Immunization

Since 2006, the CDC has tracked increases in cases and outbreaks about every 5 years.

Nearly 1 in 3 individuals do not receive vaccinations against influenza, nor do almost 30% of patients with insurance and access to regular medical care, according to findings presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions held November 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Pharmacists can protect patient lives by getting more involved in areas of the immunization policy discussion.

The CDC has reported 34800 new cancer diagnoses linked to HPV annually, and the virus is predicted to account for more than 90% of all cervical and anal cancers, more than 60% of all penile cancers, and 70% of all oral cancers.

At the recent ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada, 3 speakers discussed new developments in influenza management.

There Is Room for Improvement in Treating Malignancies Caused by Infectious Agents, Especially Considering the Cost Differential

Since 2005, the CDC has enforced National Influenza Vaccination Week to emphasize the importance of continuing flu vaccination even through the winter months. Although it is the holiday season, the CDC and other organizations want to remind the general public that it is never a bad time to get your flu vaccine. Sam Nass, PharmD, MBS and Walgreens Immunizations Manager weighed in on the subject in an interview with Pharmacy Times®.

Pharmacy team members have the amazing opportunity to help ensure that people and communities are protected with proper immunizations during influenza (flu) season and beyond, but they may struggle with identifying patients who may benefit because it can be difficult to gather information from patients.

Perhaps no sector has benefited more from technological advancement than health care, and within that world, community pharmacy is among the biggest beneficiaries.

Community pharmacy-based immunization services have a proven track record for serving patients.

Immunization needs for patients aged 19 to 64 years and afflicted with chronic conditions are often overlooked, and necessitate more attention and resources. Pharmacies traditionally do not focus on this patient population; instead often choosing to focus primarily on the population 65 years and over. However, engaging with patients in the 19- to 64-year-old group could go a long way in helping to fill the current immunization void in this population.

The study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a live, attenuated zoster vaccine patients receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapies for various indications.

Community pharmacies that provide immunization services have proven their success time and again, but they still face roadblocks. Many state laws and regulations still do not allow pharmacies to take full responsibility for vaccinations, and states regulate immunization services at pharmacies in different ways.

Previously, vaccination was not recommended for patients in a certain age range, as there was no demonstrated benefit to HPV vaccination; however, this is about to change.

Louisiana and Nevada show the highest flu activity in the first monthly report from the Walgreens Flu Index for October, which shows increased incidence of the flu compared with last year.

According to a study by PMR, the global flu vaccine market is projected to account for a market value of approximately $8 billion by the end of 2029. Increasing vaccination rates and a focus on preventive rather than reactive methods are expected to drive the growth of the market.

Officials from the FDA have cleared an investigational new drug (IND) application for BW-1010 (BlueWillow Biologics), according to the company. The drug would be the company’s next-generation anthrax vaccine candidate.

According to investigators at the National Institutes of Health, a single dose of highly diluted VSV-Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine is still protective against the disease.

Pharmacists play an important role in educating patients about the importance of vaccinations and the health consequences of refusing them.

The FDA approved Jynneos (Bavarian Nordic) as the first live, nonreplicating vaccine to prevent smallpox and monkeypox.

A recent study suggests that vaccination rates in some Texas schools are low enough to allow for large measles outbreaks, but limiting vaccine exemptions could decrease this risk. Vaccine exemptions, which allow unvaccinated children to attend school, have increased by a factor of 28 since 2003 in Texas.

Our pharmacist team at Osterhaus Pharmacy has been providing immunizations to our patients for the past 2 decades. However, in the past 3 years we have become more proactive in our approach to discussing immunizations.

Life-saving vaccines have had a profound impact in this country and worldwide. According to the CDC, from 2006 to 2017, almost 3.5 billion doses of vaccines were distributed in the United States.

The goal of the Healthy People initiative is to “provide science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans.”

Ironically, it is often during times when vaccine-preventable disease rates are lowest that public opposition to them is most pervasive, and this certainly seems to be the case with contemporary antivaccination movements in the United States.

Research shows that vaccines prevent disease and save lives. If that is the case, why have specific vaccines been singled out as different from others, creating discord?

The immunization status of pregnant and lactating women should be routinely assessed, and indicated vaccines should be recommended.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month and a great time to talk to parents about vaccinations for their children before school.

According to the World Health Organization, 240 vaccines were in development for 25 infectious diseases.5 Topping the list for most candidate vac- cines are HIV/AIDS, malaria, pneumococcal infec- tions, tuberculosis, and Ebola.

https://pharmacytimes.com/peer-exchange/the-progression-of-immunization-At its meeting in June, the ACIP made some very interesting suggestions, noting that all children and adolescents between ages 2 and 18 who have not previously received the hepatitis A vaccine should receive a catch-up vaccination and encouraging a change in the human papillomavirus vaccination guidelines to cover men up to age 26.