MMWR – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

1. Contraceptive Methods Available to Patients of Office-Based Physicians and Title X Clinics — United States, 2009–2010

CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
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A higher proportion of Title X clinic providers than office-based physicians offered a range of contraceptive methods on-site, but availability of long-acting, reversible contraceptives (LARCs), including IUDs and contraceptive implants, often depended on referral to other office-based or Title X clinic providers. Improving contraceptive delivery by increasing on-site availability of a range of contraceptive methods, including LARCs, might increase contraceptive use and reduce rates of unintended pregnancy. In the United States, nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, and 36 million women of reproductive age are in need of family planning services. To assess the provision of various reversible contraceptive methods by U.S family planning providers, CDC mailed a survey on contraceptive provision 2,000 office-based physicians and 2,000 federally funded Title X clinics. This report summarizes those results, which indicate that a higher proportion of Title X clinic providers than office-based physicians offered a range of contraceptive methods on-site, but availability of long-acting, reversible contraceptives (LARCs), including IUDs and contraceptive implants, often depended on referral to other office-based or Title X clinic providers. Increasing access to LARC methods in addition to other methods, might increase contraceptive use and reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies.

2. Local Health Department Costs Associated With a School-Based Pertussis Outbreak — Omaha, Nebraska, September–November 2008

CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
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The elevated incidence of pertussis and the burden of response placed on health departments warrants exploring the impact of alternative response and chemoprophylaxis strategies. The cost of pertussis outbreak containment can strain local public health resources. This report measures the cost, from a local health department perspective, to contain a pertussis outbreak in a private school with approximately 600 students. The cost for 24 cases of pertussis was estimated at $52,131 (or approximately $2,172 per case). Investigations and developing recommendations were the most resource-intensive aspects of the outbreak.

3. Progress in Immunization Information Systems — United States, 2009

CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
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Enhancing Immunization Information Systems (IIS) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) interoperability with national standards will provide greater consistency in data exchange and likely help to improve the quality and timeliness of IIS data. In 2009, 77 percent of all U.S. children aged <6 years (18.4 million children) participated in an IIS. Also, 59 percent of IIS grantees reported being able to send and receive Health Level Seven (HL7) messages, and another 8 percent of grantees with IIS were partially able to meet HL7 capability by either sending or receiving messages. Enhancing the interoperability of IIS and electronic health record systems will help provide greater consistency in data exchange and likely reduce interface costs over time. Increased IIS data accuracy, timeliness, and completeness can improve the quality of IIS-based coverage assessments, better support clinical decisions at the health-care provider level, and increase availability of the data for other public health functions.

4. Updated Recommendations for Use of Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, 2010

CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
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The best way for adolescents and adults to protect themselves and others against pertussis is to get vaccinated with Tdap. To boost their immunity to pertussis, all adolescents and adults are recommended to receive a one-time dose of the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine. In October 2010, ACIP recommended three expanded uses of Tdap: 1) Tdap may be given regardless of time since a person's last tetanus- or diphtheria-containing vaccine; 2) adults aged 65 years and older (e.g., grandparents, child-care providers, and health care practitioners) who have close contact with an infant should receive a single dose of Tdap; 3) children aged 7 through 10 years who are not fully vaccinated against pertussis should receive a single dose of Tdap.

 

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES