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Top Stories
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Featured Resources
Notable Publications
Global News
Upcoming Events Top Stories
CDC now offers simple, parent-friendly, and downloadable versions of the childhood immunization schedules:
  Related Links CDC's Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in the United States On April 5, CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus: Identification of Human Infection and Recommendations for Investigations and Response. Since February 2022, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus has been detected in wild birds in 50 states or territories. Outbreaks in commercial poultry or backyard bird flocks associated with high mortality have been reported in 48 states. Vaccinate Your Family releases its "2023 Annual Report" and its "2024 State of the ImmUnion Report" on vaccine-preventable diseases Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) released its 2023 Annual Report highlighting the programs and partnerships that build a culture of immunization. Last year marked 30 years since the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program was authorized. This year’s report reflects on the 1 million lives saved in the United States thanks to childhood vaccines and proposes a roadmap back to a culture of immunization based on collaboration. VYF also released its 8th annual State of the ImmUnion Report. The primary audience for this report is Congress. In 2023, exemptions to childhood vaccinations reached an all-time high in the United States, and adult vaccination rates continued to struggle, particularly among Black, Latino, and Hispanic adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of uninsured children who did not receive vaccines doubled from 3% to 6%. Too many people have lost faith in the public health system and some now skip vaccines. VYF’s "2024 State of the ImmUnion Report" describes the ongoing challenges our nation faces and the policies that can increase vaccination rates and promote public safety.
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Influenza-like illness activity remains elevated nationally but is decreasing; it's not too late to vaccinate
For week 13, ending March 30, CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView shows that six jurisdictions experienced high activity. Nationwide, 3.0% 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 2.9%. Seven pediatric influenza-associated deaths were reported this week, bringing the total to 133 children who died of influenza thus far during the 2023–24 season. Influenza Vaccination
“Can COVID-19 Vaccination Lead to Fertility Problems?” 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 Can COVID-19 Vaccination Lead to Fertility Problems? The video briefly highlights that there's currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines or other vaccines cause fertility problems. Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise:
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Today, we turn the spotlight on two types of content located under the Official Guidance menu tab at the top of each page:
We make it easy for you to find official publications related to vaccines. We provide direct links to important FDA resources, including vaccine package inserts, EUA Fact Sheets, product approvals, and related content. The page is sorted alphabetically by vaccine, or you can use the Vaccine or Disease Name filter to bring you directly to a specific vaccine. Back to top
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare professionals and handouts for patients. All Immunize.org clinical resources are free to distribute.
Related Links
Featured Resources Association of Immunization Managers offers resource on managing vaccine hesitancy during an outbreak
The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) released Managing Vaccine Hesitancy during an Outbreak: A Focus on Cultural Competency, the second chapter in its Lessons from the Field: Promoting Vaccine Confidence guide. This resource offers essential, culturally competent steps for identifying and engaging with communities at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. These steps help address vaccine hesitancy, particularly in outbreak situations. Each step highlights key considerations, experiences from the field, immunization program and stakeholder insights, lessons learned, and resources to support programs’ community engagement efforts. Before we run out! Place your order for these 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. We anticipate selling out, so put in your order now!
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.
Check out the updated 65+ Flu Defense website at www.influenza-defense.org to assist your ongoing efforts in protecting this vulnerable population. People benefit from a personal copy of their immunization records. Immunize.org offers adult and lifetime immunization record cards you can provide your patients.
Immunize.org's personal immunization record cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, water-proof paper, are designed to last a lifetime. They fit in a wallet when folded. The record cards are for you to give to your patients as a permanent personal vaccination record and are sold in boxes of 250. The child/teen immunization record cards have been discontinued due to low demand and greater use of immunization information systems for young children. Notable Publications
“Federal Retail Pharmacy Program Contributions to Bivalent mRNA COVID Vaccinations across Sociodemographic Characteristics—United States, September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023” published in MMWR
CDC published Federal Retail Pharmacy Program Contributions to Bivalent mRNA COVID Vaccinations across Sociodemographic Characteristics—United States, September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023 on April 4 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. Pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) served as integral partners in national efforts to scale up vaccination capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency response. . . . Among 59.8 million COVID-19 bivalent vaccine doses administered in the United States during September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023, 40.5 million (67.7%) were administered by FRPP partners. In urban and rural areas, FRPP partners administered 81.6% and 60.0% of bivalent vaccine doses, respectively. . . . FRPP partnerships were critical in ensuring access to bivalent COVID-19 vaccination services in the United States and could serve as a model to address vaccination services needs for routine vaccines and during future responses to vaccine-preventable disease emergencies.
“Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake among United States Adults, Aged 27–45 Years” published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
In the April 13, 2023 issue, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics published Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake among United States Adults, Aged 27–45 Years. Key findings appear below.
The authors concluded that, given HPV vaccine’s importance in cancer prevention, it is critical to mitigate low overall rates and disparities. Global News
CDC published Surveillance to Track Progress toward Polio Eradication—Worldwide, 2022–2023 on April 4 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. During 2022–2023, among 28 priority countries experiencing or at high risk for poliovirus transmission, 20 (71.4%) met national AFP surveillance indicator targets, and the number of environmental surveillance sites in priority countries increased. However, substantial national and subnational AFP surveillance gaps persist. . . . Maintaining high-quality surveillance is critical to achieving the goal of global polio eradication. Monitoring surveillance indicators is important to identifying gaps and guiding surveillance strengthening activities, particularly in countries at high risk for poliovirus circulation.
Upcoming Events
Virtual: Registration open for NFID’s “2024 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research” on May 8–10; CME credit offered
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will host its live virtual 2024 Annual Conference on Vaccinology Research (ACVR) on May 8–10. The conference brings together disciplines involved in vaccine research, development, implementation, and real-world evaluation. In-person: Registration open for CDC’s “National Immunization Conference 2024” on August 12–14 in Atlanta; abstract deadline April 19; CE credit offered
CDC will host its National Immunization Conference 2024 (NIC) on August 12–14 in Atlanta, GA. Program content will cover science, policy, education, and implementation issues related to immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases. The conference will feature dynamic speakers from a range of backgrounds and experiences, offering continuing education for a variety of professions. For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events. |
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