The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published the Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for Ages 18 Years or Younger, United States, 2023, and the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule for Ages 19 Years or Older, United States, 2023.

Updates to this year's schedules are reviewed in the following articles, published on February 10, 2023, in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR):

On March 9, from 12:00-1:00 p.m., the MCAAP Immunization Initiative will host a webinar discussing updates to the 2023 immunization schedules. See the article below for more information and to register for this webinar.

See the Resource Spotlight section of this e-newsletter for additional immunization schedule resources.

Presenters: Neil Murthy, MD, MPH, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and A. Patricia Wodi, MD, Medical Officer, CDC

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the webinar, participants should be able to:

Click here to register for the webinar on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

The target audience includes healthcare professionals who provide immunizations in Massachusetts, including MCAAP members, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, medical assistants, public health workers, community health center staff, pharmacists and office staff who work in pediatric and adult health care settings.

The Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health is accredited by the Massachusetts Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, designates this Live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Massachusetts Medical Society through the joint providership of the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, MA Dept. of Public Health and The MCAAP Immunization Initiative.

This program has been offered by the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health. A maximum of 1.0 contact hours for this program will be provided in accordance with the regulations governing continuing education requirements for the following Boards of Registration:

Board of Registration in Nursing (CMR 244 5.00), Board of Registration of Social Workers (258CMR 31.00et seq), Board of Mental Health Professions (262CMR 7.00), Board of Certification of Health Officers (241CMR 4.03), Board of Registration of Sanitarians (255CMR 5.02).

Pharmacists may receive up to 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ in accordance with 247CMR 4.00.

Registration is free; pre-registration is required. Click here to register.

Contact Cynthia McReynolds (cmcreynolds@mcaap.org).

The Massachusetts Vaccine Confidence Project (MVCP) is committed to increasing vaccine confidence and ensuring that all Massachusetts residents are protected against vaccine preventable diseases. The MVCP is pleased to announce the launch of its website.

The website includes information and resources that can help you to increase vaccine confidence in your own practice.

Your feedback is welcome! Do you have resources that have helped you to improve vaccine confidence in your practice? Please send them to Cynthia McReynolds (cmcreynolds@mcaap.org).

Thank you for your efforts to improve vaccine confidence in Massachusetts!

Seasonal influenza activity continues to decline in Massachusetts and its severity for the week ending February 11, 2023, was low as reported in MDPH's Weekly Flu Report. Seasonal influenza activity nationally was low as well.

CDC estimates that, so far this season, there have been at least 25 million illnesses, 280,000 hospitalizations, and 18,000 deaths from flu.

The majority of influenza viruses tested are in the same genetic subclade as and antigenically similar to the influenza viruses included in this season’s influenza vaccine. More influenza A than influenza B positive specimens have been reported by hospitals and outpatient facilities in Massachusetts.

Five influenza-associated pediatric deaths that occurred during the 2022-2023 season were reported this week, for a total of 111 pediatric flu deaths reported so far this season.

CDC continues to recommend, with rare exceptions, that everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine as long as influenza strains continue to circulate.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will be reviewing preliminary 2022-2023 influenza vaccine effectiveness during its February 22 meeting. See the Provider Education and Meetings section of this newsletter for information about the ACIP Meeting.

References:

Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (FluView), CDC

Weekly Flu Report, MDPH

Respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause severe disease resulting in preventable deaths, thousands to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and millions of illnesses each year in the United States. This combined disease burden can impose a strain on healthcare systems during periods of intense circulation or co-circulation of theses illnesses. Access to timely data is critical for understanding trends in virus circulation, estimating disease burden, and responding to outbreaks.

CDC has published two new dashboards with the hope that these dashboards will be a valuable resource for healthcare professionals for informing decisions and strategies to protect Americans’ health.

The Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) comprises three platforms that conduct population-based surveillance for laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations associated with COVID-19, Influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) among children and adults. The network gathers data from acute care hospitals in select counties in 13 states covering more than 29 million people and include an estimated 8-10 percent of the U.S. population. RESP-NET interactive dashboard can be used to follow trends and see comparisons of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV-associated hospitalization rates in different demographic groups including by age, sex, and race and ethnicity, and across seasons. The dashboard is updated weekly.

The National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) is a collaboration between CDC, federal partners, state and local health departments, and academic and private sector partners to collect, analyze, and share electronic data received from multiple health care settings. Data are monitored for a subset of emergency departments across the United States. By tracking symptoms of patients in emergency departments—before a diagnosis is confirmed—public health can detect unusual levels of certain respiratory illnesses, which can serve as an early warning system for troubling increases or outbreaks.

Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network, CDC

National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), CDC