February 21, 2017

SUMMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Details Announced for 2017 Summit In-Person Meeting Registration, Awards, and Poster Sessions

The 2017 National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit in-person meeting will be held May 9-11, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. Please mark your calendars! We also urge that you reserve your hotel room through the rooming link that pops up after registration for the in-person meeting. This will facilitate your access to the preferred rooming rate and help the Summit meet its rooming commitment. Thank you!

The National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS) is soliciting candidates for the 2017 NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards. The 2017 awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions towards improving vaccination rates within their communities during 2016. The deadline for nominations is February 24, 2017.

The Summit would love to highlight your work or activities to improve adult and influenza immunization during the 2017 NAIIS Summit Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Please consider submitting a poster for Summit partners to view over two poster sessions scheduled at the in-person meeting. Please visit the Summit website for abstract submission information. The deadline is March 15, 2017.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NVPO Seeks to Inform, and Obtain Feedback, about the National Adult Immunization Plan: A Path to Implementation

The National Adult Immunization Plan: A Path to Implementation, the companion document to the National Adult Immunization Plan (NAIP), is now available online, and NVPO is starting to promote it. The implementation plan highlights a number of implementation priorities and suggests activities that stakeholders can take to support each priority.

Please share this exciting new launch with your partners and within your organization and to your membership. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Gus Birkhead at the NVPO. There will also be announcements of this implementation plan at some of the Summit calls and opportunities to ask questions then.

GSA Announces Webinar on Respiratory Disease in Older Adults: Focus on RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause infections of the respiratory tract, which in some cases may lead to serious illness or death in vulnerable populations, particularly among older adults over the age of 60. In fact, RSV has been identified as the second-most common cause of viral pneumonia in older adults, after influenza. Older adults are among those most susceptible to RSV due to immunosenesence, resulting in decreases of RSV neutralizing titers and cell-mediated immunity responses. RSV in older adults additionally impacts the health and wellness of loved ones and caregivers.

This free GSA webinar, scheduled for Monday, Feb 27, 2017 at 12 – 1 PM CST, will address the epidemiology of respiratory disease in older adults, immunology and aging – why older adults get respiratory disease, and how to prevent and manage RSV infections. Featured speakers include GSA experts R. Gordon Douglas, Jr, MD; Stefan Gravenstein, MD, MPH; and David Canaday, MD.

This webinar is developed by GSA and supported by Novavax.

ACOG Immunization Webinar on March 6 – Respiratory Syncytial Virus: The Need for a Maternal Immunization Strategy

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is presenting a webinar, Respiratory Syncytial Virus: The Need for a Maternal Immunization Strategy on Monday, March 6, 2017 at 12:00 PM ET (9:00 AM PT). This free, 1 CME credit webinar will give an overview of currently recommended maternal immunizations and introduce an upcoming vaccine to prevent Respiratory Syncytial (RSV) disease. This webinar will highlight the burden of RSV disease, the rationale for maternal immunization against the disease, an update on the development of RSV vaccines, and how this vaccine fits into the ob-gyn’s role. Continuing Medical Education credit is provided through joint providership with The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Registration for the webinar is available online.

ESWI 6th Conference on Influenza

The European Scientific Working group on Influenza (ESWI) is organizing the sixth edition of its ESWI Influenza Conference in Riga, Latvia, on September 10 – 13, 2017. Over the past years, the ESWI Influenza Conferences have grown into the largest European scientific conferences entirely dedicated to influenza. As with its previous meeting, there will be a parallel science policy track.

Introducing the Partnership for Influenza Vaccine Introduction (PIVI)

The Partnership for Influenza Vaccine Introduction (PIVI) is an effort led by the Center for Vaccine Equity at the Task Force for Global Health (TFGH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This partnership provides seasonal influenza vaccines and technical assistance to help low- and middle-income countries develop sustainable national seasonal influenza vaccination programs, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality from influenza and enhancing pandemic preparedness. For more information about PIVI, please contact Joe Bresee or Samantha Kluglein.

INFORMATION FROM CDC

CDC/Influenza Division Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

CDc’s FluView report for Week 6, ending February 11, and the seasonal influenza key points from February 17 are now available online. Also available are key points for two influenza vaccine reports in the MMWR: Update: Influenza Activity – United States, October 2 2016 – February 4, 2017 (report dated February 17, 2017) and Interim Estimates of 2016 – 17 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness – United States, February 2017 (report dated February 17, 2017).

CDC Reports on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness

This year’s influenza vaccine is a fairly good match for the circulating viruses, according to research published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Key points from CDC available in preceding article.) These findings were based on data from 3,144 children and adults with acute respiratory illness seen during November 28, 2016, to February 4, 2017, at five sites with outpatient clinics in the United States. Overall, the vaccine is 48% effective.

SUMMIT CALL RECAP – FEBRUARY 9, 2017

Influenza Surveillance Update – Noreen Alabi (CDC)

Noreen provided highlights of the influenza surveillance report from week 4, ending on January 28, 2017. Influenza activity in the U.S. continues to increase. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories increased to 18.0%. Influenza A viruses were most common during week 4, with H3 viruses predominating. Nationwide, influenza-like illness (ILI) activity was at 3.9%, above the national baseline of 2.2% for the week.

Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported during Week 4. Three deaths associated with influenza A (H3) occurred during weeks 1, 2, and 4. Three other deaths occurring during weeks 1, 3, and 4 were associated with an influenza A virus that was not subtyped. One death associated with influenza B occurred during week 3. A total of 15 pediatric deaths have been reported for the current (2016–2017) season. Of these, one child was not eligible for vaccination. Only nine had a known vaccination status. Of these, only two were fully vaccinated according to ACIP recommendations.

Between October 1, 2016 and January 28, 2017, 5,683 lab-confirmed influenza associated hospitalizations have been reported. The overall hospitalization rate was 20.2 per 100,000; the rate is highest for those age 65 years or older, with 94.7 per 100,000. For the overall hospitalizations, 93.3% were positive for influenza A; of these, 98.6% were influenza A (H3).

Due to data processing issues, pneumonia and influenza (P&I) mortality data was not published during week 4.

Carolyn Bridges asked whether the Influenza Division is getting a sense of the predominant age groups with more severe disease. Noreen noted that disease has been more predominant in the elderly population, though pediatric activity is increasing as the season progresses. Carolyn noted that the last confirmed hospitalization data indicates a big increase in the 65 and older age group. Carolyn noted that the FluView report indicates hospitalization data for older adults in the current season is approximately even with last year’s rates, but is approximately one-third of where we were in the 2014–2015 season, when we had a poor vaccine match.

Other Items – L.J Tan (IAC)

Carolyn reminded partners that the 2017 recommended immunization schedules for children/adolescents and adults have now been posted on the CDC website. In addition, AdultVaxView provides updated national coverage data for adult immunization. Updated pneumococcal vaccine data by state also is available in the interactive view. An article providing additional details about the updated coverage data will be published in an upcoming MMWR Surveillance Summary.
The 2017 National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit is scheduled for May 9–11, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.
- Meeting registration (Note: Partners needing to obtain the password to access this site may contact info@izsummitpartners.org.)
- 2017 NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards – These Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions toward improving vaccination rates within their communities during 2016. Six categories of recognition are available. (See complete listing on website.) A NEW category for 2017 recognizes a Non-Healthcare Employer Campaign. DEADLINE: February 24, 2017
- Poster Abstract Submission – Partners are invited to submit abstracts of posters they wish to display at the annual meeting. Posters allow partners to share their work or activities to improve adult and influenza immunization and to network with other attendees. (Note: Submission of a poster abstract does not impact a recipient’s ability to submit a nomination for an Immunization Excellence Award.) DEADLINE: March 15, 2017

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

AAP Advocacy Spurs Improvements to Flu Vaccine Distribution

Pediatricians may receive flu vaccines for low-income children more quickly next season. At the Academy’s urging, federal and state health officials are working to improve distribution of Vaccines for Children (VFC) program orders.

“This will make a big difference for children,” said AAP CEO/Executive Vice President Karen Remley, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., FAAP. “It will make a big difference for communities because they’ll be able to increase their immunity and protection from flu faster in the fall so less children will get sick, less children will miss school, more parents won’t (miss) work. Importantly, we’ll be able to start treating all children the same.”

Universal Influenza Virus Vaccines and Therapeutic Antibodies

Current influenza virus vaccines are effective when well matched to the circulating strains. Unfortunately, antigenic drift and the high diversity of potential emerging zoonotic and pandemic viruses make it difficult to select the right strains for vaccine production. This problem causes vaccine mismatches which lead to sharp drops in vaccine effectiveness and long response times in case of novel pandemic viruses.

An article in Clinical Microbiology and Infection provides an overview of universal influenza virus vaccines and therapeutic antibodies in pre-clinical and clinical development.

New Guide Helps Countries Assess Immunization Financing Options

On February 21, 2017, a new resource guide, Immunization Financing: A Resource Guide for Advocates, Policymakers, and Program Managers, was released to provide practical advice to low- and middle-income countries seeking to mobilize resources for immunization programs. The guide offers 26 briefs, including eight country case studies, to assist countries looking to sustainably finance immunization.

The resource guide was developed as an open-access tool to assist advocates and decision-makers as they evaluate the pros and cons of potential financing sources. The guide is also designed to help users understand and plan for immunization costs, assess which vaccines to adopt, learn how to build broad political support for immunization programs, and determine how to make limited funds work more effectively.

Please Help the Summit, AIRA, and CDC Engage EHR Vendors in Immunization IT

The Summit has been active and interested in improving interoperability and utilization of EHRs and immunization information systems (IIS) for several years. Indeed, for the past two years, there has been a lot of prioritization of IIS and health information technology (HIT) activity within the Summit workgroups.

However, engagement by vendors of EHRs remains difficult. We hope that, with the Summit’s support, we can begin to change that in little steps. If you are connected with an EHR vendor, perhaps you can start by encouraging them to simply join in two activities in the IIS community that are not demanding on their time.

The first is the AIRA Standards & Interoperability Steering Committee (SISC). SISC provides technical support and guidance to interoperability efforts of AIRA members and the IIS community. They act as a liaison between national organizations involved with interoperability, such as the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and others, and serve as a technical resource for AIRA members and the IIS community. SISC meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 1–2 pm ET. Participation of EHR, pharmacy, health information exchange (HIE), and other IIS partners trading perspectives is welcomed to help drive forward increased interoperability. For more information, please connect with Mary Beth Kurilo.

The second is the CDC Clinical Decision Support for Immunization (CDSi) project. This project provides a single, authoritative, implementation-neutral foundation for development and maintenance of CDS engines. It captures ACIP recommendations in an unambiguous manner and improves the uniform representation of vaccine decision guidelines, as well as the ability to automate vaccine evaluation and forecasting. Interested parties can reach out to Eric Larson.

Three Slide Decks Available to Support New Standards for Adult Immunization Practice

The Summit’s Access and Collaboration workgroup has developed three separate slide decks with talking notes to support partners and others who wish to present on the Standards to their peers and colleagues. The three audiences targeted by the decks are: healthcare providers; patients/public; and public health. These are now available, along with tips and tools on how to use them, at the Summit website.

Also do not forget that Medscape has produced two modules to support the implementation of the Standards:

Providing a strong recommendation (with video vignettes)
Assessing the patient for adult vaccines.

Every Child By Two (ECBT) Compiles Media Information on Its Website

On a daily basis, ECBT assembles significant news media coverage on immunizations in their “Daily Clips.” Summit partners may find this effort useful.

Summit Website Offers Wonderful Resources on Influenza Vaccination

Remember to visit the Summit website for the latest on influenza immunization resources. You also can find archived copies of The Summit Buzz there.

Reminder

Summit calls are scheduled every Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern time, unless cancelled. The call scheduled for February 23 will be cancelled due to the ACIP meeting. Please email L.J Tan or LaDora Woods if you have any updates on activities to provide to the Summit.

Summit Announcements

Other Announcements

Information from CDC

Summit Call Recap – February 9, 2017

Other News of Interest