Monday, August 11, 2008

Recommendations for 'Flu Control & Prevention

MMWR
Recommendations and Reports
Volume 57, No. RR-7 August 08, 2008

PDF of this issue: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5707.pdfhttp://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5707a1.htm?s_cid=rr5707a1_e

Prevention and Control of Influenza Recommendations of the AdvisoryCommittee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2008. This report updates the 2007 recommendations by CDC's AdvisoryCommittee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of influenza vaccine and antiviral agents (CDC. Prevention and control ofinfluenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2007;56[No. RR-6]). The 2008 recommendations include new and updated information.

Principal updates and changes include 1) a new recommendation that annual vaccination be administered to all children aged 5--18 years, beginning in the2008--09 influenza season, if feasible, but no later than the 2009--10 influenza season; 2) a recommendation that annual vaccination of all children aged 6 months through 4 years (59 months) continue to be aprimary focus of vaccination efforts because these children are athigher risk for influenza complications compared with older children;3) a new recommendation that either trivalent inactivated influenzavaccine or live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) be used when vaccinating healthy persons aged 2 through 49 years (the previous recommendation was to administer LAIV to person aged 5--49 years); 4) a recommendation that vaccines containing the 2008--09 trivalentvaccine virus strains A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like, and B/Florida/4/2006-like antigens be used; and, 5) new information on antiviral resistance among influenza viruses in the United States. Persons for whom vaccination is recommended are listed in boxes 1 and 2.

These recommendations also include a summary of safety data for U.S. licensed influenza vaccines.This report and other information are available at CDC's influenza website (http://www.cdc.gov/flu), including any updates or supplementsto these recommendations that might be required during the 2008--09influenza season. Vaccination and health-care providers should be alert to announcements of recommendation updates and should check the CDC influenza website periodically for additional information.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Journal

Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) journal provides recognition of new and re-emerging infections and understanding of factors involved in disease emergence, prevention, and elimination. It also represents the scientific communications component of CDC's efforts against the threat of emerging infections.

See the August 2008 issue of the EID journal at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm

Mass Casualty Events

Mass Casualty EventsRecommendations for Postexposure Interventions to Prevent Infection with Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and Tetanus in Persons Wounded During Bombings and Other Mass-Casualty Events - CDC - MMWR Recommendations and Reports - Aug 1

This report outlines recommendations for postexposure interventions to prevent infection with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, or tetanus in persons wounded during bombings or other events resulting in mass casualties. Persons wounded during such events or in conjunction with the resulting emergency response might be exposed to blood, body fluids, or tissue from other injured persons and thus be at risk for bloodborne infections.

This report adapts existing general recommendations on the use of immunization and postexposure prophylaxis for tetanus and for occupational and nonoccupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens to the specific situation of a mass-casualty event. The recommendations contained in this report represent the consensus of U.S. federal public health officials and reflect the experience and input of public health officials at all levels of government and the acute injury response community. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5706a1.htm <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5706a1.htm?s_cid=rr5706a1_e>

ref. CDC Updates for Clinicians: July 28-August 4, 2008