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September 9, 2005
CDC ESTABLISHES HURRICANE HEALTH AND SAFETY WEBSITE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established a website to disseminate hurricane health and safety recommendations. This website is a centralized, up-to-date resource for those working with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

To access this website, go to: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes
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(2 of 12)
September 9, 2005
FDA APPROVES VAQTA HEPATITIS A VACCINE FOR USE IN CHILDREN AGES 12 MONTHS AND OLDER

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 08/22/05.]

On August 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Merck's VAQTA hepatitis A vaccine for children ages 12 months and older. In the original licensure, the age indication was for children ages two years and older.

To view the supplemental license approval information on the FDA website, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/products/havamer081105.htm

To read the package insert, go to:
http://www.merck.com/newsroom/pdf/vaqta_pi_rev9413407.pdf
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(3 of 12)
September 9, 2005
DRAFT AGENDA FOR NATIONAL VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION CONFERENCE AVAILABLE ONLINE; EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS SEPTEMBER 30

A draft agenda for CDC's National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference is now available online at http://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=2004101E&OID=110

The deadline for early registration ($275) is September 30. The deadline for regular registration ($300) is November 20. Late and on-site registration will be $325 (note: on-site registration is limited).

The conference will be held December 5–9 in Washington, DC, and is sponsored by CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis. For more information, visit the conference website at http://www.nvhpc.com
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(4 of 12)
September 9, 2005
HEADS UP: NOVEMBER 4 IS DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS FOR THE 2006 NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 09/06/05.]

November 4 is the deadline for submitting abstracts for CDC's 2006 National Immunization Conference, which will be held in Atlanta, GA, on March 6-9, 2006. Abstracts must be submitted online. To access submission guidelines, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/nic/#abstract

The deadline for early-bird registration ($175) is January 13. The deadline for regular registration ($200) is February 17. Late and on-site registration will be $225.

For general information on the 40th National Immunization Conference, including conference goals, objectives, and registration, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/nic

Those without Internet access can contact the conference planning team at (404) 639-8225 or nipnic@cdc.gov
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(5 of 12)
September 9, 2005
ARTICLE ABOUT INTEGRATING HEPATITIS B PREVENTION INTO STD SERVICES AVAILABLE ON CDC'S WEBSITE

CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis has added a June 2005 article from the "Sexually Transmitted Diseases" journal to its website. "Integrating Hepatitis B Prevention Into Sexually Transmitted Disease Services: U.S. Sexually Transmitted Disease Program and Clinic Trends—1997 and 2001" examines the progress (and lack thereof) of implementing integration recommendations.

To access the article in PDF format, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/int_hbv_std.pdf
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(6 of 12)
September 9, 2005
NEW: AUGUST 2005 ISSUE OF VACCINATE WOMEN IS ON THE IAC WEBSITE

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 08/22/05.]

The August 2005 issue of Vaccinate Women is now available on the IAC website. Hard copies were recently mailed to all members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). This publication was supported by a cooperative grant by the Division of Viral Hepatitis at the Centers for Disease Control  and Prevention. It was distributed free of charge by ACOG.

The new issue is filled with reliable, practical information intended to assist obstetricians/gynecologists in providing immunization services in their healthcare settings.

HOW TO READ VACCINATE WOMEN ON THE WEB
You can view selected articles from the table of contents below or download the entire issue from the Web.

To view the table of contents with links to individual articles, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vw

Please note: The PDF file of the entire issue, linked below, is 297,245 bytes. For tips on downloading and printing PDF files, go to: http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/tips.htm

To download a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the entire issue, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vw/vw0805.pdf

TO ACCESS INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES
Following are descriptions of and direct links to each of the main Vaccinate Women articles:

"Ask the Experts"
CDC immunization experts William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, and Andrew T. Kroger, MD, MPH, answer general immunization questions. Hepatitis specialists Eric E. Mast, MD, MPH, and Linda A. Moyer, RN, answer hepatitis questions.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vw/expert5.pdf

Note: No HTML version is available.

"Medical errors put infants at risk for chronic hepatitis B virus infection--five case reports"
A state hepatitis B coordinator reports on five cases illustrating a variety of medical errors that led to high-risk infants not receiving the recommended hepatitis B prophylaxis within 12 hours of birth.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vw/errors5.pdf

Note: No HTML version is available.

"Labor & Delivery and Nursery Unit Guidelines to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus Transmission"
A one-page summary of all the steps needed to ensure that every baby is protected against hepatitis B. The piece includes detailed information for infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers, infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers, and infants born to mothers with unknown HBsAg status.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130per.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130.htm

"Immunizations for Babies. . . "
This guide for parents is an easily understandable chart of the shot schedule.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010imm.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010.htm
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(7 of 12)
September 9, 2005
IAC UPDATES FIVE PRINT PIECES

IAC recently updated the following five print pieces.

(1) "Summary of Adult Immunization Recommendations" distills hundreds of pages of ACIP recommendations for adult immunization into a handy document that can be printed on card stock and placed in every exam room for easy reference.

The summary was updated in August 2005 to reflect new ACIP recommendations on many vaccines. To accommodate all this new information, and to make this resource easier to read, the document has been expanded to three pages. Immunization experts at CDC have reviewed the information in the document for technical accuracy.

To obtain the document in ready-to-print (PDF) format, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2011b.pdf

To obtain it in web-text (HTML) format, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2011b.htm

(2) The two-page patient questionnaire "Do I Need Any Vaccinations Today?" was revised to reflect current information.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4036need.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4036need.htm

(3) "Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination" was substantively revised. A column indicating who should be vaccinated was added to the table on serologic testing, and a paragraph on managing chronic hepatitis B virus infection was added at the conclusion of the piece. This piece is intended for health professionals.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2110.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2110.htm

(4) Intended for professionals and patients, "Hepatitis A, B, and C: Learn the Differences" was slightly revised, primarily to include new treatment information.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4075abc.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4075abc.htm

(5) A professional-education piece "Administering Vaccines to Adults: Dose, Route, Site, Needle Size, and Preparation" was revised to include newly licensed vaccines.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of it, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3084.pdf

Note: No HTML version is available.
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(8 of 12)
September 9, 2005
FALL 2005 LIVER UPDATE MEETING TO BE HELD IN SAN DIEGO ON SEPTEMBER 29

The American Liver Foundation, Family Health Centers of San Diego, and the HIV, STD & Hepatitis Prevention Branch of the County of San Diego are jointly sponsoring a Fall 2005 Liver Update in San Diego on September 29.

"Viral Hepatitis 2005: Community Impact" features national and local speakers. Registration is $30 and includes lunch. CEUs are available. Please register by September 22 by calling (619) 291-5483, or emailing CMartin@liverfoundation.org
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(9 of 12)
September 9, 2005
HEPATITIS C UPDATE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 29 IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

The Virginia Hepatitis C Education and Training Center in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Health's Division of HIV, STD, and Pharmacy Services is sponsoring "Hepatitis C Update: Latest Advances from Diagnosis to Treatment" in Charlottesville, VA, on September 29.

This conference is intended for providers interested in the most up-to-date information available in the field of hepatitis C. There is no fee and nursing continuing education hours are available. Space is limited: to register, call the Inova Juniper Program at (703) 321-2600.
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(10 of 12)
September 9, 2005
TARGETING HEPATITIS C CONFERENCE TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 1 IN BUFFALO, NY, AND NOVEMBER 15 IN NEW YORK CITY

The New York State Department of Health's Fourth Annual Hepatitis C Conference will take place November 1 in Buffalo and November 15 in New York City. "Targeting Hepatitis C: Preventing Transmission, Morbidity & Mortality" is jointly sponsored by the Medical Society of the State of New York, NY/NJ AIDS Education & Training Center, New York State Nurses Association, Foundation for Healthy Living, and HIV Clinical Education Initiative.

The conference fee of $60 includes tuition, materials, registration fee, continental breakfast, refreshment break, and lunch. The program has been accredited to provide continuing education credit for physicians; credit approval is pending for nurses and alcoholism and substance abuse counselors.

For conference information, please contact Kathy Gombel, New York State Department of Health, by phone at (518) 474-2163, or by email at hcvconf@health.state.ny.us The abstract submission deadline is October 10; inquiries regarding abstracts should be sent to the above email address.
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(11 of 12)
September 9, 2005
OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH HOSTING SUMMIT IN JANUARY; ABSTRACTS DUE OCTOBER 3

On January 9-11, 2006, the Office of Minority Health will be celebrating its 20th anniversary and hosting the National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health in Washington, DC.

In preparation for the summit, a call for abstracts has been issued. Abstracts are due by 5:00 PM (EDT), Monday, October 3. For more details, please visit http://www.omhsummit2006.org/Abstracts.htm

For more information about the summit, go to: http://www.omhsummit2006.org
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(12 of 12)
September 9, 2005
REMINDER: HFI'S FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONAL VIRAL HEPATITIS SUMMIT WILL TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 22-23

The Fourth Annual National Viral Hepatitis Summit will take place September 22-23, in Chicago, IL. This program is sponsored by Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI), and features experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, University of California San Francisco, Rush Presbyterian, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and Northwestern University Medical Center.

For program details or registration information, please go to: http://www.hepfi.org