Page 10 - JRCERT Update Articles

JRCERT Update

on humans in 1954, and by the early 1960s, health care complications. Boosters are important to prevent infec-
professionals switched from using the inactivated vac- tions from new variants of the virus. To monitor safety
cine to Sabin’s live attenuated one, which was more and efficacy, the CDC has continued to conduct vac-
effective, more economical, and easier to administer. cine effectiveness research that informs new vaccine
As a result, the Sabin vaccine soon became the world’s development, provides new recommendations, and
weapon against polio and has nearly eradicated the improves policies. These studies include prospective
16
virus worldwide. 7,8 cohorts (frontline workers and children), household
There are still many diseases today, including transmission studies (health care workers and those
influenza, chronic hepatitis B, and COVID-19, for who live with them), and test-negative prospective
which outcomes can be improved with vaccines. For case–control pharmacy testing (patients and health
example, the seasonal influenza vaccine helps pre- care workers). 17
vent serious complications by reducing the severity More recently, mpox has been identified as a
of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease global concern. As of November 18, 2022, a total
9
18
Control (CDC), influenza-related hospitalizations of 80 249 cases have been confirmed globally with
in the United States have ranged from 140 000 to 29 133 cases in the United States, including 2 deaths.
710 000 and deaths from 12 000 to 52 000 annually Two vaccines have been approved for use in preventing
between 2010 and 2020. Chronic hepatitis B affects mpox, JYNNEOS (Bavarian Nordic) and ACAM2000
10
approximately 880 000 people in the United States, (Emergent Product Development Gaithersburg, Inc).
causing liver disease that includes cirrhosis and can- Their effectiveness is not yet known. 19
cer. COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in
11
the United States are trending down. According to the Vaccine Recommendations
CDC, 79.9% of the U.S. population has received at least The vaccines recommended for health care work-
1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 68.1% have completed the ers by the CDC are included in Table 1. Adherence
first series, and 35.5% of those 5 years and older have to specific recommended timeframes for each sub-
received the first booster. 12 sequent vaccination dose is important. Although
medical records of vaccinations are important, blood
Recent Developments in Immunizations tests that show immunity also can be used to docu-
According to the CDC, current vaccines do not use a ment vaccinations. In addition to these recommended
live virus, cause infection, or affect genes. The mRNA vaccines, vaccines are available for hepatitis A, pneu-
3
vaccines have an important role in vaccinations for mococcal disease, shingles (herpes zoster), and human
COVID-19. The advantages of mRNA vaccines include papillomavirus; these additional vaccines might be
11
quick manufacturing time and no risk of causing the recommended for some people, including some health
disease. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the care workers, depending on their age or other circum-
13
development of mRNA vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech stances.
and Moderna, and the U.S. Food and Drug Admin- In the United States, students and health care work-
istration issued an emergency use authorization in early ers are required to obtain vaccinations. The laws vary
December 2020. An mRNA vaccine promotes the by state but might include assessing vaccination status
14
creation of proteins identical to those created during an of workers, requiring vaccinations or valid exemptions,
infection that trigger the immune system to fight when and wearing a mask if unvaccinated for influenza.
26
an actual infection occurs. Additional mRNA vaccines Medical records of vaccination for students and health
1
are being developed, including an influenza vaccine. 1,3 care workers, including clinical faculty, must be kept
The COVID-19 vaccines have been found to be current and on file so that health care institutions and
safe and effective. Although breakthrough cases of clinical sites associated with an education program
15
infection are possible as with any vaccine, they help can confirm that requirements for patient safety and
to decrease the severity of the illness and prevent accreditation standards are met. Students can obtain
27

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, March/April 2023, Volume 94, Number 4 309
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2023. All rights reserved.