FDA Approves First Quadrivalent Vaccine to Prevent Seasonal Influenza</h1> <article> <h1>FDA Approves First Quadrivalent Vaccine to Prevent Seasonal Influenza</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:18 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/29/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on February 29 the first seasonal influenza vaccine that contains four strains of the flu virus, two A strains and two B strains. The FDA cleared MedImmune’s FluMist Quadrivalent, a vaccine to prevent seasonal influenza in people ages two through 49 years. “Illness caused by Influenza B virus affects children, particularly young and school-aged, more than any other population,” said Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-29/fda-approves-first-quadrivalent-vaccine-prevent-seasonal-influenza" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Push Continues to Vaccinate Adults for Whooping Cough, Other Diseases</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/29/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> The Snohomish Health District in Washington State has recorded 105 cases of whooping cough so far this year, compared to 225 in all of 2011, with one infant death. These figures underscore the fact that more adults need to keep up with immunization, especially since vaccination is less expensive than treating the diseases they prevent and reduces the number of sick days people take from work. Dr. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-29/push-continues-vaccinate-adults-whooping-cough-other-diseases" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Porthmadog Measles Outbreak Linked to Ysgol Eifionnydd Affects 30</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:21 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/29/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Public health authorities in Wales say that another 11 children in Gwynedd have been diagnosed with measles in an outbreak that now involves 30 cases. All of the cases are associated with Ysgol Eifionydd School in Porthmadog. Local doctors have been offering the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to children, while Public Health Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are calling on parents to make sure their children are vaccinated. Most of the cases have not had the MMR at all, or have had only one dose when two are required to protect against the disease. </article> <article> <h1>325 Cases of Measles Reported [in China] in Jan.</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:22 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/29/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A new report from China’s Ministry of Health reveals that measles cases have declined 51 percent over the 12-month period ending in January. Health officials confirmed 325 cases of measles in January. There were 144 cases in Hubei Province, followed by 36 in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and and 27 in Sichuan Province. Last December, the health ministry announced an effort to enhance measures to prevent measles. </article> <article> <h1>FDA Picks Two New Vaccine Strains for 2012-13 Flu Seasons</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/28/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> In keeping with the World Health Organization’s recommendations for the 2012-2013 flu season, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has selected two new strains for the next seasonal flu vaccine. Pharmaceutical companies can now begin work on producing the vaccine. The following strains will be used in the 2012-2013 seasonal flu vaccine: A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09, the pandemic strain; A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2); and B/Wisconsin/1/2010. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-28/fda-picks-two-new-vaccine-strains-2012-13-flu-seasons" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Pfizer Recalls Prevnar Pneumococcal Vaccine</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/28/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Pfizer has issued a recall on one lot of its pneumococcal vaccine, Prevnar 13. Lot number F73652 is being recalled from a drug wholesaler because the active ingredient was beyond its expiration date. None of the doses had been distributed to healthcare providers, but Pfizer noted it does not believe the recalled doses pose any safety or efficacy concerns. Prevnar 13 protects against 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria, including strains that can cause meningitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. </article> <article> <h1>Whooping Cough Spreads in Chilliwack</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:22 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/28/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Whooping cough continues to spread throughout Fraser Valley in Canada, and health officials have detected 140 suspected or confirmed cases in Chilliwack, British Columbia, since December. “Certainly we are seeing numbers this year we haven’t seen for five or six years now,” said Fraser Health spokesman Roy Thorpe-Dorward. “We know the real count is significantly higher because so many cases go unreported.” Most of the cases in Chilliwack involve children, and most children are vaccinated against the illness. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-28/whooping-cough-spreads-chilliwack" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles Cases in Indiana Rise to 17 for Month</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:20 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/27/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Indiana health officials have reported 17 cases of measles as of February 27. A rare outbreak has hit central Indiana this month, and 16 cases have been confirmed in that part of the state. The cases include two people who visited the Super Bowl Village on February 3, but no additional cases have been reported as a result of this exposure. The 17th case, in Adams County in the northeastern part of Indiana, has been linked to an unvaccinated person who traveled to a country where measles is prevalent. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-27/measles-cases-indiana-rise-17-month" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>HPV Vaccine Recommendations</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:20 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/27/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its recommendations for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, supporting the Oct. 25, 2011, recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The committee recommended that males routinely receive the quadrivalent HPV vaccine, Merck’s Gardasil. </article> <article> <h1>14 Cases of Whooping Cough Confirmed in Ocean County [N.J.]</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:05 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/22/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Health officials in Ocean County, N.J., have confirmed 14 cases of pertussis. Another three cases are being investigated. County health officials are calling on residents to make sure their vaccinations are up to date and reminding them to practice good hand hygiene. The health department said that the outbreak has been concentrated in the northern part of the county, particularly in Lakewood, although cases are being seen in other parts of the county as well. </article> <article> <h1>Adult Vaccination Rate Still Too Low</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:06 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/22/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> In the Feb. 3 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that little progress has been made in boosting the low rate of vaccinations among adults. The report says vaccination rates held steady in 2010 from the prior year for the pneumococcal, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines, but vaccination rates rose slightly for the Tdap, human papillomavirus (HPV), and herpes zoster vaccines. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-22/adult-vaccination-rate-still-too-low" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>All Older Adults Added to Vaccine Advice for Whooping Cough by US Advisory Panel</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:04 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/22/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Wednesday in favor of vaccinating individuals 65 years and older against whooping cough. Although children have long been vaccinated against the highly infectious disease, a vaccine for adolescents and adults was not approved until 2005, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has been gradually adding groups of adults to its recommendations for whooping cough vaccination. In 2010, it was recommended that elderly people who spend a lot of time with very young infants receive the vaccine. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-22/all-older-adults-added-vaccine-advice-whooping-cough-us-advisory-pa" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Flu Vaccine Can Help Prevent Undersized Babies: Study</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:07 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/21/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A new study conducted by a team of U.S. and Bangladeshi researchers suggests that flu infection during pregnancy affects the fetal growth of unborn babies. The researchers placed 340 healthy pregnant women in Bangladesh in two groups, with one receiving the influenza vaccine and the other receiving the pneumococcal vaccine as a control. The team compared the weight of babies born during and outside of flu season. When flu was dormant, no difference was found between the groups in terms of the percentage of babies born that were small for their gestational age. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-21/flu-vaccine-can-help-prevent-undersized-babies-study" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Combo Vaccine May Raise Babies' Risk for Fever-Caused Seizures</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:09 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/21/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Researchers in Denmark have discovered that the risk of febrile seizures in babies is greater on the day they receive either of the first two doses of the DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine, but the overall risk remains low. Only 17 of the close to 400,000 children studied experienced febrile seizures within a week of the first dose, 32 within a week of the second dose, and 201 within a week of the third dose. Although 7,811 children had febrile seizures before they were 18 months old, most were tied to fevers from infections, not vaccines. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-21/combo-vaccine-may-raise-babies-risk-fever-caused-seizures" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles at Ysgol Eifionydd, Porthmadog, Prompts New MMR Warning</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:09 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/21/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A secondary school in Porthmadog, U.K., has reported an outbreak of measles. Health officials have diagnosed 12 cases in children associated with the school, Ysgol Eifionydd, and report that all of the children either had no MMR vaccination or only one dose. A vaccination session for students who have not received two doses of the vaccine has been scheduled at the school on Feb. 22. Health officials have sent letters to parents to encourage them to make sure their children are fully vaccinated. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-21/measles-ysgol-eifionydd-porthmadog-prompts-new-mmr-warning" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Study Urged for Pneumococcal Vaccine in Low-Income Countries</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:09 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/21/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined data from clinical trials and research studies on the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine throughout the world, in an attempt to evaluate the overall effectiveness of PCV7 (Prevnar). The bulk of the efficacy data comes from high-income, low-disease burden countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and it shows a dramatic decline in pneumonia hospital admissions and cases of acute otitis media. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-21/study-urged-pneumococcal-vaccine-low-income-countries" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Study Examines Cost-Effectiveness of Adult Pneumococcal Vaccines</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:05 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/21/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Researchers led by Dr. Kenneth Smith of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine estimated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination strategies in people aged 50 years and up in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They used different modeling techniques to perform simulations, aiming to gauge the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in preventing nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia (NPP) in these adults. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-21/study-examines-cost-effectiveness-adult-pneumococcal-vaccines" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Vaccines Now Required for Adolescents, Teenagers [in West Virginia]</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:55:06 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/15/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> West Virginia now requires that seventh graders show proof of receiving a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine booster and the the MCV4 meningitis vaccine for the 2012-2013 school year. Twelfth-graders must show proof of a Tdap booster and proof of a meningitis booster if they received their first dose before age 16. These new vaccination requirements are based on long-term studies on how long protection lasts for children, says Candace Hurd, director of Nursing at Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-15/vaccines-now-required-adolescents-teenagers-west-virginia" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>More Doctors 'Fire' Vaccine Refusers</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:15 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/15/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> More pediatricians are forcing families to leave their practices if they refuse to have their children vaccinated. Surveys by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2001 and 2006 indicated that 6 percent of pediatricians “routinely” dismissed patients for refusing vaccination, and 16 percent “sometimes” did so. However, a 2011 study of 133 pediatricians in Connecticut reveals that 30 percent fired families for refusing vaccines, and 21 percent of 909 pediatricians in the Midwest surveyed recently did the same. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-15/more-doctors-fire-vaccine-refusers" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Health Canada Approves Extended Use of Prevnar 13 in Adults 50 Years and Older</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:23 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/15/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Canada is the latest country to approve the use of Prevnar 13 for active immunization for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults 50 years of age and older. Health Canada has approved the extended use of the conjugate vaccine to prevent IPD in older adults caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F, according to Pfizer Canada. Prevnar 13 is made from the purified polysaccharides of 13 different serotypes of S. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-15/health-canada-approves-extended-use-prevnar-13-adults-50-years-and-" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Ind. Health Department Confirms 13 Measles Cases</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:16 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/14/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> More than two dozen people in Indiana’s Boone and Hamilton counties have been sickened in an outbreak of measles this month. Those affected include adults and children. A suspected case involving a Noblesville middle school student has prompted the school district to take steps to contain the illness, including notifying parents of students who are not vaccinated against the disease and asking that they consider getting the shot. According to school spokeswoman Sharon Trisler, 98 percent of students in the district were vaccinated against measles. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-14/ind-health-department-confirms-13-measles-cases" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>2,000 Vaccinated Against Meningitis in Ore. County</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:17 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/14/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Crook County, Ore., has vaccinated more than 2,000 people against bacterial meningitis over the past two weeks. Six people have contracted the illness since March, but the county health department declared an outbreak after three people were sickened by the same strain of the meningococcal disease in three months. The more recent incidents were confirmed in late January and involved an infant and a teenager. About 43 percent of the children between 11 and 18 years in the Central Oregon county were vaccinated, according to Karen Yeargain, communicable disease coordinator for Crook County. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-14/2000-vaccinated-against-meningitis-ore-county" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles Vaccination Campaign Targets Schools</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:23 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/14/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A measles vaccination campaign in Quebec is targeting public and private schools, responding to last year’s outbreak, the biggest in the Americas since 2002. Quebec saw 750 cases last spring, 50 percent of which involved high school students, but has not reported a case since last fall. On Montreal Island, 524 students, staff, and volunteers born after 1970 are being targeted for vaccination, with parents being asked to have their children vaccinated if they cannot provide proof of immunization. Dr. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-14/measles-vaccination-campaign-targets-schools" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Proposed Florida Legislation Would Allow Pharmacists to Administer Vaccinations</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:17 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/11/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Legislation being considered by lawmakers in Florida would allow pharmacists to administer the pneumonia vaccine to adults over age 65 years and the shingles vaccine to adults over 60 beginning July 1. State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan (R-Miami), sponsor of the House measure, says: “It’s much easier for an individual to go to a pharmacy to get a shot than it is to make an appointment with a doctor, paying a co-pay with a doctor and getting the shot. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-11/proposed-florida-legislation-would-allow-pharmacists-administer-vac" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Whooping Cough Cases Increase in Waukesha County</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/10/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> In Wisconsin, the Waukesha County Division of Public Health reports that six cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in the county’s school district since October. Five of the cases were at Horning Middle School, while the sixth was found at Blair Elementary; another suspected case is pending confirmation. Overall, the county recorded 80 cases of pertussis in the last quarter of 2011. “We are seeing an increase in pertussis throughout the entire state of Wisconsin and also in Waukesha County,” said Rosie Kapp, Public Health Supervisor in the county. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-10/whooping-cough-cases-increase-waukesha-county" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Whooping Cough Outbreak Levels Off</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/09/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A Rhode Island Department of Health spokesman announced the the outbreak of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, in Barrington appears to be ending, as no new cases have been reported since Jan. 24. The town has 28 confirmed cases, of which 25 are in children at the local public schools. On Dec. 22, the first case reported to the Department of Health was logged, though there are claims of a case prior to Thanksgiving. Eight students at the local middle school had been diagnosed with pertussis by Jan. 9. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-09/whooping-cough-outbreak-levels" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>NVAC Approves Recommendations on Health Worker Flu Vaccination</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:01 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/08/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), a group of outside experts who advise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on vaccine policy issues, has approved a set of voluntary steps aimed at increasing flu vaccination among healthcare workers. The five-step plan is geared to help hospitals and other health facilities reach the Healthy People 2020 goal that 90 percent of healthcare workers receive the flu vaccine. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-08/nvac-approves-recommendations-health-worker-flu-vaccination" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Meningococcal Vaccine Effective Against Serogroup B</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:07 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/07/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A recent study focused on the multicomponent serogroup B Neisseria meningitides (4CMenB) vaccine in more than 1,800 healthy infants. Researchers, led by Dr. Nicoletta Gossger of the Oxford Vaccine Group in the University of Oxford’s Department of Pediatrics, studied babies who were given the 4CMenB vaccine at at ages two, four, and six months or two, three, and four months and found that the vaccine is effective against three reference strains and does not interfere significantly with routine infant vaccinations. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-07/meningococcal-vaccine-effective-against-serogroup-b" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Announces Adolescent Vaccine Project Grant Recipients</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:48:21 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/07/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) will support 10 adolescent vaccine projects with grants of $150,000 to $160,000. “We were excited to review these incredibly important and pioneering programs,” said SAHM President Dr. Leslie R. Walker, FSAHM, of Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-07/society-adolescent-health-and-medicine-announces-adolescent-vaccine" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Rotavirus Vaccine Not Linked to Bowel Problems</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:04 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/07/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Researchers from Harvard Medical School tracked infants who received Merck’s rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq, from 2006 to 2010, amounting to 787,000 doses. They found no significant increase in hospitalizations for intussusception when they compared cases of the bowel disorder after the vaccine became routine in 2007, to infants who were not vaccinated during the study period and to those hospitalized in 2001 to 2005. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-07/rotavirus-vaccine-not-linked-bowel-problems" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>School Closures Slowed Spread of 2009 H1N1 Flu Pandemic</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:10 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/06/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Public policy makers should consider closing elementary and secondary schools as a control measure during pandemic outbreaks, according to a study led by researchers at McMaster University. Their analysis of data about the incidence of influenza infections in Alberta during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic (pH1N1) reveals a sharp reduction in the transmission of infection from person to person when schools closed for the summer. The data from Alberta enabled the researchers to find causes for changes in incidence as the pandemic progressed. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-06/school-closures-slowed-spread-2009-h1n1-flu-pandemic" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles Cases Rise After Decade of Decline</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:10 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/06/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Measles cases rose globally in 2010 largely due to outbreaks in parts of Europe and Africa, after nearly a decade of declines, say health authorities. There were 339,845 measles cases worldwide in 2010, which is an increase of nearly 60,000 measles cases from 2009, according to a report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Low vaccination coverage was the main reason for the outbreaks, although there was increasing vaccine coverage of at least one dose against measles to 85 percent in 2010, up from 72 percent in 2000. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-06/measles-cases-rise-after-decade-decline" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Fraser Health Stockpiles Vaccines as Whooping Cough Outbreak Spreads</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:13 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/06/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> In British Columbia, Canada, the Fraser Health Authority is stockpiling 50,000 doses of the whooping cough vaccine just in case an outbreak in the eastern portion of the Fraser Valley spreads to the west. The outbreak began in Hope in December and has since spread to Agassiz, Harrison, and, most recently, Chilliwack. A few cases of pertussis were also reported in Maple Ridge, Langley, and Surrey, but it is not yet known whether they are related to the other cases or not. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-06/fraser-health-stockpiles-vaccines-whooping-cough-outbreak-spreads" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Half of [San Diego] Adolescents Need Vaccines</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:06 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/03/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Although vaccines can protect adolescents from a number of diseases, researchers report that many of the 300,000 adolescents in the San Diego region have not received all of the recommended immunizations. February 12-18 is Preteen Vaccine Week, a time when the County Health and Human Services Agency encourages parents to have their adolescent children vaccinated at doctors’ offices, community clinics, or pharmacies. Uninsured patients can receive vaccinations at one of the county’s public health centers. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-03/half-san-diego-adolescents-need-vaccines" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>First Whooping Cough Cases Reported for 2012</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:41:06 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/01/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> San Diego County has received reports of three cases of whooping cough so far in 2012, but none of these cases were reported in a public setting where others may have been exposed, according to County Health and Human Services Agency officials. There were 436 cases of whooping cough in the region last year and a record 1,144 cases reported in the county during a 2010 epidemic. “We want to remind parents that the pertussis vaccine series and booster shot are important in the prevention of this very contagious respiratory illness,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, County Public Health Officer. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-01/first-whooping-cough-cases-reported-2012" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>AAP Updates Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:26 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">02/01/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued its 2012 immunization schedules for children and adolescents. Clinicians should use all three schedules and their accompanying footnotes, not as stand-alone schedules. The hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin should be administered to infants weighing less than 2,000 g and to infants weighing at least 2,000 g whose mother is positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. The tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine should be used for children aged seven through 10 years who are not fully immunized. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-02-01/aap-updates-childhood-and-adolescent-immunization-schedules" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>NIH-Funded HIV Clinical Research Sites to Join Pediatric Tuberculosis Vaccine Study</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:27 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/31/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> An ongoing pediatric tuberculosis (TB) vaccine study will be expanded to include up to six U.S. government-funded clinical research sites in Africa. The phase II proof-of-concept study is testing the safety and effectiveness of an investigational booster TB vaccine developed by Aeras in Rockville, Md., and Crucell in the Netherlands. The trial will enroll HIV-negative infants ages 16 weeks to 26 weeks to test the AERAS-402/Crucell Ad35 candidate TB vaccine as a booster immunization to the current Bacille Calmette-Guerin TB vaccine. The study is expected to be completed in 2015. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-31/nih-funded-hiv-clinical-research-sites-join-pediatric-tuberculosis-" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Health Officials Hope to Slow Whooping Cough Epidemic With Free Vaccinations</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/30/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> By Jan. 25, Snohomish County, Wash., already had reported 41 cases of whooping cough this year, surpassing the total number of cases reported in 2010. At the current rate, health officials say the county could surpass the 222 cases reported in 2011. Thanks to a $14,000 grant from The Everett Clinic Foundation, the Snohomish Health District is offering 450 free doses of vaccine to low-income individuals in contact with infants as well as pregnant women and those lacking health insurance. Dr. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-30/health-officials-hope-slow-whooping-cough-epidemic-free-vaccination" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Pertussis Cases Going Up in Virginia</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/30/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Pertussis cases in Virginia have doubled statewide over the past five years and rose more than threefold in the western region of the state from 2009 to 2011. West Piedmont Health District director Dr. Gordon Green says, “The single most effective way to prevent pertussis is vaccination.” Infants are most vulnerable because they cannot be vaccinated until they are six months old, which means the people around them must be vaccinated to safeguard them from the disease. Because the vaccine’s effectiveness wanes over time, teens and adults should receive booster shots, according to Green. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-30/pertussis-cases-going-virginia" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Bacterial Disguise Evades Vaccine</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:38 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/29/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Researchers tracking the pneumococcus bacteria’s response to the introduction of a vaccine in the United States in 2000 have identified fives cases of so-called capsule switching. Some pneumococcus bacteria collected pieces of DNA from other bacteria that had died and used the information to change their outer coat and avoid the immune response. One of the new strains, called P1, “quickly became established spreading from east to west across the United States,” according to the study, which adds that it had “become one of the most prevalent” varieties by 2007. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-29/bacterial-disguise-evades-vaccine" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Oral HPV More Common in Men Than Women</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:32 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/26/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Oral human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that affects about one in 15 Americans, has received greater attention due to a rise in oropharyngeal cancers over the past 20 years. A 2011 study found that throat cancers caused by HPV type 16 have tripled in the past two decades. Now, the authors of a new report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, say that 6.9 percent of adults and teenagers are infected with some kind of oral HPV, of which there are more than 40 strains. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-26/oral-hpv-more-common-men-women" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Colorado Wants Mandatory Flu Shots for Most Hospital and Nursing Home Workers</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:37:33 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/26/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Colorado health officials are calling for flu vaccinations to be mandatory for nearly all hospital and nursing-home employees, without the option of religious or personal exemptions. The state board of health will vote in February on new rules that would require medical facilities to achieve employee flu-vaccine targets. The Colorado Hospital Association favors mandatory flu vaccination for hospital staff, including nursing homes. The health system Centura, which includes the Adventist and St. Anthony hospitals, strongly encourages but does not mandate the flu shots. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-26/colorado-wants-mandatory-flu-shots-most-hospital-and-nursing-home-w" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Toxins May Reduce Vaccine Effectiveness, Harvard Study Finds</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:23 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/26/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A new study by the Harvard School of Public Health, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that children with the highest levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) had a 50 percent lower reaction to tetanus and diphtheria vaccines. The study looked at PFC levels in close to 600 children in the Faroe Islands in the Norwegian Sea, but it does not indicate whether the same effects happen with other vaccines. Dr. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-26/toxins-may-reduce-vaccine-effectiveness-harvard-study-finds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Canadian Experts Recommend HPV Vaccine for Boys</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:26 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/25/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended the use of the Gardasil human papillomavirus vaccine in boys and young men between the ages of nine and 26 years as well as those older than nine who have sex with other men, citing strong (Grade A) evidence that it protects against anal cancer, anogenital warts, and pre-cancerous anal lesions. The vaccine is not approved for boys or girls under the age of nine years. The committee also cites good (Grade B) evidence of protection against penile and perianal and perineal lesions and cancers. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-25/canadian-experts-recommend-hpv-vaccine-boys" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Gates Urges Support for Health Programs</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:27 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/25/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Bill Gates will push for the continued financial support of health programs in developing countries at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He will make a case for funding vaccines and other crucial projects by showcasing ideas, backed by his foundation, that have helped to cost-effectively address problems in global health. The pitch will come at a time when governments, key wealthy donors, are saddled with debt. Nonetheless, the eradication of polio could re-energize vaccine campaigns against other diseases that are currently falling short. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-25/gates-urges-support-health-programs" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Ghana to Begin Second Dose Measles Vaccination</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:28 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/25/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Ghana will launch a second dose measles vaccination campaign for children from ages 18 to 30 months on February 1. The second dose of the measles vaccine will be included in the routine schedule of child immunization. The nation has achieved high routine measles coverage of more than 85 percent and has not recorded any deaths from measles in the past nine years, according to Dr. Kwadwo Antwi-Agyei, program manager of the Expanded Program on Immunization. Dr. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-25/ghana-begin-second-dose-measles-vaccination" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Vaccination Program Credited in Fight Against Whooping Cough</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:21 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/25/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> After a whooping cough epidemic caused 10 infant deaths in 2010, health officials in California rolled out a vaccination and public awareness campaign that has proven successful. The California Department of Public Health reported on January 24 that for the first time in 20 years, no deaths from whooping cough have been reported in a year. Moreover, the number of pertussis cases declined to 2,795 last year from 9,154 in 2010. Dr. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-25/vaccination-program-credited-fight-against-whooping-cough" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>U.S. Hepatitis A Vaccine Rates Vary Widely, Survey Shows</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:23 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/25/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> A survey of more than 20,000 parents of children born between 1991 and 1997 and a check of their immunization records by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 30 percent of children nationally have received two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine. Vaccination rates vary widely because of regional differences in recommendations. In the 11 states in the western United States where the CDC recommends the vaccine, the vaccination rate is 60 percent, with Alaska and Oklahoma achieving 85 percent rates. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-25/us-hepatitis-vaccine-rates-vary-widely-survey-shows" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Reassurance on Vaccines and Allergy</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:28 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/24/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> Severe allergic reactions to vaccinations are very rare, according to a British study on anaphylaxis in children after vaccination from September 2008 to September 2009. During that time, specialists reported only 15 cases of anaphylaxis, and only seven were confirmed as anaphylaxis. There were reports of anaphylaxis with the single measles vaccine and the human papillomavirus, meningitis, hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines. Approximately 5.5 million routine infant vaccinations were administered during the study period. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-24/reassurance-vaccines-and-allergy" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>China Approves World's First Hepatitis E Vaccine</h1> <p>dpineda — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:35:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-newsbriefs-pub-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">01/23/2012</span> </div> </div> </div> China’s Ministry of Science and Technology announced that the country has approved the world’s first hepatitis E virus (HEV) vaccine. HEV is the most common type of hepatitis in China, but until now, there was no commercially available vaccine. A team of researchers from Xiamen University and Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co. Ltd. in China’s Fujian province developed the HEV 239 vaccine (marketed as Hecolin). Scientists prepare the recombinant vaccine by using virus-like particles of the HEV structural protein. <p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2012-01-23/china-approves-worlds-first-hepatitis-e-vaccine" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> </main></body></html>