Pearls Spring 2024
Dane County Immunization Coalition Updates
General Membership Meeting
Mark your calendars! Our next general membership meeting will be held on virtually on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 12pm to 1:30pm. Watch your email in the coming weeks for the agenda which will have the Zoom link.
Annual Symposium Registration is Open!
DCIC will hold its annual Symposium on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 from 6pm until 8:15pm. Dr. Eva Meekins from CDC will be providing the 2024 immunization update and Megan Hufton from the Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin will be presenting on Addressing Healthcare Barriers for Individuals with Autism and other Sensory Needs. Click below to register!
| Volunteers Needed SSM Health’s Mobile Vaccination Team is looking for volunteers to help staff vaccination clinics at the Madison Metropolitan School District Holtzman Building (333 Holtzman Road) on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 10am to 2pm. Volunteers are needed to help with Spanish interpretation, registration, vaccine preparation, vaccination, and post-vaccine monitoring and review of records. Those interested should email Sarah Breon at[email protected] Thank you for working to make our communities healthier! |
| Immunization Updates New Patient-Friendly Vaccine Schedules are Available!The CDC has released easy to read immunization schedules for children and teens! The schedule for kids up to the age of 6 can be found here and schedule for older children and teens can be found here. REMINDER: ForwardHealth Covers All ACIP-Recommended Vaccines for Patients 19 Years of Age and OlderEffective January 1, 2024, ForwardHealth (Wisconsin Medicaid, Badgercare) covers all ACIP-recommended vaccines to patients aged 19 and older. For more information on billing, see ForwardHealth Update 2023-49. |
| Health Equity Reducing Vaccine Hesitancy Podcast EpidodeDr. Edo-Abasi McGee, PharmD discusses ways to reduce vaccine hesitancy, specifically in communities of color, and how to navigate a world in which COVID-19 is now endemic. Dr. McGee reviews a paper she and her colleagues published, which provides guidance on how to help control public messaging to reduce vaccine hesitancy and promote vaccine equity. Listen to the episdoe here. PQA Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Resource GuideThe Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) recently published the third edition of the PQA Social Deteminants of Health Resource Guide. This tool profiles 40 different SDOH services, including 8 new services, focusing on SDOH screenings, referrals, and interventions conducted by or involving pharmacists or pharmacy teams. When developing SDOH programs and opportunities, pharmacy teams are encouraged to consider 1) Collaborative Community Partnerships, 2) Training for Healthcare and Non-Healthcare Professionals, 3) Targeted Screenings and Assessments, 4) Data-Driven Insights, and 5) Cultural Competency and Sensitivity. Click here to access the PQA Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Resource guide. |
| Vaccine Administration CDC and Public Health Foundation develop how-to videos on monitoring vaccine temperatures The Public Health Foundation (PHF), in partnership with CDC, developed an instructional video series with accurate guidance on monitoring vaccine temperatures using approved vaccine storage equipment. Vaccines must be stored and handled carefully to ensure vaccine effectiveness, reduce costs associated with discarded vaccines, and avoid patient burden and costs of re-vaccination. The series includes: How to Monitor Vaccine Temperatures What You Need to Know About Vaccine Storage Equipment: Refrigerators, Freezers, and Thermometers Related Links CDC: Vaccine Storage and Handling main page PHF: Vaccine Temperature Monitoring and Storage Equipment Videos Promotional Toolkit (PDF) PHF: Vaccine Expiration Date and Beyond-Use Date or Time Video Series web page Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Storage & Handling main page |
| Promoting Immunization “Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake” published in PediatricsIn the February 26 issue, Pediatrics published Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake. A portion of the conclusion section appears below. Implementation of evidence-based techniques for increasing vaccination uptake may be all that is needed to convince many hesitant parents to vaccinate their children. . . . For parents who remain reluctant to vaccinate their child, a strong recommendation from the pediatrician may convince them of the importance of vaccination. For others, more detailed conversations may be necessary, and communication techniques such as motivational interviewing show promise as effective frameworks for the vaccine conversation. Ultimately, there are some parents who will refuse vaccination even after lengthy conversations. . . . Improving vaccine uptake can best be accomplished in the course of clinical practice through open communication and discussion between the pediatrician and the parents. Because most parents agree to vaccinate their children, this dialogue, which can be started as early as the prenatal interview visit, is an ongoing process. Providing vaccine-related information before the first immunization visit may permit parents to clearly formulate their concerns so that they can be fully addressed by the pediatrician. Working with parents who have questions about vaccines is a wonderful opportunity to build rapport and trust with a family and, ultimately, protect their children from the scourge of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Meningitis B Action Project is now the American Society for Meningitis PreventionThe Meningitis B Action Project is now the American Society for Meningitis Prevention (ASMP). ASMP aims to empower people to take action to prevent meningococcal meningitis with comprehensive vaccination against five types of meningococcal bacteria that cause meningococcal meningitis: A, B, C, W, and Y.ASMP focuses on: Educating adolescents, young adults, and their parents about how to prevent meningitisMobilizing providers to prioritize comprehensive meningitis preventionAchieving comprehensive national, state, and school meningitis prevention policiesImproving equitable access to meningitis preventionCatalyzing a national network of meningitis advocatesVisit the ASMP website at meningitisprevention.org for more information. The website includes new educational materials, including those for the new meningitis pentavalent vaccine, available for download and ordering. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers video featuring Paul Offit, MD, on current measles outbreaks and why measles keeps returning The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia released a video titled Why Are We Seeing Measles Outbreaks? featuring Paul Offit, MD, director of the VEC. In the video, Dr. Offit talks about a measles outbreak in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. He explains why measles is making a comeback after successful measures, such as school vaccine mandates, contributed to its elimination from the United States by the year 2000. |
| In the Media New Documentary on VaccinesThe Invisible Shield, a four-part documentary now airing on many public television stations and the PBS app, shows how public health has saved countless lives, increasing lifespans and protecting people from the constant threat of disease. Measles in the NewsNBC: As Measles Spreads in England, Health Authorities Warn the Outbreak Could SnowballTime: Measles and Misinformation Are Two Huge Public Health Threats |