The current release is version 1.29.1 - Released May 14, 2021.    (Download the latest ICE release now)

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Prior News

• March 21, 2021 - ICE Web Client - URL Change
  • The ICE Web Client has moved to a new location.
  • The web client is a simple demonstration of ICE. More information about it is available on the Try ICE by Using the "ICE Client" App page.
    
  • As always, we can be contacted at ice@hln.com with any questions, comments or suggestions.

• March 12, 2021 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.28.2
  • A new release of ICE is available.  
  • Version 1.28.2 includes the following additions and updates. Please see the Release Notes for details.
    

    • COVID-19 Bug Fix: Fixes a bug that resulted in, under certain circumstances, some COVID shots administered on the same day to be incorrectly evaluated. 

  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each zipfile distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• March 3, 2021 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.28.1
  • A new release of ICE is available.  
  • Version 1.28.1 includes the following additions and updates. Please see the Release Notes for details.
    
    • Added support for the the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine: CVX 212.
    • An update to the "Select Adjuvant Product Interval" rule.
  • The updated ICE Implementation Guide which adds CVX 210 and CVX 212 vaccine codes relevant to COVID-19.
    • A version of this same guide with the changes since 1.24.1 highlighted is also available.
    • A Google Sheet with the same ICE code systems and codes is available as an added convenience.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each zipfile distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• February 25, 2020 - Upcoming Release of ICE 
  • HLN is actively monitoring all news and updates in regards to new and existing COVID-19 vaccines (most recently, the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine). Key dates that we are tracking:
    • Friday, 2/26 - Vaccine advisers to the FDA will meet to discuss whether to recommend the vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA); FDA will ultimately decide whether or not to grant EUA approval for the vaccine. 
    • Sunday, 2/28 - Monday, 3/1 - CDC ACIP Emergency Meeting to discuss vaccine recommendations (if approved for EUA).
  • Once a vaccine has been approved for use by FDA (either Expanded Access, EUA, or full licensure), ACIP will hold an emergency meeting and publish recommendations in a very quick timeframe (i.e. days). HLN intends to release a version of ICE that includes COVID-19 forecasting as early as possible after ACIP has published the guidelines. This initial release will contain COVID-19 logic known at the time of the release. As additional, actionable information on COVID-19 forecasting becomes available from official sources, HLN will continue to release additional versions of ICE, at appropriate times to reflect ongoing updates.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• December 23, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.27.1
  • A new release of ICE is available. 
  • Version 1.27.1 incorporates support for both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. It also adds support for the COVID-19 Unspecified vaccine code.
  • The updated ICE Implementation Guide documents the codes relevant to COVID-19.
    • The following additions were made to the guide this week: (1) Moderna vaccine code (CVX 207);  (2) COVID-19 Unspecified vaccine code (CVX 213); (3) A new recommendation reason code: BASED_ON_VAC_AVAIL_AND_PRIORITY_RECS.
    • The following additions were made to the guide last week: (1) Pfizer vaccine code (CVX 208); (2) COVID-19 Vaccine Group code
    • A version of this same guide with the changes since 1.24.1 highlighted is also available.
    • A Google Sheet with the same ICE code systems and codes is available as an added convenience.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each zipfile distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• December 15, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.26.2
  • A new release of ICE is available. 
  • Version 1.26.2 fixes a bug in Version 1.26.1 related to COVID-19 forecasting.
  • Users who installed Version 1.26.1 should update to this release as soon as possible. 
  • As noted below, the ICE Implementation Guide contains the new codes relevant to COVID-19: CVX codes and a new Vaccine Group code for COVID-19.
    • A version of this same guide with the changes since 1.24.1 highlighted is also available.
    • A Google Sheet with the same ICE code systems and codes is available as an added convenience.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each zipfile distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• December 14, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.26.1
  • A new release of ICE is available.  
  • Version 1.26.1 includes the following additions and updates. Please see the Release Notes for details:
    1. ICE support for new COVID-19 Vaccine Group (with Pfizer vaccine only)
    2. Note: The subsequent release, soon after, will likely add support for the Moderna vaccine.
  • The ICE Implementation Guide has also been updated with the new codes for COVID-19: CVX, Vaccine Group, Evaluation Focus and Recommendation Focus codes.
    • A version of this same guide with the changes since 1.24.1 highlighted is also available.
    • A Google Sheet with the same ICE code systems and codes is available as an added convenience.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each zipfile distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• December 1, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.25.1
  • A new release of ICE is available.
  • This will likely be the last release before upcoming support for COVID-19.
  • Version 1.25.1 includes the following additions and updates. Please see the Release Notes for details:
    1. Added support for Meningococcal vaccine: MenACWY-TT (CVX 203).
    2. Logic updates to Hep B, Hep A and HPV.
    3. MMR Proof of Immunity bug fix.
  • The ICE Implementation Guide has also been updated with the new Meningoccal vaccine and removal of the "ABOVE_REC_AGE" evaluation code. A version of this same guide with the changes since 1.24.1 highlighted is also available. A Google Sheet with the same ICE code systems and codes is available as an added convenience.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each zipfile distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• November 10, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.24.2
  • A new release of ICE is available.
  • Version 1.24.2 includes fixes to version 1.24.1, which is detailed in the next news entry. The fixes are:
    1. MMR: for patients >= 19 yrs of age, 1.24.1 incorrectly marked the 2nd shot Accepted when it was Valid. 
    2. Display: ICE was identifying itself as "ICE_1.23.1" in the output. This version of ICE correctly outputs version "ICE_1.24.2"
  • Please see the Release Notes versions 1.24.1 and 1.24.2 for details.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• November 6, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.24.1
  • A new release of ICE is available. 
  • Version 1.24.1 includes the following additions and changes.
    • Logic updates to DTP, Varicella, Hib and MMR. Please see the Release Notes for details.
    • Security updates and upgrade to latest version of Drools.
    • The output_supplemental_text option is now enabled by default, but can be disabled by setting this option to "N" in the ice.properties file. Supplemental text is currently returned by some DTP and Pneumococcal rules in either evaluation of shots or recommendations. The ICE Implementation Guide describes this feature.
  • There are no changes to the ICE Implementation Guide since 1.23.1. However:
    • A version of this same guide with highlighted changes since 1.22.1 is also available.
    • The ICE code systems and codes are also accessible in Google Sheets as an added convenience.
  • Note that the following configuration files and directories have minor modifications from prior releases: ice.properties, log4j and knowledge module directory location. If you are updating from a previous release of ICE and wish to change any of the properties in these files, the changes will need to be made in these files directly as the prior files will not work.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• September 13, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.23.1
  • A new release of ICE is available.
  • Version 1.23.1 includes the following additions and changes. Please see the Release Notes for details for all of the below:
    1. Support for new Influenza vaccines and 2020-2021 Influenza season (unchanged from previous year) in Influenza Vaccine Group.
  • The ICE Implementation Guide has also been updated with the new influenza codes. A version of this same guide with the changes since 1.22.1 highlighted is also available. Finally, the ICE code systems and codes are also accessible in Google Sheets as an added convenience.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• June 30, 2020 - ICE Source Code Now on GitHub
  • The ICE source code has been moved off of BitBucket and on to GitHub. Please see the Building ICE from Source Code for more details. The implementation guide and downloadable (Zip File) distribution remains in the Downloads folder of BitBucket.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• February 12, 2020 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.22.1
  • A new release of ICE is available. 
  • Version 1.22.1 includes the following additions and changes. Please see the Release Notes for details for all of the below:
    1. Logic updates to the Pneumococcal Vaccine Group in accordance with the latest ACIP guidance.
    2. Bug fixes for the DTP Vaccine Group and Influenza Vaccine Group.
    3. Minor modification to how month-based calculations are performed. 
    4. In an effort to make the information returned by ICE to the end user more clear, the evaluation reason text and recommendation reason text have been reworded to be more user-friendly. The ICE SME WG worded these in a way that we believe is suitable for end users. These display values are documented on the Evaluation and Recommendation Codes page and returned by ICE in the displayName attribute of the applicable XML element. The corresponding coded values have not changed.
    5. A new option, output_supplemental_text. If this option is set to "Y" in the ice.properties file, ICE may return supplemental text in the response.
       • By default, this option is not enabled.
       • The ICE Implementation Guide specifies where and how in the response the supplemental text is output for evaluations and recommendations. 
       • This option is utilized by the Pneumococcal Vaccine Group for shared clinical decision making in the recommendation (interpretation element). The Pneumococcal rules page specifies the circumstances in which this occurs. If this option is disabled, the Pneumococcal logic will still operate correctly; applications simply won't benefit from additional text which may be displayed on the screen.

    6. A new option, enable_dose_override_feature. If this option is set to "Y" in the ice.properties file, client applications can override how ICE would normally evaluate a specified shot. The feature enables client applications to indicate that an administered shot must be treated as INVALID or VALID, as specified by the input message. Typically, this feature would be used when there is a vaccine efficacy concern (e.g. - an incorrect administration, vaccine expiration, etc.).

       • By default, this option is not enabled.
       • We suggest that this feature, if used at all, be used with caution and only under certain circumstances such as those described above and in accordance to how it operates. Users should carefully consider the use cases and experiment with the feature so that are no unexpected results.
       • More information about this option is available on Dose Override Feature page.
    7. ICE now outputs the version of the service in the response. See Version Number in the Response Message for details.
  • The ICE Implementation Guide has been updated. The ICE code systems and codes are also accessible in Google Sheets as an added convenience. Changes include:
    • New evaluation & reason codes: SUPPLEMENTAL_TEXT and OUTSIDE_SERIES.
    • Update evaluation and recommendation reasons to the user-friendly display text described above. 
    • Information on how to use the dose override feature.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• January 22, 2020 - A Few Updates
  • The next release of ICE, Version 1.22.1, will be available in February. This release will include logic updates to the Pneumococcal Vaccine Group.
  • The ICE distribution is now available as a docker image which can be download from Docker Hub at https://hub.docker.com/r/hlnconsulting/ice. Moving forward, whenever a new version of ICE is released, the distribution will be available both from Docker Hub as well as from the standard zip file location that we have always used.
  • We are in the process of moving the source code over to GitHub. Once this is complete and we have released the next version of ICE, we will make an announcement and remove the source code from BitBucket.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• October 15, 2019 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.21.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
  • Version 1.21.1 includes the following additions and changes:
    1. Logic updates to the HPV Vaccine Group according to the latest ACIP guidance. See the Release Notes for details.
    2. A tweak to how the dose number value, returned in the vMR doseNumber element, is determined. The Release Notes contains details.
    3. A duplicate shot/same day fix whereby a non-combination shot might be selected instead of the combination shot.
  • The ICE Implementation Guide has been updated for this release. There is 1 new recommendation reason code - "ABOVE_REC_AGE".
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• March 22, 2018 - Python ICE Client Available
  • HLN is happy to announce the release of an ICE client for Python. The open source "pyiceclient" extends the simple JSON format used by HLN's ICE web browser app, and can easily be included as a module in any Python 3 application. Source code, documentation, and example code are available on Bitbucket at https://bitbucket.org/cdsframework/pyiceclient.
  • Sample client code for Java and .NET is also available. More information is available on the ICE Installation Page.

• August 28, 2019 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.20.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
  • Version 1.20.1 includes important logic updates to the DTP Vaccine Group:
    1. Updated the Adolescent Tdap Recommendation and Evaluation rules as per the latest Tdap guidance included in the 2019 CDC Immunization Schedule.
    2. Added a rule requiring that in order for the primary series to be complete via the DTP 3-dose series, at least one of the doses administered must be a pertussis-containing vaccine.
  • The ICE Implementation Guide has not changed since the last release.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, we would very much like to hear from you! Please feel free to e-mail us anytime at ice@hln.com.

• May 31, 2019 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.17.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
  • Version 1.17.1 includes the following additions and changes:
    1. Logic updates to DTP, HPV, and Zoster vaccine groups. See Release Notes for details.
    2. Improvements to handling of duplicate shots. Duplicate shots typically represent "bad data" that has been passed into the ICE service. For two or more duplicate shots on the same day, ICE will select the vaccine that makes the most sense for the circumstance. See Two Shots, Same Vaccine Group, Same Day Exception Rules for the specifics on how this is handled for each vaccine group.
    3. Pneumococcal interval fix in the Adult Series where (under certain circumstances) the PPSV to PPSV 5 year recommended interval is not being applied when there is a valid PCV shot in between the PPSV shots.
    4. The Release Notes contain further details about the changes in this release.
  • Configuration Note: As of release 1.16.1, the ICE service is configured by default to return the earliest and overdue dates in addition to the recommendation date. In prior releases, the default configuration was to return only the recommendation date for the forecast.
    • If your application has not been configured to display the earliest and/or overdue dates, we recommend turning this feature off by changing the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates value in the ice.properties file to "N". Failure to do so may result in incorrect interpretation of the recommendation date. 
    • If you are interested in returning the earliest date or overdue date, please refer to the latest ICE Implementation Guide for details indicating precisely where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, we would very much like to hear from you! Please feel free to e-mail us anytime at ice@hln.com.

• March 7, 2019 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.16.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
  • Version 1.16.1 includes the following additions and changes: 
    1. DTP Vaccine Group: Added an update to the "Six by Seven" rule to explicitly state that duplicate shots on the same day do not count towards this rule. The intention of this change is to prevent potentially "bad data" that may be passed into the ICE service from affecting the forecast result.
    2. Hib Vaccine Group: Improved handling of duplicate shots administered on the same day. For details, please refer to the Two Shots, Same Vaccine Group, Same Day Exception Rules page.
    3. Minor logic changes to the Meningococcal B, Polio, Rotavirus and Pneumococcal vaccine groups.
    4. A revised ICE Implementation Guide (v3r2; and v3r2 with changes highlighted since 1.15.1). The updated guide includes a new recommendation reason: TOO_OLD_TO_INITIATE.
  • Important Note: As of this release, the ICE service is configured by default to return the earliest and overdue dates in addition to the recommendation date. In prior releases, the default configuration was to return only the recommendation date for the forecast. 
    • If your application has not been configured to display the earliest and/or overdue dates, we recommend turning this feature off by changing the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates value in the ice.properties file to "N". Failure to do so may result in incorrect interpretation of the recommendation date. 
    • If you are interested in returning the earliest date or overdue date, please refer to the latest ICE Implementation Guide for details indicating precisely where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances.
  • The Release Notes contain further details about the changes in this release. The ICE team recommends upgrading to this latest release as soon as possible. 
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• March 27, 2018 - Earliest Date and Overdue Date Added to Sample ICE Web Client
  • The Sample ICE Web Client now displays the Earliest Date and Overdue Date as a part of the forecast. 
  • As noted in the March 9th news entry, ICE has the option of returning the earliest and overdue dates for select vaccine groups, and full support for this feature is expected this Spring (for all vaccine groups).
  • We're always very interested in hearing feedback from the community about ICE, its features, and immunization forecasting topics in general. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at any time at ice@hln.com.

• February 1, 2019 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.15.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
  • Version 1.15.1 includes the following additions and changes: 
    1. A new 2-dose Adult Series in the Hep B vaccine group with support for the HEPLISAV-B vaccine. 
    2. Logic updates and fixes to the Meningococcal B, HPV, Influenza, Polio and DTP vaccine groups.
    3. A revised ICE Implementation Guide (v3r1; and v3r1 with changes highlighted since 1.14.1). The updated guide includes a new evaluation reason: SELECT_ADJUVANT_PRODUCT_INTERVAL.
  • The Release Notes contain further details about the changes in this release. The ICE team recommends upgrading to this latest release as soon as possible. 
  • The Earliest and Overdue Date Feature may be enabled by setting the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates property setting in the ice.properties file to "Y". Please refer to the latest ICE Implementation Guide for details indicating precisely where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• February 8, 2019 - See ICE in Action at the HIMSS 2019 Interoperability Showcase (February 12th-14th)

This weekend, the ICE Team is traveling to HIMSS 2019 in Orlando to participate in the HIMSS 2019 Interoperability Showcase. From February 12th through February 14th, ICE will be demonstrated alongside other systems in the "Immunization Integration & CDS Use Case". If you are attending HIMSS, please stop by the showcase. We would love to meet you. For more details about the Immunization Use Case and another Use Case that HLN is also participating in, please see our blog article. We hope to see you there!

• August 14, 2018 - ICE Version 1.14.1 Downloadable Distribution

In the downloadable distribution for this release, the ice.properties file's output_earliest_and_overdue_dates property was set to "Y". In previous releases, this property was set to "N". If you have not configured your application to handle earliest and overdue dates, change the  value to "N". The ICE Implementation Guide (v2r20) has instructions about how to interpret each of the forecast dates, including how they are specified in the ICE output and under what circumstances.

• August 10, 2018 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.14.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
    • Full support for Earliest Date and Overdue Date - All Vaccine Groups
      • If enabled, ICE will output two additional forecast dates along with the Recommendation Date: the Earliest Date and Overdue Date. The Earliest Date is the soonest date that the vaccine can be given and still be considered valid. The Overdue Date is the date after which an immunization administered would be considered late.
      • The following vaccine groups return the Earliest and Overdue Date, when applicable:
        • DTP
        • Hep B
        • HPV
        • Pneumococcal
        • Hib
        • Hep A
        • MMR 
        • Zoster
        • Meningococcal ACWY
        • Polio
        • Rotavirus
        • Varicella
      • Implementers can enable the earliest/overdue date feature by setting the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates property setting in the ice.properties file to "Y". Please refer to the latest ICE Implementation Guide (v2r20) for details indicating precisely where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances.
    • There are no updates to the ICE Implementation Guide since 1.12.1. The current guide is v2r20; and v2r20 with changes highlighted since 1.11.1).
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution. The Release Notes page contains information about this and prior releases of ICE.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at ice@hln.com.
    
    

• June 17, 2018 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.13.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
    • An adjustment to the Pneumococcal catch-up schedule. See Exception 1B in the Pneumococcal Vaccine Group documentation for details.
    • Expanded Support for Earliest Date and Overdue Date (a recent feature that was introduced in 1.11.1).
      • If enabled, ICE will output two additional forecast dates along with the Recommendation Date: the Earliest Date and Overdue Date. The Earliest Date is the soonest date that the vaccine can be given and still be considered valid. The Overdue Date is the date after which an immunization administered would be considered late.
      • Expanded support for Earliest and Overdue Date - two additional vaccine groups (Pneumococcal and Hib), bringing the total number of supported vaccine groups to 9 (listed below):
        • Pneumococcal
        • Hib
        • Hep A
        • MMR 
        • Zoster
        • Meningococcal ACWY
        • Polio
        • Rotavirus
        • Varicella
      • The 3 remaining vaccine groups (DTP, Hep B and HPV) will be supported with Earliest and Overdue Dates in a future release of ICE in Summer 2018.
      • Note that this feature is disabled by default to ensure existing client applications do not break. Implementers can enable the earliest/overdue date feature by setting the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates property setting in the ice.properties file to "Y". Please refer to the latest ICE Implementation Guide (v2r20) for details indicating precisely where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances.
    • There are no updates to the ICE Implementation Guide since 1.12.1. The current guide is v2r20; and v2r20 with changes highlighted since 1.11.1).
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution. The Release Notes page contains information about this and prior releases of ICE.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at ice@hln.com.

• June 13, 2018 - Epic and Cerner connect to ICE at FHIR Connectathon

At the 18th FHIR Connectathon in Cologne, Germany on May 12-13, 2018, HLN successfully integrated its open source Immunization Calculation Engine (ICE) service with test instances of two Electronic Health Record (EHR) products, Epic and Cerner, using the CDS Hooks standard. CDS Hooks is an emerging specification for invoking third-party Clinical Decision Support (CDS) web services from various points within an EHR workflow, such as whenever a patient is viewed. Registering a CDS service in an EHR is as easy as supplying a service discovery URL. When invoked, the ICE CDS Hooks service accepts patient demographics and immunization history supplied by the EHR in FHIR format; calls the ICE decision support service; and sends back immunization forecasting alerts to the EHR for display. The Connectathon was held prior to the May HL7 Working Group Meeting in Cologne. Version 1.0 of the CDS Hooks standard (cds-hooks.org) is being voted on during the May 2018 HL7 ballot cycle.

• June 1, 2018 - Quarterly ICE Review Board Meeting

On June 1, 2018, HLN convened its quarterly meeting of the ICE Review Board. Topics discussed in this session focused on expanded support of Earliest Date and Overdue Date, a new feature that was introduced in version 1.11.1. If enabled within an installation, ICE will output two additional forecast dates along with the Recommendation Date: The Earliest Date and Overdue Date. Other topics discussed with the ICE Review Board members included an update on the continued alignment of CDC CDSi and ICE rules, the recent success of connecting ICE to Epic and Cerner during the May 2018 HL7 Connectathon in Cologne, Germany, and innovations being made to support FHIR and CDS Hooks. In addition, Review Board members provided their perspective on the use of fuzzy dates within IIS and EHRs. The next ICE Review Board meeting will be scheduled in the 3^rd quarter 2018.

• April 13, 2018 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.12.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.
    • Version 1.12.1 includes the following additions and changes:
    • Support for Zoster vaccine recombinant (Shringrix). With the addition of this new vaccine and latest national guidance, it is possible additional doses will be forecasted for patients who previously had completed the Zoster series. Please refer to the Zoster Vaccine Group page for details.
    • Indication of a 3rd dose of MMR for high risk scenarios. The MMR Vaccine Group page has the details.
    • In the existing Hep B series, acknowledgement of adjuvanted Hep B vaccine (HEPLISAV-B - CVX 189).
      • This vaccine will be marked as NOT_EVALUATED with reason code VACCINE_NOT_SUPPORTED. The ICE team will work on a future release with further support for CVX 189 once more information is provided by national guidance sources.
      • Please refer to the Hep B Vaccine Group page for details.
    • Improved handling of shots submitted to the ICE service with "bad data", including shots with dates before the patient's date of birth.
    • Expanded Support for Earliest Date and Overdue Date (a new feature that was introduced in 1.11.1).
      • If enabled, ICE will output two additional forecast dates along with the Recommendation Date: the Earliest Date and Overdue Date. The Earliest Date is the soonest date that the vaccine can be given and still be considered valid. The Overdue Date is the date after which an immunization administered would be considered late.
      • Expanded support for Earliest and Overdue Date to three additional vaccine groups (Hep A, MMR, Zoster), bringing the total number of supported vaccine groups to 7 (listed below):
        • Hep A
        • MMR 
        • Zoster
        • Meningococcal ACWY
        • Polio
        • Rotavirus
        • Varicella 
      • The 5 remaining vaccine groups (DTP, Hep B, Hib, HPV, and Pneumococcal) will be supported with Earliest and Overdue Dates in a future release of ICE in Spring 2018.
      • Note that this feature is disabled by default to ensure existing client applications do not break. Implementers can enable the earliest/overdue date feature by setting the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates property setting in the ice.properties file to "Y". Please refer to the latest ICE Implementation Guide (v2r20) for details indicating precisely where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances.
    • Updates to the ICE Implementation Guide (v2r20; and v2r20 with changes highlighted since 1.11.1). This guide contains the code additions for Zoster and Hep B vaccines, and a new evaluation reason code. It also contains information on how implementers may update their installation and software to properly read the Earliest, Recommended, and Overdue dates (if desired).
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution. The Release Notes page contains information about this and prior releases of ICE.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at ice@hln.com.

• February 27, 2018 - Quarterly ICE Review Board Meeting
  • On February 27, 2018, HLN convened its second quarterly meeting of the ICE Review Board. While the inaugural meeting last Fall provided an introduction and information on ICE fundamentals and development processes, this latest session focused on topics ranging from the newest release of ICE that includes Earliest Date and Overdue Date for several vaccine groups; an update on the continued alignment of CDC CDSi and ICE; recent efforts to deploy ICE; and innovations such as, support for FHIR and CDS Hooks. A case study of utilizing ICE after nonviable vaccine administration was presented, and an open dialog was facilitated of relevant public health-related topics and trends. The next ICE Review Board meeting is  being planned for the 2nd quarter 2018.

• March 9, 2018 - New Release of ICE - Version 1.11.1
  • A new release of ICE is now available.   
    
    • Version 1.11.1 includes the following additions and changes:
      1. Support for Earliest Date and Overdue Date
         • If enabled, ICE will output two additional forecast dates along with the Recommendation Date: the Earliest Date and Overdue Date. The Earliest Date is the soonest date that the vaccine can be given and still be considered valid. The Overdue Date is the date after which an immunization administered would be considered late.
         • In this release, ICE returns the earliest and overdue dates for 4 vaccine groups: Meningococcal ACWY, Polio, Rotavirus and Varicella. The ICE team expects the remaining vaccine groups to be completely supported by Spring 2018.
         • Note that this feature is disabled by default to ensure existing client applications do not break. Implementers can enable the earliest/overdue date feature by setting the output_earliest_and_overdue_dates property setting in ice.properties file to "Y". Please refer to the ICE Implementation Guide for details about where each of the forecast dates – earliest, recommended, and overdue – are specified in the ICE output, and under what circumstances.
      2. General Rule Update: Fix that resulted in the General Rule "Shots Administered Below Series Absolute Minimum Age for Dose 1" not triggering when there are 2 or more invalid shots given below the absolute minimum age for Dose 1.
      3. An update to the ICE Implementation Guide. The latest ICE Implementation Guide (v2r19) describes how implementers should update their installation and software to properly read the Earliest, Recommended, and Overdue dates. The relevant information starts on page 43. Note that a "track changes" version of this same guide is also available. The tracked changes are intended to make it easier to see what has changed in the guide since the prior release (version 1.10.1.0).
  • ACIP updates for Zoster and MMR will be available in the next release, scheduled for early April.
  • As always, you can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution. The Release Notes page contains information about this and prior releases of ICE.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at ice@hln.com.

• February 5, 2018 - Upcoming ACIP Logic Updates
  • We are incorporating the latest ACIP recommendations for Zoster and Mumps into an upcoming release of ICE. The updates include: (1) the new Zoster Shingrix vaccine; (2) conditional recommendation of MMR during high risk scenarios.
  • In February, ACIP will be voting on the new HEPLISAV-B vaccine. Changes to the ICE Hep B schedule will be made accordingly once the guidance is confirmed.

• December 19, 2017
  
  • A new release of ICE (version 1.10.1.0) is now available.
    • Version 1.10.1.0 fixes 2 bugs:
      1. DTP Vaccine Group: Fixes a bug that resulted in (under certain circumstances) the 4th dose being evaluated as Accepted rather than Valid.
      2. Influenza Vaccine Group: Fixes a bug that resulted in a 2nd dose being recommended during the 2017-2018 season, when only 1 dose is needed.
  • The ICE team recommends upgrading to this latest release as soon as possible.
  • There are no changes to the ICE Implementation Guide for this release.
  • You can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• November 20, 2017
  • A new release of ICE (version 1.9.2.0) is now available.   
    • Version 1.9.2.0 fixes a bug that resulted in the vaccine Meningococcal C/Y-HIB PRP (CVX 148) to be incorrectly evaluated as a part of the Meningococcal vaccine group (in addition to the Hib vaccine group). Version 1.9.2.0 correctly evaluates this vaccine as a part of the Hib vaccine group only.
    • The updated ICE Implementation Guide contains an important correction to the definition of the IsValid element (which is returned by ICE in the response payload). If your software reads/interprets the IsValid element, please review.
    • Release notes with further details are available.
  • The latest ICE Implementation Guide (v2r18) reflects the latest information compatible with this release. A "tracked changes version" of this same guide is also available. The tracked changes are intended to make it easier to see what has changed since the prior release (version 1.9.1.0).
  • You can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• November 13, 2017 - Immunization Calculation Engine (ICE) Review Board
  • HLN facilitated its inaugural ICE Review Board Meeting on November 13, 2017. Convening distinguished thought leaders from private and public health organizations, the ICE Review Board’s charter is to assess the rules changes as proposed by the Subject Matter Expert (SME) Workgroup and provide feedback and/or further recommendations of ICE functionality. It is envisioned that the Review Board will meet on a quarterly basis to establish an enduring, prolific and collaborative dialog of topics relevant across the healthcare community, identify best practices beyond ICE, and assist in maintaining ICE’s alignment to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) guidelines. Topics at the November meeting ranged from the ICE Roadmap and Release Process to approval of the Board’s charter and the members’ role. Suggested topics for discussion at upcoming meetings included the role of CDC CDSi with respect to ICE,  the AIRA-CDC MACAW Voluntary IIS Validation and its possible influence on ICE rules, and the benefits and limitations of default rules versus custom rules. The next ICE Review Board Meeting is being planned for February 2018. 

• October 6, 2017
  • A new release of ICE (version 1.9.1.0) is now available.   
    • ICE v1.9.1.0 includes the following additions and changes:
      • Support for Meningococcal B
        • Meningococcal B support has been added as a new vaccine group, separate from the existing Meningococcal ACWY vaccine group. Meningococcal ACWY will continue to be returned as its own vaccine group.
        • Implementers may need to modify their software to start looking for the new Meningococcal B vaccine group code (835).
      • Logic fixes for HPV and Hep B vaccine groups
      • Addition of non-U.S. vaccine DTaP-IPV-Hib (CVX 170)
    • Release notes with further details are available.
    • Please refer to ICE Implementation Guide (v2r17) for information on how to be compatible with this release. The guide provides details about the new Meningococcal B vaccine group implementation, as well as a few new vaccines and reason codes. In addition, a "tracked changes version" of this same guide is available. The tracked changes are intended to make it easier to see what has changed since the prior release (version 1.8.2.0).
  • You can determine which version of ICE you are currently using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com.

• September 1, 2017
  • An update to the ICE Implementation Guide (v2r16) is now available, in advance of the upcoming ICE version 1.9.1 release.
    • The updated guide contains new codes and vaccines for Meningococcal B support.
    • A "track changes version" of this same guide is also available. The "track changes" is intended to make it easier to see what has changed since the prior release (v1.8.2.0)
    • Although unlikely to change, the guide is a draft and may be revised upon release of the version 1.9 of the ICE software.
  • Version 1.9.1 will add support for Meningococcal B and be released this month. 
    • Meningococcal B will be implemented as a new vaccine group, separate from the existing Meningococcal ACWY vaccine group. Meningococcal ACWY will continue to be returned as its own vaccine group.
    • To support the new Meningococcal B group, implementers may need to modify their software to start looking for the new Meningococcal B vaccine group code (835).
  • If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact us at ice@hln.com.

• August 23, 2017
  
  • The next release of ICE (version 1.9.1) is scheduled to be released in September. This release will add support for Meningococcal B. Meningococcal B will be implemented as a new vaccine group, separate from the existing Meningococcal ACWY vaccine group.
  • Next week, we will post a draft implementation guide for the upcoming release, so that users may prepare their installation for the new Meningococcal B vaccine group in advance of the release.
  • If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at ice@hln.com.

• August 2, 2017
  • A new release of ICE (version 1.8.2.0) is now available.

  • Version 1.8.2 includes support of a new Influenza vaccine (CVX 186), which was not included in v1.8.1.0 posted yesterday.

    • If you already downloaded v1.8.1.0, you'll need to update to v1.8.2.0 for support of this vaccine. You can determine which release of ICE you are using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.

    • Please review the next news entry (below, describing v1.8.1.0) for information on all other changes that are a part of this release, including how to implement the new Pneumococcal vaccine group and other code values that have been added.

    • An update to the ICE Implementation Guide (v2r15) is available for this release. The "track changes version" of this same guide highlights all of the codes that have changed since version 1.7.1.

    • The Release notes describe the latest changes to the vaccine group logic. The entries for both v1.8.1.0 and v1.8.2.0 are relevant to this release.
    • Please feel free to contact us at ice@hln.com if you have any questions.

• August 1, 2017

  • A new release of ICE (version 1.8.1.0) is now available.

    • The release includes the following changes:

      • Polio / Meningococcal / Influenza: Updates to the Polio Vaccine Group and the Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine Group to better reflect latest guidelines, and addition of Influenza vaccine (CVX 185) to the Influenza Vaccine Group.

      • Pneumococcal: Combines PCV and PPSV vaccine groups into one (new) Pneumococcal Vaccine Group. This change was made to better account for shots administered across the patient's lifetime.

        • To support the new Pneumococcal vaccine group, implementers may need to make adjustments to stop looking for the old PCV and PPSV vaccine group codes (700 and 720), and start looking for the new vaccine group code (750). Child and adult pneumococcal vaccinations are now evaluated and forecast under this new vaccine group. The PCV and PPSV vaccine groups are no longer supported.

      • Release notes which describe the above changes to the vaccine group logic in more detail.

      • An updated ICE Implementation Guide (v2r15)

    • Implementers should refer to the new ICE Implementation Guide (v2r15) when making adjustments to be compatible with this latest release, including the new Pneumococcal vaccine group as well as a few other vaccine and evaluation reason codes that have been added. A "track changes" version of the guide is also available to make it easy to see what has changed since the last release.

    • You can determine which release of ICE you are using by viewing the README.HISTORY file that is included with each distribution.
    • Please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com if you have any questions

• July 3, 2017 - ICE client applications - preparing for the upcoming release of ICE

  • The next release of ICE (version 1.8) will be available in the next few weeks. 

  • Pneumococcal changes that may affect ICE client applications: This release will combine the two existing Pneumococcal vaccine groups, PCV (700) and PPSV (720), into one new vaccine group (750). This new vaccine group encompasses the logic from both prior groups and childhood and adult series. 

    • The combined Pneumococcal vaccine group's new code is 750. PCV (700) and PPSV (720) will no longer be used.

    • Depending on how your ICE client is coded, you may need to make adjustments after upgrading to stop looking for the old vaccine group codes 700 and 720, and start looking for the new vaccine group code 750. Both pneumococcal child and adult vaccinations will now be evaluated and forecast under this new vaccine group.

    • The sample ICE client shows how this might be displayed in a grid.

    • Please refer to the ICE Implementation Guide for more information on how vaccine groups are coded and represented in the payload.

  • Polio and Meningococcal: Recent updates to the Polio and Meningococcal schedules are underway and likely to be included in this release.

  • Contacting the ICE team: Please feel free to e-mail us at ice@hln.com if you have any questions

• February 24, 2017

  • A new release of ICE (version 1.7.1.0) is now available with the following changes. 

    • Update to logic that determines when a 5th dose is recommended: (1 removed restriction that patient is born >= 1/1/2006; (2) recommend 5th dose if 4 doses administered before 8/7/2010  (prior logic used 1/1/2010 as this date). Please refer to the Polio rules documentation for additional details.
  • The next two future releases of ICE are expected to include the following updates:
    • Future ICE release, version 1.8, will include: Updates to combine the PCV and PPSV vaccine groups into one "Pneumococcal" vaccine group.
    • Future ICE release, version 1.9, will include: Support for Meningococcal B.

• December 2, 2016 - A new release of ICE is available with the following changes.  

  • HPV updates: (1) Added support for new 2-dose series; recommend based on 2- or 3-dose series accordingly.  (2) Ignore (HPV, bivalent (Cervarix)) shots administered to males.  (3) Removed minimum age restriction for dose 2 and dose 3
  • Meningococcal ACWY updates: (1) Added absolute minimum age/minimum age of 16 years for dose 2.  (2) Changed recommended interval between dose 1 and dose 2 from 3 years to 56 days
  • Please refer to the HPV rules documentation and Meningococcal ACWY rules documentation for details.

• November 22, 2016 - A couple of updates:

  • In the coming weeks, we will release a new version of ICE that includes the latest guidelines for HPV.

  • We have decided to stop actively updating the ICE Client mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The mobile app versions of the ICE Client were only intended for demonstration purposes. As new features are added to the ICE service, the ICE Client mobile apps may stop working. However, if you are interested in trying out ICE, please do use the existing web-based version of the ICE client which we will continue to maintain. 

  • If you have any questions, please contact us at ice@hln.com.

• September 26, 2016 - A new release of ICE is available.

  • Added support for the Zoster vaccine group schedule.

  • Addition of "other" vaccine group category: if configured to do so, specific vaccines that are not currently supported by the ICE service are marked as "not supported" and included in an "other" vaccine group category of the forecast.  

    • For now, ICE is configured to exhibit this behavior for Meningococcal B vaccines

    • Full support for Meningococcal B will be available in a future release

  • Influenza vaccine group rule change: If patient >=3 yrs of age when influenza pediatric vaccine (CVX 161) is administered, mark the shot as "Invalid" due to "Insufficient Antigen".
  • Please refer to the ICE Implementation Guide for payload details related to the Zoster vaccine group, as well as how to identify unsupported vaccines and the "other" vaccine group.

• August 16, 2016 - A new release of ICE is available.  

  • Influenza 2016-2017 season: support for influenza vaccines CVX 168 and CVX 171.

• August 12, 2016 - A new release of ICE is available.

  • Support for ICD-10 and SNOMED-CT codes. Previous releases accepted ICD-9 diagnosis codes when reporting evidence of immunity (history of disease or serology). With this release, ICD-10 and SNOMED-CT codes are also accepted. Please refer to the ICE Implementation Guide to view which codes are accepted.

  • To better accommodate Twinrix, ICE is adding a second series selection rule for the Hep A 3-dose series. Please refer to the Default Immunization Schedule for the latest business logic.
  • A fix was made for Meningococcal ACWY. (In rare cases, ICE was previously recommending an additional dose when the series was already complete)

• December 3, 2015 - A new release of ICE is available. This releases fixes a bug that, under certain circumstances, caused some requests to not be returned by the service. We recommend that all users upgrade. 

• September 22, 2015 - ICE has been updated with changes for the Influenza 2015-2016 season, and the addition of the latest influenza vaccine (CVX 166).

• September 3, 2015 - ICE has been upgraded to the latest release of OpenCDS (to date - v2.0.5).  

  • Adding support for the Zoster vaccine group
  • Updating the default immunization schedule with a small set of changes for the 2015-2016 Influenza season. The release of ICE with the 2015-2016 Influenza changes is expected in September. (Until users of the ICE system deploy this new release of ICE, previous deployments of ICE will forecast influenza shots during the 2015-2016 season based on the 2014-2015 rules.)