MMWR News Synopsis

Articles

Recommendations and Reports: Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2022–23 Influenza Season

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Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine this season. It’s best to be vaccinated before flu begins spreading in your community and, ideally, by the end of October. However, even if you are not able to get vaccinated until December or later, vaccination is still recommended because flu activity most commonly peaks in February and activity can continue into May. Consistent with prior CDC guidance, everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October. Flu vaccination is especially important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications, like those with certain chronic health conditions and people ages 65 years and older. New for the 2022-2023 flu season, three flu vaccines are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent, Fluad Quadrivalent, and Flublok Quadrivalent. Additionally, the composition of flu vaccines for the 2022-2023 flu season has been updated to better protect against the flu viruses research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season. More information about the 2022-2023 flu season is available at www.cdc.gov/flu.

Patient-Level and County-Level Trends in Nonfatal Opioid-Involved Overdose Emergency Medical Services Encounters — 491 Counties, United States, January 2018-March 2022

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The rate of emergency medical services (EMS) encounters for nonfatal opioid-involved overdoses increased, on average, 4% quarterly from January 2018 to March 2022 in 491 counties in 21 states. A CDC analysis of EMS data from 491 counties in 21 states found that the rate of nonfatal opioid-involved overdoses increased quarterly from 98 to 179 per 10,000 EMS encounters during January 2018 to March 2022. Rates were higher among men than women, and the disparity widened over time. Non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander people had the highest rates, but rate increases were greatest among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic people. Additionally, rates and rate increases were greatest in urban counties and counties with higher unemployment rates. EMS data allow for near real-time analysis of nonfatal opioid-involved overdose trends, which can be used to identify communities disproportionately affected by overdose and guide public health efforts to ensure implementation of equitable response and prevention efforts (e.g., increased access to harm-reduction services, medications for opioid use disorder, linkage to care and treatment).

Review of CDC’s Suspension of and Advance Written Approval Process for Dogs Entering the United States from Egypt — May 2019–December 2020

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CDC developed a strategy to reduce the risk of dog rabies transmission using a permit-based system that required blood tests to demonstrate adequate immunity against rabies before dog importation. CDC found that half of the dogs imported from Egypt to the United States from May 2019-December 2020 were vaccinated outside the United States. Without this permit system, these dogs may have posed a public health risk for the reintroduction of dog rabies into the United States. Rabies is responsible for an estimated 59,000 human deaths worldwide; 98% of these deaths are attributed to bites from rabid dogs. Rabies is nearly 100% fatal in both humans and animals once clinical signs develop. This report describes the strategy used to reduce the risk of importation of rabies to the United States from dogs coming from Egypt. The risk reduction strategy included the requirement of antibody testing to demonstrate rabies vaccination status for dogs arriving from Egypt (a high-risk country for dog rabies). The strategy allowed 296 dogs to be imported safely from Egypt from May 10, 2019–December 31, 2020. CDC is currently developing a proposed rule to comprehensively update its dog importation regulation.

Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among Adults During SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 Variant Predominance — COVID-19—Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network, 14 States, June 20, 2021–May 31, 2022

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During the Omicron BA.2 variant surge, hospitalization rates increased more in adults aged 65 and older compared to younger adults. Hospitalization rates among unvaccinated adults were more than triple those of vaccinated adults. All adults should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.COVID-19–Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network data were analyzed to describe COVID-19–associated hospitalization rates in adults ages 18 and older. Between March and May 2022, when Omicron BA.2 was the predominant variant in the United States, COVID-19–associated hospitalization rates increased more in adults aged 65 and older compared to those in younger adults. Among adults who were hospitalized, 95% had one or more underlying medical condition, 39% completed a primary series and received at least 1 booster or additional dose; 5% received a primary series and at least 2 boosters or additional doses. Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, including those who have been vaccinated, might still be at risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. Adults should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, including getting their boosters. People at higher risk of severe illness, including older adults, should take additional measures, regardless of vaccination status, including talking to a health care provider about treatment options if they get COVID-19.

Previously Released: High-Contact Object and Surface Contamination in a Household of Persons with Monkeypox Virus Infection — Utah, June 2022

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• Coccidioidomycosis Outbreak Among Wildland Firefighters — California, 2021
   The frequency of coccidioidomycosis (“Valley fever” or “cocci”) and wildfires continue to increase in California. Three wildland firefighters who worked on the same fire in July 2021 developed coccidioidomycosis requiring hospitalization, emphasizing the need for early recognition, increased awareness, and more effective coccidioidomycosis prevention strategies for wildland firefighters and other outdoor workers in coccidioidomycosis-endemic areas. Coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal respiratory disease that is caused by inhalation of spores of soil-dwelling Coccidioides spp. fungi. Outdoor workers exposed to dust and dirt in endemic areas, such as California, are at increased risk. Recommended occupational risk reduction includes wetting soil before digging to keep dust from getting into the air and the use of respiratory protection. All wildland firefighters in this cluster reported digging and moving soil, with heavy dust exposure and without respiratory protection. Awareness of the occupational risk of coccidioidomycosis, early recognition of the disease, and testing are essential among outdoor workers, employers, and health care providers. As the frequency of coccidioidomycosis and wildfires increase in California, exploration of protective equipment and additional training is needed to better protect wildland firefighters.

• Deaths Involving Exposure to Excessive Heat, by Sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 1999–2020

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.