(1 of 10)
October 4, 2007
IAC UPDATES HEPATITIS PREVENTION PROGRAMS WEBSITE

IAC launched its hepatitis prevention programs website, http://www.hepprograms.org, in March 2001 as part of a cooperative agreement with CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis. The site features programs successfully preventing hepatitis A, B, and/or C in individuals at risk of infection. The content is intended for public health and social service managers who can use the information to start or improve hepatitis prevention programs.

Originally targeted toward programs serving adolescents and adults, the website recently started adding information about programs preventing HBV infection during the perinatal period.

The site now features 80 programs in 11 categories.

The following programs have not previously been featured in Hep Express.

Arizona Department of Health Services
http://www.hepprograms.org/other/other1.asp
The state offers free hepatitis A and B vaccination to uninsured individuals testing positive for hepatitis C.

Asian Health Coalition of Illinois
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia1.asp
This coalition works with many community agencies to increase hepatitis B vaccination rates among local APIA children and adults.

Get the Facts! A Video-Based Curriculum for the In- and Out-of-Treatment Substance Users with Hepatitis C
http://www.hepprograms.org/drug/drug18.asp
The Oakland, CA, OASIS clinic enrolls selected substance users in this video-based educational intervention.

HCV Coordinator Program; Virginia Department of Health; Division of Disease Prevention
http://www.hepprograms.org/std/std8.asp
The state integrates STD treatment and hepatitis prevention, serving those at elevated risk for all types of viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B Vaccination among MSM: An Online Investigation and Intervention
http://www.hepprograms.org/std/std23.asp
A five-year Internet-based project to increase awareness of, knowledge about, and intentions to get hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccinations in the MSM online community.

Hepatitis Web Study
http://www.hepprograms.org/std/std22.asp
A website designed for healthcare workers who provide clinical care to persons with viral hepatitis that offers interactive, case-based modules. Users can earn free continuing education credits.

Illinois Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/perinatal/per4.asp
A program to promote and ensure routine maternal screening and birth dose vaccination policies in all 108 birthing hospitals in downstate Illinois.

Integrating Viral Hepatitis into Client Centered Counseling Training Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/adult/adult16.asp
A curriculum designed to enhance the ability of disease intervention specialists, HIV counselors, and health educators to integrate viral hepatitis prevention and control messages into each counseling session.

Missouri Hepatitis Vaccination Initiative
http://www.hepprograms.org/drug/drug17.asp
A statewide program that provides hepatitis A and B vaccination for identified risk groups and targeted hepatitis C testing through collaboration with multiple public and private entities.

National Task Force on Hepatitis B: Focus on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia13.asp
A national volunteer task force that has monthly conference calls and shares resources on screening, vaccination, education, and treatment of hepatitis B.

New Hampshire Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/perinatal/per2.asp
A perinatal program that provides hepatitis B services for HBsAg-positive pregnant women, their babies, and their sexual and household contacts. Education of the hospital staff is also a focus of this program.

North Dakota (ND) Perinatal Hepatitis B Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/perinatal/per3.asp
A surveillance, tracking, and reminder program for infants and household contacts of HBsAg-positive pregnant women with the goal of eliminating HBV infection in infants born to HBsAG-positive women

Perinatal and Asian Pacific Islander (API) Hepatitis B Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/perinatal/per5.asp
A statewide initiative that works to raise awareness about hepatitis B and the impact of the infection and disease in the API community.

"Protect Yourself" Education and Immunization Outreach Project
http://www.hepprograms.org/msm/msm20.asp
A project that provides positive, proactive sexual health messages and hepatitis A and B vaccination at MSM-friendly venues.

The American Liver Foundation's Latino Community Outreach Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/other/other14.asp
A program for members of the Latino Community and their families and other community members and healthcare workers interested in learning more about hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prevention or seeking HCV support services.

Youth Leadership Conference on Asian and Pacific Islander Health
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia14.asp
A conference to educate high school students about hepatitis B, teach them about running outreach events, and inspire them to lead the effort while giving them the tools to accomplish community-based efforts.

The following projects have updated their program information:

B Informed Patient Conference
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia12.asp
An annual conference for people with chronic hepatitis B infection sponsored by the Hepatitis B Foundation.

B-Wise Project, NICOS Chinese Health Coalition
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia4.asp
This coalition offers hepatitis B awareness, education, and screening opportunities to the Chinese community of San Francisco.

Carver County Minnesota's Hepatitis B Vaccination Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/juven/juven10.asp
A program that offers hepatitis B vaccine to all incarcerated persons in Carver County.

Hepatitis B Prevention Work, Asian Pacific Health Center
http://www.hepprograms.org/apia/apia9.asp
A program that works to decrease the incidence of hepatitis B infection and resulting liver disease among Asian and Pacific Islander youth in San Diego.

Indiana Women's Prison and State Juvenile Correctional Facility Hepatitis and Immunization Education Program
http://www.hepprograms.org/adult/adult7.asp
The Indiana State Department of Health Perinatal Hepatitis B and Immunization Education programs offer an informational program about hepatitis A, B, and C to all women incarcerated in Indiana Women's Prison when requested.

In addition to the program descriptions, the website also offers support group information, hepatitis A and hepatitis B FAQs, case histories, photos, and video clips.

As always, we need your input! If you have a hepatitis prevention program to share, go to: http://www.hepprograms.org/yourprogram.htm If you know of additional HBV or HCV support groups, or have viral hepatitis resources to share (including brochures, manuals, slide sets, photos, or videos), write admin@hepprograms.org and we will consider adding them to the website.
---------------------------------------------------------------  

Return to top

(2 of 10)
October 4, 2007
IAC REVISES MANY PATIENT- AND PROFESSIONAL-EDUCATION PIECES

IAC recently made changes to many of its print educational materials. Details follow.

MATERIALS DIRECTLY RELATED TO VIRAL HEPATITIS
(1) "Questions Frequently Asked about Hepatitis B" was completely updated and is now five pages in length.

To access this resource for the general public, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4090.pdf

(2) "Guidelines for Standing Orders in Labor & Delivery and Nursery Units to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus Transmission to Newborns" received minor updates.

To access this piece for healthcare professionals, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130.pdf

(3) "Hepatitis A & B vaccines . . . Be sure your patient gets the correct dose!" was revised to add the accelerated four-dose schedule for Twinrix to the chart.

To access this revised professional-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2081.pdf

(4) "If you have hepatitis C, which vaccinations do you need?" received minor updates.

To access this revised patient-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4042.pdf Providers may also find this resource useful.

MATERIALS RELATED TO GENERAL IMMUNIZATION
(1) "Summary of Recommendations for Childhood and Adolescent Immunization" was updated to reflect recommendation changes for influenza and meningococcal vaccines.

To access this revised professional-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2010.pdf

(2) "Summary of Recommendations for Adult Immunization" was updated to take into account changes in influenza, MMR, varicella, and meningococcal vaccine recommendations.

To access this revised professional-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2011.pdf

(3) "Screening Questionnaire for Adult Immunization" was updated to reflect new recommendations.

To access the revised version of this patient/provider resource,
go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4065.pdf

(4) "Screening Questionnaire for Child and Teen Immunization" had one question added.

To access the revised version of this patient/provider resource,
go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4060.pdf

(5) "Vaccinations for Adults--You're NEVER too old to get immunized!" was updated to reflect new recommendations.

To access this revised patient-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4030.pdf

(6) "If you have HIV infection, which vaccinations do you need?" received minor updates.

To access this revised patient-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4041.pdf Providers may also find this resource useful.

(7) "Are you 11-19 years old? Then you need to be vaccinated against these serious diseases!" was updated to reflect new recommendations.

To access this revised patient-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4020.pdf

(8) "Do I need any vaccinations today?" was updated to reflect new recommendations.

To access this revised patient-education piece, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4036.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(3 of 10)
October 4, 2007
INTERIM VIS FOR HEPATITIS B VACCINE NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 10/1/07.]

The current version of the interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine, dated 7/18/07, is now available on the IAC website in Spanish. IAC gratefully acknowledges the California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch, for the translation.

To obtain a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the interim VIS for hepatitis B vaccine in Spanish, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/sphepb01.pdf

To obtain it in English, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/vis/hepb01.pdf

For information about the use of VISs, and for VISs in more than 30 languages, visit IAC's VIS web section at http://www.immunize.org/vis
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(4 of 10)
October 4, 2007
CDC'S PRETEEN CAMPAIGN URGES VACCINATION WITH ALL RECOMMENDED VACCINES

On August 1, CDC launched a multi-media, bilingual campaign to vaccinate preteens and adolescents. The campaign's primary audience are the parents and guardians of preteens and adolescents, as well as pediatricians and family physicians and their staffs.

Though the campaign stresses vaccinating all 11- and 12-year-olds against meningococcal disease (MCV4) and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), and 11- 12-year-old girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), it also encourages preteens and adolescents to get caught up on missed childhood vaccines, such as those that protect against hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella.

To access campaign materials, including posters intended for Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic populations; flyers for parents in English and Spanish; and web banners and buttons in English and Spanish, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol/07gallery/default.htm

To access an extensive selection of resources for parents, pre-teens, and adolescents, as well as for health professionals, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(5 of 10)
October 4, 2007
CDC RELEASES INFORMATION ON VACCINATION COVERAGE OF CHILDREN

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 9/4/07.]

CDC published "National, State, and Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Children Aged 19-35 Months--United States, 2006" in the August 31 issue of MMWR. A summary made available to the press is reprinted below in its entirety.

***********************

As of 2006, vaccination coverage is on target to meet the nation's healthy people 2010 goal for the routinely recommended childhood vaccination series, but children who live below the poverty level are less likely to be vaccinated than children who live at or above the poverty level. Additional measures are needed to deliver vaccines to children who live below the poverty level.

The nation's childhood immunization rates remain at or near record levels for the series of routinely recommended vaccines, according to 2006 estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The current rate of 77% is below the nation's objective of 80% for the recommended vaccine series but may be on target to meet the nation's goal by 2010. Racial disparity in vaccination coverage of the recommended series was also reported between black and white children, but according to the CDC, the disparity was associated with the differential distribution of poor children within the racial/ethnic populations. According to 2005 census figures, nearly 41% of black children <5 years of age lived below the poverty level compared to 16% of white children. Children living below the poverty level were vaccinated less often than children living at or above the poverty level; and coverage did not differ across racial/ethnic populations of children who lived below the poverty level, nor of children who lived at or above the poverty level. The Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) can pay for childhood vaccines for uninsured and underinsured children. Other programs such as the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) can also assist families with children who need vaccinations. In addition to sustained high coverage of the recommended vaccine series, there were notable increases in national coverage rates for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and varicella vaccine as a result of collaborative efforts between national, state, and local immunization programs to achieve and sustain national immunization coverage goals.

***********************

To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5634a2.htm

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5634.pdf

To read a related press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070830.htm

To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(6 of 10)
October 4, 2007
CDC RELEASES INFORMATION ON VACCINATION COVERAGE OF ADOLESCENTS

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 9/4/07.]

CDC published "National Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13-17 Years--United States, 2006" in the August 31 issue of MMWR. A summary made available to the press is reprinted below in its entirety.

***********************

Healthy People 2010 objectives for vaccination coverage of adolescents ages 13-15 years have not been met, especially for Td and Tdap vaccines and varicella vaccines, and we need to continue to build awareness of the vaccination recommendations among parents and healthcare providers to increase coverage rates among adolescents. The NIS-Teen will be conducted annually to monitor coverage with recommended vaccinations.

In 2006, for the first time, the National Immunization Survey (NIS) collected provider-reported vaccination information for adolescents aged 13–17 years (NIS-Teen) to estimate vaccination coverage of recommended vaccines. Vaccination coverage was >=80% for three or more doses of hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) and two or more doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, and >=60% for one or more doses of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) or tetanus, reduced diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, and one or more doses of varicella vaccine among adolescents without a history of varicella disease. Coverage of Tdap and meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) was low, 11% and 12%, respectively. Recommendations for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine had not been published at the time of the survey. Healthy People 2010 objectives for adolescents ages 13-15 years (>=90% coverage for 3 or more doses of Hep B, two or more doses of MMR, one or more doses of Td booster, and one or more doses of varicella among adolescents without previous varicella disease) had not been met. Routine healthcare visits for adolescents should be encouraged, with emphasis on a healthcare visit at ages 11–12 years for receipt of recommended vaccinations, and providers should continue to assess the need for recommended vaccinations at every opportunity.

***********************

To access a web-text (HTML) version of the complete article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5634a3.htm

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5634.pdf

To read a related press release, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070830.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(7 of 10)
October 4, 2007
HEADS UP: NOVEMBER 15 IS DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS FOR THE 2008 NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC EXPRESS" electronic newsletter, 9/10/07.]

November 15 is the deadline for submitting abstracts for CDC's 2008 National Immunization Conference, which will be held in Atlanta, GA, on March 17-20, 2008. Abstracts must be submitted online. To access submission guidelines, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/nic/default.htm#abstracts

The deadline for early-bird registration ($200) is January 25. The deadline for regular registration ($225) is February 29. Late and on-site registration will be $250.

For general information on the 42nd National Immunization Conference, including conference goals, objectives, and registration, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/nic

Those without Internet access can contact the conference planning team at (404) 639-8225 or nipnic@cdc.gov
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(8 of 10)
October 4, 2007
LOLA OFFERING SPANISH-LANGUAGE SUPPORT GROUPS

The Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA) will be hosting four Spanish-language support groups in the next five months. The goal is to provide information and support to persons with liver-related conditions (HCV infection, pre- and post-transplant patients, and other liver disease) in a safe and culturally-appropriate environment.

The first meeting will be held October 18, at 6:00 PM at the New York Blood Center. Anyone interested in attending should sign up by October 15 by contacting LOLA at (718) 892-8697.

For more information about LOLA, go to http://www.lola-national.org (English), or http://www.lola-national.org/index_s.htm (Spanish).
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(9 of 10)
October 4, 2007
GLOBAL HEPATITIS A MEETING PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1 IN MIAMI

A Global Hepatitis A Meeting will be held in Miami on November 30-December 1. The meeting is sponsored by the University of Antwerp (Belgium), CDC, and Pan American Health Organization, and is endorsed by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. For comprehensive meeting information, including a link to the meeting agenda, go to: http://www.havmeeting.info

To access information on registration, and to register online, go to: http://www.havmeeting.info/index.php?S=regi
---------------------------------------------------------------

Return to top

(10 of 10)
October 4, 2007
SIGN MEETING TO TAKE PLACE OCTOBER 23-25 IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

The Annual Meeting of the Safe Injection Global Network (SIGN) is scheduled to be held October 23-25, at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Topics of the meeting will include improving access to safe injection technologies in developing countries, waste management options, strategies to prevent injection-transmitted infections, and healthcare worker protection, including implementation of the World Health Assembly resolution on the immunization of healthcare workers against hepatitis B virus infection.

For more information about the meeting, go to
http://www.who.int/injection_safety/en

SIGN is a voluntary coalition of stakeholders aiming to achieve safe and appropriate use of injections throughout the world. To visit SIGN's home page, go to:
http://www.who.int/injection_safety/sign/en

The network's publication, SIGNpost, is a weekly email newsletter about safe and appropriate use of injections. To learn more about this resource, or to subscribe, go to: http://www.who.int/injection_safety/newsletter/SIGNPost/en/index.html