Blog
Patients & Providers: Collaborating to Fight Clostridium difficile Infections
Special thanks to Christian John Lillis, Executive Director of the Peggy Lillis Foundation, for this guest blog post featuring perspectives from individuals who suffer from Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).
Vaccine Safety: What You Should Know
The independent and multi-layered vaccine review process can be complicated but is in place to ensure that vaccines are held to the highest standards of safety. Moreover, continuous monitoring of health problems after vaccination ensures that the US has a safe and effective vaccine supply.
Adult Immunization and ACIP Updates
Immunization is one of the 10 great public health successes of the 20th century. Through the use of vaccines, measles and rubella have been eliminated in the western hemisphere, polio has been eliminated from most of the world, and smallpox has been completely eradicated. However, while childhood vaccination rates are relatively high in the US, adult vaccination rates remain low.
The Long and Winding Road to Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine Recommendations
The permissive (Category B) recommendation for meningococcal serogroup B vaccination reflects the science of the disease, takes into account many practical issues in vaccine delivery, and offers the widest range of solutions for patients and their families, healthcare providers, and the healthcare system.
Boys Need HPV Vaccines, Too!
Despite availability of safe and effective HPV vaccines, completion of the 3-dose vaccine series remains low and completion rates are much higher in girls (37.6%) than boys (13.9%) although HPV vaccination has been recommended for both boys and girls 11-12 years of age since December, 2011.
The History of NFID
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) was founded in 1973 and is dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the causes, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases across the lifespan. The following history of NFID (Part I) was shared by Richard J. Duma, MD, PhD upon accepting the 2015 John P. Utz Leadership Award at the NFID Awards Gala on May 5, 2015 in Bethesda, MD.
An App a Day Helps Keeps Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Away
An app a day keeps vaccine-preventable diseases away…
The following list of immunization apps can be valuable tools to help you and your family stay aware and up-to-date with recommended immunizations. The list of free apps below was developed with patients and parents as end-users in mind and are available for download at no charge from iTunes and/or the Google Play Store.
Pharmacist Challenges in Providing Immunizations
While 44 states currently allow pharmacists to administer vaccines recommended by the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and all 50 states allow influenza vaccines to be given, many states place barriers between patients and pharmacists as immunizers, primarily by age and/or prescription restrictions.
The Oscars of Infectious Diseases
Last week, the stars came out to celebrate and honor three outstanding leaders at the “Oscars of Infectious Diseases” also known as the 2015 NFID Awards Dinner. Samuel L. Katz, MD was presented with the 2015 Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement, F. Marc LaForce, MD with the 2015 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award, and Richard J. Duma, MD, PhD with the 2015 John P. Utz Leadership Award.
2015 Annual Conference on Vaccine Research: News Round-Up
Top news coverage from the NFID 18th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, held on April 13-15, 2015 in Bethesda, MD: 3 key lessons industry leaders have…