National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Calls for Increased Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Children With Asthma
Posted on: Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 12:00 CST
BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) called upon the medical and public health communities today to help improve influenza immunization rates among children with asthma -- the most common chronic disorder in childhood. NFID, with the support of 16 of the nation's leading health care groups, presented a special Call to Action today during a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) immunization advisory committee in Atlanta.
Despite long-standing CDC recommendations that call for annual influenza vaccination among children with asthma, estimates reveal that only one-third of this high-risk population is immunized. Viral respiratory infections, such as influenza, commonly lead to wheezing in children with asthma, and can further result in increased airway obstruction and lower respiratory inflammation. Influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in this high-risk pediatric population.
"Since vaccination is the primary means of preventing influenza infection and its serious complications, health care providers are urged to employ every strategy possible to increase influenza immunization rates among children with asthma," said NFID President-Elect Carol Baker, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, who addressed the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on NFID's Call to Action.
"The NFID Call to Action states that health care providers are not adequately identifying children with asthma who are recommended for annual influenza immunization. The report stresses that all children with asthma, regardless of its severity, should be protected with an annual influenza vaccine," said Dr. Baker.
NFID's Call to Action is the critical first step of a new initiative to address low influenza vaccination rates in children with asthma. The initiative will include a monograph, to be published later in 2006, that will provide a comprehensive look at existing barriers to pediatric influenza immunization among this high-risk group.
NFID's initiative aims to help raise awareness among vaccine providers about the need to increase vaccination rates among children with asthma in their practice by increasing vaccine demand, enhancing vaccine access, overcoming practice barriers, and identifying patients within the practice to be vaccinated. NFID is also working to encourage clinicians and other health care organizations to help reinforce influenza immunization messages within asthma education programs and treatment guidelines.
Asthma affects over six million children in the U.S. under 18 years of age and causes an estimated 12.8 million lost school days each year. It is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children younger than 15 years and accounts for more than 640,000 annual emergency department visits in this age group. During a recent influenza season, 153 influenza-associated deaths in children were reported to the CDC. Of those children 2-17 years of age who had underlying risk factors identified, 43 percent had asthma alone or in combination with some other high-risk condition.
The Call to Action -- now available on the NFID Web site, http://www.nfid.org/ -- was developed from proceedings of an expert roundtable meeting NFID held in November 2005 in Chicago. Participants explored barriers to immunization and identified strategies that can help improve national vaccination rates among this group.
Among the organizations that support NFID's Call to Action are: the Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA), American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American Lung Association (ALA), American Medical Association (AMA), American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), National Jewish Medical and Research Center, National Medical Association (NMA), Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) and Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM).
About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Founded in 1973, NFID is a non-profit organization dedicated to public and professional educational programs about infectious diseases. This initiative was made possible through an unrestricted educational grant to NFID from sanofi pasteur.
Contact: Jennifer Corrigan 732-382-8898 Mary Kate Menze 212-886-2230
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)
CONTACT: Jennifer Corrigan, +1-732-382-8898, or Mary Kate Menze,+1-212-886-2230
Web site: http://www.nfid.org/
Source: PRNewswire
Related Articles
- YWCA USA Applauds President Obama's National Call for Volunteer Service
- Statement of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
- The American Legion Reiterates Call to Dismantle Veterans Corporation
- ADDING MULTIMEDIA The Nation's Top Doctors Issue Unprecedented National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship
- The Nation's Top Doctors Issue Unprecedented National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship
- Lance Armstrong and Four Former U.S. Surgeons General Issue National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship
- U.S. Surgeons General Joined By Lance Armstrong to Issue National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship
- AT&T Announces New Contract With the American Legion National Headquarters
- National Call-In to Congress Demands: 'Bring The Troops Home'
- Donated Educational Software Brings Smiles to Children Among 1,500 Hurricane Katrina Survivors Sheltered at Austin Convention Center
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds