP
is committed to recruiting and hiring
qualified candidates for a wide range
of positions. Researchers, Medical Officers
and Epidemiologists as well as other
specialties are often needed to fill
positions within NIP. We encourage all
interested parties to apply for these
jobs. For a current listing of positions
available at NIP, please visit www.usajobs.opm.gov.
Once at the site, conduct a search for
“National Immunization Program.”
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