Immunization Works February 2016

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2016 Immunization Schedules: Every year, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) develops recommendations for routine use of vaccines in children/adolescents and adults. When adopted by the CDC Director, these recommendations become official CDC/HHS policy. The child and adolescent immunization schedule and the adult immunization schedule are now available on the NCIRD vaccines site.

CDC encourages organizations to syndicate content to share with online visitors rather than copy a PDF version of the schedule onto their websites. Content syndication allows organizations’ websites to mirror CDC web content, with automatic updates when changes are made to the immunization schedules at the CDC website. This helps ensure that all schedules are current across the Internet. See how to display the schedules on your site.

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW): NIIW is an annual observance held to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievement of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. This year, NIIW will be held April 16-23. There are many ways to get involved in NIIW, from educating others in your community to recognizing individuals such as doctors, nurses, other health care professionals, and community members who go above and beyond in their efforts to promote childhood immunization. CDC offers a wide range of resources and materials for you to use in your educational efforts. Please submit your local and national NIIW activities to the Activity Registry on CDC’s website. This is a great way to share your plans with others, as well as find out what others are planning.

Notes from the Field-Administration Error Involving a Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine in the U.S., March 1, 2010–September 22, 2015: Menveo (GlaxoSmithKline, previously Novartis AG) is a conjugate vaccine that was recommended in October 2010 for routine use in adolescents (preferably aged 11 or 12 years, with a booster at 16 years), and among persons aged 2 through 54 years with certain immunosuppressive conditions, to prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135. These recommendations have since been updated. Menveo is supplied in two vials that must be combined before administration. The MenA lyophilized (freeze-dried) component must be reconstituted with the MenCYW-135 liquid component. To administer the vaccine, the liquid component is drawn into a syringe and used to reconstitute the lyophilized component. The resulting solution is administered by intramuscular injection. Failure to prepare Menveo as directed by the manufacturer can lead to lack of protection against the intended pathogens (N. meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and/or W-135). Recently, an immunization provider administered only the lyophilized component of Menveo, subsequently administered a properly prepared dose of Menveo to the same patient, and asked CDC if this practice was safe. This question prompted CDC to search the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database for reports of only one component of Menveo being administered. Additionally, to more broadly identify disproportional reporting of adverse events in general following Menveo immunization compared with other vaccines in VAERS (including errors in vaccine preparation and administration), the Food and Drug Administration performed data mining with empiric Bayesian methods. Please read the February 19 MMWR for the full report.

47th National Immunization Conference (NIC)–It Takes a Community: CDC and NCIRD will host the 47th NIC September 13-15, 2016, at the Hilton Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. The NIC brings together a wide variety of local, state, federal, and private sector immunization partners to explore science, policy, education, and planning issues related to immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases.

The conference will have three plenary sessions, the Hilleman Lecture, 12 breakout sessions, exhibits, and posters, and will include the following topics:

Health and Risk Communications
Epidemiology and Surveillance
Immunization Information Systems
Programmatic Issues
Adult Immunization
Child and Adolescent Immunization

Please visit the NIC web page for the agenda, registration, and additional information. Please contact the conference planning team if you have questions.

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Influenza Information

Influenza Activity Update in the U.S., October 4, 2015–February 6, 2016:

From October through mid-December 2015, influenza activity remained low in most regions of the U.S. Activity began to increase in late December 2015 and continued to increase slowly through early February 2016. Influenza A viruses have been most frequently identified, with influenza A (H3N2) viruses predominating during October until early December, and influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 viruses predominating from mid-December until early February. Most of the influenza viruses characterized during that time are antigenically similar to vaccine virus strains recommended for inclusion in the 2015–16 Northern Hemisphere vaccines. The February 19 MMWR summarizes recent U.S. influenza activity and updates the previous summary.

Flu Season Update: The 2015-16 flu season is well under way. While recent flu seasons have started relatively early, flu seasons typically peak in February, and CDC expects many weeks of flu activity still ahead in 2016. If you or your patients haven’t been vaccinated yet, it’s not too late. As long as flu viruses are circulating, vaccination can still be beneficial. Vaccination remains the first and most important step to prevent influenza.

So far this season, H1N1 flu viruses have been most common. This is the virus that emerged in 2009 to cause a pandemic. It has circulated globally as a human seasonal flu virus since that time, and has been associated with severe disease in older children, as well as in young and middle-aged adults. The good news is that all flu vaccines this season have an H1N1pdm09 component.

H3N2 viruses often cause more serious illness in people 65 years and older and in young children. However, so far, surveillance data show that the flu viruses currently circulating remain similar to the vaccine virus components. How similar circulating viruses are to the vaccine viruses is one factor that influences how well the flu vaccine works each year. Flu vaccines are made to protect against the three or four flu viruses (depending on which vaccine you get) that research suggests will be most common during the upcoming season.

Though the flu vaccine can vary in how well it works, it is still our best defense against the flu. Vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits, and absences from work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. Remember that it takes two weeks after vaccination for protection to begin. Protecting yourself from flu also protects the people around you who may be more vulnerable to serious flu illness. Pregnant women, babies, and people with asthma, for example, can suffer more serious flu complications. With most of the flu season still to come, if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, you should get a flu vaccine now to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues, and your community against influenza.

Flu vaccines are offered by many doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies, health centers, and urgent care centers, as well as by many employers and schools, so you can get vaccinated even if you don’t have a regular doctor or nurse. Find a place near you to get flu and other recommended vaccines.

Antiviral drugs serve as a second line of defense to treat the flu. Antiviral drugs can lessen the symptoms and can shorten the time that a patient is sick. They also can prevent serious flu complications. CDC recommends that people who are very sick with flu, or people who are at high risk of flu complications, should be treated as quickly as possible with flu antiviral drugs. Antiviral treatment works best when started early (within 2 days of getting sick). However, starting treatment later can still be helpful, especially if the person has a high-risk condition or is very sick from flu.

The three prescription antiviral medications recommended for treatment of influenza are oral oseltamivir (Tamiflu), inhaled zanamivir (Relenza), and intravenous peramivir (Rapivab). These drugs are chemically-related antiviral medications, known as neuraminidase inhibitors, that have activity against both influenza A and B viruses. Decisions about starting antiviral treatment should not wait for test results or laboratory confirmation of influenza.

CDC Flu Selfie Campaign: Just a reminder to participate in CDC’s #VaxWithMe campaign. #VaxWithMe is a selfie social media campaign that encourages individuals to share photos and videos of themselves (tagged #VaxWithMe) while getting their flu vaccination. The campaign seeks to spark engagement around the importance of vaccination and to encourage more people to get their flu vaccination each year. CDC posts weekly updates to the interactive campaign timeline. To get involved, take a selfie while getting your flu vaccine and post it using the hashtag #VaxWithMe.

For more information about how serious flu can be and the benefits of flu vaccination, talk to your doctor or other health care professional, visit the CDC influenza website, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

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Resources and Information

Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 13^th Edition (the Pink Book): CDC, NCIRD, and the Public Health Foundation (PHF) are pleased to announce that the book, Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 13^th Edition, is available. The Pink Book provides public health and health care professionals with the most comprehensive information on vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases. The Pink Book is available for purchase from the PHF Learning Resource Center, and the chapters and appendices can be viewed/downloaded from the NCIRD vaccines site.

Webinar Series for Pink Book Recasts: Recasts of this webinar series, which presented summaries of sections from the 13^th edition of the Pink Book, are available online. Each of the 15 webinar recasts in the series is approximately one hour in length. Although Continuing Education (CE) credit for the webinars has expired, please visit the webinar series web page to view the recasts.

Current Issues in Immunization Netconferences: Immunization netconferences are live, one-hour presentations combining an online visual presentation with simultaneous audio via telephone conference call and a live question and answer session. Registration, internet access, and a separate phone line are needed to participate. The next netconference will be held on March 16, 2016 and the topic will be the 2016 children/adolescent and adult immunization schedules. Please visit the netconference web page for upcoming netconferences, archived webcasts, and additional information.

You Call the Shots Modules: You Call the Shots is a web-based training course developed through the Project to Enhance Immunization Content in Nursing Education and Training. Several updated modules are now available, including Pneumococcal, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Vaccines for Children (VFC), and Vaccine Storage and Handling. Please visit the You Call the Shots web page for additional information and other modules. Continuing Education (CE) credit is available for viewing a module and completing an evaluation.

ACIP Meeting: The next ACIP meeting was held February 24, 2016 (one-day meeting). Please visit the ACIP meeting web page for agendas, presentation slides, meeting minutes, and archived video broadcasts.

Measles Resources: CDC aims to continue increasing awareness of measles among individuals and families and to encourage MMR vaccination. To support disease prevention and vaccination education efforts, CDC has developed a variety of measles and vaccination resources, including fact sheets, podcasts, and matte articles. There are also infographics available in English and Spanish.

CDC and Medscape: This special series of commentaries, part of a collaboration between CDC and Medscape, is designed to deliver CDC’s authoritative guidance directly to Medscape’s physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care providers. In this series, CDC experts offer video commentaries on current topics important to practicing clinicians. NCIRD has contributed to a variety of commentaries. You may need to sign up and log in as a member to view the commentaries. Registration is free.

Immunization Resources: Publications are available for ordering at CDC-INFO on Demand. You can search for immunization publications by using the “Programs” drop-down menu and selecting “Immunization and Vaccines,” or you can search by “Title.” Numerous items are available, including the updated Parents’ Guide to Childhood Immunizations and various campaign materials. The 2016 immunization schedules should be available in late March.

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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