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Top Stories
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Featured Resources
Notable Publications Upcoming Events
Top Stories
NEW! Immunize.org posts standing orders templates for administering 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccines and updates “Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools.”
CDC posted Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States on November 4, incorporating updates to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted at the September ACIP meeting, in addition to dosing schedule updates. Until this season, CDC has issued standing orders templates for COVID-19 vaccination that Immunize.org has shared on its website. This season, CDC will not be issuing updated standing orders templates. Therefore, Immunize.org is releasing standing orders templates for COVID-19 vaccination reflecting the 2025–26 guidance.
ACIP now recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all people age 6 months or older following shared clinical decision-making. Professional medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), have issued their own recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination, including routine vaccination for certain groups. These standing orders templates include links to published guidance from CDC and professional medical societies. The standing orders also provide background information on high-risk conditions, including immunocompromising conditions and treatments that warrant use of the dosing schedule for people with moderate or severe immunocompromise. Those who use these templates should adapt them as needed to fit their organization’s decision to follow the recommendations of the CDC or a relevant professional medical society.
In addition, Immunize.org published the November 15 version of its Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools.
The resource checklist is updated when significant new COVID-19 vaccine resources are released. The version date of this, and every Immunize.org document, appears within the footer. All who offer COVID-19 vaccination should review reference materials and replace them as needed with current versions. Related Links
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On November 10, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced that Canada lost its measles elimination status as a result of uninterrupted transmission of measles virus in the country for the past 12 months. This also means a loss of the overall measles elimination status for the World Health Organization (WHO) Region of the Americas, which includes Canada. The Region of the Americas is the only region of the world to achieve measles elimination. The path forward requires the same proven strategies that initially achieved elimination. Vaccination coverage must increase to at least 95% for both doses, and must reach every community. Surveillance systems must remain sensitive enough to detect every case. When cases appear, rapid response teams must investigate immediately, vaccinate contacts, and prevent further spread. Laboratory networks must quickly identify and characterize viruses. And perhaps most demanding of all, this work must continue year after year, even when measles seems like a distant memory.
Plan now for National Influenza Vaccination Week on December 6–12. Use these toolkits and resources to spread influenza vaccine awareness. National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), December 6–12, is a time to remind everyone that annual influenza vaccination is a critical step toward protecting your health this winter. CDC has not yet posted NIVW-specific materials for the 2025–26 season. However, several public health organizations posted tools that healthcare providers and public health communicators can use to recommend flu vaccination during this year’s NIVW observance, including:
 Additionally, IZ Express published a list of respiratory season toolkits in our October 29 issue to aid your RSV, COVID, and influenza vaccination communication this season. Related Links
“Nurse’s Anti-HBs Was Positive, Now Negative: Does She Need HepB Vaccine?” Watch the 1-minute video, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube. This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is titled Nurse’s Anti-HBs Was Positive, Now Negative: Does She Need HepB Vaccine? The video briefly describes why no action is needed when a patient with a remote history of HepB vaccination has a negative hepatitis B surface antibody titer now, but the patient’s records document a protective hepatitis B surface antibody titer after vaccination in the past. This scenario is most likely to occur when the patient is a healthcare professional. 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 Immunize.org's External Resources main page, where content from credible and trustworthy partners dedicated to immunization is showcased. You’ll find links to:
To access the External Resources menu, click on the “Clinical Resources” tab found atop each page and then “External Resources” in the left-hand column. The menu in the center links to the four categories described above. Recap: Immunize.org updates "Vaccines Work!" with table showing how rates of each vaccine-preventable disease fell after introduction of vaccination Immunize.org updated its popular Vaccines Work! 1-page document with revised CDC data on how much rates of each vaccine-preventable disease dropped after introduction of routine vaccination. Featured Resources
Infectious IDeas, a podcast series from NFID, brings leading experts together for thought-provoking conversations. In a special compilation episode, Fact vs. Fiction: Top Vaccine Myths Debunked, Marla Dalton, CAE, and William Schaffner, MD, revisit some of the most common myths and misconceptions busted by past guests. Back to top
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists releases Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation: A Social Media Toolkit American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released its Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation: A Social Media Toolkit after ACOG released its updated guidance on COVID-19 vaccination. The toolkit features social media graphics and sample messages to help educate and encourage pregnant patients to make the choice to get vaccinated. Back to top
We the People Vax, founded by immunization coalitions from Arizona, California, and Indiana, is a group of coalitions and health organizations raising awareness of the patriotism of strengthening communities via vaccination. Their latest campaign, The Holidays 2025, is designed for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, and includes:
Notable Publications
“Multisociety Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Homes” published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
In its October 28 issue, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology published Multisociety Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Homes, developed by a collaboration of major infection-prevention societies, including Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), and the Post‑Acute and Long‑Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed).
Upcoming Events
Virtual: NFID hosts webinar titled “Pulse Check: What's at Stake This Respiratory Season” on December 3 at 12:00 p.m. (ET) as part of its 2025–2026 Respiratory Season News Briefing series. CME credit offered.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will host its third webinar in its 2025–2026 Respiratory Season News Briefings series titled Pulse Check: What's at Stake This Respiratory Season at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on December 3. The panel includes NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins; Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, former CDC director; and Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development.
CME and CNE credit are available. There is no fee to participate in this activity, but preregistration is required. NFID hosts monthly webinars to increase awareness of the importance of infectious disease prevention and treatment. CME, CNE, and CPE credits are available for select recordings. View all archived NFID webinars. Back to top
Virtual: December 4–5 ACIP meeting will discuss vaccine safety, childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, and hepatitis B vaccines CDC will convene the ACIP on December 4–5, starting at 9:00 a.m. (ET). The announcement, posted on November 12, indicates the meeting will discuss vaccine safety, the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, and hepatitis B vaccines. Recommendation votes may be scheduled for the hepatitis B vaccine and its consideration for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Request an opportunity for oral public comment or submit written comments to the committee by November 24. A draft agenda is available now; agenda items are subject to change. No registration is required to watch webcasts of live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Related Links
Virtual: Register for Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Join a 30-minute discussion about image library, webinars, videos, and social media content on December 10 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or December 11 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions archived. To learn simple tips and tricks for using our websites efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, December 10, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, December 11, at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions. Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both): The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize.org’s "Webinars & Videos" page. Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. |
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