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Articles

Surveillance Summaries: Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 39 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2018

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Violent death is a serious but preventable public health problem in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2018. Most violent deaths were suicides (64.1%) and homicides (24.8%). NVDRS collected information on 52,773 fatal incidents involving 54,170 deaths that occurred in 39 states and the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2018. Of the 54,170 deaths, the majority (64.1%) were suicides, followed by homicides (24.8%), deaths of undetermined intent (9.0%), legal intervention deaths (1.4%) (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement and other people with legal authority to use deadly force acting in the line of duty, excluding legal executions), and unintentional firearm deaths (<1.0%). The suicide rate was higher among males than among females and was highest among adults aged 35–64 years and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White people. The homicide rate was highest among people aged 20–24 years and was higher among males than females. Non-Hispanic Black males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group. In Puerto Rico, the homicide rate was more than double the suicide rate. Mental health problems, intimate partner problems, interpersonal conflicts, and acute life stressors were primary circumstances for multiple types of violent death. Eliminating racial and ethnic inequities in exposure to violence and the factors that drive them should be prioritized.

Use of 15-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Among U.S. Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2022

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Pneumococcal vaccination helps prevent serious diseases, like pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Two pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, PCV15 and PCV20, were licensed in 2021. Now there are updated pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for adults 19 years or older. CDC recommends adults 65 years of age or older who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown should receive either PCV20 or PCV15. If PCV15 is used, this should be followed by a dose of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). Adults ages 19 through 64 years with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown should receive either PCV20 or PCV15. If PCV15 is used, this should be followed by a dose of PPSV23.

Effectiveness of a Third Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Adults — United States, August–December 2021

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In a study of hospitalized adults, three doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) were more protective against COVID-19-associated hospitalization than two doses for adults with and without immunocompromising conditions. Among adults hospitalized at 21 U.S. hospitals during August 19–December 15, 2021, a period when the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was predominant, the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was compared between adults eligible for but who had not received a third vaccine dose and vaccine-eligible adults who got a third dose at least seven days before illness onset. Among adults without immunocompromising conditions, vaccine effectiveness was higher among those who got a booster dose (97%) compared with those who received only two doses (82%). Among adults with immunocompromising conditions, vaccine effectiveness was higher for those who got a third dose (88%) compared with two-dose recipients (69%). Administration of a third COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose as part of a primary series among adults with weakened immune systems, or as a booster dose among adults without weakened immune systems, is crucial for optimal protection against severe COVID-19.

Previously Released: COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations by COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis — California and New York, May–November 2021

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Previously Released: COVID-19 Incidence and Death Rates Among Unvaccinated and Fully Vaccinated Adults with and Without Booster Doses During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Emergence — 25 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4–December 25, 2021

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Previously Released: Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance — VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021–January 2022

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Previously Released: Trends in Disease Severity and Health Care Utilization During the Early Omicron Variant Period Compared with Previous SARS-CoV-2 High Transmission Periods — United States, December 2020–January 2022

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• Increased Incidence of Fentanyl-Related Deaths Involving Para-fluorofentanyl or Metonitazene — Knox County, Tennessee, November 2020–August 2021With illicitly manufactured fentanyls continuing to supplant the heroin market and increasing numbers of counterfeit pills containing either fentanyl, various fentanyl-related compounds, or other opioids, the risk for drug overdose deaths remains high. Two drugs originally discovered decades ago, para-fluorofentanyl and metonitazene, have been identified throughout the past year in heroin packets and counterfeit pills, and are being reported in autopsy findings and supporting toxicology results. As para-fluorofentanyl and metonitazene can cause life-threatening breathing problems on their own, combining these substances with each other or with other opioids, such as fentanyl-related compounds, poses an even greater potential harm to users than previously observed. It should be a priority to increase public awareness of the potentially fatal consequences of ingesting fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, metonitazene, and other opioids as well as expanding naloxone availability and overdose education in order to reduce opioid-related deaths in Tennessee and throughout the United States.

• Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Diagnosed Diabetes, by Disability Status and Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020

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