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2023 U.S. recommended immunization schedule for children and teens released along with MMWR article detailing changes
On February 10, CDC posted the 2023 recommended immunization schedules for children and adolescents on CDC's Immunization Schedules for Healthcare Providers web page.
The updated schedules for children and adolescents include:
Access the full-color, 12-page PDF of the child/adolescent schedule.
View what changed on the child/adolescent schedule for 2023.
As in previous years, Immunize.org will be producing sturdy, waterproof, laminated copies of these schedules for sale in coming weeks. Pre-ordering information will be shared soon in a special Shop Edition of IZ Express.
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2023 U.S. recommended immunization schedule for adults released along with MMWR article detailing changes
On February 10, CDC posted the 2023 recommended immunization schedules for adults on CDC's Immunization Schedules for Healthcare Providers web page.
The updated schedule for adults includes:
Access the full-color, 10-page PDF of the adult schedule.
View what changed on the adult schedule for 2023.
As in previous years, Immunize.org will be producing sturdy, waterproof, laminated copies of these schedules for sale in coming weeks. Pre-ordering information will be shared soon in a special Shop Edition of IZ Express.
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CDC study adds to evidence that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is associated with less pertussis among newborns
On February 6, a CDC study was published in JAMA Pediatrics that provides further evidence that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy helps protect newborns from whooping cough during their first two months of life. Newborns are most vulnerable to serious pertussis illness. A portion of the CDC release on the findings appears below.
The new study is the first time researchers have looked at U.S. population level trends in infant whooping cough cases since [the Tdap] maternal vaccination strategy began in 2011. Newborn whooping cough rates decreased significantly since the introduction of maternal Tdap vaccination. When given during the third trimester of pregnancy, Tdap vaccination prevents more than three in four cases of whooping cough in infants younger than two months old.
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February is Black History Month; Immunize.org celebrates the contribution of Black Americans in vaccinology
February is Black History Month. Immunize.org recognizes the contributions of Black Americans to vaccinology throughout history, including:
- Onesimus, an enslaved man, introduced the idea of smallpox variolation in the United States in the 1700s
- Louis Tompkins Wright, the first Black surgeon on staff at Harlem Hospital in New York City, developed a new way to give the smallpox vaccine in the 1920–1930s
- Loney Clinton Gordon was one of three women to develop the pertussis vaccine in the 1940s
- Henrietta Lacks' cancer cells from the 1950s contributed to the development of the first polio vaccine, the HPV vaccine, and the COVID-19 vaccine
- Mae C. Jemison, the first Black astronaut, worked in vaccine research at CDC in the 1980s–1990s
- Kizzmekia S. Corbett, a viral immunologist, played a key role in developing the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
Health inequities and disparities result, in part, from lower vaccination rates among Black Americans. Immunize.org encourages everyone to do their part to close the gaps in vaccination awareness, access, affordability, and coverage as part of our work to address disparities in health outcomes.
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Immunize.org’s Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll recognizes 576 institutions, including three new honorees
Immunize.org is pleased to welcome three new institutions into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, for a total of 576 honorees. The birthing institutions are listed below with their reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
- Orlando Health – Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, Orlando, FL (90%)
- St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center, Ketchum, ID (91%)
- Weirton Medical Center, Weirton, WV (92%)
Several institutions are being recognized for qualifying for an additional year:
- West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Miami, FL (95%) (2 years)
- Overlake Medical Center, Bellevue, WA (92%) (3 years)
- Amberwell Atchison, Atchison, KS (91%) (6 years)
- Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana, KY (97%) (6 years)
- MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH (93%) (8 years)
The Honor Roll now includes 576 birthing institutions from 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, and a U.S. military base in England.
The Honor Roll is a key part of Immunize.org’s initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to Give Birth to the End of Hep B. Hospitals and birthing centers are recognized for attaining high coverage for hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting additional criteria. To learn whether your organization qualifies and to access the application form, please see Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll online.
Honorees are awarded an 8.5" x 11" color certificate suitable for printing and framing and their acceptance is announced to IZ Express’s 54,000+ readers.
Please visit the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and celebrates their exceptional efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission.
Related Immunize.org Resources
Influenza activity is low for now, but with weeks of winter still ahead, keep encouraging vaccination
Keep encouraging influenza vaccination for those not yet protected; this is especially important for young children who still need a second dose in their first vaccination season and those who need vaccination during pregnancy.
CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView, provides a valuable snapshot of influenza activity state by state. For week 5, ending February 4, FluView reports that 2.6% of outpatient visits nationwide were due to respiratory illness that included fever plus a cough or sore throat (i.e., influenza-like illness [ILI]). The national baseline is 2.5%. Multiple respiratory viruses are co-circulating; the relative contribution of influenza virus infection to ILI varies by location. So far this season, 106 children died from influenza-associated causes.
Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC’s Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shows that coverage for all pregnant persons age 18–49 as of the end of December 2022 is 46.5%, lowest (28.1%) for Black, Non-Hispanic (NH) pregnant persons, and highest (64.5%) for Asian, NH pregnant persons.
CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. “Vaccines.gov” offers VaccineFinder, a service of Boston Children’s Hospital, to help people find influenza and COVID-19 vaccines for any age group. To be listed as a provider by VaccineFinder, see the information at this website.
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Spotlight: Immunize.org resources focused on adult vaccination
In this week's Spotlight, we summarize resources at Immunize.org that focus on adult vaccination.
Resources for Adult Vaccination main page offers all the adult educational materials from Immunize.org and partner organizations.
Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide, a free downloadable book, is a "how to" guide that provides easy-to-use, practical information covering essential adult vaccination activities.
Adult Vaccination main page contains all of the Immunize.org handouts that pertain to adult vaccinations.
CDC Schedules main page provides print PDFs of the recommended immunization schedules for adults, as well as for children and adolescents.
Screening Checklists about Vaccine Contraindications and Precautions main page links you to forms that patients fill out to expedite assessment of vaccination needs and contraindications.
Journalists interview Immunize.org experts
Journalists seek out Immunize.org experts to help explain vaccines to the public and policy makers. We help the media understand and communicate the complex work vaccinators do. Here is a selection of our recent citations.
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Immunize.org Pages and Handouts
Immunize.org updates two standing orders templates for children and teens—Tdap/Td and meningococcal ACWY
Immunize.org revised two standing orders templates for children and teens, adding QR codes linking to the online versions of the documents. Links and additional changes are shown below.
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Immunize.org updates "Vaccine Handling Tips"
Immunize.org revised "Vaccine Handling Tips" with updates made to address storage issues for COVID-19 vaccines, including direct links to information from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Also, QR codes linking to the online version of the document were added.
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Vaccine Information Statements
Immunize.org posts 14 new Vaccine Information Statements in Ukrainian
Immunize.org expanded its repository of Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) translations. Fourteen new VIS translations in Ukrainian were generously donated by the Minnesota Department of Health.
All translations are available in print-ready PDF format.
New VIS translations in Ukrainian:
Check the version dates of your office copies of newly updated translations. Translations of previous VIS versions should be discarded now that translations of the current versions are available.
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Featured Resources
Help! Make It Make Sense with Dr. Toni and Dr. Aimee podcast on bringing energy, commitment, passion, and faith into public health with Julissa Soto, MPH.
Help! Make It Make Sense with Dr. Toni and Dr. Aimee is a podcast series hosted by Toni Eyssallenne, MD, PhD, and Aimee Bernard, PhD. They talk through recent headlines and separate fact from fiction. The latest entry in the series, Making Public Health Sexy with Julissa Soto!! features Julissa Soto, MPH. A description from the web page appears below.
We are so excited to introduce you to Julissa Soto, an independent health equity and vaccine advocate in Colorado who developed a program called Vaccine Sundays where she immunizes community members in various churches around the state and how she finds the strength to not slow down any time soon!
We talk about her approach of combining theology, community empowerment and public health.
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Updated 65+ Flu Defense website offers resources for healthcare professionals caring for 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 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.
Upgrading your vaccination program? Use Immunize.org’s Vaccinating Adults: A Step-by-Step Guide—free to download by chapter or in its entirety.
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). The Guide is available to download/print either by chapter or in its entirety free at www.immunize.org/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 National Vaccine Program Office and CDC both supported the development of the Guide and provided early technical review. Please note: this guide was produced in 2017, before the COVID-19 era, and reflects the recommendations of that time.
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Notable Publications
"Operationalizing CDC-Recommended Vaccinations for Adults Is at a Critical Point in Time" published in Becker's Hospital Review
On February 7, Becker's Hospital Review published Operationalizing CDC-Recommended Vaccinations for Adults Is at a Critical Point in Time, written by Immunize.org's Director of Adult Immunization, Carolyn Bridges, MD, and Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer, L.J Tan, MS, PhD.
The authors highlight the “opportunity to sustain adult immunization efforts developed during the pandemic, utilizing them for all ACIP/CDC recommended adult vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines.” They note that operationalizing should begin with the National Vaccine Advisory Committee’s (NVAC’s) “Standards for Adult Immunization Practice”; dissemination of useful implementation tools; and making the most of the Inflation Reduction Act, which, in January 2023, removed many of the cost barriers to vaccination for beneficiaries of Medicare Part D and which will, in October 2023, remove those barriers for Medicaid beneficiaries. They emphasize that “healthcare systems have an important responsibility to develop year-round immunization programs that will assess and provide recommended vaccines to the adult patient.”
“COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality among Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Persons Aged ≥12 Years by Receipt of Bivalent Booster Doses and Time since Vaccination—24 U.S. Jurisdictions, October 3, 2021–December 24, 2022” published in MMWR
CDC published COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality among Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Persons Aged ≥12 Years by Receipt of Bivalent Booster Doses and Time since Vaccination—24 U.S. Jurisdictions, October 3, 2021–December 24, 2022 in the February 10 issue of MMWR. The study found that “bivalent booster recipients in 24 U.S. jurisdictions had slightly higher protection against infection and significantly higher protection against death than was observed for monovalent booster recipients or unvaccinated persons, especially among older adults.
The researchers conclude, “Bivalent COVID-19 booster doses protected against infection and death during BA.4/BA.5 circulation. All eligible persons should get 1 bivalent booster dose ≥2 months after their COVID-19 primary series or last monovalent booster dose.”
Access the MMWR article in HTML or PDF.
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A supplement on CARD (Comfort Ask Relax Distract), a vaccine delivery strategy to improve the vaccination experience, published in Canadian Pharmacists Journal
On December 13, the Canadian Pharmacists Journal published a six-article supplement on CARD (Comfort Ask Relax Distract), an evidence-based vaccine delivery strategy clinics may use to improve the vaccination experience. The lead article, titled Introducing CARD (Comfort Ask Relax Distract) as a Vaccine Delivery Program for Community Pharmacy-Based Vaccinations, describes the background information on CARD. The first author is Anna Taddio, BScPhm, PhD, who will introduce CARD in the upcoming Immunize.org webinar, Improving the Vaccination Experience: Reducing Pain and Anxiety for Children and Adults scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (ET) on February 28. (See Upcoming Events.)
This supplement details the evidence base supporting CARD for community pharmacy-based vaccinations and the tools pharmacy personnel can use to facilitate integration of this approach in their own practice settings.
Upcoming Events
Virtual: American College Health Association offers second in five-part webinar series Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students; CE available
The American College Health Association (ACHA) is offering a free, five-part webinar series, Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students, beginning in January. This five-part webinar series will provide tools for campus personnel in all disciplines to use when working with students to help them navigate misinformation, disinformation, and the infodemic. Webinars include:
- January 10 – "Health Literacy 101" (available on-demand)
- February 21 – "Digital Wellbeing and Mental Health: Helping Me is Helping We"
- March 7 – "Debunking Fake News"
- April 18 – "Confronting Misinformation in Our Circles of Influence"
- May 9 – "Managing the Infodemic: Getting Started"
Each session airs 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET). Up to 5 hours of credit are available for CNE, CME, and CHES, and 1.0 CE is available for counselors specifically for session 2.
Register for the free webinars. Registration for the series will allow you access to all five sessions, both the live webinars and the on-demand recordings.
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Virtual: CHOP’s Current Issues in Vaccines for Providers webinar on March 15 features Paul Offit discussing the future of COVID-19 vaccines; CE available
The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) will present a 1-hour webinar titled The Future of COVID-19 Vaccines beginning at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on March 15. Part of its Current Issues in Vaccines series, the webinar will feature Paul Offit, MD, director of the VEC.
Free continuing-education credits (CME, CEU, and CPE) will be available for both the live and archived events.
Register for the webinar.
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Virtual: Immunize.org offers webinar “Improving the Vaccination Experience: Reducing Pain and Anxiety for Children and Adults” on February 28
Anxiety about needles and injections affects as many as 2 out of 3 children and 1 out of 4 adults. This anxiety can contribute to dreading, delaying, or avoiding vaccinations, even when the importance of preventing illness is understood. Good news: there are safe, effective, and practical steps that vaccinators, vaccine recipients, and caregivers can take to reduce vaccination-related pain and anxiety. Creating a less stressful vaccination experience increases confidence in vaccination.
Attend this live, 1-hour webinar hosted by Immunize.org, Improving the Vaccination Experience: Reducing Pain and Anxiety for Children and Adults at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on February 28 to learn more about the principles behind vaccination pain and anxiety. Learn simple, evidence-based strategies to reduce apprehension. These strategies were developed by the experts from HELP Eliminate Pain in Kids and Adults. Their work was used by the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health Canada, and others to develop guidelines for reducing vaccination pain.
The panelists will be:
- Anna Taddio, BScPhm, PhD; Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto; Senior Associate Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Ontario
- Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH; President and CEO, Immunize.org
- Lucie Marisa Bucci, MA; Director, Policy and Government Relations, Society for Infodemic Management (SIM), Québec, Québec
- Sharon Humiston, MD, MPH; Director for Research, Immunize.org
Following the presentation, ample time is reserved for your questions.
Register now to be sure you don’t miss this important session to help you make vaccination a more positive experience for everyone.
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