Issue 1,552: February 24, 2021
Top Stories
Featured Resources
Journal Articles and Newsletters
Education and Training
Conferences and Meetings
From the Archives
Top Stories
Register now! CDC's Dr. Shimabukuro and Janine Cory to present overviews of CDC's safety monitoring and communications for the COVID-19 vaccines during IAC webinar on March 4 IAC will host a webinar, “Overviews of CDC’s Post-authorization/Post-licensure Safety Monitoring and Communications for the COVID-19 Vaccines,” on March 4 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (ET). Topics will include the COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring systems (e.g., the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System [VAERS], v-safe), as well as CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine communication products, and their Vaccinate with Confidence framework. These important and timely topics will be addressed by speakers from the CDC Immunization Safety Office and CDC’s Vaccine Task Force.
- Tom Shimabukuro, MD, MPH, MBA, deputy director, Immunization Safety Office
- Janine Cory, MPH, associate director for communications, Vaccine Task Force
Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH, IAC deputy director, will moderate the webinar. Speakers will answer audience questions at the conclusion of the presentations. You are welcome to submit your questions beforehand to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Register now to be sure you don’t miss this informative session.
Pre-order IAC's laminated versions of CDC’s 2021 immunization schedules today!
IAC's laminated versions of the 2021 U.S. child and adolescent immunization schedule and the 2021 U.S. adult immunization schedule are available for pre-order and will ship in mid-March.
These schedules are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccinations are given. Their tough coating can be wiped down, and they’re durable enough to stand up to a year's worth of use.
The child/adolescent schedule is eight pages (i.e., four double-sided pages) and the adult schedule is six pages (i.e., three double-sided pages), but both schedules fold down to a convenient 8.5" x 11" size.
 
With color coding for easy reading, our laminated schedules replicate the original CDC formatting, including the essential tables and notes.
PRICING
1–4 copies: $7.50 each
5–19 copies: $5.50 each
20–99 copies: $4.50 each
100–499 copies: $4.00 each
500–999 copies: $3.50 each
For quotes on customizing or placing orders of 1,000 copies or more, call 651-647-9009 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Visit the Shop IAC: Laminated Schedules web page for more information on the schedules, to view images of all the pages, to download the order form, and to pre-order today!
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CommuniVax Coalition releases report on COVID-19 vaccination equity to help vaccination campaign organizers work with communities of color CommuniVax is a Johns Hopkins-based alliance of social scientists, public health experts, and community advocates who seek to strengthen the U.S. national and local COVID-19 vaccination efforts by putting disproportionately hard-hit communities of color at the center of those endeavors. They released Equity in Vaccination: A Plan to Work with Communities of Color toward COVID-19 Recovery and Beyond on February 9. The report provides tools for local and state officials to implement and support vaccination campaigns that work to remedy COVID-19 effects on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities across the country and create lasting benefits for people of color.  Five key principles toward achieving equity include:
- Iteration: Repeated engagement must be balanced with the need to build trust in BIPOC communities where trust is low or nonexistent. Building trust will take time to engage with BIPOC communities, including “listen-and-plan” sessions.
- Involvement: BIPOC community representatives and advocates must become active collaborators in the public health process. This will require two-way communication. BIPOC individuals and community organizers should actively participate in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
- Information: Effective communication with BIPOC community members is essential. Vaccination messages must be tailored to address the specific concerns of local BIPOC communities. Trusted BIPOC individuals and organizations can relay information and help set community norms related to COVID-19 vaccination.
- Investment: All of these efforts will require investments of time, attention, and funding. At the same time, the vaccination process itself can be viewed as an opportunity for economic revitalization, with the potential to lead communities out of the pandemic and its economic hardships.
- Integration: COVID-19 will have long-lasting physical, psychological, and financial effects, especially in BIPOC communities. Because of this, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign should be seen as a step toward a more complete recovery.
COVID-19 vaccination is the most likely way out of the current pandemic. It is also an opening to create equity and durable benefits for BIPOC communities. Consider these principles as you implement COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in your own communities. Related Link
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NPHIC releases toolkit from Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to help healthcare personnel respond to questions about COVID-19 vaccination The National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) has released a COVID-19 Vaccine Education Toolkit from the Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative to address healthcare professionals' questions about COVID-19 vaccination. The resource includes videos (featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci and other leading healthcare and medical experts), a press release, FAQs, talking points, social media posts, and many customizable materials. Topics addressed include safety, availability, cost, side effects, vaccine administration, answering patients' questions, and more.
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AAFP, ACOG, ACP, and IAC update “Dear Colleague” letter, urging healthcare professionals to recommend timely HPV vaccination
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American College of Physicians (ACP), and IAC recently updated their "Dear Colleague" letter Give a confident, clear, and consistent recommendation for HPV vaccine to increase uptake! that encourages providers to promote HPV vaccination.
HPV vaccine is underused, despite overwhelming evidence of its safety and effectiveness. While vaccination rates continue to improve for other adolescent vaccines in the U.S., HPV vaccination rates are not improving as quickly. Missed opportunities data suggest that clinicians are not giving strong recommendations for HPV vaccine when patients are 11 or 12 years old (or as young as 9). The healthcare provider recommendation is the single best predictor of vaccination. Studies show that a patient who receives a clinician recommendation is 4–5 times more likely to receive the HPV vaccine.
The letter gives providers key facts about HPV-associated disease and HPV vaccine safety and effectiveness, so they can discuss HPV vaccination confidently with patients and parents. Please share this important document with all healthcare professionals who provide vaccines to adolescents and young adults.
Related Resources
HPV resources from IAC
HPV resources from CDC
HPV resources from the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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The Influenzer Initiative offers online puzzle and trivia game, VaxHunt, that sends players on a quest to prevent the next pandemic The Influenzer Initiative of the Sabin Vaccine Institute is distributing VaxHunt: The Quest to Prevent the Next Pandemic. This online game features trivia and puzzle challenges where players can explore the threat and history of influenza pandemics, why we need a universal influenza vaccine, the challenges of developing next-generation influenza vaccines, and the innovative, transdisciplinary approaches that may unearth the universal influenza vaccine mystery and deliver on its potential. VaxHunt helps strengthen STEM learning skills. Each game module has been reviewed by STEM.org Educational Research (SER) and awarded its Authenticate Trustmark. This game can be integrated into classrooms or used at home.  Players who complete all the challenges will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize of $500!
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IAC Spotlight! “Package Inserts and FDA Product Approvals” gateway page on immunize.org offers valuable resources for clinics that administer vaccines IAC's Package Inserts and FDA Product Approvals gateway page is a handy resource for clinics that administer vaccines. The gateway page provides up-to-date product information links for all vaccines licensed for use in the U.S., as well as links to FDA vaccine approval web pages.  You can locate IAC's "Package Inserts and FDA Product Approvals" gateway page under the Favorites tab in the blue bar across the top of any immunize.org web page. 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:
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Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
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Featured Resources
In IAC’s “Video of the Week,” BBC News segment reviews the differences between three COVID-19 vaccines
Summary and slide deck now available from February 4 Summit call featuring ACOG's Sarah Carroll discussing COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy
The 1-page summary and slides of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's (ACOG) position on COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy presented during the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit's (NAIIS) call on February 4 are now available. Sarah Carroll, MPH, ACOG’s director of immunization, presented the overview.
Pregnant individuals with symptomatic COVID-19 disease are at increased risk of more severe illness than their non-pregnant peers. ACOG has augmented its guidance documents and resources on COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant or lactating individuals. ACOG recommends that COVID-19 vaccines not be withheld from pregnant individuals who meet criteria for vaccination, and these individuals should be free to make their own decision regarding vaccination. Pregnant individuals are encouraged to discuss this decision with their healthcare team, but documentation of this discussion is not required.
ACOG also recommends that COVID-19 vaccines be offered to lactating individuals based on their prioritization group. There is no need to avoid starting nor to discontinue breastfeeding in people who receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
ACOG has just added/updated a wealth of helpful resources on COVID-19 and pregnancy to its webpages. These are excerpted on a handy one-page document.
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Check out Vaxopedia’s new page discussing remote vaccine temperature monitoring devices, with 19 product descriptions
Vaxopedia is a website created in 2016 by pediatrician Vincent Iannelli, MD, to help answer parents' questions about vaccines, notably including those related to misconceptions and rumors. Vaxopedia's new gateway page, Remote Vaccine Temperature Monitoring Devices, offers information on vaccine refrigeration and links to 19 remote monitoring systems that can keep your vaccines safe. The page also offers many links to vaccine storage and safety web pages.
Share this resource with your colleagues who store and administer vaccines.
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Order IAC’s child, adult, and lifetime immunization record cards—wallet-sized, designed to last!
IAC's personal immunization record cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, water-proof paper, are designed to last a lifetime. They’re sized to fit in a wallet when folded. The record cards are for you to give to your patients as a permanent vaccination record and are sold in boxes of 250.
Make bulk purchases and receive quantity discounts. For quotes on larger quantities or customizing, or to request sample cards, call 651-647-9009 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Visit Shop IAC for additional items, including "Vaccines Save Lives" enamel pins, flu vaccine buttons and stickers, and a vaccine administration training video.
Updated 65+ Flu Defense website offers resources for healthcare personnel serving older adults
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.
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.
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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Journal Articles and Newsletters
“Decline in Receipt of Vaccines by Medicare Beneficiaries during the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, 2020” published in MMWR
CDC published Decline in Receipt of Vaccines by Medicare Beneficiaries during the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, 2020 in the February 19 issue of MMWR. A summary is reprinted below.
During the first week after the national COVID-19 emergency declaration in March 2020, weekly vaccination rates among Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years declined by 25%–62%, compared with the corresponding period in 2019. By mid-April, vaccination rates in this group reached nadirs of 70%–89% below 2019 rates. Rates partially recovered gradually during May–July 2020.
Access the MMWR article in HTML format or inPDF 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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“First Month of COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Monitoring—United States, December 14, 2020–January 13, 2021” published in MMWR
CDC published First Month of COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Monitoring—United States, December 14, 2020–January 13, 2021 in the February 19 issue of MMWR. A portion of the summary is reprinted below.
...Two COVID-19 vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization for administration in the United States. In preauthorization clinical trials, local and systemic reactions were reported; no serious safety problems were detected....
Monitoring, conducted as part of the U.S. vaccination program, indicates reassuring safety profiles for COVID-19 vaccines. Local and systemic reactions were common; rare reports of anaphylaxis were received. No unusual or unexpected reporting patterns were detected....
Health care providers and vaccine recipients can be reassured about the safety of Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Counseling vaccine recipients to expect transient local and systemic reactions might ease concerns and encourage completion of the 2-dose vaccination series.
Access the MMWR article in HTML format or inPDF format.
Related Link
- MMWR's gateway page provides access to MMWR Weekly, MMWR Recommendations and Reports, MMWR Surveillance Summaries, and MMWR Supplements
“Reports of Anaphylaxis After Receipt of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in the U.S.—December 14, 2020–January 18, 2021” published in JAMA In its February 12 issue, JAMA published Reports of Anaphylaxis After Receipt of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in the U.S.—December 14, 2020–January 18, 2021. This report addresses both vaccines distributed in the U.S. over a slightly longer interval than previous reports. The concluding paragraph appears below. Continued safety monitoring of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. has confirmed that anaphylaxis following vaccination is a rare event, with rates of 4.7 cases/million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses administered and 2.5 cases/million Moderna vaccine doses administered, based on information through January 18, 2021. When considered in the context of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risk of anaphylaxis, which is treatable. Because of the acute, life-threatening nature of anaphylaxis, immediate epinephrine administration is indicated for all cases. CDC guidance on use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and management of anaphylaxis is available. All facilities administering COVID-19 vaccines should have the necessary supplies and trained medical personnel available to manage anaphylaxis.
“What Factors Contribute to Influenza Vaccine Errors?” published in Pharmacy Times In its February 16 issue, Pharmacy Times published What Factors Contribute to Influenza Vaccine Errors? The article notes that the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has seen an increase in reported influenza vaccine-related errors. Since September 2020, the ISMP has received more than 60 error reports associated with the 2020–2021 flu vaccine. Many underlying causes of errors related to influenza vaccine could just as easily lead to mistakes regarding COVID-19 vaccines or other vaccines. Reported vaccine-related errors include:
- Look-alike names and packaging: Similar container labels, look-alike packaging, and/or vaccine names have contributed to numerous 2020–2021 flu vaccine-related errors.
- Unsegregated storage: Storing vaccines with other medications or vaccines has led to mix-ups with serious outcomes. In several cases during flu vaccination clinics, practitioners mistakenly removed the wrong age-specific flu vaccine from a cooler and administered it.
- Mixing errors: The individual components of two-component vaccines must be mixed properly, a step that introduces an opportunity for errors. Mistakes have occurred when only the adjuvant liquid, diluent, or the undiluted vaccine itself was administered.
- Not using immunization information systems or medical records: Patients have received subsequent doses at the wrong interval or failed to receive subsequent doses. The vaccines most frequently involved in wrong interval errors reported to the ISMP have included those that target diphtheria, tetanus, and/or pertussis; hepatitis A; hepatitis B; and human papillomavirus.
Healthcare workers should use this information as they prepare for COVID-19 vaccine campaigns.
Education and Training
NEJM offers free, on-demand COVID-19 vaccine training for clinicians available through June 30; CME available The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) offers COVID-19 Vaccine Training: What Every Clinician Needs to Know, a free online course for medical professionals available now through June 30. This program explores the virology of SARS-CoV-2, the mechanism of action of COVID-19 vaccines, the efficacy and safety of current COVID-19 vaccines, the practicalities involved in vaccine administration, and reviews the principles of vaccine development and how the COVID-19 vaccines fit into this framework. CME is available upon completion of the course. Register for the course.
Conferences and Meetings
ACIP will meet February 24 and 25 as planned and has announced emergency meetings February 28 and March 1 to consider Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine; no registration required Live, virtual meetings of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will be held on February 24 and 25, starting at 9:30 a.m. (ET). The agenda is posted and will include a vote on rabies vaccine, plus discussions of dengue, tick-borne encephalitis, ebolavirus, hepatitis, pneumococcal, zoster, influenza, cholera, and orthopoxvirus vaccines. ACIP will also hold emergency meetings on February 28 (Sunday) and March 1 from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (ET). These meetings will follow a meeting of FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) on February 26. VRBPAC will review and could recommend Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose, refrigerator-stable, adenovirus-vectored vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in people age 18 years and older. No registration is required to watch the live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Opportunities for public comment are described at the website. Watch the virtual ACIP meeting. Related Links
MAIC to hold 26th Annual Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference on April 13; CE available
Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition (MAIC) will hold its 26th Annual Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference on April 13 from 8:00–3:45 p.m. (ET). This conference will provide an opportunity to receive updated information on routine adult immunization, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and offer networking and discussion opportunities with leading immunization experts and colleagues. The objectives of the conference are:
- Discuss COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Massachusetts
- Identify the latest Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines and strategies to implement COVID vaccination in your practice
- Describe how to use effective communication techniques to identify and address vaccine hesitancy
- Summarize recommended vaccines according to the ACIP guidelines in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Discuss the importance of maintaining adult vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic
There is a $75 fee to attend the conference. Six hours of continuing education credit is available upon completion of the conference.
Register for the conference.
From the Archives
In this unsettling 1998 PSA from the Sioux Falls Health Department, parents are warned not to derail their baby's health by getting off track with childhood immunization
In this unsettling 1998 public service announcement (PSA) from Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Health Department, a baby playing on railroad tracks is a warning to parents not to derail their baby's health by letting them get off track with childhood immunization. This PSA is part of a collection curated by vaccine expert William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH.  Previous PSAs featured in “From the Archives” are available when viewing this Vimeo video. Back to top
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Video of the Week
 What Are the Differences among COVID-19 Vaccines? This January 12, 2021, BBC News segment reviews three vaccines that have been approved by the United Kingdom: vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, and Moderna. Each will play a key role in ending the pandemic. The segment compares how these vaccines are made, their efficacy, storage and handling, and price.
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