January 24, 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS

Call for Nominations: NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards – DEADLINE FEBRUARY 1, 2018

The National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS) is soliciting candidates for the 2018 NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards.

The 2018 awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions towards improving vaccination rates within their communities during 2017. The awards focus on individuals and organizations that exemplify the meaning of the “immunization neighborhood” (collaboration, coordination, and communication among immunization stakeholders dedicated to meeting the immunization needs of the patient and protecting the community from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs)). Unless an award criteria is specifically focused on influenza, it is the intent of the Summit to recognize broader adult immunization activities.

A National Winner will be selected for each award category, and, where appropriate, an Honorable Mention recipient. The winners will be presented with their awards at the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit meeting (to be held in Atlanta, Georgia on May 17-18, 2018 (awards ceremony will be held May 18). The national winner in each category will be invited to present their program at the Summit meeting.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Webinar on Maternal Immunization – March 1, 2018 at 5 PM ET

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), in partnership with American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is presenting a webinar, Maternal Immunization: Understanding Safety and Efficacy and Making a Strong Recommendation on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 5 PM ET (2 PM PT). This free, 1 CME credit webinar will provide information on the safety and efficacy of maternal information and will give example of how to address these topics with patients by making a strong recommendation. The webinar will also identify resources for providers and patients regarding maternal immunizations. Continuing Medical Education credit is provided through joint providership with The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Registration is available online.

Sabin Vaccine Institute Seeking Director (Vaccine Confidence)

The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. They are seeking a director (Vaccine Confidence) who will be responsible for operational and programmatic oversight of Sabin’s newly initiated project related to vaccine confidence.

VICNetwork Webinar on Maternal Immunization – January 30, 2018, 1PM–2PM ET

Pregnant women need vaccines to protect them and their babies against influenza and pertussis. Speakers will give an update on CDC’s maternal vaccination recommendations and maternal vaccination campaign. The webinar will also discuss strategies that programs can use to reach pregnant women.

Featured Speakers:

David Kim, MD, Deputy Associate Director for Adult Immunizations, Immunization Services Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. David Kim is a Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service currently assigned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the Deputy Associate Director for Adult Immunizations in the Immunization Services Division. He currently serves as the CDC Lead in the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Adult Immunization Work Group. Dr. Kim is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and received training in internal medicine at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.

Ashley Brooks, MPH, Health Communication Specialist, Health Communication Science Office, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ashley Brooks is a Health Communication Specialist with the Adult and Maternal Immunization Communications Team at the CDC/National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). Prior to her time working on Adult and Maternal immunization communications, she previously worked on seasonal influenza communications in CDC/NCIRD. She has a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

SUMMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System (IVATS) Updated

The Summit’s IVATS was updated on January 22. The IVATS page includes a spreadsheet for providers looking to purchase influenza vaccine, as well as an enrollment form for distributors who may not yet have signed up with the system.

Registration Is Open for the Summit In-Person Meeting, May 17 and 18, 2018

Please register for the Summit’s 2018 in-person meeting. Persons needing a password to register for this invitation-only meeting may contact L.J Tan.

Persons who have submitted a poster to the National Immunization Conference are asked to consider submitting that same poster for the Summit’s poster and networking session. Of course, new posters for the Summit will be gladly accepted.

INFORMATION FROM CDC

Seasonal Influenza Surveillance

CDC has released Seasonal Flu Key Points for January 19, 2018. In addition, the FluView report for Week 2 (ending January 13, 2018) has been published. Partners can also sign up for the seasonal influenza key points. In addition, State/jurisdiction level ILI and virologic data are now available on FluView Interactive for areas that have given CDC approval to display their data.

CDC Public Health Grand Rounds – Public Health Response to Severe Influenza

On January 23, CDC published a Public Health Grand Rounds on this season’s severe influenza. This influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United States is seeing. Reducing the spread of seasonal flu in communities and adjusting to spot shortages in antiviral drugs is crucial. Anne Schuchat is one of the speakers.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

WHO Releases Report on Adult Immunizations

WHO has issued a summary report based on a WHO consultation on adult immunizations. Mentioned at the meeting, but not prominently featured in this report, is the issue of vaccination as a way to prevent infection-related disability. Both shingles and influenza in older adults can lead to short and long term disability and loss of independence (e.g. loss of ability to complete ADLs, nursing home placement). This was the subject of Janet McElhaney’s presentation at the 2017 Summit meeting and offers a good future messaging direction.

New Flu Vaccine Guidelines Issued for Patients with Egg Allergy

Patients with an egg allergy do not need to avoid or take special precautions when receiving the influenza vaccine, according to a new guideline published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. This update by the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters (JTFPP) emphasizes that patients with an egg allergy should still receive their annual influenza vaccine with no special precautions. “When someone gets a flu shot, health care providers often ask if they are allergic to eggs,” said allergist Matthew Greenhawt, MD, chair of the ACAAI Food Allergy Committee and lead author of the practice parameter. “We want health care providers and people with egg allergy to know there is no need to ask this question anymore, and no need to take any special precautions. The overwhelming evidence since 2011 has shown that a flu shot poses no greater risk to those with egg allergy than those without.”

National HPV Roundtable to hold annual meeting February 27-28, 2018

Please visit the National HPV Roundtable’s website to learn more about the organization and its efforts to improve HPV immunizations in the United States.

Article Suggests that Federal Funding Doesn’t Fully Support Hospitals Facing Large-Scale Emergencies like Flu

Public health experts told lawmakers on Tuesday that our nation’s hospitals don’t have enough federal funding to properly handle large-scale emergencies like the current flu epidemic.

Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, testified before a Senate health committee hearing on Tuesday. He said hospitals are not prepared to address the more than 8,000 flu-related admissions that have been reported throughout the country as of January 13.

CDC Chief: 85% of Children Who’ve Died this Flu Season were Unvaccinated

The majority – 85 percent – of this influenza season’s 30 pediatric flu deaths occurred in children who did not receive a flu shot, CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, told Reuters.

The predominant strain in this year’s flu season has been influenza A H3N2, which tends to be more deadly in young children and the elderly than its influenza A H1N1 counterpart and influenza B strains. While experts estimate the H3N2 component of this season’s flu vaccine is only about 30 percent effective against the viral strain, it can still reduce the duration and severity of a flu infection.

Study: Getting Influenza Raises Heart Attack Risk, Especially in Seniors

Having flu appears to increase the risk of having a heart attack, especially among those aged 65 and older, an Ontario study suggests.

“What we found is that you’re six times more likely to have a heart attack during the week after being diagnosed with influenza, compared with a year before or a year after the infection,” said Dr. Jeff Kwong, lead author of the study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Influenza Cases Low at JBM-HH Due to Mass Vaccinations

An aggressive vaccination schedule and education program has kept influenza under control at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this winter, according to Andrew Rader Health Clinic. Through December and January, just eight cases of the flu have been diagnosed at the JBM-HH clinic, while the rest of the country has witnessed widespread outbreaks of the H3N2 and H3N3 strains of influenza.

“As of Jan. 18, we had one confirmed case of the flu (in December),” said Army Lt. Col. Wendy Gray, deputy commander for nursing at Rader Clinic. “In January, we had seven cases. We’ve only had eight confirmed cases of the flu. We’ve had quite a few patients come in with flu-like symptoms, but only the eight cases confirmed.”

United States Influenza Vaccination Program Has Caused Meaningful Reductions in Outpatient Visits for Influenza

In a recent publication in Vaccine, researchers show that in addition to preventing hospitalizations and deaths due to influenza, influenza vaccination programs can reduce the burden of outpatient visits for influenza.

Universal Vaccine Produces Long-Lasting Immunity Against Influenza A Viruses in Mice

Researchers have developed a universal vaccine to combat influenza A viruses that produces long-lasting immunity in mice and protects them against the limitations of seasonal flu vaccines, according to a study led by Georgia State University.

In this study, the researchers found vaccinating mice with double-layered protein nanoparticles that target the stalk of the hemagglutinin protein produces long-lasting immunity and fully protects them against various influenza A viruses. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Older Adults Less Likely to Have Provider-Ordered Flu Testing

Older adults are less likely than younger adults to have provider-ordered influenza testing, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

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 PM ET, unless cancelled. Calls will resume on Thursday, January 22, 2018. Call summaries are posted to the Summit website shortly after each call. Please email L.J Tan or LaDora Woods if you have any updates on activities to provide the Summit.

Upcoming Events

Summit Announcements

Information from CDC

Information Of Interest