Overview
Are You Up to Speed? Test Your Knowledge on Pneumococcal Vaccination in Adults
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Despite widespread availability of pneumococcal vaccines designed to reduce the risks for infection and invasive pneumococcal disease, coverage remains suboptimal among older adults and those with underlying medical conditions and risk factors. The development of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines offers new opportunities for improved protection against pneumococcal disease, but are you current with the latest evidence and guideline recommendations? If you're a puzzle enthusiast, dive into this unique educational experience with CrossMED™! This engaging activity combines clue-based crosswords with word games to test your knowledge. Then, immerse yourself in expert videos, resources, and supporting data to increase your proficiency in adult immunization practices. Support better outcomes for your patients through this fun and engaging learning opportunity today!
This activity is intended for primary care providers, urgent care and emergency care providers, hospitalists, and community pharmacists who assess risk and/or provide immunization services to adults.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for major disease burdens and mortality related to pneumonia and invasive disease, particularly in older adults and those with underlying medical conditions or risk factors. The introduction of pneumococcal vaccination decreased incidences of hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract infections and pneumonia due to S. pneumoniae, as well as decreased burdens of invasive disease. Available and emerging pneumococcal vaccines now include increasing numbers of serotypes to help address the residual disease burden with initial vaccines and further decrease morbidity and mortality. In turn, there have been ongoing updates to pneumococcal vaccine recommendations that reflect the evolving understanding of disease risk and vaccine efficacy. Unfortunately, pneumococcal vaccine coverage remains suboptimal among older adults and younger at-risk patients. Clinicians must be knowledgeable about ongoing updates to pneumococcal vaccination and recommendations to ensure widespread vaccination in eligible adults.
As a result of participating in this educational activity, clinicians will be able to:
• Describe risks of invasive pneumococcal disease in patients with chronic conditions and the public health benefit of disease prevention
• Evaluate safety and efficacy data for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in both vaccine-naive and vaccine-experienced adults.
• Apply up-to-date pneumococcal disease prevention guidelines in adult populations
As a result of participating in this educational activity, pharmacists will be able to:
• Describe risks of invasive pneumococcal disease in patients with chronic conditions and the public health benefit of disease prevention
• Discuss safety and efficacy data for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in both vaccine-naive and vaccine-experienced adults.
• Apply up-to-date pneumococcal disease prevention guidelines in adult populations
Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Invasive Pneumococcal Disease
• Disease burdens
• Epidemiology
• Causative serotypes
Pneumococcal Vaccines Available for Use in the United States
• Historical perspectives
• Polysaccharide vaccine
• Conjugate vaccines
• Serotype coverage
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 2023 Recommendations
• Eligibility
• Pneumococcal vaccine history
Improving Pneumococcal Vaccination Coverage
• Identifying patients at increased risk
• Identifying opportunities for vaccination
• Mitigating barriers to vaccination
• Disease burdens
• Epidemiology
• Causative serotypes
Pneumococcal Vaccines Available for Use in the United States
• Historical perspectives
• Polysaccharide vaccine
• Conjugate vaccines
• Serotype coverage
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 2023 Recommendations
• Eligibility
• Pneumococcal vaccine history
Improving Pneumococcal Vaccination Coverage
• Identifying patients at increased risk
• Identifying opportunities for vaccination
• Mitigating barriers to vaccination
Provided by the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (ACHL).
Supported by an educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc..
1. Active Internet connection (DSL or Cable). Dial-up connection will have constant buffering problem.
2. Compatible with Windows PC and MAC (256 MB of RAM or higher)
3. Activity is best viewed on Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, Safari 5.0 or higher and Firefox 29.0 or higher
4. Adobe Flash Player 12.0 (or higher). Click here to download Adobe Flash Player for free.
5. Adobe Reader to print certificate. Click here to download Adobe Reader for free.
6. Allow ActiveX controls to run on your computer: If the yellow strip appears on the top of your web browser while running the Webcast, right click on it and select Allow blocked contents to run.
7. Turn the Pop-up blocker off: On the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Turn Off Pop-up Blocker
2. Compatible with Windows PC and MAC (256 MB of RAM or higher)
3. Activity is best viewed on Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, Safari 5.0 or higher and Firefox 29.0 or higher
4. Adobe Flash Player 12.0 (or higher). Click here to download Adobe Flash Player for free.
5. Adobe Reader to print certificate. Click here to download Adobe Reader for free.
6. Allow ActiveX controls to run on your computer: If the yellow strip appears on the top of your web browser while running the Webcast, right click on it and select Allow blocked contents to run.
7. Turn the Pop-up blocker off: On the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Turn Off Pop-up Blocker
On October 24, 2024, the CDC recommended lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50 years old.
Pamela G. Rockwell, DO
Professor of Family Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, MI
Professor of Family Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, MI
The Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (ACHL) requires that the faculty participating in an accredited continuing education activity disclose all affiliations or other financial relationships within 24 months (1) with the manufacturers of any commercial product(s) and/or provider(s) of commercial services discussed in an educational presentation and (2) with all ineligible companies. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to this activity.
The following financial relationships have been provided:
Pamela G. Rockwell, DO (Chair)
No financial relationships to disclose
ACHL staff members and others involved with the planning, development, and review of the content for this activity have no relevant affiliations or financial relationships to disclose.
The content for this activity was developed independently of any ineligible company. All materials are included with permission. The opinions expressed are those of the faculty and are not to be construed as those of the publisher or grantor(s).
This educational activity was planned and produced in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Recommendations involving clinical medicine in a continuing medical education (CME/CE) activity must be based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of medicine as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in CME/CE in support or justification of a patient care recommendation must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.
This CME/CE activity might describe the off-label, investigational, or experimental use of medications and/or devices that may exceed their FDA-approved labeling. Physicians should consult the current manufacturers’ prescribing information for these products. ACHL requires the speaker to disclose that a product is not labeled for the use under discussion.
Discussion of scientific information on unapproved uses (SIUU), off-label, investigational, or experimental drug/device use: None
This activity will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. To receive credit, learners are required to complete the pretest, view the online activity, and complete the posttest and evaluation. To receive credit, 66% must be achieved on the posttest. A certificate will be immediately available. There is no fee to participate in the activity or for the generation of the certificate.
Partial credit may not be awarded for CPE credit; participation in the complete activity is required to receive credit.
The Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses may participate in this educational activity and earn a certificate of completion as AAPA, AANP, and ANCC accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ through their reciprocity agreements.
Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
This activity has been approved for 1.0 contact hour.
ACPE Universal Activity Number: 0396-0000-24-010-H01-P
Activity Type: Application
Release Date: August 16, 2024
Expiration Date: August 16, 2025
CPE credit will be submitted to CPE Monitor® on the first business day of each month.
