News and Media Resources:

Immunization Works May 2012 Issue

News and Summaries

New Website for Parents: Most parents today have never seen firsthand the devastating consequences that vaccine-preventable diseases have on a family or community. But many have heard conflicting or concerning information about immunizations and have questions about the benefits and risks of vaccines. While parents report that their children’s doctors and nurses are their most trusted source of vaccine information, an increasing number are also looking online for information they can trust.

A new website just for parents provides quick answers as well as more in-depth information about childhood and adolescent vaccines and the diseases they prevent. The site’s organization and graphics are based on formative research and feedback from parent focus groups. Check out the site and tell parents of kids and teens about it.

Easy-to-Read Adult Immunization Schedule Available: Of course, vaccines aren’t just for kids. And now easy-to-read vaccination schedules aren’t just for kids’ vaccines. The Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults (those 19 years and older) is now available in a color-coded, easy-to-scan format  [PDF-132 KB, 2 pages]. This schedule charts vaccines needed by age group; the back side concisely reviews vaccine-preventable diseases and the vaccines that prevent them. Available to print out in black and white or color, the schedule completes the easy-to-read series, which also includes recommended immunizations for children birth through 6  [PDF-314 KB, 2 pages] years and for children age 7 through 18 years  [PDF-372 KB, 2 pages].

VTrckS Update: As of May 2012, a total of 26 grantees have deployed onto the Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS) Spend Plan functionality and 9 grantees have transitioned to full VTrckS functionality. By May 2013, all grantees will transition from VACMAN to VTrckS for vaccine ordering and inventory management.

VTrckS supports two models: 1) VTrckS Direct, in which providers enter orders directly into VTrckS and 2) VTrckS ExIS, in which providers enter orders into an immunization information system (IIS) or other external information system and the external information system (ExIS) interfaces with VTrckS. Forty-five of the 64 grantees chose the VTrckS ExIS option and are referred to as ExIS grantees.

For grantees that have not yet completed the transition, deployment to VTrckS can seem daunting. The lessons learned from the previous deployments, the resources to which they have access, and the strength of the IIS community, however, can make this significant achievement manageable. One of the first grantees to move to the new VTrckS system was Colorado. Chris Duggar, Public Health Advisor with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment acknowledged one important resource for VTrckS grantees and its role in Colorado’s transition when he noted, “the Vaccine Management Contact Center is working well and we are getting great feedback from our providers.”

Influenza Information

Stay Informed! Influenza information is updated frequently. Please visit the Flu web site for the latest updates.

Meetings, Conferences and Resources

New Resources from the Vaccines for Preteens and Teens Campaign: In the new 30-second Spanish language television PSA, a busy Hispanic mother receives a call from her doctor reminding her to get her adolescent son and daughter caught up on their shots. Please visit the Preteen and Teen Campaign web page to view this PSA and the accompanying English PSA.

New plain-language fact sheets provide detailed information about each of the routinely recommended adolescent vaccines, including Tdap, meningococcal vaccine, the HPV vaccine, and the seasonal influenza vaccine. There is also a new fact sheet summarizing all of the vaccine recommendations for adolescents. Spanish versions will be coming soon, so please check back with the website.

Health-care providers will find this new fact sheet [PDF-375 KB, 4 pages] full of useful information about adolescent vaccine recommendations, side effects, and contraindications. It also includes tips for ensuring that their adolescent patients are fully vaccinated. CDC has also created a new reminder/recall e-card that providers can send to parents of adolescents.

An updated matte article explains the latest HPV vaccine recommendations for girls and boys. It is approximately 450 words, and can be placed directly into your newsletters or posted on your website.

NAIS and NIVS: On May 15-17, 2012, the first National Adult Immunization Summit (NAIS) was held in conjunction with the 12th annual National Influenza Vaccine Summit (NIVS) in Atlanta, Georgia.

The NIVS was established in 2000 under co-sponsorship of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NIVS is dedicated to addressing and resolving influenza and influenza vaccine issues.

The NIVS now consists of more than 400 partners representing more than 100 public and private organizations. Summit participants include a wide range of professionals from the health-care industry; federal, state, and local public health; medical, pharmacy, and nursing sectors; vaccine manufacturers and distributors; community vaccinators; consumers; and others interested in stopping the transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Co-hosted by the AMA, CDC, and National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO), the NAIS is charged to increase immunization rates and reduce vaccine-preventable diseases by identifying specific actions that will lead to increased vaccine coverage in adults.

The first NAIS involved more than 130 organizations with an interest in improving protection against vaccine-preventable diseases among adults. The partners include a broad-based network of health-care professionals, public health professionals, vaccine manufacturers and distributors, consumer advocacy groups, Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), and others interested in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases in adults.

To find out more information on the 2012 Summit, please visit the NAIS and NIVS meeting web page.

ACIP Meeting: The next Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting will be held June 20-21, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia. Please visit the ACIP meeting web page for archived presentation slides, meeting minutes, and additional information.

New Meningococcal Disease and Meningitis Websites: New websites have been launched for meningococcal disease and meningitis. These user-friendly websites provide a better experience for those seeking information about either topic.

Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases 2012, Eleven-Session Series: This comprehensive immunization course provides the most current information in the constantly changing field of immunization. The course is updated annually to provide the latest recommendations from the ACIP. The course is now available in web-on-demand format and the DVD format will be available in late June. Each of the 11 sessions are 60 to 90 minutes in length and includes case studies and a discussion of frequently-asked questions on each topic.

Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Course: This self-study program provides information on case investigation, outbreak control, disease reporting, and case notification for vaccine-preventable diseases. The course discusses the epidemiologically important data that should be collected during case investigations and presents methods for enhancing surveillance. The course provides current surveillance guidance for HPV, measles, rotavirus, mumps, varicella, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, Haemophilus influenzae, pertussis, and meningococcal disease. The course is now available in web-on-demand format and DVD format. The DVD can be ordered on the NCIRD publication ordering form.

Vaccine Storage and Handling Guide: NCIRD has released the updated Vaccine Storage and Handling Guide [PDF-718 KB, 77 pages] (formerly Vaccine Management). It is a comprehensive and authoritative document on storage and handling guidelines for specific vaccines (including combination vaccines). Available in this document are guidelines on vaccine-specific shipping requirements; arrival conditions; storage requirements; and information on shelf life, preparation, and special instructions.

CDC and Medscape Videos: This special series of commentaries is part of a collaboration between CDC and Medscape and is designed to deliver CDC's authoritative guidance directly to Medscape's physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals. In this series, experts from CDC offer video commentaries on the current topics important to practicing clinicians. NCIRD has contributed to a variety of commentaries.

Immunization Publications: Please visit the NCIRD publications order form for the latest immunization publications. Copies of the 2011 Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases DVD, the 2011 Parents Guide to Childhood Immunizations, and currentflu campaign materials are available for ordering.

Updated Pink Book Now Available to Order or Download: The 12th edition (2nd printing) of Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (The Pink Book) is now available for purchase or download. The book provides health-care professionals with comprehensive information on vaccine-preventable diseases. The Pink Book can be downloaded for free from the NCIRD Vaccines and Immunizations web page or it can be purchased from the Public Health Foundation. The Pink Book is also available in E-reader format from Amazon.com, Google E-books, and Barnes and Noble.

CDC Job Openings: CDC is committed to recruiting and hiring qualified candidates for a wide range of immunization and other positions. Researchers, Medical Officers, Epidemiologists, and other specialists are often needed to fill positions within CDC. For a current listing, including international opportunities, please visit CDC’s employment web page.

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The Immunization Works database manager and editor can be contacted at nipimmzwrks@cdc.gov.

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