AAFP, Others Urge That Pregnant, Postpartum Women Be Immunized Against Flu The AAFP and nearly a dozen other organizations are urging health care professionals to immunize their pregnant and postpartum patients against influenza. Influenza is five times more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than in women who are not pregnant because of changes to the heart, lungs and immune system during pregnancy. That's according to a Dec. 5 letter signed by the AAFP; AMA; American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Nurse-Midwives; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Nurses Association; American Pharmacists Association; and Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:20:00 CST FDA Committee Votes to Broaden PCV13 Indication to Adults 50 and Older The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, or PCV13, which is marketed as Prevnar 13, most likely will receive an expanded age indication -- and, possibly, a CDC recommendation -- by the middle of 2012. That's according to one family physician who currently sits on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP.
Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:55:00 CST AAFP Foundation to Use Behavioral Economics to Fight Chronic Disease Behavioral economics may not be the "magic bullet" when it comes to actually "curing" chronic disease, but the AAFP Foundation is betting that applying this approach -- which integrates economics with psychology and behavioral science to examine the systematic ways in which people make economic and other choices -- to patients with diabetes help trigger interest in healthier lifestyle choices in communities across the nation and, thus, prevent much of the morbidity that accompanies these conditions.
Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:00:00 CST Alcohol Screening Guide Helps Family Physicians Target Teens Who May Need Help Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by teenagers in the United States. Underage drinking has long been an important issue for family physicians who care for these young patients, and many FPs deal with it on a daily basis in their practices. Now, however, the issue has grown even more significant, as so-called binge drinking has emerged as another common problem among teens. In response to this public health threat, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American Academy of Pediatrics have developed a resource designed to prevent alcohol-related problems in teens before they start or to detect these problems at an early stage.
Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:10:00 CST Walgreens to Begin Supplying Influenza Vaccine to AAFP Members in Five States Family physicians in five states now have a new vaccine supplier option available for the 2011-12 flu season. The AAFP is working with Walgreens to make influenza vaccine available from the company's pharmacies at minimal risk to Academy members who have exhausted their supply. The physician distribution influenza vaccine purchase pilot program, which will roll out in California, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Texas, provides AAFP members with another vaccine distribution channel while, at the same time, ensuring immunizations are given in physicians' offices instead of at local retail clinics.
