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Background: Little is known about physicians' adherence to the 2006 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation that providers strongly should consider observing vaccine recipients for 15 minutes to prevent injuries from postvaccination syncope., Purpose: To assess physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward observing adolescents for 15 minutes postvaccination., Methods: A survey was administered during October 2008-January 2009 to 425 pediatricians (Peds) and 424 family medicine physicians (FPs) from a nationally representative network. Adherence was defined as reporting routinely observing patients for ≥15 minutes after vaccination. Data analysis was completed in 2009., Results: The overall response rate was 73%. A minority of physicians (37% Peds, 24% FPs) were aware that ACIP strongly encourages observing patients for 15 minutes postvaccination, but most physicians (69% Peds, 84% FPs) thought that their practice easily could adhere to this recommendation. Lack of room space (76% Peds, 65% FPs) was the most frequently reported barrier. Seventeen percent of physicians reported adherence to postvaccination observation. Practice in a hospital, university, or community health center compared with private practice (RR=1.64, 95% CI=1.05, 2.40); awareness of the ACIP syncope recommendation (RR=5.55, 95% CI=3.60, 9.37); and believing that postvaccination syncope can result in serious injuries (RR=1.74, 95% CI=1.06, 4.22) were independently associated with self-reported adherence., Conclusions: Few physicians are aware of recommendations for postvaccination observation for syncope and even fewer adhere to them. Strategies to improve this should be developed and tested., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: On 13 December 2007, Merck & Co., Inc. voluntarily recalled 1.2 million doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines that had been distributed since April 2007 for concerns regarding potential Bacillus cereus contamination. Enhanced postrecall surveillance was conducted to detect vaccine-associated B. cereus infections., Methods: We reviewed reports involving recalled Hib vaccines received by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) during 1 April 2007-29 February 2008. For each reported death, autopsy review sought evidence of B. cereus infections. For each specified outcome, the proportional reporting ratios (PRRs) were calculated to compare the recalled Hib vaccines with the manufacturer's nonrecalled Hib vaccines in the VAERS databases. On 20 December 2007, we used the Epidemic Information Exchange (Epi-X) to solicit nongastrointestinal vaccine-associated B. cereus infections, and requested B. cereus isolates for genotyping to compare with the manufacturing facility isolate., Results: VAERS received 75 reports involving recalled Hib vaccines; none described a confirmed B. cereus infection. Comparative analyses did not reveal disproportionate reporting of specified outcomes for recalled Hib vaccines. The Epi-X posting triggered one report of vaccine-associated B. cereus bacteremia from a child who received a nonrecalled Hib vaccine manufactured by Merck; the genotypes of isolates from the patient and the manufacturing facility differed., Conclusions: No evidence of vaccine-associated B. cereus infection had been found in recipients of recalled Hib vaccines. Conducting laboratory surveillance through Epi-X was feasible and may enhance public health response capacities for future vaccine safety emergencies.