Immunization Coalitions Network News

Network News – August 14, 2013

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Coalitions asked to support national launch of pro-immunization documentary

 
Please read the following to find out about a novel opportunity for coalitions to help promote vaccination! 
 
IAC would like to ascertain the ability/interest of your coalition in supporting a national launch of a terrific pro-immunization documentary film titled Invisible Threat. In addition, the filmmakers are seeking written endorsements of their film from immunization coalitions. Read on for more details. 
 
About the Film
The 40-minute documentary, Invisible Threat, was made by an award-winning team of high school students in San Diego. Originally intended as a short film about the vaccines recommended for teens, the movie took on a different focus when the students became personally aware of the anti-vaccine movement. The film was produced by Lisa Posard of chstvFILMS. 
 
If you haven't viewed Invisible Threat yet, the information that allows you to do so is included at the end of this article. 
 
How Immunization Coalitions Can Help Premier the Film
Organize a screening in your community 
 
Lisa spoke on IAC's coalitions conference call on August 7 and requested help in launching the film in a coordinated manner around the nation via local screenings of the film through an online service called Gathr.Us. This crowdsourcing initiative is the same process that launched the highly successful film Girl Rising, which is now featured on CNN. National coordination is necessary so that the anti-vaccine forces do not have access to the film prior to screening and rally against it. A unified approach will also help coalitions develop messages to accompany this important film and potentially generate local media interest in the work of the sponsoring coalitions! 
 
What the producers need is a commitment from your coalition to host one or several Gathr.Us screenings in your region/locality. The way Gathr.Us works is that after you agree to host a screening, the Gathr.Us site will facilitate the online selling of tickets to the screening. Once the critical mass of ticket sales is reached, the screening will be held and all ticket purchasers will be charged. If a threshold number of tickets are not sold, then the screening will not be held, and no ticket purchaser will be charged. 
 
If sufficient commitments are obtained from coalitions across the country, Lisa can sign a contract with Gathr.Us and the film will then appear on that website and be available for ticket sales. If there are not enough commitments nationwide, Lisa will explore other avenues for a launch of the film. 
 
In rural areas without a theater, Gathr.Us will set up the screenings at community centers, churches, auditoriums, etc. Those types of screenings generally only need about 30 tickets to be sold to be an approved site. 
 
This is a unique opportunity to launch a peer-to-peer science-based immunization campaign led by an award-winning program with a successful history of grassroots teen activism. A related curriculum for high school students will also be made available, with teen-led advocacy social media follow-up efforts, including a magazine-style blog, Twitter, and Facebook. 
 
If immunization coalitions successfully launch this film nationally via local screenings, there might be opportunities for accompanying lectures (e.g. by a local pediatrician or other vaccine advocate), as well as possible local and national media attention for the coalitions' work. 
 
If your coalition is interested in sponsoring a screening of Invisible Threat, or if you just need more information, please email the executive director, Lisa Posard at lisaposard@gmail.com. 
 
Give the film your endorsement
The following organizations have signed on to endorse the initiative and many more signers are in the works. Please consider adding your coalition's name to this listing. 
 
Every Child By Two – Carter/Bumpers Champions for Immunization 
Immunization Action Coalition 
Mayo Clinic; Vaccine Research Group 
American Academy of Pediatrics    (Chapter 3 California) 
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia  
Texas Children's Hospital 
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases 
National Meningitis Association 
Meningitis Angels 
Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 
PKIDS – Parents of Kids With Infectious Diseases 
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition 
The Essex Metro Immunization Coalition, NJ 
Girl Scouts 
San Diego County Nurses Association 
 
If your coalition would like to provide an official endorsement from your organization, or if you just need more information, please email the executive director, Lisa Posard at lisaposard@gmail.com. 
 
Viewing the film
If you haven't viewed Invisible Threat yet, here is the information that allows you to do so. Please do not give out the links and passwords to the complete movie to anyone outside your group! The film is copyrighted and cannot be screened prior to the official launch. As mentioned before, if the film leaks out, the anti-vaccine forces will have time to protest it and ruin the premiere. Finally, if the film should be screened at an event or posted publicly prior to the launch, it negates ANY opportunity for using Gathr.Us, and jeopardizes any national press interest. SO AGAIN, PLEASE DO NOT SHOW THIS FILM PUBLICLY PRIOR TO LAUNCH and please don't share this with others who are not involved in your coalition. It is of critical importance that the film doesn't get shown to audiences before the official launch. 
 
Here is the link to the 3-minute film trailer:  https://vimeo.com/64521691    
Here is the link to the full film and password: https://vimeo.com/65476897 
Password for both: science 
 
Thanks for your help! 
 
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Minutes from IZCoalitions Network conference call on August 7

 
IAC has written a summary of IAC's coalitions conference call held August 7. Links to the presenters' slides are included in the minutes. We hope you find these notes useful if you were unable to attend or even if you were on the call. 
 
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New hepatitis B birth dose guide available online; Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll also launched

 
On July 16, the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) officially launched its initiative Give birth to the end of Hep B with a webinar and its new online guide, Hepatitis B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns. IAC also announced the creation of a Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll which recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that have attained high coverage rates for administering hepatitis B vaccine at birth. 
 
Endorsed by AAFP, AAP, ACOG, and CDC, the Immunization Action Coalition's (IAC) comprehensive guidebook Hepatitis B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns is a complete resource for helping hospitals and birthing centers establish, implement, and optimize their birth dose policies. 
 
Please help IAC and support this important endeavor by announcing the birth dose initiative, guide book, and honor roll to the hospitals, birthing centers, and healthcare professionals involved in maternal and infant care in your areas. 
 
Related Links 

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IAC offers 20 new easy-to-read handouts for parents and patients in English and Spanish

 
In July, IAC completed a new set of easy-to-read handouts for parents and patients that promote vaccination against chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Hib, HPV, influenza, measles-mumps-rubella, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, shingles, and whooping cough-tetanus-diphtheria. These handouts feature simple, friendly illustrations. Specifically developed to be short and non-medical, the handouts emphasize the dangers of these vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination. All 20 handouts are now also available in Spanish. 
 
Download these new resources and give copies to parents and adult patients. These positive, succinct handouts will also be great for the back-to-school season! 
 
All these handouts can be accessed from IAC's new Vaccine Summaries web page. Scroll down to see all the selections. 
 
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VICNetwork webinar on influenza communication plans scheduled for August 27

 
Titled “What's Trending this Fall? CDC's Communication Plans for the 2013-14 Influenza Season,” the VICNetwork's August 27 webinar will include information on recent message testing research conducted by CDC and will highlight key messages and specific information about the agency's vaccine promotion plans for the 2013-14 season. Presenters include Kristine Sheedy, PhD, and Yvonne Garcia, both with CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The 1-hour webinar begins at 2 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. CT, noon MT, 11 a.m. PT, 10 am AKT). 
 
Registrations are being accepted. 
 
The Virtual Immunization Communication (VIC) Network is a project of the National Public Health Information Coalition and the California Immunization Coalition. 
 
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