MMWR – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

1. Invasive Cancer Incidence — United States, 2009

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Cancer is a leading cause of illness and death in the United States, and many cancers are preventable. National cancer registry data helps to identify populations with high cancer rates that may benefit most from targeted cancer prevention and control efforts and can help public health officials track progress toward the national cancer objectives set forth in Healthy People 2020. National cancer registry data indicate that approximately 1.5 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2009, with an annual incidence rate of 459 cases per 100,000 persons. Prostate, female breast, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum cancer accounted for 52 percent of all cancers diagnosed in 2009.  Incidence rates were higher among men (524) than women (409), and incidence rates were highest among blacks (473) largely reflecting differences in incidence rates of cancers of the prostate and female breast. By state, cancer incidence rates ranged from 387 to 509 per 100,000 persons. These data are based on United States Cancer Statistics, the official annual federal government cancer incidence and mortality statistics for the U.S. population and for individual states, available at www.cdc.gov/uscs.

2. Interim Adjusted Estimates of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness — United States, February 2013

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Influenza vaccine can offer important protection for people at high risk of influenza complications (the young, seniors, pregnant women and people with certain chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and heart disease.) These individuals should seek medical care quickly if they develop flu symptoms because early antiviral treatment can avert serious outcomes. This report provides updated and adjusted influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates of 56 percent (95 percent confidence interval = 47 percent-63 percent) for this season. VE was consistent across age groups, except among people 65 and older, where little or no benefit against H3 could be confirmed in this study. The 2012-2013 influenza vaccine provided substantial protection against influenza for most people who got vaccinated, underscoring the public health value of vaccination. However, the findings also indicate that some vaccinated persons will get influenza and better vaccines, especially for seniors, are needed. Clinicians and the public should remember that influenza antiviral medications are a second line of defense against flu and should be used as recommended for treatment of high risk patients regardless of their vaccination status.

3. Influenza Activity —United States, September 30, 2012–February 9, 2013

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The 2012–13 influenza season began early, and to date has been relatively more severe than recent influenza seasons, particularly for people 65 years and older. This season is an example of the serious public health toll that influenza can take, and underscores the importance of influenza vaccination and treatment. Influenza activity in the United States began to increase in mid-November and remained elevated through February 9, 2013. Since the start of the influenza season to February 9, 2013, influenza A (H3) viruses predominated in the United States overall, followed by influenza B viruses, while pH1N1 viruses were identified rarely.  The age group with the highest hospitalization rate was among those 65 years and older, accounting for more than half of all reported influenza-associated hospitalizations.

4. Updated Recommendations for Use of Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid, and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap) in Pregnant Women — Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2012

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Women are recommended to get vaccinated with Tdap during every pregnancy to protect infants who are at greatest risk for serious illness and death from pertussis. In 2012, there were more than 41,000 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) reported in the United States. Pertussis is highly contagious and can cause serious or prolonged illness.  Infants, especially those too young to be vaccinated, are at the greatest risk for serious illness and death. In order to protect infants, women are now recommended a dose of Tdap for every pregnancy. A woman vaccinated with Tdap during pregnancy will pass on maternal pertussis antibodies to her baby, which may provide protection against pertussis in early life, before the infant begins the primary DTaP series. Tdap will also protect the mother at time of delivery, making her less likely to transmit pertussis to her infant. Other family members and close contacts (e.g., parents, siblings, grandparents) should make sure they are also vaccinated at least 2 weeks before contact with the infant. 

Notes from the Field

Zinc Deficiency Dermatitis in Cholestatic Extremely Premature Infants After a Nationwide Shortage of Injectable Zinc — Washington, DC, December 2012

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES