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Issue 1,743: February 21, 2024  
Top Stories
 
Immunize​.org Website and Clinical Resources 
 
Featured Resources
 
Notable Publications
 
Upcoming Events
 
Top Stories

Shingles Awareness Week begins February 26; use these social media resources to promote vaccination

The third annual Shingles Awareness Week will be held February 26–March 1. The week was established to raise awareness about the risks of shingles (zoster). About one out of every three unvaccinated people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime. CDC recommends two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix, GSK) to prevent shingles and related complications in adults age 50 and older. Shingrix is also recommended for adults 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or treatments that affect the immune system.



The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) offers three social media messages to promote shingles awareness for social media platforms. The images can be customized with your organization’s logo. If you have any questions, please contact AIM.

Related Links 

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Immunize​.org posts revised template for healthcare providers: "Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccine to Children and Teens" 

In an era of multiple pneumococcal vaccination options and changing recommendations, assessment of pneumococcal vaccination can be challenging. In response to feedback from a nurse educator who trains clinical staff on the use of our standing orders, Immunize​.org recently revised its Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccine to Children and Teens to add clarifying footnotes for additional considerations when high-risk children and teens have a history of receiving pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). In addition, we added an inadvertently missing word in one table. 



Immunize​.org also publishes as a standalone clinical resource the recommendations tables for pneumococcal vaccination of children and teens (the tables found on pages 3 and 4 of the standing orders document). Identical revisions were made to this resource.


 
Immunize​.org appreciates our clinical partners who take the time to reach out to us with recommendations to improve our resources.

Related Links


Immunize​.org updates “Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine to Children and Teens" template for healthcare providers

Immunize​.org recently made routine updates to its Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine to Children and Teens template. Changes include: 

  • Deletion of all references to Menactra (Sanofi), which is no longer available 
  • Addition of Enjaymo (sutimlimab, Sanofi), a new complement-inhibiting medication that increases the risk of meningococcal infection and is an indication for vaccination
  • Addition of differences in the earliest licensed age indication for the two Menveo presentations: the lyophilized package may be used beginning at age 2 months; the liquid package may be used beginning at age 10 years

Related Links

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Immunize​.org revises “Vaccinations for Preteens and Teens” handout for patients and caregivers    

Immunize​.org updated its popular patient handout Vaccinations for Preteens and Teens.

  • The "Maybe" statement was changed to "Yes" for several vaccines that are routinely recommended for preteens and teens who did not receive them in early childhood. Now, vaccines categorized as "Maybe" (such as Hib and pneumococcal vaccines) are only those with limited recommendations based on risk factors for older children and teens not previously vaccinated.
  • RSV vaccine was added as a consideration for pregnant teens to protect the infant after birth
  • MenABCWY was added as an option for preteens and teens who need vaccination against both MenB and MenACWY

Related Links


Immunize​.org updates “Clear Answers and Smart Advice about Your Baby's Shots,” an excerpt from Baby 411, by Ari Brown, MD, FAAP  

Immunize​.org is pleased to offer a special excerpt from Baby 411, a parenting book written by Ari Brown, MD, FAAP. The excerpt, titled Clear Answers and Smart Advice About Your Baby's Shots, comes from Dr. Brown’s vaccination chapter and highlights her most recent responses to media attention regarding vaccine misinformation.

Related Links

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Influenza-like illness activity remains elevated across the country, with increases in some parts of the country; continue to encourage vaccination 

CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView, provides a valuable picture of laboratory-confirmed influenza and influenza-like illness activity state by state.

Influenza Surveillance
For week 6, ending February 10, CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView shows that 27 jurisdictions experienced persistent high or very high activity. Nationwide, 4.5% of patient visits reported through the Outpatient Influenza-Like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) were due to respiratory illness that included fever plus a cough or sore throat (i.e., ILI). The national baseline is 2.5%. Eight pediatric influenza-associated deaths were reported this week, bringing the total to 82 children who died of influenza thus far during the 2023–24 season. 



RESP-NET
Visit the CDC Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) for weekly reports of hospitalizations across the United States due to three vaccine-preventable seasonal respiratory viruses: COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. 

Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shows that influenza vaccination coverage for all children is 3.4 percentage points lower this season compared with the same time last season (49.3% compared with 52.7%). Coverage this season so far is 9.8 percentage points lower compared with pre-pandemic coverage at the same time in February 2020 (59.1%).

CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. Influenza and other vaccines (including COVID-19 and RSV vaccines) may be given at the same visit, if indicated. Infants age 6 months and older may receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit when they receive the RSV preventive antibody, nirsevimab.

Locate influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in your area by entering your zip code in the VaccineFinder on Vaccines.gov or Vacunas.gov. To be listed as a provider by VaccineFinder, see the information on this website.

Related Links

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“Are Any of the Available Flu Vaccines Recommended over Others?” Watch the 1-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.  

This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is Are Any of the Available Flu Vaccines Recommended over Others?  The video briefly describes the three influenza vaccines preferentially recommended for individuals age 65 years and older and what to do if none of these are available. 

The 1-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.

Like, follow, and share Immunize​.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise:

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Vaccines in the news

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.


Immunize​.org Website and Clinical Resources

Recap: Immunize​.org updates our entire adult vaccinations series of 1-page handouts for your patients 

Immunize​.org recently updated its entire series of 1-page guides to vaccination considerations for adults. Whether your patient is pregnant, has chronic lung disease, is missing a spleen, or has no specific risks, you will find a guide to vaccination suitable to inform them about vaccines they may need.

Where relevant, guides now incorporate:

  • Vaccination against mpox
  • Information on RSV vaccination 
  • Use of MenABCWY as an option for those needing both MenACWY and MenB vaccinations

Please be sure your practice uses the most current versions of each of the following:

Related Links


Spotlight on the website: Find Answers You Need Fast in "Ask the Experts"

Our popular "Ask the Experts" section of the website now offers three ways to quickly find answers you need among the 1,300+ questions and answers in our database: 

  • by selecting a subset of questions about a specific vaccine or topic
  • by using available filters
  • by searching for specific keywords of interest to you

The keyword search feature in Ask the Experts is robust and quickly finds answers containing your highlighted keywords. When you select a filter, within 2–3 seconds your filtered results will appear. 

We recently added a new feature on the “Ask the Experts” pages in response to your feedback! Users requested that more questions and answers be displayed per page, so we increased the maximum number of questions per page from 20 to 65. If you want to scan both questions and answers, you can click on Show All Answers to display all questions and answers on a page. 

From the “Ask the Experts: All Questions” web page, you can narrow down your search by choosing options listed on the left-hand navigation menu under > By Vaccine or > By Topic. Within a specific subsection, you can also apply keywords or additional filters to further narrow your results.  


Featured Resources

Updated shipping information on our sturdy laminated versions of the 2024 U.S. immunization schedules from Immunize​.org 

Laminated versions of the 2024 U.S. child and adolescent immunization schedule and the 2024 U.S. adult immunization schedule are shipping now and available in the Immunize​.org Shop. A production error required the schedules to be reprinted. Past orders are being replaced and people who place orders now will receive their orders in early March.

While the schedules are available online from CDC at no cost, Immunize​.org’s printed, laminated booklets are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccinations are given.

  • Durable: their tough coating can be wiped down, and they’re durable enough to stand up to a year's worth of use
  • Format: each schedule is produced in a 16-page, 8.5” X 11” booklet format; with color coding for easy reading, our laminated schedules replicate the original CDC formatting, including all tables and notes
  • Easy access to CDC updates: CDC added an online addendum page to the schedule, where new recommendations from ACIP made during 2024 can be posted. The laminated schedule addendum pages include custom QR codes you can scan to view or print the current CDC addendum from CDC's website, as needed.
  • Adult schedule bonus: the adult schedule includes a bonus page with Immunize.org’s popular 1-page handout summarizing the dose, route, and needle size recommendations for all adult vaccines and recipients


    

Pricing

  • 1 copy: $10.00
  • 2–4 copies: $9.50 each
  • 5–19 copies: $8.50 each
  • 20–99 copies: $7.50 each
  • 100–499 copies: $6.00 each
  • 500–999 copies: $5.00 each
  • 1,000–1,999 copies: $4.00 each
  • 2,000+ copies: $3.25 each

Visit the Shop Immunize.org: Laminated Schedules web page to view images of all the pages, to download the order form, and to order today!

For additional information, including large bulk orders, call 651-647-9009 or email [email protected].

Related Links

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Organizing a new vaccination program? Use Immunize​.org’s Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide—free to download. 

Download Immunize​.org’s free 142-page book on adult vaccination to help build your program and train your team: Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide (Guide).

 

This thorough "how to" guide on adult vaccination provides easy-to-use, practical information covering all essential activities. It helps vaccine providers enhance their existing adult vaccination services or introduce them into any clinical setting.

The Guide is available to download/print either by chapter or in its entirety free of charge. The National Vaccine Program Office and CDC both supported the development of the Guide and provided early technical review.

The Guide is a valuable resource to assist providers in increasing adult vaccination rates. Be sure to get a copy today!

Please note: this guide was produced in 2017, before the COVID-19 era, and reflects the recommendations of that time.

Related Links

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Updated 65+ Flu Defense website offers resources for healthcare professionals serving older adults   

Confident recommendations for influenza vaccine from healthcare providers are powerfully persuasive. To assist you in maximizing protection for your patients, Immunize​.org, in collaboration with CSL Seqirus, updated the 65+ Flu Defense website.

Older adults are at increased risk of severe influenza and COVID-19 illness, including hospitalization and death, especially if they are not up to date on these vaccinations. An updated fact sheet on the website, The Importance of Preventing Influenza and COVID-19, offers responses to help guide discussions with patients on the importance of preventing influenza and COVID-19. 



This helpful site includes information, tools, and tips for communicating with adults age 65 and older about the scope and severity of influenza. Resources include:

Check out the updated 65+ Flu Defense website at www.influenza-defense.org to assist your ongoing efforts in protecting this vulnerable population.

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Notable Publications

“Influenza Vaccination in Pregnancy—Rolling Up Sleeves for Pregnant Persons and Infants” published in JAMA Pediatrics 

JAMA Pediatrics published Maternal Vaccine Effectiveness against Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits in Infants by Sahni et al, which was described in IZ Express #1,733 on December 20, 2023. An accompanying commentary is now available to put that study’s findings in perspective. Portions of the commentary appear below. 

Maternal influenza vaccination protects expectant persons from illness and its complications as well as infants in the first 6 months of life through transplacental transfer of antibodies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend inactivated influenza vaccination be administered during the influenza season to all pregnant persons. . . .

The disparities seen in the study by Sahni et al are all too familiar, with non-Hispanic Black infants and those with public insurance being more likely to be born to unvaccinated mothers and being more likely to have influenza-related hospitalizations or ED visits. Systemic and institutional racism contribute to systematic differences in vaccine uptake and to disparate health outcomes for Black pregnant persons and infants. . . .

The current issue’s report strengthens the evidence that infants benefit when persons receive the quadrivalent-inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy. With only half of pregnant persons receiving the influenza vaccine in this study and nationally, there is a huge opportunity to improve vaccine coverage and health outcomes for all pregnant persons and newborns. To optimize health of the pregnancy dyad, it is essential that vaccine registries expand from children to persons of all ages and thereby eliminate record scatter. A second opportunity is that all clinicians seeing pregnant persons for a pregnancy visit, prenatal visit, or a visit of a child strongly recommend influenza vaccination during pregnancy. A third opportunity is that obstetric and pediatric clinicians collaborate to share effective approaches in their communities to enhance access, confidence, and coverage of vaccines and preventive care.


Upcoming Events

Virtual: Watch February 28–29 ACIP meeting. Wide-ranging agenda includes discussion on 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.

CDC will convene a 2-day meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, February 28–29, starting at 8:00 a.m. (ET). ACIP will discuss influenza; chikungunya; COVID–19; polio; HPV; meningococcal; pneumococcal; RSV; diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; Hib; and hepatitis B vaccines.

No registration is required to watch webcasts of live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Opportunities for public comment are described on the website.

The detailed agenda appears on the ACIP main page listed below.

Related Links


North Dakota State University hosts webinar titled “From Elimination to Resurgence: The Challenges of Controlling Vaccine-Preventable Disease in a Changing World” on March 5 at 1:00 p.m. (ET); CME available 

North Dakota State University will host a webinar titled From Elimination to Resurgence: The Challenges of Controlling Vaccine-Preventable Disease in a Changing World at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on March 5. The webinar will feature Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH, author of the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist and scientific consultant to key organizations, including the White House and CDC.

Dr. Jetelina will describe the epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in the United States, explore factors driving VPD resurgence globally, and outline tangible solutions, particularly around scientific communication.

The webinar offers CME credit. 



Register for the webinar.

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For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.
Editorial Information

Editor-in-Chief
Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
Managing Editor
John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
Associate Editor
Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
Writer/Publication Coordinator
Taryn Chapman, MS
Courtnay Londo, MA
Style and Copy Editor
Marian Deegan, JD
Web Edition Managers
Arkady Shakhnovich
Jermaine Royes
Contributing Writer
Laurel H. Wood, MPA
Technical Reviewer
Kayla Ohlde
 
About IZ Express
Immunize​.org welcomes redistribution of this issue of IZ Express or selected articles.
When you do so, please add a note that Immunize​.org is the source of the material and provide a link to this issue.

IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. 1NH23IP922654 from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize​.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN: 2771-8085






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