News and Media Resources:

Immunization Works! May 2009 issue

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Immunization Works Monthly Immunization Update is provided to professional organization partners for broad distribution to their members and constituencies. The information provided is non-proprietary.

Front Page News

CDC’s Travel Warning to Mexico Downgraded to Precaution: On May 15, CDC downgraded its warning recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico, in effect since April 27, 2009. The warning has been downgraded to a Travel Health Precaution for Mexico.

CDC downgraded this warning because of new information on disease spread and severity in Mexico and because the novel H1N1 flu virus appears to be present in the U.S. and in many other countries. With the assistance of the Mexican authorities, CDC has obtained a more complete picture of the outbreak, including evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many, though not all, cities. In addition, the U.S. and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico. In the US, the majority of new cases are not associated with travel to Mexico. CDC continues to recommend that travelers at high risk for complications from influenza discuss with their physicians the risks and benefits of travel in the context of their planned itinerary to Mexico. Travelers at high risk for complications may want to consider postponing travel.

More Novel H1N1 News: Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systems and reported weekly in FluView. The fact that novel H1N1 activity is now detected through seasonal surveillance systems is an indication that there are higher levels of influenza-like illness in the United States than is normal for this time of year. About half of all influenza viruses being detected through laboratory surveillance are novel H1N1 viruses.

As of May 18th, 5 deaths and 5,123 confirmed and probable cases of novel H1N1 influenza have been reported in the United States and the District of Columbia. Recently, CDC began reporting numbers of confirmed and probable cases of novel H1N1 infection by state as an aggregate, or total. This is because almost all probable cases that have undergone further testing have been found to be the novel H1N1 virus. Reporting aggregate probable and confirmed cases will better reflect the true impact of novel H1N1 flu on the United States. The list of states with the numbers of confirmed and probable cases of novel H1N1 infection is available online and updated Monday-Friday at about 11:00 a.m. at CDC’s H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) website. This site also contains links to resources for specific groups, such as clinicians, pregnant women, and travelers, as well as CDC’s Spanish Language H1N1 Flu website.

It’s important that people continue to take steps to protect their health and the health of their family. Personal health message should continue to reinforce the following:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
  
• Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• If you are sick, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. 

For the latest information about the novel H1N1 outbreak, sign up to receive CDC e-mail updates, subscribe to RSS, or follow CDC Emergency on Twitter . Updated world-wide country counts can be found at the WHO website, World Health Organization website .

Other News and Summaries

FDA Approves Expanded Age for a Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine: On October 23, 2008, ACIP was presented data on the safety and immunogenicity of Boostrix in adults aged 19-64 years and notified of the impending expanded age indication for Boostrix (GSK). Boostrix has been available since 2005 for adolescents, and is now approved for use in adults as well. Guidance for the use of Boostrix is the same as for Adacel (Sanofi Pasteur), another Tdap vaccine licensed for use in adults. The best way for adolescents and adults to protect themselves against pertussis is to get vaccinated with Tdap. Pertussis is the least well-controlled bacterial vaccine-preventable disease in the United States. Pertussis is highly contagious and can cause serious or prolonged illness. Infants, especially those too young to be vaccinated, are at increased risk for death from pertussis. To boost their immunity to pertussis, all adolescents and adults are recommended to receive a one-time dose of Tdap vaccine in place of a Td booster. Adolescents should receive a dose of Tdap, preferably at a preventive care visit at age 11 or 12 years. Adults who previously have not received Tdap should get a single dose of Tdap in place of their next Td booster. For more information, please see the full Tdap article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Wild Poliovirus Importations in 15 African Countries: Until the challenges in countries with ongoing wild poliovirus transmission have been fully addressed, the risk of wild poliovirus (WPV) importations will continue. Although countries that border countries with ongoing WPV transmission are at higher risk, all polio-free countries need to maintain sensitive surveillance systems and prepare for rapid response campaigns. From 2007 to 2008, cases of polio in Africa increased 144 percent, from 387 in 2007 to 946 in 2008, primarily because of a resurgence of cases in Nigeria as well as an increase in Angola, Chad and Sudan and the introduction of WPV from these countries into neighboring countries. These importations of WPV have resulted in 96 polio cases in 15 countries in West Central Africa, the Horn of Africa, and South Central Africa in 2008-2009 as of March 24. The majority of these cases were caused by importations of WPV originating in Nigeria; the remaining importations were from WPV originating in India, and were introduced either directly or after persistent transmission in another country. The four African countries from which multiple importations have spread — Angola, Chad, Nigeria, Sudan — have serious weaknesses in health infrastructure and require specific efforts to strengthen their fight again WPV circulation. Until polio eradication is reached, other countries need to have sensitive surveillance and plans to rapidly respond if imported WPV is found.

What Do Medical Assistants Need to Know about Vaccines?
A new report focuses on the immunization training needs of medical assistants . Summarizing the results of a survey conducted in 2008 by Emory University through a Cooperative Agreement between the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) and NCIRD, CDC, the report describes: the immunization tasks medical assistants frequently perform, their experiences with immunization-related training, their preferences for training topics and delivery methods, and barriers to training. Study results will be used to improve the educational offerings to this group of health professionals.

Meetings, Conferences & Resources

Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases: The Updated 2009 Series Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases is now available via the internet. This popular training series provides a comprehensive overview of immunization and the most current vaccine recommendations. To view the four, three-hour sessions, visit CDC’s Vaccine Education and Training website.

New VIS for Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV): The Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) has been updated to reflect new indications for the vaccine for smokers and adults with asthma. Print this version of the PPSV VIS. [PDF-121KB] .

Next ACIP Meeting: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting will be held on June 24-25, 2009 in Atlanta, GA. Online registration is required for attendance to the meeting. Deadline dates are June 5th for non-U.S. citizens and June 12th for U.S. citizens.

2010 National Coalition Conference: Please mark your calendars for the 9th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions "Strengthening Our Connections." The conference will take place from May 26–28 in Chicago, Illinois. More information will be available in future issues of this publication.

Immunization Update 2009: Please mark your calendars for the July 30, 2009 Live Satellite Broadcast and Webcast from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). This 2.5 hour program focuses on the most recent developments in the rapidly changing field of immunization, including new vaccine recommendations. The event will take place from 9:00 AM-11:30 AM and noon-2:30 PM EST. See CDC’s Vaccine Education and Training Webpage for more information.

CDC Training Opportunities: Through established programs, CDC offers many unique training opportunities in infectious disease, including international opportunities. For a current listing of CDC training opportunities, please visit the CDC Public Health Training Webpage.

CDC Job Openings: CDC is committed to recruiting and hiring qualified candidates for a wide range of immunization positions. Researchers, Medical Officers and Epidemiologists and other specialties are often needed to fill positions within CDC. For a current listing, including international opportunities, please visit the CDC Employment Webpage.

Respiratory News and Resources

Since 2006, respiratory diseases have been part of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. As a result, readers of this e-letter can periodically expect to see news about respiratory diseases.

World Pneumonia Day: Mark your calendars for "World Pneumonia Day", November 2, 2009. This event - led by child health groups and Save the Children Artist Ambassadors Gwyneth Paltrow and Hugh Laurie - will bring needed attention to a neglected disease that kills more than two million children under the age of five each year, worldwide. For more information or to sign up to receive e-mail updates, visit the World Pneumonia Day website .

Get Smart about Antibiotics Week: Mark your calendars for "Get Smart about Antibiotics Week", October 5th-11th, 2009.

For more information, please contact Darcia Johnson at clq7@cdc.gov or visit the "Get Smart" Webpage.

The Immunization Works Database Manager can be contacted at: nipimmzwrks@cdc.gov.

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