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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Update! Influenza Vaccine Supply and Recommendations for Prioritization: |
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently
published an article in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report (MMWR) which updates the influenza vaccine supply and
recommendations for prioritization during the current influenza
season.
Four manufacturers now expect to provide influenza vaccine
to the U.S. population during the 2005--06 influenza season.
Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., projects production of 60 million doses
of TIV. Chiron Corporation projects production of 18--26 million
doses of TIV. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Inc. – whose license
application was approved by the Food and Drug Administration
on August 31, 2005 – projects production of 8 million doses
of TIV. MedImmune Vaccines, Inc., producer of live attenuated
influenza vaccine (LAIV), projects production of approximately
3 million doses. However, because of the uncertainties regarding
production of influenza vaccine, the exact number of available
doses and timing of vaccine distribution for the 2005--06
influenza season remain unknown.
Given the uncertainties in doses and distribution, CDC recommends
that the following priority groups receive TIV until October
24, 2005:
- Persons
aged >65 years with comorbid conditions
- Residents
of long-term--care facilities
- Persons
aged 2--64 years with comorbid conditions
- Persons
aged >65 years without comorbid conditions
- Children
aged 6--23 months
- Pregnant
women
- Health-care
personnel who provide direct patient care
- Household
contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children aged <6
months
These groups correspond to TIV priority groups that were published
previously in the event of vaccination supply disruption (please
see www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5430a4.htm).
Beginning October 24, 2005, all persons will be eligible for
vaccination.
The tiered use of prioritization is not recommended for LAIV
administration. LAIV may be administered at any time for vaccination
of nonpregnant healthy persons aged 5--49 years, including
most health-care personnel, other persons in close contact
with groups at high risk for influenza-related complications,
and others desiring protection against influenza. Additional
information is available at www.cdc.gov/flu
To view the complete MMWR article, please visit
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a4.htm
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One-Third of Parents Say They Lack Information About Immunizations:
An article published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) concluded that while most parents agree they have access to enough immunization information, approximately a third did not. A perceived lack of immunization information was strongly linked to negative attitudes about immunizations and toward healthcare providers. Parents who disagreed that they had enough immunization information were more likely than those who agreed to feel somewhat or not confident in the safety of childhood immunizations (54.2 percent vs.17.9 percent); to believe that immunizations are not important (9.6 percent vs. 3.5 percent); to disagree that they trust their child’s healthcare provider’s vaccine advice (12.0 percent vs. 2.6 percent); to disagree that their child’s main healthcare provider is easy to talk to (13.4 percent vs. 1.4 percent); to report that they would not have their child immunized if it were not required by law (27.1 percent vs. 8.1 percent); to believe states should grant exempti ons based on religious beliefs (43.3 percent vs. 24 percent); to believe that states should grant exemptions based on personal beliefs (37.5 percent vs. 18.2 percent); to not trust the government to establish policy for childhood immunizations (50.9 percent vs. 20.1 percent); to not trust public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to set policy for childhood immunizations (23.8 percent vs. 6.5 percent); and importantly, to believe that parents should be allowed to obtain exemptions for their child even if it raised the risk of disease for everyone else (24.1 percent vs.12.9 percent).
The results suggest that basic information about the benefits and risks of vaccines presented by a trusted provider could go a long way toward maintaining and/or improving confidence in the immunization process. To view an abstract of the article and/or to obtain ordering information, please visit the AJPM’s Website at www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/07493797 and link to volume 29, issue 2 (August).
Hurricane
Katrina: The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed
interim immunization recommendations for anyone involved in
the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina. These recommendations
are now posted CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response website:
www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/responderimmun.asp
Additional
Hurricane Katrina health information can be found at hwww.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/katrina.asp
Temporary
Conjugated Meningococcal Vaccine Shortage:
Conjugated meningococcal vaccine (MCV4) is temporarily in
short supply, due to high demand. Vaccine is being allocated
in both the public and private sectors based on estimates
of monthly needs as well as available supply. The supply-and-demand
mismatch is expected to be short term. To access the most
up-to-date information, please visit hwww.cdc.gov/nip/news/shortages/default.htm
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Immunization Teleconference, October 13th:
The National Immunization Program (NIP) is pleased
to present a teleconference program titled “Current Issues
in Immunization” on October 13th, 2005, at 12:00 PM EST. The
program, designed to provide clinicians with the most up-to-date
information on immunization, will focus on the 2005-06 Influenza
Recommendations. The program will combine an online slide
presentation with an audio discussion via a conference call
phone line. A live question and answer segment is included
in the one-hour program. Continuing Education credits will
be offered for this course. To participate in the course,
please register at hwww.cdc.gov/nip/ed/netconference.htm
CDC Announces Opening of the 2005--06 Flu Gallery:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the opening of the 2005--06 Flu Gallery. The Flu Gallery contains educational materials for use by providers and the public during the upcoming influenza immunization season. These materials reflect CDC’s vaccination recommendations and highlight the benefits of influenza vaccination. The Gallery contains print materials such as flyers, posters, and brochures, in color and black and white, English and Spanish. Many of the materials can be reproduced on an office printer. Materials can also printed by a professional (offset) printer.
Please
visit the online gallery often because in addition to “late
season” promotional materials, new materials will be added
if there are changes in vaccine supply and target audiences.
The Flu Gallery can be found at www.cdc.gov/flu/gallery
New Module Released for "You Call the Shots":
The National Immunization Program (NIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the release of “Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis,” the second of 13 proposed modules for the web-based course, “Immunization: You Call the Shots.” The module includes descriptions of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; information on the vaccines to protect against these diseases; and recommendations for vaccine use. The module, however, does not include a discussion of the new diphtheria and tetanus toxoid-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines for adolescents and adults. Information on these vaccines will be included at a later date, following the publication of Tdap recommendations in a future edition of CDC’s MMWR.
"Immunization:
You Call the Shots" is a free, interactive, self-study course
that participants can complete at their own pace. It is intended
for introductory training of healthcare professionals who
provide immunizations and can serve as a reference for all
immunization providers. Physicians, nurses, health educators,
pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals are invited
to apply for continuing education credits. The course can
be accessed from NIP’s website at www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/youcalltheshots.htm
New Resource: Planning for a Possible U.S. Influenza
Vaccine Shortage: The National Immunization
Program (NIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) announces the development of a new resource to aid state/local
public health and immunization programs and partners in planning
for a possible vaccine shortage during the 2005-06 influenza
season. “The Interim Guideline: Planning for a Possible U.S.
Influenza Vaccine Shortage, 2005-06” includes planning practices
and activities found to be effective in the 2004-05 trivalent
influenza vaccine (TIV) shortage. A set of TIV shortage scenarios
applying these practices is included as an appendix to the
document. The Guideline can be found at www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/pdf/vaccshortguide.pdf.
Pandemic Influenza Update, October 6th:
On October 6, 2005, the California Distance Learning Health
Network and the California Department of Health Services will
Webcast a California update concerning public health preparedness
for Pandemic Influenza. The 90 minute program will provide
essential information and highlight the interventions needed
to minimize the consequences of a pandemic event. Continuing
education credits will be offered for this course. For more
information, or to register, please visit www.cdlhn.com.
Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too! Online Resource Kit:
A new program called “Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too!" now features
online resources for in-practice use by clinicians and other
health care providers to help educate parents about influenza
and the importance of annual influenza vaccination among infants
and children. The new materials were developed by the National
Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) in collaboration
with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The goals of
the program are supported by the National Influenza Vaccine
Summit. The online resources are free and available for download
at the “Kids Need Flu Vaccine, Too” website at http://64.242.251.230/index1.html
Submit an Abstract to NIC: Abstracts
are now being accepted for the 40th National Immunization
Conference (NIC). The conference, to be held March 6-9, 2006,
at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, will
comprise six topic tracks: Adult and Adolescent Immunization,
Epidemiology and Vaccine Safety, Health and Risk Communications,
Immunization Information Systems, Programmatic Issues, and
Policy and Legislation. To submit an abstract, please visit
the NIC Web site at www.cdc.gov/nip/nic.
Participants can also register at the NIC Web site. Please
register before January 13, 2006 to obtain the best rate.
NIP Needs Pilot Testers:
The National Immunization Program (NIP) has an ongoing need for volunteers to pilot test immunization training courses. Volunteers are particularly needed in the following occupations: physicians, pharmacists, health educators, medical assistants and nurses. To learn more about becoming a pilot tester, please send an email to nippilot@cdc.gov.
Job Openings within NIP: 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. Interested parties are encouraged to apply for these
positions. For a current listing of positions available at
NIP, please visit www.cdc.gov/hrmo/hrmo.htm |
