News and Media Resources:

Immunization Works! November 2006 issue

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.

New Shingles Vaccine Recommendation

In October, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended people age 60 and older receive a new vaccine to prevent herpes zoster, or shingles, a condition that often leads to debilitating chronic pain. The ACIP recommended that the new vaccine, Zostavax, be given to all people age 60 and older, including those who have had a previous episode of shingles.

Zostavax, the only zoster vaccine on the market, was studied in approximately 38,000 individuals throughout the United States who were age 60 years and older. Half received the vaccine and half received a placebo. Study participants were followed for an average of three years to see if they developed shingles and, if they did, how long the pain lasted. Zostavax reduced the occurrence of shingles by about 50 percent and post herpetic neuralgia (pain persisting after an episode of shingles) by 67 percent.

While the ability for the vaccine to prevent shingles declined with age, the risk of chronic pain among those older vaccinated persons who still developed shingles was lowered. The most common reported side effects in vaccine recipients were mild, such as reactions at the injection site and headache.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella or chickenpox and becomes dormant within the nerves following exposure or a case of chickenpox. It can reactivate later in life to cause shingles. About 25% of people develop zoster during their lifetime, and there are about one million cases of shingles per year. The risk is highest in the elderly, and it increases with age starting at around 50 years. Shingles often causes chronic pain, and the risk of suffering chronic pain increases with age, starting at 60 years. Shingles is much less contagious than chickenpox.

The ACIP, consisting of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), advises the director of CDC and Secretary of HHS on control of vaccine-preventable disease and vaccine usage. Recommendations of the ACIP become CDC policy when they are accepted by the director of CDC and are published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). To view CDC’s press release on this topic, please visit www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r061026.htm

Other Immunization News

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW): Note: A press event will be held November 13th to announce NIVW. In order not to preempt this event, please consider this information embargoed until after November 13th. To help raise awareness of influenza vaccination recommendations and the importance of continuing vaccination efforts throughout November and beyond, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Influenza Vaccine Summit, partners and stakeholders will be announcing a National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) from Monday, November 27th through Sunday, December 3rd, 2006. Partners may use this opportunity to help plan vaccination clinics and flu vaccine promotion activities with providers, state and local health departments, mass vaccinators, retail vaccinators, and other healthcare organizations. Free influenza materials are available for easy printing at CDC’s “flu gallery” www.cdc.gov/flu/gallery, including posters, flyers, and educational handouts. Materials specific to NIVW will be available soon.

New Vaccine Tracking System: A record number of up to 115 million doses of influenza vaccine are expected for the 2006-2007 influenza season, with 77 million doses reported as distributed by November 3.

Frequently throughout every vaccination season, healthcare providers and facilities ask where they can obtain influenza vaccine. With no current information available regarding who has vaccine to sell, the answer usually is to “call a distributor or manufacturer.”

To address this need, the National Influenza Summit -- an informal collaboration of organizations involved in influenza vaccination in the United States -- has developed the Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System (IVATS). The goal of IVATS is to establish a voluntary, centralized, regularly updated national resource that health care providers can access to learn: 1) which distributors have influenza vaccine for sale; and 2) how to contact and order vaccine from these distributors. As of October 31st, nine distributors have enrolled and four have submitted their first report to IVATS. Information about how to use IVATS can be found on the National Influenza Summit’s website at
www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16919.htm

ACIP Accepting Nominations: Nominations are now being accepted for persons to serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in place of five retiring members. ACIP consists of 15 experts in immunization-related fields who provide advice and guidance to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the CDC about the most effective means to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases. The Committee develops written recommendations for the routine administration of vaccines to the pediatric and adult populations, along with schedules regarding the appropriate periodicity, dosage, and contraindications applicable to the vaccines. ACIP is the only entity in the federal government which makes such recommendations. According to HHS policy, committee membership must be balanced in terms of professional training and background, points of view represented, and the committee’s function. Members are selected by the HHS secretary, and consideration is given to a broad representation of geographic areas within the U.S., with equitable representation of the sexes, ethnic and racial minorities, and the handicapped. Nominations must be submitted by December 18, 2006. For more information, please visit the ACIP website at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/

Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule: The Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule has been approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the American Medical Association (AMA). Significant changes have been made to the format, making it easier to understand. The new Adult Immunization Schedule also reflects new ACIP recommendations, including:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been recommended for women <26 years.
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine has been added as a one-time, 1-dose recommendation for persons <64 years.
• Tdap was added to the medical/other indications schedule as a one-time, 1-dose recommendation for all indications except pregnancy.
• A second dose of mumps vaccine is recommended for adults in certain age groups and with certain risk factors.
• A second dose of varicella vaccine is recommended for all adults without evidence of immunity. Also, the definition of immunity to varicella has been revised.
• Influenza vaccine is recommended for close contacts of children aged 0–59 months rather than 0–23 months.
• Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for any adult seeking protection from hepatitis B virus infection and adults in specific settings (e.g., sexually transmitted disease clinics).

To view the complete article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), please visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5540a10.htm
The Adult Immunization Schedule can be found at
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/adult-schedule.htm

Vaccination Coverage Among Children Entering School: It is a Healthy People 2010 national objectives to achieve and sustain greater than 95 percent vaccination coverage among children in kindergarten through first grade for the following vaccines: hepatitis B vaccine; diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine, or diphtheria and tetanus toxoids vaccine (DTP/DTaP/DT); poliovirus (polio) vaccine; measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines; and varicella vaccine. For the 2005-06 school year, this goal was met in more than half of the states. CDC provided a new online reporting system to make collecting and reporting vaccination data easier for states and U.S.-affiliated jurisdictions. Additional information about assessing and reporting vaccination coverage among children entering school is available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/stats-surv/ To view the complete article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), please visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5541a3.htm

Varicella Surveillance Practices: Varicella became a reportable disease in the United States in 1972, with states reporting weekly data to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). In 2002, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) recommended that varicella case-based surveillance be implemented in all states by 2005. Case-based surveillance is necessary to 1) assess the effect of vaccination on changes in age distribution and severity of cases; 2) evaluate the proportion of cases in vaccinated persons; and 3) assess and monitor vaccine effectiveness. While substantial progress has been made towards widespread use of case-based surveillance, a 2004 survey found that 28 public health jurisdictions still had not used it. The most frequently reported barrier to case-based surveillance was lack of staffing resources (39%). The most frequently cited successful strategy in facilitating case-based surveillance was partnering with community groups (i.e. physician groups, day care centers, or school nurses) through meetings, e-mails, and newsletters (41%). To view the complete article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), please visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5541a4.htm

Improved Supply of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine: In May 2006, CDC and its partners recommended deferral of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) vaccination of children aged 11--12 years in response to vaccine supply limitations. The manufacturer has since announced that supply is no longer limited. Where possible, providers who previously deferred vaccination of children aged 11--12 years should recall those patients and vaccinate them. To view the complete article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), please visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5543a5.htm

Update: Guillain-Barré Syndrome Among Recipients of MCV4: Reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) have shown a possible association between Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a serious neurologic disorder, and receipt of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4). As of September 2006, 17 cases of GBS have been reported and confirmed within 6 weeks after MCV4 vaccination. Because of the limitations of VAERS, these findings should be viewed with caution. CDC continues to recommend routine vaccination with MCV4 for adolescents, college freshmen living in dormitories, and other populations at increased risk. However, persons with a history of GBS should not receive MCV4, unless they are at especially high risk for meningococcal disease. CDC encourages all persons to report cases of GBS or any other clinically significant adverse events associated with MCV4 or any other vaccination to VAERS at www.vaers.hhs.gov or by fax at 877-721-0366. To view the complete article in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), please visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5513a2.htm

CDC Influenza Materials Win Awards: CDC is proud to announce that three products from the 2005-2006 influenza vaccine campaign have won National Health Information Awards in the Health Promotion/Disease and Injury Prevention Information Category. They include: "Hazlo Por Ellos/Do It for Them" a Spanish language television PSA targeting Hispanic seniors; “Grandkids" an English language television PSA targeting African American seniors; and "For 50 and Older--African American Grandmother/Granddaughter" a poster targeting African American seniors age 50 and older. Congratulations to CDC’s Kari Sapsis and Ron Nuse, and the campaign contractor, the Academy for Educational Development (AED).

Meetings, Conferences, and Resources

Adult Immunization Satellite Broadcast: On December 7, 2006, CDC will host a satellite broadcast and webcast to update healthcare personnel on current adult immunization recommendations. The broadcast, which will take place from 12 to 2:30 pm Eastern time, will 1) describe the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among adults in the United States; 2) highlight the 2006-2007 Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule; and 3) describe strategies to improve adult vaccination coverage levels. The program will include a discussion of vaccines routinely recommended for adults, including influenza, pneumococcal, Tdap, human papillomavirus and herpes zoster. It will also address vaccines recommended for healthcare personnel and identify resources relevant to vaccine recommendations for international travel. For more information, go to
www2.cdc.gov/phtn/adult-imm06/default.asp

Save the Dates: CDC's annual four-part series, Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, is scheduled for Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, & Feb. 15, 2007. Each session is scheduled for 12 to 4 pm Eastern time. More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/broadcasts.htm

Immunization Update 2006: Immunization Update 2006, which was broadcast August 10, 2006, is now available as a self-study program on the internet and as a DVD. DVDs can be ordered from NIP's online order form at www2.cdc.gov/nchstp_od/PIWeb/vaccinesorderform.asp and the web-on-demand can be accessed from the PHTN website at
www2a.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/immup-2006/default.asp
Also, slides and other resources related to this program can be found at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/broadcasts-updates-resources.htm

Register for NIC: The 41st National Immunization Conference (NIC) -- to be held from March 5–8, 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri -- will be comprised of six topic tracks: Adolescent and Adult Vaccination, Epidemiology and New Vaccines, Influenza, Immunization Information Systems, Programmatic Issues, and Health and Risk Communication. Please register before January 12, 2007 to obtain the best rate. Participants can register online at the NIC Web site at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/nic

Updated HPV Materials: CDC has recently updated its online HPV brochure and poster (in English and Spanish). These materials can be accessed at www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/common-downloads.htm or from CDC’s HPV homepage at www.cdc.gov/std/hpv. These materials are available in PDF, printer-friendly, and text-only format.

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 www.cdc.gov/hrmo/hrmo.htm

 Return to Immunization Works! index page

• Email this page
• Printer-friendly version

• Help
• Glossary / Acronyms
• Site Map