News in brief - Aug. 16, 2004

Pediatricians cite barriers in talking about sexual risks - Immunization rates are up, but they could be better - Disaster response tool aids in pinpointing alternate sites for care

Pediatricians cite barriers in talking about sexual risks

Nearly all pediatricians believe it is important to discuss with their patients ways to reduce risks associated with sex but most don't have the time or resources to do it, according to a study presented at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok last month.

Of the more than 500 pediatricians surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 87% believed it was their role to provide information about sexual risk reduction, and 85% of them did so if parents asked for the information.

About 62% said, however, that parents often didn't ask, and 74% felt they didn't have the time to provide the education.

To make improvements, 83% wanted a high-quality brochure to hand to patients. In response, the CDC will be working with American Academy of Pediatrics to develop such literature.

Immunization rates are up, but they could be better

The nation's childhood immunization rates are at record high levels, including significant increases for chickenpox and pneumococcal pneumonia immunizations, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services announced July 29.

However, "a substantial number of children in the United States still aren't adequately protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director July Gerberding, MD, MPH.

"Let us renew our efforts during National Immunization Awareness Month to ensure that no child, adolescent or adult will have to needlessly suffer from a vaccine-preventable disease," she said at a press conference to kick off immunization awareness month in August.

National coverage with chickenpox vaccine increased from 80.6% in 2002 to 84.8% in 2003. Coverage for three or more doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine increased from 40.9% in 2002 to 68.1% in 2003. Coverage for four or more doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, reported for the first time this year, was 36.7%.

Disaster response tool aids in pinpointing alternate sites for care

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality unveiled a new tool in late July to help state and local officials quickly locate alternate health care sites if hospitals are overwhelmed by patients due to a bioterrorism attack or other public health emergency.

The alternate care site selection tool is being shared with emergency response planners at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

In the aftermath of this type of emergency, hospitals may be faced with a sudden influx of patients. The new alternative care site selection tool is designed to allow regional planners to locate and rank potential alternative sites -- stadiums, schools, recreation centers, motels and other venues -- based on whether they have adequate ventilation, plumbing, food supply and kitchen facilities, for example.

Available as an Excel spreadsheet, the new tool was produced by Denver Health, one of AHRQ's Integrated Delivery System Research Network partners. The network links the nation's top researchers with some of the largest health care systems to conduct fast-track research on cutting-edge issues in health care.