This newsletter is meant to keep you up to date on issues related to vaccines quickly
and easily. We welcome your comments and questions; please email us at
vacinfo@email.chop.edu.
VEC Announcements: January is Cervical Cancer
Awareness Month
In honor of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to restate our support of the importance
of HPV vaccination for
both girls and boys and remind our readers of the various materials we offer
related to HPV and the HPV vaccine:
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Prevent-HPV Web page (www.prevent-HPV.org) is our dedicated Web
presence that includes a video of Dr. Offit discussing the importance of HPV vaccination, several
videos of families discussing their decision to vaccinate their adolescents or teens, and many
questions and answers submitted by readers.
-
Human Papillomavirus: What you should know is our informational tear sheet
answering the most common questions parents have about HPV and the HPV vaccine. The sheet is
available in
English and
Spanish and can be
ordered online in colored pads of 50 sheets for distribution. Providers may
also photocopy these sheets for distribution.
-
A Look at Each Vaccine: Human Papillomavirus and
Parents PACK: Human Papillomavirus both provide additional
information and serve as hubs for our other HPV-related materials.
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HPV webinar: The Vaccine Education Center at CHOP recently partnered with the
Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition and the Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics to
offer a webinar about HPV and the HPV vaccine. Dr. Kristen Feemster, a physician-scientist in the
Vaccine Education Center, was the speaker. Although continuing education credits are NOT available
for this event, any providers who are interested can
view the
archive for the next three months. You will need to enter information as if you are registering
in order to access the recorded event.
News and Views: Thimerosal Update: Why It’s in the News .
. . Again
Charlotte A. Moser, Assistant Director, and Paul A. Offit, Director, Vaccine Education Center
at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
If you’ve heard renewed interest related to thimerosal in vaccines, it is likely because of
the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) recent investigation of exposure to mercury. Much
human exposure is through the consumption of the more harmful form of mercury, known as
methylmercury, commonly found in fish and other marine organisms. Despite vocal activists who
believe that thimerosal, the more efficiently degraded ethylmercury found in some vaccines, is
harmful the UNEP ruled that the mercury in vaccines was exempt from the proposed ban on mercury.
Read more»
In the Journals: Vaccination Site and Risk of Local Reactions in
Children 1 Through 6 Years of Age
Paul A. Offit, MD, Director, Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia
In February 2013, Lisa Jackson and coworkers, working with data from the Vaccine Safety
Datalink, published a study examining local site reactions following intramuscular (IM) injections
of the hepatitis A, influenza, and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines (Jackson
L ., Peterson D, Nelson JC, et al. “ Vaccination Site and Risk of Local Reactions in Children 1
Through 6 Years of Age,”
Pediatrics 2013 Jan 14; 131:283-289).
Read about the author's findings»
Technically Speaking: Expanded Tdap
Recommendations: Administer Tdap to Pregnant Women During Each Pregnancy
Deborah L. Wexler, MD, Executive Director, Immunization Action Coalition
At its October 2012 meeting, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted
to expand its recommendation for the use of Tdap vaccine during pregnancy to provide further
protection to pregnant women and infants from pertussis (whooping cough). The new recommendations
call for administering Tdap to
every pregnant woman during
each pregnancy, regardless of previous Tdap vaccination history. Optimal timing
for administering the dose is at 27 through 36 weeks’ gestation to maximize the maternal antibody
response and the passive antibody transfer to the infant.
Read more»
From the Media — Influenza
Like influenza disease, influenza stories are everywhere right now, so this month’s column is
dedicated to the most recent important points of which you should be aware.
Read more»
On the Calendar — New Meetings Added
Save the dates for the National Adult Immunization Summit and the Influenza Summit. In addition,
several viral hepatitis summits and the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association
(APHA) have been added to the calendar.
Check the calendar»
On the Bookshelf: Best Books of 2012
Charlotte A. Moser, Assistant Director, Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia
This month’s column offers a variety of books compiled from different sources over the course of
2012. If you are looking for your next read or, perhaps need a gift for a budding scientist in your
life, you might consider
checking out one of these books.
Resources: Various Updates
A variety of resources have come to our attention this month. Please use the links below to
navigate to stories that interest you:
