Roundup: Exemption rates, Health-care workers, and Shingles

Some stories and perspectives in the news of late:

• "Parents claim religion to avoid vaccines for kids: Vaccination fears fuel increase in exemptions sought, AP finds" -- This AP story published late last week received significant attention in newspapers around the country. The key finding of their analysis is this: "From 2003 to 2007, religious exemptions for kindergartners increased, in some cases doubled or tripled, in 20 of the 28 states that allow only medical or religious exemptions, the AP found." The story includes reaction from Paul Offit, Barbara Loe Fisher, and others.

• "Inoculate thyself" -- This op-ed in the New York Times, written by an epidemiologist at the New York City Health Department, raises yet another alarm over low influenza vaccination rates among health care providers. The author argues that hospital accreditation and federal funding should be tied to improving staff vaccination rates, and until then, patients should refuse care from physicians and nurses who have not been vaccinated.

• "A vaccine as an option to keep shingles at bay" -- Also from the New York Times, this story from early October introduces readers to shingles, its treatment, and prevention options, namely, the potential benefits of Zostavax. The piece feels more like an informational article from WebMD than a story published in the nation's most respected newspaper, but a useful overview regardless.
  

Shingles vaccine recommended for adults 60+

We'd be remiss not to mention the biggest development out of this week's ACIP meeting, namely, the recommendation that all adults age 60 and over receive a single dose of Merck's new shingles vaccine, Zostavax. Here's the CDC press release, the Merck press release, and an AP story (courtesy of the Washington Post).

Also useful is this site assembled by the NIP with numerous resources about the painful condition formally known as herpes zoster and the new vaccine against it. Zostavax was licensed by the FDA in May and is the latest in a series of new vaccines introduced by Merck during the past year, though it's safe to say that this news hasn't received a hundredth of the attention that went to Gardasil in June.

ACIP: June minutes and October agenda

The folks at the Immunization Action Coalition pointed out that the full minutes from the June 2006 meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are now available here. The 96-page PDF is the next best thing to attending the meeting yourself, as it provides comprehensive coverage of everything that took place. In June, of course, the major news was the recommendation vote for Merck's HPV vaccine, Gardasil. For those interested in the data that informed the ACIP's recommendation, the report is invaluable.

Also on the ACIP website is a draft agenda for the group's next meeting, scheduled for October 25-26. The most notable item is a scheduled vote on a recommendation for Merck's shingles vaccine, Zostavax, for use in adults.