• Updated - General Recommendations on Immunization
• Other News and Summaries
• Meetings, Conferences, & Resources
  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 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.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) -- a national panel of immunization experts -- updated its general recommendations on immunizations in the United States. The new recommendations were published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly (MMWR) on December 1st as the “General Recommendations on Immunization.” These recommendations provide technical guidance about common vaccination concerns for clinicians and other health care providers who administer vaccines.

The new General Recommendations revise the 2002 General Recommendations. The principal changes include:

1. Expansion of the discussion of vaccination spacing and timing
2. An increased emphasis on the importance of injection technique/age/body mass in determining appropriate needle length
3. Expansion of the discussion of storage and handling of vaccines, with a table defining the appropriate storage temperature range for inactivated and live vaccines
4. Expansion of the discussion of altered immunocompetence, including new recommendations about use of live-attenuated vaccines with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies
5. Minor changes to the recommendations about vaccination during pregnancy and vaccination of internationally adopted children, in accordance with new ACIP vaccine-specific recommendations for use of inactivated influenza vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine

 Top

Providers Influence Vaccination Coverage: A November study in Pediatrics determined that vaccination coverage among children 19 to 35 months of age is associated with health care providers’ influence on parents’ decision to vaccinate their children, and with parents’ beliefs about vaccine safety.  Parents of 7,695 children 19 to 35 months of age were sampled by the National Immunization Survey (NIS), a national telephone survey sponsored by CDC to assess vaccination coverage in children.  Parents provided responses summarizing the degree to which they believed vaccines were safe, and the influence of providers on their decisions to vaccinate their children.

Parents who responded that providers were influential were twice as likely to respond that vaccines were safe for children.  In addition, healthcare providers had a positive influence on parents to vaccinate their children, even parents who believed that vaccinations are unsafe. Among children whose parents believed that vaccines were not safe, those whose parents’ decision to vaccinate was influenced by a health care provider had an estimated vaccination coverage rate that was significantly higher (74%) than the estimated coverage rate among children whose parents’ decision was not influenced by a health care provider (50%).  

Due to the effectiveness of modern vaccination programs, parents may no longer be motivated to have their children vaccinated by the fear of vaccine-preventable diseases.   Instead, parents may have concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness. To address these concerns, health care professionals should increase their efforts to build honest and respectful relationships with parents.

The abstract can be found at the American Academy of Pediatrics website at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org (exit site) (Pediatrics, November 2006, Volume 118, Issue 5).

Reminder - Vaccine Information Statements: A federal statute requires all health care providers who administer vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) to give patients or parents a copy of the relevant Vaccine Information Statement (VIS). The VIS must be provided prior to vaccination. While CDC develops VIS statements for all vaccines, and encourages their use, it is a legal requirement that health care providers give patients or parents a VIS only if the vaccine is covered by NVICP. Also, the name of the statute, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA), can be confusing because the statute is not focused just on children. A vaccine receives coverage when CDC recommends a particular vaccine for routine administration to children. However, once the vaccine is in the program, the VICP covers injuries to anyone who receives it, child or adult. More information about VIS statements and current VIS statements can be found on CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/vis-facts.htm

Global Polio Eradication Hinges on Four Countries: The world's success in eradicating polio now depends on four countries – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan – according to the Advisory Committee on Polio Eradication (ACPE), the independent oversight body of the eradication effort. On October 11-12, ACPE met in Geneva, Switzerland to review recent global progress in polio eradication and recommend steps to 1) end poliovirus transmission rapidly in the remaining four endemic areas; 2) limit international spread of the virus; and 3) prepare for eventual eradication of polio and cessation of oral polio vaccination. To view a press release about the meeting, go to www.polioeradication.org/content/pressreleases/20061012press.asp (exit site)

 Top

Interactive Childhood Immunization Scheduler: CDC has created an interactive scheduler for immunization providers and parents of children birth – 6 years old. This tool is based on the 2006 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The Interactive Child’s Immunization Scheduler can be found at http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/kidstuff/newscheduler_le

10^th Edition of CDC’s Pink Book: Orders are now being accepted for the 10^th edition of CDC’s textbook, Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (the Pink Book). The Pink Book contains comprehensive information about routinely recommended vaccines, vaccine preventable diseases and more. The 10^thedition has new chapters on rotavirus, human papillomavirus, and zoster (shingles). A hard copy of the Pink Book can be purchased for $25.60 (prior to December 15^th) from the Public Health Foundation. To place an order, go to http://bookstore.phf.org/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=552 An online edition of the Pink Book will be available in early 2007. The new Pink Book will also be included on the 2007 Immunization Works CD.

Provisional Zoster Recommendations: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Provisional Recommendations for use of the new herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine have been posted online. ACIP Recommendations become official after review by the Director of CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and are published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). In October 2006, ACIP recommended a single dose of zoster vaccine for adults 60 years of age and older regardless of previous history of herpes zoster. The Provisional Recommendations can be found at www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/provisional_recs/zoster-11-20-06.pdf

New TIDE Module: Teaching Immunization Delivery and Evaluation (TIDE) is a curriculum designed by the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ambulatory Pediatric Association/Society for Adolescent Medicine to help health professionals increase immunization rates for children. TIDE’s new Vaccine Storage and Handling Module is now available online for physicians, nurses and other health care professionals responsible for immunization delivery. Free CNE, CME and CEUs are provided.  Information and registration for the Vaccine Storage and Handling Module and the rest of the TIDE program can be found at www.musc.edu/tide (exit site)

Adult Immunization Satellite Broadcast: On December 7, 2006, CDC will host a satellite broadcast and webcast to update health care providers on current adult immunization recommendations. The broadcast, which will take place from 12 to 2:30 pm Eastern time, will 1) describe the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among adults in the United States; 2) highlight the 2006-2007 Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule; and 3) describe strategies to improve adult vaccination coverage levels. The program will include a discussion of vaccines routinely recommended for adults, including influenza, pneumococcal, Tdap, human papillomavirus and herpes zoster. It will also address vaccines recommended for healthcare providers and identify resources relevant to vaccine recommendations for international travel.  For more information, go to http://www2.cdc.gov/phtn/adult-imm06/default.asp

Save the Dates: CDC's annual four-part series, Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, is scheduled for Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, & Feb. 15, 2007.  Each session is scheduled for 12 to 4 pm Eastern time. More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/satellite_broadcasts.htm

Register for NIC: The 41st National Immunization Conference (NIC) -- to be held from March 5–8, 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri -- will be comprised of six topic tracks: Adolescent and Adult Vaccination, Epidemiology and New Vaccines, Influenza, Immunization Information Systems, Programmatic Issues, and Health and Risk Communication. Please register before January 12, 2007 to obtain the best rate. Participants can register online at the NIC Web site at www.cdc.gov/nip/nic

CDC Job Openings: CDC is committed to recruiting and hiring qualified candidates for a wide range of immunization positions. Researchers, Medical Officers and Epidemiologists as well as other specialties are often needed to fill positions within CDC. For a current listing of positions available at CDC, please visit www.cdc.gov/hrmo/hrmo.htm

Top of page