March 09, 2015

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Summit Call Recap – March 5, 2015

Special Announcement

Public Comment Deadline for the National Adult Immunization Plan Extended

Information from CDC

Announcements

SUMMIT CALL RECAP – MARCH 5, 2015

Influenza Surveillance Update – Sophie Smith (CDC)

Sophie provided a summary of the published reports for week 7, ending February 21, 2015. Influenza activity in the U.S. has decreased, but remains elevated.

The ILI-Net national data indicated 3% of total outpatient visits were for influenza-like illness (ILI), which is above the national baseline. Approximately 2.1% of specimens submitted for testing were positive. Of the deaths reported through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System during week 7, 7.4% were attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I), below the 7.7% epidemic threshold for the week. Reports indicated there were 51.7 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations per 100,000 population.

Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during the week 7, though some of these reports were for deaths which had occurred in earlier weeks. Three deaths were associated with an influenza A (H3) virus, two deaths were associated with an influenza A virus for which subtyping was not performed, and 1 death was associated with an influenza B virus. A total of 92 pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2014–2015 season. Of the 76 for whom vaccination status was known, nine were ineligible for vaccination, and only six were fully vaccinated.

As shown in CDC’s weekly influenza summary map, the geographic spread for influenza for week 7 is:

Widespread – 20 states and Guam
Regional – 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands
Local – 5 states and the District of Columbia
Sporadic – no states
No activity – no states
No report – no states

Since October 1, CDC has antigenically characterized 933 influenza viruses; 27 2009 A (H1N1) viruses, 752 influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and 154 influenza B viruses. All 27 of the 2009 H1N1 viruses tested were characterized as A/California/7/2009-like, the influenza A (H1N1) component of the 2014–2015 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine. Of the 752 influenza A (H3N2) viruses tested, 228 (30.3%) were characterized as A/Texas/50/2012-like, which also is included in this season’s Northern Hemisphere vaccine. Five hundred twenty four (69.7%) of viruses tested were different from A/Texas/50/2012. The majority of these were antigenically similar to A/Switzerland/9715293/2013, the influenza A (H3N2) component of the 2015 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine. Both B/Victoria and B/Yamagata-lineage viruses are circulating in the U.S. One hundred seven (69.5%) of the influenza B viruses tested belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, and the remaining 47 (30.5%) influenza B viruses tested belonged to the B/Victoria/91/87 lineage. One hundred (93.5%) of the 107 B/Yamagata-lineage viruses were characterized as B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like, a component of both the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines for the Northern Hemisphere, while seven (6.5%) of the 92 B/Yamagata-lineage viruses showed reduced titers to B/Massachusetts/2/2012. Forty-three (91.1%) of the 47 B/Victoria viruses were characterized as B/Brisbane/60/2008-like, a component of the 2014–2015 Northern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Four (8.5%) of the B/Victoria lineage viruses tested showed reduced titers to B/Brisbane/60/2008.

One of the 2,011 specimens tested this season showed resistance to oseltamivir, none of 2,007 tested showed resistance to zanamivir, and one of 1,377 specimens tested showed resistance to peramivir.

The March 6 MMWR includes an article summarizing influenza activity in the United States from September 28, 2014–February 21, 2015.

Non-Influenza Adult Immunization Coverage – Walter Williams (CDC)

Walter presented an update on information first presented in the February 6 MMWR, Vaccination Coverage Among Adults, Excluding Influenza Vaccination–United States, 2013. This data was compiled from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), with results obtained from approximately 34,000 persons.

Pneumococcal
The NHIS examined pneumococcal vaccination among persons considered at high risk (HR) for pneumococcal disease due to a chronic health condition or being a current smoker. For these HR individuals age 19–64 years, 21% had received some type of pneumococcal vaccine. (The survey did not differentiate between receipt of conjugate or polysaccharide vaccine.) For non-HR persons >65 years, the coverage was 60%, which was similar to the prior year’s survey.

Herpes zoster
Coverage for herpes zoster (shingles) in persons >60 years was 24%, approximately 4.1 percentage points higher than the coverage in the previous year. This increase occurred mainly among non-Hispanic whites.

Tetanus-containing vaccine
Receipt of tetanus and diphtheria vaccine (Td) within the past 10 years was reported by 63% of persons 19–49 years and 64% of persons 50–64 years. This rate dropped to 56% for persons >65 years. Tetanus and diphtheria with acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) coverage was much lower, with 17% of persons >19 years reporting receiving the vaccine within the past 8 years. This coverage increased to 29% for persons living with an infant <1 year of age and 37% for healthcare personnel (HCP). Walter provided a caveat for over-interpretation of these data points, noting that many respondents were excluded from this analysis because they didn’t answer the question or could not distinguish whether they had received Td or Tdap. When CDC further analyzed this by age group and whether or not the respondents were HCP, they found that HCP were much more likely to report receiving Tdap than non-HCP.

Hepatitis A
Coverage for >2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine was similar to the levels seen in the 2012 survey, i.e., 9% for persons >19 years, 16% for travelers to endemic areas, 6% for travelers with no endemic area travel, 13% for persons with chronic liver disease, and 12% for persons age 19–49 years.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B vaccine coverage with >3 doses for persons >19 years was 25%, a 2.1 percentage point decrease from 2012. Coverage was similar to 2012 for persons traveling to endemic areas (33%), but 2.3% lower than 2012 levels for persons with no endemic area travel (21%). Coverage levels were similar to those seen in 2012 for HCP >19 years (62%) and for persons with diabetes who were age 19–59 years (26%) or >60 years (14%).

HPV
HPV vaccination with >1 dose was 37% for females age 19–26 years, an increase over 2012. This level was higher in younger females age 19–21 years (45%) than females 22–26 years (32%). Although coverage for males has increased over 2012 levels, it remains low, with 6% of males 19–26 years having >1 dose. Like females, this level was higher in younger males age 19–21 years (8%) than males 22–26 years (5%).

For the first time in the 2013 survey, information was collected among adults 19–26 years on their age when receiving their first dose of HPV vaccine. Sixty-nine percent of females and 55% of males reported receiving their first dose between age 13–18 years. Only 2% of females and 9% of males reported receiving their first dose at the recommended age of 11–12 years.

Racial/Ethnic Vaccination Disparities
Compared with 2012, racial/ethnic differences persisted for all six recommended vaccines and widened for Tdap and herpes zoster. Specific details on these variations are available in the MMWR article noted above. Of interest, vaccination of white women for HPV was higher than among blacks or Hispanics, but this is in contrast to the higher rates in Hispanics found in the 2013 National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen). The NIS-Teen survey also found higher coverage for women below the poverty level, which may be partly attributable to the effectiveness of vaccine availability through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.

Walter noted that several limitations should be considered regarding the 2013 NHIS findings, including the fact that the survey excludes persons in the military or residing in institutions. Additionally, the relatively low response rate of 61.2% potentially could result in a sampling bias. Vaccination status was self-reported and not validated through review of medical records, leading to the potential for recall bias. Finally, Tdap estimates were potentially biased due to a high number of exclusions.

In summary, the 2013 survey indicates that much effort is needed to increase vaccine utilization among adults and to eliminate disparities. The overall coverage remains below HP2020 targets, but some modest improvements over 2012 levels were seen in HPV (men, 19–26), Tdap (>19 year olds) and herpes zoster (>60 year olds).

When asked which practice strategies might improve adult vaccination rates, Walter suggested wider use of practices such as assessment and recommendation, as highlighted in the NVAC Standards for Adult Immunization Practice. He also highlighted the importance of reminder/recall, use of standing orders, and assessment of practice level rates with feedback to providers.

Other Items – Carolyn Bridges (CDC)

Carolyn reminded Summit partners that registration for the 2015 NAIIS meeting, to be held in Atlanta, Georgia on May 12–14, is available on the Summit website.

She also announced that the public comment period on the National Adult Immunization Plan has been extended to March 23, 2015.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Public Comment Deadline for the National Adult Immunization Plan Extended

The public comment process for the National Adult Immunization Plan ends March 23, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The notice soliciting input is available in the Federal Register. The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) thanks you for your participation in this process.

INFORMATION FROM CDC

CDC/Influenza Division Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report and CDC Key Points

The CDC weekly influenza surveillance report for week 8, 2015 (ending February 28, 2015) and region specific data are now available. During week 8, 7.2% of all deaths reported through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System were due to pneumonia and influenza (P&I). This percentage was above the epidemic threshold of 7.2% for week 8.

For the 2014–2015 influenza season, CDC/Influenza Division and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are collaborating on a pilot project to use NCHS mortality surveillance data for the rapid assessment of P&I mortality.

One thousand thirty-three influenza viruses [27 A(H1N1)pdm09, 814 A(H3N2), and 192 influenza B viruses] have been collected by U.S. laboratories since October 1, 2014.

Two hundred twenty-nine (28.1%) of the 814 H3N2 viruses tested have been characterized as A/Texas/50/2012-like, the influenza A (H3N2) component of the 2014–2015 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine. 585 (71.9%) of the 814 viruses tested showed either reduced titers with antiserum produced against A/Texas/50/2012 or belonged to a genetic group that typically shows reduced titers to A/Texas/50/2012. Among viruses that showed reduced titers with antiserum raised against A/Texas/50/2012, most were antigenically similar to A/Switzerland/9715293/2013, the H3N2 virus selected for the 2015 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine. A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 is related to, but antigenically and genetically distinguishable from, the A/Texas/50/2012 vaccine virus. A/Switzerland-like H3N2 viruses were first detected in the United States in small numbers in March of 2014 and began to increase through the spring and summer.

For week 8, 145 (75.5%) of the influenza B viruses tested belong to B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage and the remaining 47 (24.5%) influenza B viruses tested belong to B/Victoria/02/87 lineage. One hundred thirty-eight (95.2%) of the 145 B/Yamagata-lineage viruses were characterized as B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like, which is included as an influenza B component of the 2014–2015 Northern Hemisphere trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines. Seven (4.8%) of the B/Yamagata-lineage virses tested showed reduced titers to B/Massachusetts/2/2012. Forty-three (91.5%) of the 47 B/Victoria-lineage viruses were characterized as B/Brisbane/60/2008-like, the virus that is included as an influenza B component of the 2014–2015 Northern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Four (8.5%) of the B/Victoria-lineage viruses tested showed reduced titers to B/Brisbane/60/2008.

Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during week 8. Five deaths were associated with an influenza A (H3) virus and occurred during weeks 52, 3, 5, 6, and 7 (weeks ending December 27, 2014, January 24, February 7, February 14, and February 21, 2015, respectively). One death was associated an influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus and occurred during the 2013–14 season, bringing the total number of reported pediatric deaths occurring during that season to 110.

A total of 97 influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2014-2015 season from New York City [2] and 31 states (Arizona [2], California [2], Colorado [3], Florida [3], Georgia [1], Indiana [1], Iowa [3], Kansas [2], Kentucky [3], Louisiana [2], Maryland [1], Massachusetts [1], Michigan [1], Minnesota [5], Missouri [1], Nebraska [1], New Jersey [1], North Carolina [2], Nevada [7], New York [3], Ohio [6], Oklahoma [6], Pennsylvania [3], South Carolina [3], South Dakota [1], Tennessee [6], Texas [12], Utah [2], Virginia [4], Washington [1], and Wisconsin [6]). More detail is available on the FluView website.

Between October 1, 2014 and February 28, 2015, 14,644 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported. The overall hospitalization rate was 53.5 per 100,000 population. The highest rate of hospitalization was among adults aged ≥65 years (266.1 per 100,000 population), followed by children aged 0–4 years (47.8 per 100,000 population). Among all hospitalizations, 13,778 (94.2%) were associated with influenza A, 739 (5.0%) with influenza B, 54 (0.4%) with influenza A and B co-infection, and 61 (0.4%) had no virus type information. Among those with influenza A subtype information, 4,245 (99.7%) were A(H3N2) and 12 (0.3%) were A(H1N1)pdm09. Additional virus characterization is available on FluView.

Clinical findings are preliminary and based on 3,439 (23.5%) cases with complete medical chart abstraction. The majority (93.1%) of hospitalized adults had at least one reported underlying medical condition; the most commonly reported were cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and obesity. There were 489 hospitalized children with complete medical chart abstraction, 194 (39.7%) had no identified underlying medical conditions. The most commonly reported underlying medical conditions among pediatric patients were asthma, neurologic disorders, obesity, and immune suppression. Among the 278 hospitalized women of childbearing age (15-44 years), 81 were pregnant.

Nationwide during week 8, 2.5% of patient visits reported through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) were due to influenza-like illness (ILI). This percentage is above the national baseline of 2.0%. ILI is defined as fever (temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or greater) and cough and/or sore throat. An Influenza Summary Update of the influenza activity reported by state and territorial epidemiologists, which indicates geographic spread of influenza viruses but does not measure the intensity of influenza activity, is available. This currently reflects data from February 28, 2015. At this time, 13 states and territories are still reporting widespread influenza activity.

The FluView report for week 8 (ending February 28, 2015) and archives of previous FluViews are available from CDC. CDC also has released seasonal influenza key points for March 6, 2015.

CDC Provides Measles Information to its Partners

CDC has new measles information and resources available which it invites you to share with your membership.

Current information about measles cases and outbreaks is available from CDC. The agency also has developed corresponding information (available to Summit partners) to assist you as you receive questions about measles, develop new materials for your members, post to social media, etc. Let CDC know if you have any additional questions or would like to request resources from them.

CDC has posted an updated map which indicates the U.S. is currently experiencing a large, multi-state outbreak of measles linked to an amusement park in California. Check out CDC’s Measles Webpage to find resources for each of your audiences.

Please let CDC know if you have any questions or additional requests for information. Also, CDC would like to know what you are doing to promote MMR vaccination and education your membership about measles. Please send CDC an e-mail and let them know. CDC thanks you for your continued support and assistance.

Updated Information on Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Up-to-date key points (through March 5, 2015) about the investigation of acute flaccid myelitis in children, including the weekly update of CDC-verified neurologic illness cases reported by states that meet the case definition, are available. For additional information or assistance, please send an email to CDC.

Upcoming and Recent CDC COCA Calls

Protecting Children: Influenza Updates for Clinicians
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2015

Measles 2015: Situational Update, Clinical Guidance, and Vaccination Recommendations
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015

Archived COCA conference calls are available on CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response website.

Free continuing education credits (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, CECH, and AAVSB/RACE) are available for most calls.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Comment Deadline for the National Adult Immunization Plan Extended

Flu Hospitalizations Soar Among Older Adults, CDC Report in MMWR Finds

This flu season has been particularly severe for older adults, with this age group experiencing the highest rate of hospitalizations in a decade, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since October, the rate of flu hospitalizations among U.S. adults ages 65 and over has been 258 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, the report found. Previously, the highest rate was during the 2012 to 2013 flu season, when there were 183 flu hospitalizations per 100,000 people ages 65 and older, the report said. Health officials started keeping track of flu hospitalizations in 2005.

The full news story is available on the livescience website.

Please Visit Shot By Shot’s Flu Story

Gigi’s Story is a dramatic story produced by the California Department of Public Health’s Immunization Branch about a school teacher in her 40s who had never been vaccinated against flu, didn’t see the need, and end up hospitalized and in a coma. She and her husband recount the tale.

The story is now live on the shotbyshot.org website. There is also a link to her story on the Shot By Shot Facebook page to try to generate additional distribution via social media. Please consider making this one of your “videos of the week.” It’s so compelling and has a great message.

WHO: Recommended Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines for Use in the 2015–2016 Northern Hemisphere Influenza Season

It is recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2015–2016 influenza season (northern hemisphere winter) contain the following:

an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
an A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 (H3N2)-like virus;
a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

The complete announcement is available on the WHO website.

Ebola Vaccine Efficacy Trial Ready to Launch in Guinea

Based on promising data from initial clinical trials in late 2014, WHO with the Health Ministry of Guinea, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Epicentre and The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), will launch a Phase III trial in Guinea on 7 March to test the VSV-EBOV vaccine for efficacy and effectiveness to prevent Ebola. The vaccine was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. A second vaccine will be tested in a sequential study, as supply becomes available.

Q and As on the Phase III Ebola trial are available on the WHO website.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CureVac Collaborate to Accelerate the Development of Transformative Vaccine Technology

On March 5, 2015, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CureVac announced that the foundation has made a commitment to invest $52 million (€46 million) in CureVac, a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in mRNA-based vaccine technologies. As part of the agreement, the foundation will also provide separate funding for several projects to develop prophylactic vaccines based on CureVac’s proprietary messenger RNA (mRNA) platform. In addition, CureVac’s longstanding investor dievini Hopp BioTech announced a commitment of $24 million (€21 million) of additional equity.

Influenza Antivirals are Underutilized – New Study

A new study published on February 26, 2015 in Clinical Infectious Diseases highlights that influenza antiviral drugs continue to be underutilized in patients at high risk for flu complications. A CDC Flu Spotlight related to this article is available.

Pfizer Receives European Approval for New Indication for Prevenar 13 For Prevention of Vaccine-Type Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Adults

Pfizer has announced that the European Commission approved an expanded indication for the use of Prevenar 13® (pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (13-valent, adsorbed)) for the prevention of pneumonia caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes in the vaccine in adults aged 18 years and older.

N.J. Senate committee approves restrictions on religious exemption for vaccines

On March 9, a New Jersey Senate panel voted to make it harder for school children to skip vaccinations because of religious beliefs. Under the new bill, a parent’s notarized letter must explain “the nature of the person’s religious tenet or practice that is implicated by the vaccination and how the administration of the vaccine would violate, contradict or otherwise be inconsistent with that tenet or practice.”

The statement also most show the tenet “is consistently held by the person,” and is not merely “an expression of that person’s political, sociological, philosophical or moral views, or concerns related to the safety of efficacy of the vaccination.”

They would also have to submit a signed statement by a New Jersey doctor that the person has received counseling about the risks and benefits of vaccinations. Schools would be prohibited from allowing an exemption unless these new requirements are followed.

AAFP Supports CDC, HHS Vaccine Efforts, but Calls for Change

On March 4, the AAFP sent letters to the CDC and HHS responding to the agencies’ calls for comment on the CDC’s revised Vaccine Information Statements for multiple pediatric vaccines and HHS’ draft National Adult Immunization Plan.

Both letters referenced the Academy’s immunization policy, which lays out the AAFP’s continued support for vaccination promotion.

Register for the 2015 Preparedness Summit

Don’t forget to register at the early-bird rate for the 2015 Preparedness Summit to be held April 14–17, 2015 in Atlanta. The summit is the premier national conference for public health preparedness and provides one of the only cross-disciplinary learning opportunities in the field.

Bill to Promote Flu Vaccination among Seniors Clears Assembly

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Pamela Lampitt, Joseph Lagana, Angelica Jimenez, Tim Eustace and Vince Mazzeo to promote seasonal influenza awareness among New Jersey seniors was approved 76-0 by the full Assembly on Monday.

The bill (A-3890) would require the Department of Health to prepare and publish online printer-friendly information about the flu vaccine for older adults.

Are You Considering Travel to India? Over 25,000 Test Positive for Swine Flu, 1,370 Deaths So Far

Swine flu deaths continued unabated as 51 more people died of the virus, raising the toll to 1,370, while the number of affected crossed the 25,000 mark on March 8, 2015.

According to data collated by the Union Health Ministry, the highest number of 322 deaths was in Gujarat, where 5,521 people have been affected by the deadly virus. Rajasthan has reported 321 deaths, while 5,949 people have been affected in the state. The number of affected people across the country has mounted to 25,190.

Effectiveness of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine Against Invasive Disease and Hospital-Treated Pneumonia Among People Aged ≥65 Years

The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine demonstrated efficacy against the most severe invasive forms of pneumococcal disease in patients aged 65 years and older, but the vaccine showed a lack of protection against hospital-treated pneumonia, researchers reported.

In research just published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, Israeli researchers showed that in a retrospective case-control study nested in a population-based cohort, PPSV23 vaccine is effective against the most severe invasive forms of pneumococcal disease, but lacked effectiveness in protecting against all-cause hospital-treated pneumonia.

Grant Opportunity from the National Vaccine Program Office

NVPO is sponsoring a pilot vaccine safety grant (cooperative agreement) Research, Monitoring and Outcomes Definitions for Vaccine Safety. Here is some information about the FOA:

Funding Opportunity for Vaccine Safety Research
NVPO announces a unique opportunity to partner with us on research that will strengthen the current U.S. vaccine safety enterprise. With the potential for two awardees to receive up to $250,000 in funds ($500,000 total available funds), we encourage your participation—and look forward to reviewing applications following the April 15, 2015 closing date.

Types of Vaccine Safety-Related Research
Our objective is to conduct research in vaccine safety that

determines the safety profile of new vaccines during the early development stage,
develops or modifies existing vaccines to improve their safety,
directly impacts the current vaccine safety monitoring system, and/or
produces consensus definitions of vaccine safety outcomes that could be utilized to collect consensus data in clinical research conducted globally.

Projects Related to Pregnant Women and Newborns
Of particular interest are projects related to researching, establishing or testing the vaccine safety profile of vaccines that are either currently recommended for, or are expected to be, routinely administered to pregnant women and/or newborns. Topics of research may cover establishing the safety of a vaccine in either the pregnant woman, her newborn or both, at any stage of the vaccine development, testing and/or pre-clinical or clinical research and monitoring of vaccine safety.

One Family Making Sure Meningococcal B (MenB) Vaccination Is Available for Everyone

Alicia and Michael created The Emily Stillman Foundation to preserve the memory of Emily Nicole Stillman and to assist in raising funds for both Meningococcal Disease and Organ Donation.

The Emily Stillman Foundation is a non-profit organization with 100% of all proceeds going directly towards the mission. With that goal in mind the Stillman family was already taking bus-loads of people across the border into Windsor to be vaccinated and gained national attention by all media outlets. Additionally, the Foundation is also sponsoring clinics to administer MenB vaccines to the public who want to be vaccinated.

2nd Asia-Pacific Influenza Summit, June 11–12, 2015

The Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI) is pleased to announce the 2nd Asia-Pacific Influenza Summit, to take place June 11 & 12, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Please mark the dates on your calendar.

APACI continues to develop new initiatives to promote influenza awareness in the region, and will again be presenting a unique opportunity to meet with key influenza experts and stakeholders from within the region, and from around the world. The summit follows the success of the inaugural Asia-Pacific Influenza summit held in Bangkok in 2012.

The summit will take place immediately prior to the 2015 Asian Vaccine Conference.

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. The next call will be on March 12, 2015. Please email L.J Tan or LaDora Woods if you have any updates on activities to provide to the Summit.