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World Immunization Week: ‘Now is the time for action’
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World Immunization Week is acknowledged each year during the last week of April to raise awareness of the importance of child and adult immunizations.
WHO estimates that vaccines avert 2 to 3 million deaths annually from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and measles. In addition to preventing illnesses and deaths, immunizations can limit the spread of drug resistance by reducing antibiotic use for infections, according to the agency.
In a recent joint statement, Paul G. Auwaerter, MD, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Paul Spearman, MD, president of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and Infectious Disease News Editorial Board member Keith S. Kaye, MD, MPH, president of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, called on policymakers to continue investing in the development of new and improved vaccines, including a universal influenza vaccine. They also stressed the need to increase immunization rates in the United States. The authors said “ill-informed policies” that allow parents to exempt their children from getting vaccinated have led to “depressed vaccination rates” and, subsequently, “predictable” outbreaks.
“A key goal of World Immunization Week is to increase global immunization coverage,” Walter A. Orenstein, MD, president of National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Infectious Disease News. “Vaccines are one of the most convenient and safe preventive care measures available. Vaccination protects both the individual and in the vast majority of cases, the community as a whole. Additionally, vaccination indirectly protects individuals who cannot be vaccinated, such as children who are too young or those with a medical contraindication. High vaccination coverage helps to protect vulnerable individuals, as eliminating transmission prevents exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases. Now is the time for action — don’t hesitate, vaccinate!”
To coincide with World Immunization Week, Infectious Disease News has compiled a list of the top 10 stories about immunization over the past year:
2 million more flu cases could be avoided by hitting national target
Almost 2 million additional cases of influenza could have been averted last season if 70% of Americans got the vaccine — a national target for overall coverage.
Even small increases in vaccine effectiveness and coverage could have had a large impact on patient health, according to newly presented findings. Read more.
Minnesota measles outbreak linked to anti-vaccine rhetoric hits 50 cases
A measles outbreak reported last year in Minnesota was linked to anti-vaccine rhetoric in an immigrant community. It was the largest measles outbreak in the state in almost three decades, according to state health officials. Read more.
ACIP recommends new shingles vaccine over Zostavax
Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted 8-7 to recommend the herpes zoster vaccine, Shingrix, over the only other FDA-approved vaccine, Zostavax. Shingrix was approved by the FDA on Oct. 20. Read more.
Quadrivalent HPV vaccine significantly decreases prevalence among young women
The prevalence of HPV genotypes targeted by the quadrivalent vaccine fell by more than half among young women in the 8 years following introduction of the vaccine, study data showed. Read more.
CDC prepares new H7N9 vaccine as human cases spike
The CDC has begun preparing a new avian influenza A(H7N9) vaccine amid a spike in cases in China and evidence that the deadly virus has split into two strains, including one that does not seem to be susceptible to existing vaccines. Read more.
Bivalent norovirus vaccine elicits immune response up to 1 year
Several different formulations of a bivalent norovirus vaccine candidate were well-tolerated and induced immune responses that persisted for 1 year after vaccination, according to results of a phase 2 trial. Read more.
ACIP recommends HEPLISAV-B for HBV vaccination
The ACIP voted unanimously to recommend the HEPLISAV-B recombinant vaccine to prevent hepatitis B virus infection. The FDA approved the recombinant, adjuvanted vaccine in November for active immunization against all known HBV subtypes in people aged 18 years or older. Read more.
Increase in pertussis linked to nonmedical vaccine exemptions, waning immunity
Data from five U.S. states with a high incidence rate of pertussis revealed geospatial links between nonmedical vaccine exemptions among kindergarteners and illnesses among children and young adolescents. Read more.
Tdap vaccinations in pregnant women increase by 50%
The rate of pregnant women receiving a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine jumped dramatically in numerous metropolitan areas of the U.S. — by more than 50% over several years — according to a recent report. The increase in immunization stems from recommendations from the ACIP, researchers said. Read more.
HPV vaccine prevents incurable childhood respiratory disease
For the first time, researchers have found evidence that the HPV vaccine prevents an incurable respiratory infection in children.
According to findings from an ongoing study in Australia, the incidence of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis declined over the past 5 years following the implementation of a national quadrivalent HPV vaccination program that immunized at least half of the country’s female population aged between 12 and 26 years. Read more.
Disclosures: Auwaerter and Orenstein report no relevant financial disclosures. Infectious Disease News was unable to confirm Kaye and Spearman’s relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.