News and Media Resources:
Immunization Works! June 2008 issue
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 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.
Front Page News
Fewer Kids Suffering from Rotavirus This Season: Rotavirus activity in the ongoing 2007-2008 season appears to have started later than usual and has been less severe than during any of the previous 15 seasons for which data are available. The information was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) June 25.
Data from around the United States indicate that the season began at the end of February instead of November, the usual start time, and the season peaked at the end of April instead of March, the usual peak time.
Hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and physician visits were also substantially reduced at medical centers conducting prospective rotavirus surveillance. The number of laboratory tests performed for rotavirus from January 1 to May 3, 2008, was 37 percent lower than usual, and the percent of all tests conducted for gastroenteritis that were positive for rotavirus was 79 percent lower than usual.
The report indicates that marked changes in rotavirus activity may be due to the recently introduced rotavirus vaccine for infants. In 2006, a new rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq (Merck & Co. Inc.), was recommended for routine immunization of U.S. infants at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. Clinical trial results indicated that this live, oral vaccine prevented 74 percent of all rotavirus cases, about 98 percent of severe cases, and about 96 percent of hospitalizations due to rotavirus.
The data used in the new report were obtained from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) and from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN). NREVSS is a voluntary network of U.S. laboratories that provide CDC with weekly reports of the number of tests performed and positive results obtained for a variety of pathogens, including rotavirus.
Other News & Summaries
FDA Approves Pentacel (DTaP, Polio, Hib): The Office of Vaccines Research and Review/CBER/FDA has approved a new combination vaccine, Pentacel, which contains Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids, Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Inactivated Poliovirus and Haemophilus b Conjugate (Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate). This vaccine is indicated for active immunization of children 6 weeks through 4 years of age against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis and invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenza type b. The DTaP-IPV component is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur Limited in Toronto, Canada and the Haemophilus b conjugate vaccine (ActHib) is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, S.A. France. The DTaP-IPV component is used to reconstitute ActHib.
Rapid Cycle Analysis (RCA): In 2005, the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project team launched an active surveillance system called Rapid Cycle Analysis (RCA). Its goal is to monitor adverse events following vaccination in near real time, so the public can be informed quickly of possible risks. RCA data come from participating managed care organizations that include more than 8.8 million people annually, representing nearly 3% of the United States population. The RCA data contain no personal identifiers. The VSD Project team uses RCA to monitor newly licensed vaccines and new vaccine recommendations. For more information, please visit Rapid Cycle Analysis.
Reports Show Gardasil® Vaccine Is Safe (Data updated thru April 30, 2008): On June 8, 2006, the FDA licensed Gardasil®, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer caused by certain kinds of human papillomavirus (HPV). Since then, more than 12 million doses of Gardasil vaccine have been distributed. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a national program of CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that monitors the safety of vaccines after they are licensed. VAERS receives reports of adverse events that occur after people receive vaccines. VAERS reports after Gardasil vaccination in the U.S. between June 8, 2006 and April 30, 2008 can be found on the CDC Immunization Safety Office web site. For more information, please visit Gardasil Vaccine Reports.
RotaTeq® Vaccine Safety Study Finds No Association with Intussusception: CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conduct routine safety monitoring for new vaccines. In 2006, CDC implemented a post-licensure vaccine safety study of the RotaTeq® vaccine. On June 2, 2008, PEDIATRICS published CDC's Immunization Safety Office work on Post licensure Monitoring of Intussusception After RotaTeq® Vaccination in the United States, February 1, 2006, to September 25, 2007. This study, conducted by CDC’s Vaccine Safety Office, analyzed the data from reports of intussusception after RotaTeq® vaccination using data from CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project. The study found no association between RotaTeq® and intussusceptions. For more information on the study, please visit RotaTeq® Vaccine Safety Study.
State Grantees Tested in Emergency Response: CDC recently concluded an eight week pilot test to assess the capability of CDC and the 62 Public Health Emergency Preparedness grantees to collect and transmit vaccine doses data administered through the Countermeasure and Response Administration (CRA) System. CRA is a CDC-developed application for tracking and reporting countermeasure use during public health emergencies. The system covers 50 states, 3 U.S. territories, 5 Pacific Island Jurisdictions and the localities of Chicago, Los Angeles County, New York City and Washington D.C. For this exercise, data from seasonal influenza vaccine clinics were used as a proxy for pandemic influenza vaccine. During the initial stages of an influenza pandemic, tracking doses administered will be important to ensure priority groups are being vaccinated expeditiously. Overall, 89% (55/62) of project areas submitted data for at least one seasonal influenza clinic during the pilot period. Fifty-five percent (34/62) of project areas met the criteria to be considered fully successful: 1) transmit the minimum data set for two distinct clinic dates; 2) transmit the data within 48 hours of the vaccine doses administration date. CDC plans to hold a follow-on exercise during the 2008-2009 influenza seasons.
Meetings, Conferences & Resources
Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Training Series: A four-part netconference training series entitled "Essentials of Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention: A Training Series for Coordinators and Case Managers 2008" was designed for perinatal hepatitis B prevention coordinators and case workers in state and local health departments. The archived versions of these sessions are now available and provide guidance to successfully manager, implement and evaluate a prenatal hepatitis B prevention program. The content is drawn from CDC-developed guidelines and resources, such as ACIP immunization strategy to eliminate hepatitis B virus infection in the United States, the perinatal hepatitis B prevention program manual, and the immunization program operations manual. Continuing Education (CE) credits are available.
Just Released: Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases 2008: This four-part self-study series provides the most current information available in the constantly changing field of immunization. Together, the four sessions offer a comprehensive overview on immunization today. Session ONE discusses principles and general recommendations on vaccination. Sessions TWO, THREE and FOUR discuss specific vaccine-preventable diseases and their respective vaccines. Each of the four sessions is three hours in duration. Continuing Education credits will be provided. This Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases self-study program is offered free of charge in DVD and web-on-demand formats.
Pink Book, New Printing: The second printing of the 10th Edition of CDC’s immunization textbook, Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, “The Pink Book,” has been completed and is now available online. “The Pink Book” provides comprehensive information about routinely recommended vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases and much more. A hard copy of the “Pink Book” can be purchased for $35 by contacting www.bookstore.phf.org (exit).
IIS Data Interactive Query Tool: CDC has launched a new tool for research concerning Immunization Information Systems (IIS) called the IIS Data Interactive Query Tool. The searchable database contains detailed calendar year 2004-2006 data -- previously unavailable to the public -- from the Immunization Information Systems Annual Report (IISAR). IISAR is an annual assessment of IIS activity among the 64 immunization program grantees that receive funding under section 317b of the Public Health Service Act. For more information, please contact Bobby Rasulnia at bba9@cdc.gov.
IIS Searchable Publications Database: CDC has launched a new tool for searching Immunization Information Systems (IIS) publications called the IIS Publications Searchable Database. The database contains references for IIS-related articles published in peer-reviewed journals, IIS guidance documents and CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs) from 2000 to the present. This database will be updated as new articles and guidance documents are published. For more information, please contact Bobby Rasulnia at bba9@cdc.gov.
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 and 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.
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Content last reviewed on June 30, 2008
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
