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During the March 2024 FDA VRBPAC meeting, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that only trivalent flu vaccines would be available for use in the United States for the 2024-2025 flu season.
Since the beginning of the 2024-2025 respiratory vaccination season, it was discovered that many Kansas providers are documenting flu doses administered as quadrivalent, instead of trivalent, in KSWebIZ. Please remember when documenting administered flu vaccines this respiratory season, that all influenza vaccines are trivalent. The Kansas Immunization Program is asking for everyone’s help in correcting this moving forward.
For any questions or concerns, please contact your Regional Immunization Nurse or the Nurse On Call at 877-296-0464.
Vaccines, like other medications, have an expiration date. The expiration date is determined by the vaccine’s manufacturer. The expiration date is the final date that the vaccine can be administered.
To prevent vaccine waste when ordering, only order and stock enough vaccines to meet your patient needs. Storing a larger volume than your facility needs can increase the risk of wasting vaccines if they expire before they can be used or are compromised in any way. Do not administer a vaccine that is past its expiration date.
It’s also important that vaccine stock is rotated and checked regularly for expired doses. For best practice, the vaccine coordinator or other designated person should rotate vaccine and diluent stock at least once a week, as well as each time your facility receives a vaccine delivery. This will ensure that vaccines expiring sooner are used first. Arrange stock for each vaccine type so that doses with the earliest expiration dates are placed in front of those with later dates. Any expired vaccines and diluents should be removed immediately to avoid inadvertently administering them.
For best practice guidance on vaccine storage and handling, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit and the Vaccines for Children Policy and Procedure Manual.
Date: March 18, 2025
Time: Noon CDT
Key topics:
- Analyze the current evidence and guidelines for COVID-19 maternal vaccinations and identify best practices for protecting maternal and infant health.
- Evaluate the risks and benefits of recommended vaccines during pregnancy to effectively counsel pregnant individuals on immunization decisions.
- Apply evidence-based communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and promote informed decision-making among pregnant individuals.
Register now
The Influenza-Like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) sites monitor patients for influenza-like illness (ILI), which is defined as symptoms of a fever (>100⁰F) and the presence of a cough and/or sore throat. During the week ending March 1, ILINet sites reported 5 percent of visits were due to ILI. Syndromic surveillance indicated that 9 percent of emergency departments visits in Kansas were due to ILI. All data is subject to change.
Influenza activity across the state is currently high. During the week ending March 1, the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories reported 53 positive influenza A/H1 specimens and 14 positive influenza A/H3 specimens. As a reminder, outbreaks of any disease are reportable and should be reported to the epidemiology hotline at (877) 427-7317. Stay updated on influenza activity.
The Wisconsin TB Summit returns in 2025 with weekly virtual sessions every Tuesday in April! This year’s summit brings together local, state and national tuberculosis (TB) experts to share insights, research and best practices for improving TB care in our communities. Through interactive discussions, case studies and expert panels, attendees will gain valuable knowledge to enhance their work in TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Wisconsin TB Summit Program
Register here.
The highly anticipated IAS-USA 2025 Update of the Drug Resistance Mutations in HIV-1 is now available! The figures are also available as downloadable PDF and are now available as PowerPoint Slides.
The Viral Hepatitis Program can offer linkage to care services to anyone in Kansas who is needing assistance connecting to a medical provider for Hepatitis C treatment. This free resource and referral service is designed to support people through this diagnosis and help them navigate all steps needed to access affordable Hepatitis C treatment regardless of insurance status. Both self-referrals and patient referrals can be submitted using the Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention's Linkage to Care Client Referral Form.
Register here for Addressing Key Challenges to RSV Vaccination in Post-acute and Long-term Care which will be held March 13, 2025, at 9 a.m. CDT
Register here for Clinical Screening and Resources for Addressing Reproductive Health Care which will be held March 18, 2025, at 11 a.m. CDT
Register here for Touch Points in Community Health: Pan-Viral Testing and Linkage to Care in Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centers which will be held March 18, 2025
Check out our full trainings list.
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