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Immunization Works! April 2006 issue
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 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 and shared.
NIP Has New Name, New Mission
In April 2006, the National Immunization Program (NIP) will become the proposed National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), to be housed in CDC’s Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID). NCIRD will be led by Anne Schuchat, MD, who currently serves as NIP’s Director. NCIRD's proposed mission will be to prevent disease, disability, and death through immunization and by control of respiratory and related diseases. The new center will support both domestic and global immunization and respiratory disease prevention and control priorities, and will link epidemiology and laboratory science around vaccine-preventable diseases and acute respiratory infections with prevention and control programs and strong communication science.
As shown on this organizational chart 
, NCIRD will contain five divisions:
- Immunization Services Division (ISD)
- Global Immunization Division (GID)
- Division of Bacterial Diseases (DBD)
- Division of Viral Diseases (DVD)
- Influenza Division (ID)
ISD and GID will retain similar structures and functions in NCIRD as they had in NIP. Functions from NIP’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (ESD) will be relocated into NCIRD’s three new divisions: ID, DVD, and DBD.
NCIRD will strive to work closely with partners to provide a key focus for vaccine-preventable disease and immunization program issues. NCIRD will also work within CDC to synthesize vaccine-related information from other parts of CDC with immunization expertise.
NCIRD will not be responsible for all vaccine-preventable disease functions nor all respiratory infectious disease functions. For example, the Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) – which is now part of CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) – will be moved into the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and Tuberculosis Prevention (NCHHSTP). Like NCIRD, NCHHSTP will be housed in CDC’s Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID). DVH will have primary responsibilities concerning Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, and will retain subject matter experts for these diseases. However, DVH will work in collaboration with ISD to provide program support to state immunization partners on issues concerning Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.
As always, working with partners will remain a high priority for immunization staff at CDC. Future updates about NCIRD and other CDC organizational changes will continue to be shared with immunization partners through this publication.
Other Immunization News
CDC Statement Regarding Autism-Related Ad
CDC has posted a statement on its website in response to the autism-related advertisement that was published in the April 6, 2006 edition of USA Today. The statement can be found at the OD Press Release page. For more information about autism, immunizations, or thimerosal, please visit the CDC homepage.
Record Attendance at 40th NIC
More than 1500 attendees participated in the 40 th National Immunization Conference (NIC), which was held March 6-9, 2006, in Atlanta, GA. The 3 ½ day conference included 3 full plenaries, 12 topic track plenaries, 12 workshop sessions, and 2 Immunization Q &A sessions. Sessions focused on 6 different topic tracks: Adult/Adolescent Immunization, Epidemiology/Vaccine Safety, Health/Risk Communications, Immunization Information Systems, Programmatic Issues and Policy and Legislation.
Senior leadership from HHS and CDC participated in the conference’s opening session. Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of CDC’s proposed National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), welcomed NIC participants. CDC’s Director, Dr. Julie Gerberding, provided introductory remarks and Mike Leavitt, the Secretary of HHS, delivered the keynote address. During the opening session, awards were presented to state and local immunization leaders, and The Phil Horne Award was presented to CDC’s Dr. Ray Strikas.
Additional conference highlights included The Hilleman Lecture, presented by Dr. Paul Offit, of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the closing session, featuring Mrs. Rosalynn Carter and Mrs. Betty Bumpers. Following their remarks, Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Bumpers were surprised with a special award recognizing their long-standing efforts and tremendous achievements in childhood immunizations.
Handouts and audio/video recordings from the 40 th NIC are now available online. To obtain handouts and audio/video recordings, please visit the NIC website, scroll down to “Conference Recordings and Slides,” and click “Go.” Handouts and audio/video recordings can be accessed by searching with key words or by scrolling through the NIC program and selecting a specific plenary or workshop session. If available, the audio and/or handout for a specific presentation can then be selected. Also, conference participants can receive Continuing Education (CE) credits for participation until April 13, 2006.
National Infant Immunization Week
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to promote the benefits of immunizations and to focus on the importance of immunizing infants against vaccine-preventable diseases by age two. This year, NIIW will again be held in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization’s Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA), from April 22-29, 2006. The U.S. will join together with 35 countries in the Western Hemisphere to concurrently promote the need for routine vaccinations for infants and children during the last week in April. Special NIIW-VWA events will be held in Arizona and Utah. Additional information including public relations materials, talking points, and public service announcements are available on the NIIW website.
Iowa Mumps Outbreak
In Iowa, an average of five Mumps cases have been reported annually since 1996. In 2006, by March 28, a total of 219 mumps cases had been reported in Iowa, and an additional 14 persons with clinically compatible symptoms were being investigated in three neighboring states (11 in Illinois, two in Nebraska, and one in Minnesota) in what has become the largest epidemic of mumps in the United States since 1988. Of the 219 cases reported in Iowa, the median patient age was 21 years, with 48% of patients 17--25 years old; 30% (34 of 114) were known to be college students. Of the 133 patients with investigated vaccine history, 87 (65%) had documentation of receiving 2 doses, 19 (14%) 1 dose, and eight (6%) no doses; vaccine status could not be documented in 19 (14%) patients. Mumps generally is a mild and self-limited viral infection but can also lead to serious complications such as encephalitis or pancreatitis. For more information,view the complete article, Mumps Epidemic -- Iowa, 2006, in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Antiviral Medication Sales Increased in New York City
As part of syndromic surveillance, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) monitors sales of antiviral influenza medications paid for by the Medicaid system, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) monitors sales of antiviral influenza medications by a retail pharmacy chain. Syndromic data are used in combination with data provided by laboratories, health-care facilities, and health-care providers to monitor influenza activity.
In October 2005, a spike in antiviral medication sales was noted. The spike did not coincide with other markers of influenza activity but did coincide with the beginning of media coverage of avian influenza A (H5N1) and the potential for an influenza pandemic. Tracking prescription medication sales can detect spikes for which no immediate indication exists. Such syndromic data might be used to guide issuance of public health recommendations regarding the limited availability of certain medications and the inadvisability of personal stockpiling.
For more information, view the complete article, Increased Antiviral Medication Sales Before the 2005-06 Influenza Season -- New York City, in CDC's MMWR.
Progress in Reducing Global Measles Deaths
Measles remains a substantial cause of global childhood mortality, particularly in developing countries. In their joint strategic plan for Measles Mortality Reduction, 2001--2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) targeted 45 priority countries with the highest measles mortality for implementation of a comprehensive strategy for accelerated and sustained measles mortality reduction.
Components of this strategy include achieving high routine vaccination coverage (greater than 90%) in every district and ensuring that all children receive a second opportunity for measles vaccination. In May 2003, the World Health Assembly endorsed a resolution urging member countries to achieve a goal (adopted in 2002 by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children) to reduce 1999 deaths resulting from measles by half by the end of 2005.
Results from surveillance data combined with the natural history model (which incorporates historical figures with population data) indicate that overall global measles mortality decreased 48%, from 871,000 deaths in 1999 to 454,000 deaths in 2004. Because the 2005 measles mortality reduction goal likely was met on schedule (final 2005 data will not be available until 2007), a more ambitious goal has been proposed in the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS). The new goal calls for a 90% reduction in measles mortality by 2010 compared with the 2000 level.
For more information, view the complete article, Progress in Reducing Global Measles Deaths, 1999-2004, please visit CDC’s MMWR.
HHS Buys More Antiviral Medication
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt recently announced additional purchases of antiviral drugs that could be used in the event of a potential influenza pandemic. The department has ordered 2.2 million more treatment courses of antiviral drug zanamivir (Relenza®) from GlaxoSmithKline and 3.8 million more treatment courses of oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu®) from Roche. With these purchases, the Strategic National Stockpile will have a total of 26 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs for distribution to the states when an influenza pandemic is deemed to be imminent.
For more information, consult the complete HHS press release, "HHS Buys More Antiviral Medication for the Strategic National Stockpile" on the HHS website.
Meetings, Conferences, and Resources
Rotavirus NetConference
CDC will present a live netconference on April 20 from noon to 1:00 PM EST concerning 1) rotavirus general recommendations (timing and spacing of immunobiologics and altered immunocompetence) and 2) rotavirus vaccine recommendations. Part of the Current Issues in Immunization series, this netconference is designed to provide clinicians with the most up-to-date information on immunization issues. It will combine a telephone audio conference and simultaneous online visual content, and participants can join the Q&A session by telephone or Internet.
Instructions and system requirements can be found on the Current Issues in Immunization Net Conference page. Please note that space is limited, and registration is required. Registration will close when the course is full or on April 17 (midnight EST). To register, please visit the Conference Pre-Registration page.
NIP 2006 Annual Report
The 2006 National Immunization Program (NIP) Annual Report, entitled A Global Committment to Lifelong Protection through Immunization, has been posted to the CDC website. The report can be viewed or printed from the NIP Annual Report page. A hard copy of the report can be ordered from the CDC order form. The 2006 NIP Annual Report is listed under “Publications for Health Care Providers.”
Final Hepatitis A VIS
The final version of the Hepatitis A Vaccine Information Statement ( VIS) is now available on CDC’s Website. Dated 3/21/06, the VIS has been updated to include both the one-year minimum age and routine use among children. The Hepatitis A VIS, and other VIS, can be found on the VIS web page.
ACIP Meeting Presentations
Presentations from the February Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) are now posted on the ACIP Website. The ACIP meets quarterly and provides recommendations to the Director of the CDC and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning the prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in the United States. To access the presentations, please visit the ACIP page and click on the link for “ACIP Meeting Presentations” on the right side of the page. Once a presentation is open, click on “read only” to view any of the PowerPoint files.
Tdap Provisional Recommendations
At the February Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, ACIP members voted to recommend Tdap for health-care personnel in hospitals and ambulatory care settings. The ACIP Tdap recommendations are currently being reviewed by the Director of CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and will become official when published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In the meantime, consult the provisional recommendations
CDC Needs Pilot Testers
CDC has an ongoing need for volunteers to pilot test immunization training courses. Volunteers are particularly needed in the following occupations: physicians, pharmacists, health educators, medical assistants and nurses. To learn more about becoming a pilot tester, please send an email to nippilot@cdc.gov.
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 the Atlanta Human Resources website.
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Content last reviewed on April 7, 2006
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
