Network News – January 19, 2023

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Resources

Coalitions in the News

Announcements

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

Immunize​.org honors National Meningitis Association and its legacy of lives protected from meningococcal disease

The National Meningitis Association (NMA) was founded in 2002 by families who experienced the devastating impact of meningococcal disease. NMA worked diligently to protect others by educating the public and medical professionals about the disease and vaccination, and urging the widespread routine use of meningococcal vaccines among adolescents and those at high risk. In recent years, NMA also worked to increased promotion of all adolescent vaccinations and worked with immunization coalitions, healthcare professionals and others to strengthen school and college entry requirements for all recommended vaccinations.

In December 2022, NMA officially ceased operations, although its individual family and survivor advocates will continue championing the value of vaccination across the lifespan. Immunize​.org is helping their advocates engage with state and local immunization coalitions to continue their efforts.

State and local immunization coalitions can benefit from the experienced advocacy and powerful stories of NMA advocates. Immunize​.org will be developing a password-protected portal on the National Network of Immunization Coalitions website to house the list of immunization advocates from NMA so that coalition leaders can identify and reach out to advocates within their states. Until that list is available online, please contact L.J Tan (Lj.tan@immunize.org) at Immunize​.org if you need to connect with an NMA advocate, including an advocate to speak with legislators or others. Details will be discussed on an upcoming Coalition Directors call.

Since NMA began its work in 2002, Americans are much better protected in the fight against meningococcal disease.  Advances over this 20-year period include:

  • Safe, effective vaccines against meningococcal A, C, W, and Y disease (MenACWY) are routinely recommended for all adolescents, beginning at age 11, and other children and adults at high risk for meningococcal disease, including incoming college students
  • Vaccines against meningococcal B disease (MenB) are routinely recommended for all children and adults at high risk, beginning at age 10, and offered for use to all adolescents beginning at age 16
  • State school- or college-entry requirements for MenACWY vaccination have become commonplace
  • As of 2021, 89% of adolescents age 13 through 17 years have received at least one dose of MenACWY vaccine
  • Between 2002 and 2019, the incidence of meningococcal disease in the United States declined by more than 80%, with just 375 total cases reported in the United States in 2019

NMA’s website, including its advocacy videos, remains available, although it is no longer being updated.

On behalf of the many families who have benefited from your impassioned advocacy and your educational outreach, Immunize​.org thanks NMA and its committed survivor and family advocates for your invaluable work.

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Register for February 28 webinar! Immunize​.org, with pain mitigation expert, Anna Taddio, PhD, presents “Improving the Vaccination Experience: Reducing Pain and Anxiety for Children and Adults.”

Anxiety about needles and injections affects as many as 2 out of 3 children and 1 out of 4 adults; this anxiety can contribute to dreading, delaying, or avoiding vaccinations, even when the importance of preventing illness is understood. The good news is that there are safe, effective, and practical steps that those who administer vaccines and vaccine recipients or their caregivers can take to reduce vaccination-related pain and anxiety and increase confidence in vaccination.

In this live, 1-hour webinar hosted by Immunize​.org, Improving the Vaccination Experience: Reducing Pain and Anxiety for Children and Adults at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on February 28, we will learn more about the principles behind vaccination pain and anxiety and discuss simple evidence-based strategies to reduce apprehension. These strategies were developed and promoted by the experts from HELP Eliminate Pain in Kids and Adults. Their work has been used by the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health Canada, and others to develop guidelines for reducing vaccination pain.

The panelists will be:

  • Anna Taddio, BScPhm, MSc, PhD; Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto; Senior Associate Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Canada
  • Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH; President and CEO, Immunize​.org
  • Lucie Marisa Bucci, MA; Consultant, Bucci-Hepworth Health Services, Inc.; Director, Policy and Government Relations, Society for Infodemic Management (SIM), Quebec, Canada
  • Sharon Humiston, MD, MPH; Director for Research, Immunize​.org

Following the presentation, ample time is reserved for your questions.

Register now to be sure you don’t miss this important session designed to help you make vaccination a more positive experience for everyone.

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Medicare Part D eliminates recipients’ out-of-pocket costs for all ACIP-recommended vaccines starting January 1, 2023

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) eliminated out-of-pocket costs as of January 1, 2023, for Medicare Part D beneficiaries who receive vaccines recommended for adults by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). For the first time, people with Medicare’s prescription drug coverage will pay no deductible and will not be responsible for any cost-sharing for ACIP-recommended vaccines, including shingles vaccine, Tdap, and travel vaccines.

Similar benefits take effect on October 1, 2023, for adults insured by Medicaid (those eligible for both traditional and expansion Medicaid coverage) and a small number of young adults covered by the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Between now and October 1, state Medicaid programs not already in compliance will revise their Medicaid vaccine policies to implement the new law.

CMS guidance notes that a Part D enrollee may still be required to pay some or all of the costs of a vaccine given to them if it is not recommended by ACIP for use in adults or is administered to a child younger than age 19 years. If ACIP recommends a new vaccine for adults during the plan year, Part D plan sponsors must require no cost-sharing for any applicable vaccine claims with dates of service after the recommendation is issued. Out-of-network claims also are required to be $0 for an ACIP-recommended adult vaccine.

CMS guidance states that CMS interprets “adult vaccine” and “vaccine . . . for use by adult populations” to refer to vaccines licensed by the FDA and recommended by ACIP for use in adults (age 19 years or older), whether on the CDC/ACIP Adult Immunization Schedule or ACIP recommendations published in MMWR. CMS also interprets the term “recommended” to mean all categories of ACIP recommendations: routinely recommended, recommended only based on shared clinical decision-making, recommended for use only for people with specific risks (such as those with certain medical conditions), and recommended for circumstances that are not mentioned on the Adult Immunization Schedule for routine immunization (e.g., travel).

Medicare Part D plans cover all vaccines that are commercially available, reasonable and necessary to prevent illness, and not covered by Medicare Part B. Medicare Part B vaccines (including influenza and pneumococcal vaccines) have been given to adult beneficiaries without cost-sharing for many years.

This important new Medicare Part D benefit removes financial barriers to vaccination for millions of people age 65 years and older: share the news with your patients, colleagues, and friends. Encourage those with Medicare Part D to get the vaccines they need today.

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Immunize Colorado offers new fact sheet to help identify online misinformation and shares its experience with the Colorado Immunity Corps

Immunize Colorado published a new fact sheet, How to Spot Health-Related Misinformation Online, aimed at helping the public identify misinformation online. The fact sheet outlines the key characteristics of a source or claim that may signal whether it’s trustworthy and helps people separate fact from fiction. Share this resource widely.

Additionally, Immunize Colorado’s AmeriCorps VISTA Program, the Colorado Immunity Corps (CO-mmunity Corps), was launched in 2020 with the goal of increasing local public health organizations’ capacity by placing members at host sites across Colorado to develop and implement local activities which promote education and access to vaccination and primary care. During its second year (2021–2022), CO-mmunity Corps placed 7 VISTA members at 6 host sites across the state. During their year of service, members recruited 502 community volunteers, served nearly 17,000 community members through education and access activities, and increased the capacity of over 502 organizations. The VISTA program has proved hugely successful in reaching rural and mountain communities in Colorado and helping to improve vaccine confidence and access across the state.

For more information about the AmeriCorps VISTA Program, contact riley.way@coloradoimmunitycorps.org.

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Immunize Kansas Coalition hosted preview of Shot in the Arm documentary and live Q&A in November 2022

Before anyone had heard of COVID-19, filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy began investigating the global measles epidemic, filming with top public health officials and capturing rare interviews with anti-vaccine activists who were persuading parents by the millions to refuse vaccines for their children. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy began filming Shot in the Arm, a documentary that explores vaccine hesitancy historically and in the context of our modern pandemic. The film and events were designed to bring awareness and understanding to vaccine misinformation and hesitancy while inspiring efforts to build confidence in vaccination and public health for the future.

Visit the film website, www.shotinthearm.blackvalleyfilms.com, for more information and to watch the teaser.

The Immunize Kansas Coalition (IKC) hosted a 60-minute sneak peek preview of the film on November 14–16, followed by a live Q&A panel presentation on November 17, and an encore preview on November 18 with the filmmaker. They successfully reached a diverse audience, which can largely be attributed to IKC’s 18 dedicated event partners.

The events were promoted through IKC’s Shot in the Arm website, through emails to IKC Listservs and immunization partners, social media posts and ads, and amplified by event partners who committed to sharing about the events in their organization, networks, and communities. Event partners were encouraged to forward promotional emails and use a promotional toolkit to spread the word. All promotional materials were developed in collaboration with the filmmaker and production company, Black Valley Films.

If your organization is interested in hosting a similar event, templates of IKC’s materials are available upon request. Email IKC staff at immkscoalition@gmail.com to learn more about the experience and reach out to Black Valley Films at cmaureen@blackvalleyfilms.com for packages and pricing. IKC used the Eventbrite ticket platform. Eventbrite is free to use for free events.

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Montgomery County Immunization Coalition shares social media images with messaging that it is not too late to get your flu shot

The Montgomery County Immunization Coalition (MCIC) has developed a social media image to make it easier for you to share the important message that it’s not too late to get your flu shot. In collaboration with partner organizations, the social media image has been translated into four languages:

Please use and share with your networks!

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Voices for Vaccines launches free, online “The Vaccine Quest” course covering vaccine basics and the immune system

Voices for Vaccines (VFV) launched its free, online course, The Vaccine Quest, for people who want to understand the basics of vaccines and the immune system. Modules in the course include the following topics:

  • Vaccine Basics
  • Vaccine Safety and Monitoring
  • Fantastic Voyage, Vaccine Edition
  • Making the Vaccine Decision
  • Diseases Prevented by Vaccines


VFV is asking you to help get the word out to people in your community who could benefit from this content because they have questions about vaccines, want to know more about vaccines, or want to be able to explain vaccines to others. Please use the Vaccine Quest Assets with messages and images to get the word out on your social media platforms.

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Tomorrow! Virtual: Unity Consortium hosts communications briefing for Adolescent Immunization Action Week 2023 (#AIAW23) on January 20.

The Unity Consortium (Unity) will host a planning meeting on communications resources available for Adolescent Immunization Action Week (#AIAW23) from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. (ET) on January 20. During the meeting, Unity will share comprehensive toolkits with AIAW23 resources for use in your communications with your constituents and members.

Unity launched this initiative to bring attention to the importance of adolescent immunization and to urge healthcare providers and parents to get adolescents up to date on recommended vaccines.

Contact unity@unity4teenvax.org for a meeting invitation or to discuss your participation in AIAW23. Please consider sponsoring webinars and events, and including AIAW23 in your communication plans leading up to and during April 3–7.

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In-person: Hawaii Immunization Coalition hosts “2023 Hawaii CDC Pink Book Course” in Honolulu on March 7–8

Hawaii Immunization Coalition will host its 2023 Hawaii CDC Pink Book Course in Honolulu, HI, on March 7–8. Faculty from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases will present an in-person, two-day comprehensive review of immunization principles, as well as vaccine-preventable diseases and the recommended vaccines to prevent them. The course will feature the most up-to-date immunization information from the ACIP.

CME, CNE, CECH, CUE, and CPE will be available for the event through CDC.

Register for the in-person course.

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Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Virtual: American Immunization Registry Association offers “AIRA Discovery Session: Strategies & Tools to Increase Vaccination Rates Using Reminder/Recall” on January 23

The American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA) will host a webinar titled AIRA Discovery Session: Strategies & Tools to Increase Vaccination Rates Using Reminder/Recall at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on January 23. During the webinar, you will learn about the Association of Immunization Managers’ (AIM) postcard reminder/recall program and hear from the Nevada State Immunization Program about its efforts to increase vaccination rates among racial/ethnic minority children and adolescents. There will also be a review of strategies for implementing centralized ISS-based reminder/recall, with AIRA highlighting tips from the Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS) toolkit.

Register for the webinar.

If you are unable to attend, the session recording will be available in the AIRA repository.

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Virtual: Association of Immunization Managers’ iREACH project hosts a 2-part webinar series Working with Faith-Based Communities to Increase Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Rates on January 31 and February 21

The iREACH team at the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) will host a one-hour webinar, Working with Faith-Based Communities to Increase Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Rates: Part 1, at 12 p.m. (ET) on January 31, featuring speakers from REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) projects. REACH is a national program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities through culturally tailored interventions to address preventable risk behaviors, including tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity, and increase flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates. The participants will share their successes, challenges, and lessons learned from working with their faith-based communities to increase flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates. The format will be a moderated panel discussion with REACH recipients and an engagement specialist from Urban Strategies who has experience working with a variety of faith communities.

Register for the webinar.

The second webinar, Working with Faith-Based Communities to Increase Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Rates: Part 2, at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on February 21, will build upon the first iREACH faith-based webinar and will feature a moderated panel discussion with leaders representing a variety of faith communities. These faith leaders will share their experiences partnering with REACH projects to promote flu and COVID-19 vaccinations in their faith communities.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: National Hispanic Medical Association hosts webinars: “NMHA Virtual Briefing Series Session #19: Tridemic” on January 31 and “Enhancing Prevention Strategies and Health Outcomes through Bilingual COVID-19 Resources” on February 7 

The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) will host a webinar titled NHMA Virtual Briefing Series Session #19: Tridemic at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on January 31. During this webinar, NHMA and experts on flu, COVID-19, and RSV will explore how healthcare workers and physicians can help Latino patients navigate the “tridemic.”

Register for the webinar.

Additionally, NHMA will host a webinar titled Enhancing Prevention Strategies and Health Outcomes through Bilingual COVID-19 Resources at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on February 7. During the webinar, Trini Solis, M.D., M.P.H will discuss best practices and strategies for how physicians can promote preventive health behaviors to their patients this winter, and an HHS speaker will provide an overview of the bi-lingual materials developed for the We Can Do This campaign. The “We Can Do This” campaign is a national initiative to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, reinforce prevention measures, increase awareness about COVID treatments, and heighten urgency to talk to a doctor at the first sign of symptoms.

Register for the webinar.

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American College Health Association offers five-part webinar series Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students from January through May 

The American College Health Association (ACHA) is offering a free, five-part webinar series, Facts or Fakes? Promoting Health Literacy Skills with Your Students, beginning in January. This five-part webinar series will provide tools for campus personnel in all disciplines to use when working with students to help them navigate misinformation, disinformation, and the infodemic. Courses include:

  • January 10, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): “Health Literacy 101”
  • February 21, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): “Digital Wellbeing and Mental Health:
    Helping Me Is Helping We”
  • March 7, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): “Debunking Fake News”
  • April 18, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): “Confronting Misinformation in Our Circles of Influence”
  • May 9, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET): “Managing the Infodemic: Getting Started”

Up to 5 hours of CE credit are available for CNE, CME, and CHES, and 1.0 CE is available for counselors specifically for session 2.

Registration for the series will allow you access to all five sessions, both the live webinars and the on-demand recordings.

Register for the free webinars.

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Resources

Immunize​.org’s new webinar, “Improving the Vaccination Experience: Accessible Vaccination for Neurodiverse People at Any Age,” available for on-demand viewing

On December 13, Immunize​.org and experts from the Autism Society hosted a 1-hour webinar, Improving the Vaccination Experience: Accessible Vaccination for Neurodiverse People at Any Age. In this webinar, participants learned more about the Autism Society’s practical tips to improve vaccine confidence by employing strategies to reduce stress when vaccinating neurodiverse patients.

People with autism and other developmental disabilities have lower childhood vaccination rates than their peers without autism, leaving them vulnerable to many vaccine-preventable diseases. The vaccination visit can be especially stressful for these families. Effective strategies exist to reduce pain and anxiety during the vaccination visit.

The video of the webinar is available on our website for on-demand viewing. Please share this important webinar with your colleagues.

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Association of Immunization Managers shares new AIMing to Inform podcast episode featuring Utah Department of Health and Human Services Immunization Director Rich Lakin

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) posted a new episode on its podcast, AIMing to Inform on December 15. The episode features Utah Department of Health and Human Services Immunization Director Rich Lakin, sharing heartwarming stories of public health’s impact on the people in his state. Hear about Rich’s strategy to confront misinformation and increase COVID-19 vaccination in low-uptake areas. Rich also shares his perspective on developing compelling messages for all age groups. Make time to listen to this seasoned immunization advocate!

Listen to the podcast on the AIMing to Inform web page, and like, subscribe, and review it on Apple or Spotify.

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Unity Consortium shares new FACTSinnated podcast episode on healthcare providers’ role in combating vaccine misinformation

The Unity Consortium’s (Unity) podcast, FACTSinnated, is centered around “myth-busting” commonly held misconceptions surrounding vaccines—particularly adolescent and young adult vaccines. Unity’s most recent episode, Healthcare Providers’ Role in Combating Vaccine Misinformation with Todd Wolynn, MD, features Todd Wolynn, MD, co-founder and advisory board president of Shots Heard Round the World, talking about combating adolescent vaccination disinformation and misinformation and working to harness the power of social media and communication between healthcare providers, their patients, and the public.

Dr. Wolynn is passionate about offering platforms of credible vaccine information and education for parents and adolescents and sharing how healthcare providers can utilize the power of social media to fight back against anti-vaccine supporters. Dr. Wolynn also discusses how parents can distinguish credible information from misinformation and debunks myths about vaccines for adolescents and young adults.

Visit the FACTSinnated web page for more podcast episodes.

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Partnering for Vaccine Equity shares webinar recording of “Collaborating and Connecting with Faith Communities” in English and Spanish

Partnering for Vaccine Equity (P4VE) held a webinar titled Collaborating and Connecting with Faith Communities on December 8 featuring Julissa Soto, Vaccine Sunday Ambassador, Immunize Colorado, and Naeem Baig, Director/Imam of Outreach and Interfaith Programs at Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center. Watch the recordings in both English and Spanish.

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VYF’s Shot of Prevention releases new blog post

Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) hosts a blog, Shot of Prevention, where people come to discuss news and views on vaccines. Check out the most recent Shot of Prevention blog post:

Subscribe to Shot of Prevention to get the latest blog posts delivered to your inbox.

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Coalitions in the News

These recent articles feature coalition activities and other stories of interest 

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Announcements

Announcements from the National Network of Immunization Coalitions

The National Network of Immunization Coalitions reminds you of the important ways every coalition can plug into the power of our network:

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