Issue 1,548: February 10, 2021
Top Stories
- 2021 U.S. recommended immunization schedules for children, adolescents, and adults to be posted by Friday, February 12
- “Demographic Characteristics of Persons Vaccinated during the First Month of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program—United States, December 14, 2020–January 14, 2021” published in MMWR
- “Early COVID-19 First-Dose Vaccination Coverage among Residents and Staff Members of Skilled Nursing Facilities Participating in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program—United States, December 2020–January 2021” published in MMWR
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine publish 22-page “Strategies for Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccines”
- CDC launches Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination this week
- U.S. Pharmacopeia publishes COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit: Operational Considerations for Healthcare Practitioners with information on syringe storage and transport
- Maternal Immunization Task Force statement urges access to COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant individuals; ACOG offers eight key recommendations to vaccination clinics
- Avalere publishes report titled "How COVID-19 Has Impacted U.S. Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Utilization"
- IAC Spotlight! IAC's National Network for Immunization Coalitions website, immunizationcoalitions.org, is the "go-to" place for information about 138 immunization coalitions
- Flu activity remains lower than usual. It is still important to keep vaccinating against influenza.
- IAC experts called on by news media
- Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news
Featured Resources
Journal Articles and Newsletters
Education and Training
On the Lighter Side
Top Stories
2021 U.S. recommended immunization schedules for children, adolescents, and adults to be posted by Friday, February 12
On Friday, February 12, CDC will post the 2021 recommended immunization schedules for children and adolescents, as well as the corresponding schedule for adults. They will be found on CDC's Immunization Schedules for Health Care Providers web page and in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Related Links
“Demographic Characteristics of Persons Vaccinated during the First Month of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program—United States, December 14, 2020–January 14, 2021” published in MMWR
CDC published Demographic Characteristics of Persons Vaccinated during the First Month of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program—United States, December 14, 2020–January 14, 2021 in the February 5 issue of MMWR. A portion of the summary is reprinted below.
...During the first month of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program, approximately 13,000,000 persons received ≥1 dose of vaccine. Among persons with demographic data, 63.0% were women, 55.0% were aged ≥50 years, and 60.4% were non-Hispanic White...
As the vaccination program expands, it is critical to ensure efficient and equitable administration to persons in each successive vaccine priority category, especially those at highest risk for infection and severe health outcomes.
Access the MMWR article in HTML format or in PDF format.
Related Link
- MMWR's gateway page provides access to MMWR Weekly, MMWR Recommendations and Reports, MMWR Surveillance Summaries, and MMWR Supplements
“Early COVID-19 First-Dose Vaccination Coverage among Residents and Staff Members of Skilled Nursing Facilities Participating in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program—United States, December 2020–January 2021” published in MMWR
CDC published Early COVID-19 First-Dose Vaccination Coverage among Residents and Staff Members of Skilled Nursing Facilities Participating in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program—United States, December 2020–January 2021 in the February 5 issue of MMWR. A portion of the summary is reprinted below.
...Residents and staff members in long-term care facilities, particularly skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), are at increased risk for COVID-19–associated morbidity and mortality and have been prioritized for the first phase of vaccination in the United States....
Among 11,460 SNFs with at least one vaccination clinic conducted during the first month of the CDC Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, a median of 77.8% of residents and 37.5% of staff members received ≥1 vaccine dose through the program....
Barriers to SNF staff member vaccination need to be overcome with continued development and implementation of focused communication and outreach strategies to improve vaccination coverage.
Access the MMWR article in HTML format or in PDF format.
Related Link
- MMWR's gateway page provides access to MMWR Weekly, MMWR Recommendations and Reports, MMWR Surveillance Summaries, and MMWR Supplements
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine publish 22-page “Strategies for Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccines” New guidance from the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN), an activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, identifies strategies for engaging with the public and communicating effectively to ensure vaccine demand and promote acceptance. A description of the report is reprinted below. Ensuring strong demand for and promoting acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines is critical to achieving herd immunity, protecting the most vulnerable populations, and reopening social and economic life. People who are hesitant, reluctant, distrusting, or otherwise not motivated with respect to being vaccinated need resources, information, and support for making the vaccination decision that is right for them. Public engagement and effective communication through clear, transparent messaging will play a central role in building confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines. This rapid expert consultation describes a variety of public engagement and communication strategies that can be implemented at the national, state, and local levels to change patterns of interaction with the public, address hesitancy about the vaccines, and build trust.  Access the full report: Strategies for Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccines
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CDC launches Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination this week
This week, CDC will launch the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination.
The federal government has partnered with 21 national pharmacy chains and independent pharmacy networks to help administer COVID-19 vaccine in communities across the U.S. to expand public access to vaccines. The initial phased implementation of the program will begin administering COVID-19 vaccine as early as Thursday, February 11.
The program will be implemented incrementally, based on the available supply of COVID-19 vaccines. As part of this initial phase, select community pharmacies in each state and U.S. territory will receive a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine directly from the federal government to vaccinate eligible individuals in their communities.
As the vaccine supply increases, the program aims to expand the number of participating pharmacy locations ultimately providing COVID-19 vaccines in all 40,000 community pharmacy locations nationwide.
Related Links
U.S. Pharmacopeia publishes COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit: Operational Considerations for Healthcare Practitioners with information on syringe storage and transport
The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has published COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit: Operational Considerations for Healthcare Practitioners with useful information about syringe storage for mobile vaccination clinics and delivering vaccines to home-bound patients. A description from the toolkit website is reprinted below.
The USP COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit provides critical information to pharmacists, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, health profession students, and others who are involved in handling COVID-19 vaccines. These resources facilitate operational efficiencies that can help accelerate delivery and support safe handling of COVID-19 vaccines while maintaining quality and ultimately the public’s trust.
The toolkit includes operational strategies in three key areas:
- Preparation and labeling
- Storage, handling, and transport
- Waste and disposal
 Access COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit: Operational Considerations for Healthcare Practitioners.
Maternal Immunization Task Force statement urges access to COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant individuals; ACOG offers eight key recommendations to vaccination clinics
IAC has partnered with the Maternal Immunization Task Force to issue a statement titled Maternal Immunization Task Force and Partners Urge That COVID-19 Vaccine Be Available to Pregnant Individuals. The first paragraph is reprinted below.
All pregnant individuals who choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine must be allowed to do so in alignment with their state and local vaccination allocation plan. This includes the estimated 330,000 health care workers who are pregnant and should be allowed to receive the vaccine as part of the first phase of vaccine distribution plans. Reports of pregnant individuals being refused vaccination are concerning.
ACOG has also released a new resource titled Vaccinating Pregnant Individuals: Eight Key Recommendations for COVID-19 Vaccination Sites. The resource can be accessed in HTML format or PDF format.
Avalere publishes report titled "How COVID-19 Has Impacted U.S. Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Utilization" Using 2019 and 2020 claims submissions from commercial, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare fee-for-service plans, Avalere, a healthcare consulting company, published a report titled How COVID-19 Has Impacted U.S. Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Utilization. Key takeaways are excerpted below.
- While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood immunization has been documented, few analyses have quantified the impact on adolescent and adult immunizations.
- Aggregate claims for all vaccine products for adults and adolescents declined between 41% and 53% across markets from March–August 2019 to March–August 2020.
- While there is no direct correlation between the number of new COVID-19 cases and reductions in claims, claims declined and stagnated across all markets following the public health emergency.
- Claim trends for influenza vaccines indicate that more beneficiaries are being vaccinated earlier in the 2020–2021 season than in the 2019–2020 season, which may reflect multi-stakeholder influenza-related messaging efforts and could inform public health approaches to other routine vaccines.
 Access the report in HTML format and PDF format.
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IAC Spotlight! IAC's National Network for Immunization Coalitions website, immunizationcoalitions.org, is the "go-to" place for information about 138 immunization coalitions
IAC’s website for the National Network for Immunization Coalitions, www.immunizationcoalitions.org, is a one-stop shop for learning about 138 immunization coalitions in the U.S.—their locations, missions, activities—and about how to engage with them. The website is fully searchable by coalition name and state, so you can find the coalitions near you.
The website promotes the activities of immunization coalitions, offers resources of importance to the network, and provides a searchable online database of local, state, regional, and national immunization coalitions. Immunization supporters can find contacts, resources, ideas, and volunteer opportunities.
Every U.S. immunization coalition is encouraged to join this network at no charge. Network members have the opportunity to participate in free bimonthly webinars featuring national experts, engage in conversations via a private electronic discussion group (listserv), and sign up for the free e-newsletter, Network News.
Visit the National Network for Immunization Coalitions website to learn about immunization coalitions.
Related Links
Flu activity remains lower than usual. It is still important to keep vaccinating against influenza.
While seasonal influenza activity in the U.S. remains lower than usual for this time of year, it is still important to make sure all of your patients age 6 months and older are vaccinated. Flu vaccination can help save medical resources for the care of COVID-19 patients by reducing the burden of flu illness on healthcare systems. If you don’t provide influenza vaccine at your site, please strongly recommend vaccination and refer to a site that does vaccinate.
Boston Children’s Hospital, in partnership with CDC, has developed VaccineFinder, a user-friendly website to help adult and pediatric patients find flu and other vaccines. Participating providers can now update supply estimates on VaccineFinder for a more accurate reporting. For questions or more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Related Links
IAC experts called on by news media
With vaccines in the news so much lately, journalists have sought out IAC experts to communicate the intricacies of running a quality vaccination program. Our insights have helped explain vaccines to the public and policy makers. We want to help them understand the complex work vaccinators do. We've reached mass markets and local stations, across the U.S. and overseas, via print, radio, television, blogs, and more. Here is a selection of our recent citations:
Related Link
Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Featured Resources
In IAC’s “Video of the Week,” Ann, a polio survivor, discusses what it was like to have polio as a child and her experience with post-polio syndrome
In this week's video, Polio Survivors—Ann's Story, the MaineHealth Child Health team interviewed people living with post-polio syndrome. Ann Crocker, who contracted polio as a child in 1952, describes how polio affected her life. Twenty-five years after her recovery, when she no longer needed canes, braces, or a wheelchair, she began to experience post-polio syndrome, gradually losing the physical ability she had regained.
Visit the whole collection at the VOTW archive.
Confident recommendations for flu vaccine from healthcare providers are powerfully persuasive and make a significant difference in decisions your patients make about vaccination. To assist you in maximizing protection for your patients, IAC, in collaboration with Seqirus, has updated the 65+ Flu Defense website at www.influenza-defense.org.
A new fact sheet on the site, The Importance of Preventing Influenza during a Pandemic,offers responses to help guide discussions with patients on the increased importance of flu vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age increases risks associated with COVID-19 infection including hospitalization and death. Preliminary studies suggest coinfection with influenza B and SARS-CoV-2 may elevate the risk of poor outcomes.
This helpful site includes information, tools, and tips for communicating with these adults about the scope and severity of influenza, for example:
Be sure to check out the updated 65+ Flu Defense website at www.influenza-defense.org to assist your efforts in protecting this vulnerable population.
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Use IAC's expanded "Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic" for catch-up initiatives
IAC now offers more than 280 items in its Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic gateway page to assist in maintaining routine immunization rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Located on the website of the National Network of Immunization Coalitions, a project of IAC, this repository includes links to both national and state-level policies and guidance; advocacy materials, including talking points, webinars, press releases, articles, and social media posts; and telehealth resources.
These resources are intended for healthcare settings, state and local health departments, professional societies, immunization coalitions, advocacy groups, and the community to use in their efforts to sustain routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources can be sorted and searched by date, title, geographic area, source, type, age category, or setting.
If you have a resource to suggest for the repository, please send a message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Great for workplace recognitions! IAC's elegantly designed "Vaccines Save Lives" black enamel pins show how much you value vaccination Several thousand sold already! IAC’s elegantly designed “Vaccines Save Lives” pins are meaningful gifts for people who care about immunization. The pin makes a refined statement in hard black enamel with gold lettering and edges, measuring 1.125" x 0.75".  The pin is a stick-through-post variety with the back end covered by a round rubber cap that holds the pin securely. A gold metal spring-lock clasp is also provided. Wear these pins on clothing, uniforms, and white coats to show that you value vaccines! They make a meaningful gift for people who care about immunization.   Click here for "Vaccines Save Lives" pin pricing and ordering information.
Valuable resources added to IAC's website Mass-Vaccination-Resources.org to help set up mass vaccination clinics
The Immunization Action Coalition’s newest website, www.Mass-Vaccination-Resources.org, assists you in finding ideas for developing your own mass vaccination clinics. Mass vaccination efforts will continue to be useful for expediting COVID-19 vaccination now, as well as other adult vaccinations in the future.
The website features a searchable list of resources for a variety of venues, including curbside, drive-through, and walk-through clinics; mobile medical vans; pharmacies; and schools. The database contains guidance documents, toolkits, publications, and other helpful resources that can be adapted to your community or individual healthcare setting.
Many of the documents were written in the pre-pandemic era and will need modification to ensure that additional protections, such as social distancing and personal protective equipment, help safeguard against COVID-19 transmission.
More resources have been added, including:
In addition, IAC's archived, full-length webinar (1 h. 46 min.) highlighting best practices and offering practical information for conducting a successful mass vaccination clinic, Mass Vaccination Clinics: Challenges and Best Practices, can also be viewed on www.Mass-Vaccination-Resources.org.
If you have a resource to suggest for the website, please send a message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The webinar and the new website are supported by a medical education grant from Seqirus.
Related Links
Journal Articles and Newsletters
CDC publishes January issue of Immunization Works newsletter; subscribe for monthly immunization information
CDC released the January issue of its monthly newsletter Immunization Works. The newsletter offers the immunization community information about current topics. The information is in the public domain and may be reproduced and circulated widely.
Related Links
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“Vaccine Innovations—Past and Future” published in New England Journal of Medicine In the February 4 issue, New England Journal of Medicine published Vaccine Innovations—Past and Future. The last paragraph is reprinted below. ...Vaccines remain the most effective tool for preventing infectious diseases and improving global health. Remarkable progress has been made with the use of vaccines, including the eradication of smallpox and the control of childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, and polio. New insights into the functioning of the immune system on a cellular and molecular level have made possible the rapid development of new vaccines. Difficulties facing vaccinologists include predicting the type and timing of the next pandemic; developing vaccines to combat rapidly changing pathogens such as HIV-1, influenza, and multidrug-resistant bacteria; and establishing rapid-response strategies to control emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. The future holds great promise for vaccine-mediated control of global pathogens, but providing affordable access to effective vaccines for everyone who could benefit from them remains an important challenge.
“Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccination: A Call to Action for Clinicians on Immunization Information Systems” published in Annals of Internal Medicine In the February 2 issue, Annals of Internal Medicine published Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccination: A Call to Action for Clinicians on Immunization Information Systems, co-authored by IAC's Angela Shen, ScD, MPH. The first paragraph is reprinted below.
Vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are currently being administered under emergency use authorization through a tiered prioritization process determined by states with federal guidance. As a critical component of vaccination plans, immunization information systems (IISs) play a central role in coordinating distribution, administration, documentation, and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccination by confidentially collecting and consolidating vaccination data from multiple providers within a geographic area. Among other tools, IISs are critical to ensuring adequate vaccination across targeted populations and geographic areas.
Education and Training
Moderna scientists host “Important Information for Healthcare Providers about the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar” on February 10 and 17
Moderna will offer two webinars on mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Ashfield Healthcare will coordinate the webinars on behalf of Moderna. CE credit will not be offered for these webinars.
Today, February 10, the webinar titled Important Information for Healthcare Providers about Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine will start at 3:00 p.m. (ET). The webinar will be repeated on Wednesday, February 17 at 1:00 p.m. (ET).
Register for the February 10 webinar.
Register for the February 17 webinar.
Related Links
In this poignant 1975 PSA from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, a father shares his regret for not having his son Charlie vaccinated against measles and encourages parents to get their children vaccinated In this poignant 1975 public service announcement (PSA) from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, a father discusses his son Charlie's battle with measles and expresses regret for not having him vaccinated. His compelling story encourages other parents to have their children vaccinated. This PSA is part of a collection curated by vaccine expert William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH.
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Video of the Week
Polio Survivors—Ann's Story: To illustrate the importance of vaccines, the MaineHealth Child Health team interviewed people living with post-polio syndrome. Ann Crocker, who contracted polio as a child in 1952, describes how polio affected her life. After finally recovering—not needing canes, braces, or wheelchairs—she began to experience post-polio syndrome 25 years later, gradually losing what she had gained. [3:33]
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Technically Speaking
 Read Dr. Wexler's column for the Vaccine Education Center's monthly newsletter, Vaccine Update
Vaccinating Adults:
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Patient Record Cards
Record cards for patients -- child & teen, adult, and lifetime -- are printed on durable paper and sized to fit in a wallet when folded
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Every practice should have this award winning, "how-to" training video
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