Pearls Spring 2023
| Dane County Immunization Coalition Updates General Membership Meeting Mark your calendars! Our next general membership meeting will be held on virtually on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 12pm to 1:30pm. Watch your email in the coming weeks for the agenda which will have the Zoom link.For those of you who like to plan ahead, the next general membership meetings will be held from 12pm to 1:30pm on Tuesday, August 15, and Tuesday, November 21. Annual Symposium Our Annual Symposium will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 from 6pm to 8:15pm. Our speakers are Dr. Paul Hunter, MD, who will be providing an Immunization Update, and Dr. Anna Taddio, PhD, who will be presenting on Improving the Vaccination Experience. This is a FREE event. Continuing education is available for nurses and medical assistants, but you must register with your own email address and view the event via Zoom in real time to earn credit. To register, click here. Save the Date for Immunize Wisconsin Spring Conference Immunize Wisconsin is hosting Spring Conference on May 18 and 19, 2023 in Wausau. For event details and registration, click here. Immunization Updates Reminder! Most Vaccines Are Now Covered Under Medicare As of January 1, 2023, Medicare completely covers all routinely recommended vaccines, including those that help prevent shingles, whooping cough, and pneumococcal diseases. These vaccines are covered at no charge to the patient through the Medicare Part D program and available at pharmacies.Seniors participating in Wisconsin’s Seniorcare program for prescription medications can also get recommended vaccines at no additional charge at pharmacies.Adults receiving Medicaid benefits (ForwardHealth, Badgercare) will have all routine vaccines covered beginning October 1, 2023. Pfizer Bivalent COVID Vaccine Booster Approved for Some Patients 6 months through 4 years of age. The FDA amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer Bivalent COVID vaccine to allow for a single bivalent booster dose in children age 6 months through 4 years to be given after completing the 3-dose primary series of the Pfizer (maroon cap) vaccine already authorized for this age group. New school and Child Care Immunization Requirements Suspended On March 9, 2023, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules voted to suspend some of the recently added changes to Wisconsin’s administrative code (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 144) that pertained to school and child care immunization requirements. The changes were originally published in late January, and were effective as of February 1, 2023.Requirements for polio, hepatitis B, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTaP/DTP/DT/TD (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) that were in effect before January 2023 have not changed. The changes impacted by the suspension included: Report of varicella disease Suspended rule: A physician, physician assistant, or an advanced practice nurse prescriber must document a reliable history of varicella disease by indicating on the department’s student immunization record form that the student has had varicella disease. Current rule: Parental report of varicella disease is acceptable. Substantial outbreak definition Suspended rule: Updating the definitions of “substantial outbreak” to add chickenpox and meningococcal disease to the definitions. Current rule: The diseases still included in the substantial outbreak definition are measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, diphtheria, and haemophilus influenzae type b. MenACWY containing vaccine requirement Suspended rule: Adding MenACWY containing vaccine to the requirements for students entering seventh grade, and a booster dose for eligible students entering 12th grade. Current rule: MenACWY containing vaccine is not required for school entry. The changes not impacted by the suspension and remain in effect included: Changing the grade the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine) is required from the start of sixth grade to the start of seventh grade; this change is to better align with the recommended age (age 11) at which children should receive the vaccine. Requiring schools to provide reports of vaccine compliance to DHS in addition to the previously existing requirement to report to local health departments. Removing outdated provisions relating to the 2008–2009 phase-in of Tdap and varicella vaccines. Health Equity April is National Minority Health Month Every April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) observes National Minority Health Month to highlight the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and reducing health disparities.The theme for this is year is Better Health Through Better Understanding, which focuses on improving health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority and AI/AN communities by providing them with culturally and linguistically competent healthcare services, information, and resources. When patients are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate information, they are empowered to create healthier outcomes for themselves and their communities. Promoting Immunization National Infant Immunization WeekNational Infant Immunization Week is April 24 to April 30. It highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrates the achievements of immunization partners.CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations. Completing the recommended vaccinations by age 2 years is the best way to protect young children from 15 potentially life-threatening diseases.CDC has a digital media toolkit that includes English and Spanish logos, sample social media content, social graphics, and key messages. Please share your posts using the hashtag #ivax2protect.FDA and CDC Respond to Vaccine MisinformationOn March 10, the CDC and FDA issued a joint letter in response to vaccine misinformation where they state:“We stand firmly behind the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which are fully supported by the available scientific data. Staying up to date on vaccination is the best way to reduce the risks of death and serious illness or hospitalization from COVID-19. Misleading people by overstating the risks, or emphasizing the risks without acknowledging the overwhelming benefits, unnecessarily causes vaccine hesitation and puts people at risk of death or serious illness that could have been prevented by timely vaccination.” In the Media How Vaccine Recommendations Are Made The Public Health Foundation and CDC developed an educational video, Understanding the ACIP and How Vaccine Recommendations are Made in the US. This short video sheds light on the process, science, and safety behind vaccine recommendations, equipping healthcare and public health professionals with information to help them confidently incorporate ACIP recommendations as standards of care in their practice. Thank You To Our Sponsors! The Dane County Immunization Coalition would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support:Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Quartz Benefits, SSM Health, UnityPoint Health-Meriter, and UW Health |