News and Media Resources:
Immunization Works! December 2007 issue
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Immunization Works Monthly Immunization Update is provided to professional organization partners for broad distributino to their members and constituencies. The immunization information provided is non-proprietary.
Front Page News
Merck Announces Voluntary Recall of Hib Vaccine: Merck & Co. has initiated a voluntary recall in the United States for eleven lots of PedvaxHIB® [Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Meningococcal Protein Conjugate)] and two lots of COMVAX® [Haemophilus b Conjugate (Meningococcal Protein Conjugate) and Hepatitis B (Recombinant) Vaccine]. The affected doses were distributed starting in April 2007. No other lots of PedvaxHIB® or COMVAX® and no other Merck products are affected by this recall.
Merck is taking this step as a precautionary measure. The company cannot assure sterility for these specific vaccine lots. The potential contamination in these specific lots was identified as part of Merck’s standard evaluation of their manufacturing processes. In routine testing of the vaccine manufacturing equipment used to produce PedvaxHIB® and COMVAX®, Merck identified the presence of a certain bacteria called Bacillus cereus. Sterility tests of the vaccine lots themselves have not found any contamination. The potential for contamination of any individual vaccine is low, and, if present, the level of contamination would be low. However, because they cannot guarantee the sterility of these specific lots of vaccine, Merck is conducting this recall.
CDC has posted a fact sheet, Q&As about Recall of Hib Vaccine on their Vaccines Website. Also, questions about medical and other issues related to this recall can be directed to Merck’s National Service Center at 1-800-672-6372.
Other News & Summaries
Important FluMist Changes for 2007-08 Influenza Season:
MedImmune Vaccines (Gaithersburg, Maryland) recently received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the use of FluMist®, a live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), to children 2-4 years old (i.e., 24-49 months). In granting the new approval, FDA emphasized that FluMist is not approved for vaccination of children less than 2 years old or adults greater than 49 years old, and that FluMist safety has not been established in persons with underlying medical conditions predisposing them to influenza-related complications. In addition, FluMist should not be administered to persons with asthma or children less than 5 years old with recurrent wheezing. Three other changes in the use of FluMist and its 2007-08 formulation should be noted; the amount of vaccine administered, the temperature at which FluMist is shipped and stored after delivery to the end-user, and the minimum interval between doses have changed compared with the 2006-07 influenza season formulation. For more information, see the Notice to Readers in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or see the Manufacturer's Package Insert 
(exit).
Availability of Afluria®: CSL Biotherapies, Inc., ( King of Prussia, Pennsylvania) recently received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for use of Afluria®, a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) administered intramuscularly in persons 18 years or older. Afluria can be used for any adult influenza vaccine indication. The addition of Afluria brings to six (five TIVs and one live, attenuated influenza vaccine) the number of seasonal influenza vaccines licensed for the U.S. market. CDC estimates that manufacturers of the six vaccines will supply a record 132 million doses of influenza vaccine for the 2007-08 Influenza Season. For more information, see the Notice to Readers in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or see the Manufacturer's Package Insert (exit).
Great Strides for Global Measles Control/Mortality Reduction: According to 2000-2006 data, (WHO) The World Health Organization (exit), and (UNICEF) United Nations Children's Fund (exit) comprehensive strategy for measles mortality reduction has exceeded expectations. The strategy, focused on 47 priority countries, requires 1) achieving and maintaining high coverage (greater than 90%) with the first dose of measles vaccine by age 12 months in every district of each priority country through routine immunization services; 2) ensuring that all children receive a second opportunity for measles vaccination; 3) maintaining effective case-based surveillance and monitoring of vaccination coverage; and 4) providing appropriate clinical management, including vitamin A supplementation. In January 2007, WHO/UNICEF reported that implementation of measles mortality reduction strategies had reduced measles mortality by 60%, from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 deaths in 2005. This reduction exceeded the goal of 50% measles mortality reduction by 2005 (compared with 1999 levels) that had been set in 2002. For more information, see the full article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report.
Dramatic increase in Use of Hib Vaccine Globally: Since 2000, the GAVI Alliance (exit) (formerly known as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) has provided support for new and underutilized vaccines to the poorest countries in the world. While Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine has been widely utilized in developed countries for more than 15 years, uptake of the vaccine in developing countries has been slow. In 2005, the GAVI Alliance created the Hib Initiative to accelerate evidence-informed adoption and sustained use of Hib vaccine in GAVI-eligible countries. Worldwide, Hib disease is estimated to cause 3 million cases of meningitis and severe pneumonia, and approximately 386,000 deaths per year, in children under five years of age. (WHO) The World Health Organization (exit) recommends that all countries adopt the Hib vaccine into routine child immunizations. In September 2007, the GAVI Alliance received 21 applications (13 from Africa) for funding support for Hib containing pentavalent vaccine. Of these, 16 were approved, and five received conditional approval. The introduction of Hib vaccine in these countries will increase the number of GAVI eligible countries using or approved to use Hib vaccine from 31 countries to 47, and will cover a birth cohort of approximately 23 million children – a two-fold increase in existing coverage. CDC is a member of the Hib Initiative (exit) along with WHO, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (exit) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine . (exit)
CDC's Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign Wins National Award: Women in Government, a national organization representing women state legislators in the United States, recently recognized CDC's Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign with a Presidential Leadership Award. The award honors individuals and groups that are advancing efforts to eliminate cervical cancer in the United States and worldwide. In November, at a ceremony held at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the award was accepted on behalf of the campaign byPre-teen Vaccine Campaign manager Kari Sapsis. The CDC′s Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign is designed to engage parents and others in a dialogue to ensure pre-teen vaccinations are not forgotten. Through extensive audience research, CDC has created posters and flyers, in English and Spanish, to educate parents and providers about the three pre-teen vaccines and the 11 and 12 year old medical check-up. More information about the campaign, and free campaign materials, can be found at the CDC’s Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign Website.
Meetings, Conferences, & Resources
New CDC Flu Materials: A new CDC fact sheet, Questions & Answers about the 2007-2008 Flu Season, can be found at CDC’s Seasonal Flu Website. The fact sheet, which is intended for a general public audience, answers questions about this year’s flu season, the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, and other common questions. Also, CDC has posted ten new posters, including several in Spanish, at the CDC Flu Gallery.
Partner Flu PSAs: (NIVS) The National Influenza Vaccine Summit (exit), which is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has posted a number of influenza public service announcements (PSAs) on its website. The PSAs, many of which are free or available from partners for a nominal fee, can be found on the on the News and Media page under the Public Service Announcements heading (exit) of the NIVS website.
Updated Shots 2007: An updated version of Shots 2007 is now available for Palm and PocketPC devices. Developed by the Group on Immunization Education by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, Shots provides quick reference guide to the 2007 Childhood Immunization Schedule and the 2007-2008 Adult Immunization Schedule. To download a free copy, please visit the Shots Website. (exit)
Get Ready for NIC: The 42 nd National Immunization Conference (NIC) will be held from March 17–20, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will be comprised of six topic tracks: Adolescent and Adult Vaccination, Epidemiology and New Vaccines, Health and Risk Communication, Immunization Information Systems, Influenza, and Programmatic Issues, and Health and Risk Communication. Abstract submission is now closed. More information can be found on the NIC Website. Or, questions can be addressed to the Conference Planning Team at nipnic@cdc.gov.
Call for Abstracts for Coalitions Conference: Register now for the 8 th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions. The conference will be held in San Francisco, CA from May 21-23, 2008. This year’s conference will be expanded to include participants across all health issues. Visit the Coalition Conference Website (exit) for more information about the conference and how to submit an abstract.
On-Site Training in Atlanta: A two-day Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases course will be held in Atlanta on April 15 and 16, 2008 at CDC. Space is limited.
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 Website.
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, including international opportunities, please visit the CDC Employment Website.
The Immunization Works Database Manager can be contacted at immunizationworks@cdc.gov.
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Content last reviewed on December 18, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
