Network News — September 7, 2023

Webinar/Biennial Meeting

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Resources

Coalitions in the News

Announcements

Webinar/Biennial Meeting

Register now for the 16th National Conference for Immunization Coalitions and Partnerships to be held in person, April 9–11, 2024, in Philadelphia

Registration for the 16th National Conference for Immunization Coalitions and Partners (NCICP) is now open. The NCICP is the only conference solely dedicated to collaboration and partnership to improve immunization uptake, educate the community, and prevent the spread of disease. Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition is proud to host the event on April 9–11 in Philadelphia, PA, at the Loews Hotel.

Please feel free to share the prospectus with potential sponsors and exhibitors.

For questions on content/program, contact Angela K. Shen at angela.k.shen@gmail.com.

For questions on logistics, contact Cassandra O’Neill at cassandraoneill@me.com.

Register and reserve your room.

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Register now! Virtual: National Network of Immunization Coalitions hosts webinar on new RSV immunizations for adults and children on September 25 at 1:00 p.m. (ET).

The National Network of Immunization Coalitions will hold a webinar titled What You Need to Know about New RSV Immunizations for Children and Adults at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on September 25. During this webinar, CDC experts will provide an overview of the burden of RSV on pediatric and older adult populations and share information about the new ACIP recommendations for protecting adults 60 years of age and older against RSV. They will also discuss the new ACIP recommendations about the new long-acting monoclonal antibody to protect infants from RSV. An expert from AAP will advise providers on proper billing and coding for administering the long-acting monoclonal antibody.

Register for the webinar.

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Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

The National Network of Immunization Coalitions highlights the Montgomery County Immunization Coalition

The Montgomery County Immunization Coalition (MCIC) is dedicated to promoting age-appropriate immunizations across the lifespan for all residents of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The coalition celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and is focused on building partnerships to promote the importance of immunizations. MCIC supports and educates providers and assists them in developing effective immunization strategies and practices.

One of MCIC’s key accomplishments is its MCIC Flu & COVID-19 Committee, formed in August 2020. MCIC has brought together 118 diverse partner organizations to educate the community on the importance of vaccinations. It has identified and engaged many trusted community organizations and racial and ethnic group leaders to help build vaccine confidence. In doing so, MCIC leveraged relationships to partner on vaccine education, outreach, and clinics to build vaccine acceptance and confidence around vaccines.

MCIC actively engages organizations in the planning, design, and implementation of community engagement and education campaigns to ensure it is providing clear, accurate, and culturally appropriate messages. MCIC shares credible immunization information across multiple channels, utilizing a multifaceted effort for high-level community engagement that reaches different segments of the community. Examples include:

  • Engaged partner organizations on 20 COVID-19 Vaccine Community Town Halls, bringing the community direct access to local, trusted healthcare experts who can answer their questions on vaccines. In 2023, MCIC changed the name to “Ask the Experts” to expand to additional vaccines. View past events on the MCIC YouTube channel.
  • Convened partner organizations to provide over 250 community vaccine clinics to bring vaccines to trusted locations in the community where people live, work, learn, pray, and gather
  • Developed culturally and linguistically appropriate resources and social media campaigns in 6 languages for partners to use in their education and outreach to their diverse communities
  • Partnered with 6 senior centers across Montgomery County to host health and wellness education programs to educate their members and community on the importance of adult vaccinations and provide on-site adult vaccinations

For more information, visit the Montgomery County Immunization Coalition website.

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WithinReach shares two e-courses aimed at connecting with Ukrainian refugees and working with Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking communities; CE available

WithinReach is offering two free e-courses developed in collaboration with the Washington Department of Health, aimed at connecting Ukrainian refugees and working with Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking communities:

  • Connecting with Ukrainian Refugees: Meeting Their Needs with Better Care and Key Services is a new e-course that teaches how to provide better care for Ukrainian new arrivals based on their specific healthcare needs. This training will help you build a relationship with these new arrivals, screen for physical and mental health needs, ensure they meet their vaccine and tuberculosis requirements, and connect refugees to available benefits and services.
  • Fostering COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in Russian- and Ukrainian-Speaking Communities is a recently reaccredited e-course designed to help providers, including physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and pharmacists, who work with Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking patients better understand vaccine hesitancy within these communities, reasons why community members may be hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccines, and develop strategies to initiate conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine with Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking patients. Free continuing education credit available.
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Missouri Immunization Coalition and the Institute for Vaccine Safety launch new tool to build community confidence in COVID-19 vaccines

The Missouri Immunization Coalition and the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health developed an informative, comprehensive, and interactive website called Let’s Talk COVID Vaccines (LTCV) to address questions and concerns about COVID-19 vaccines. The website offers a short survey to gauge the type and level of concern for COVID-19 vaccines that a patient has, then provides users with an interactive, web-based experience, tailored animations, and personalized stories from local community members in their zip codes to address those concerns and move the patient towards vaccine acceptance.

The web-based asset has been piloted in five Missouri counties and was found to be successful. The innovative tool has tremendous potential to combat misinformation and hesitancy around COVID-19 vaccines.

The Missouri Immunization Coalition plans to scale up programming statewide throughout the fall and winter to deploy not only Let’s Talk COVID Vaccines (LTCV) but also its sister site, Let’s Talk Shots, another web-based tool to promote vaccine confidence for all vaccines across the lifespan.

If you would like more information about this resource, contact Daniel Salmon at the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health at dsalmon1@jhu.edu or Nicole Williams at the Missouri Immunization Coalition at nwilliams@moimmunize.com.

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Immunize Kansas Coalition reaches communities in the Kansas City metro area through grassroots educational outreach

Immunize Kansas Coalition (IKC) and immunization partners are working to better identify, understand, and meet the diverse needs of communities in areas surrounding Kansas City, KS. This region of the state has the second largest Hispanic and Latino population.

To expand its reach and better understand this region, IKC’s Community Health Specialist (CHS), Leonor Ramos, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, provides grassroots educational outreach to communities. She’s built key partnerships with many local organizations. Through these connections, Leonor has held many unique and engaging events to meet different individual needs. She has hosted tables at back-to-school events to provide educational resources to incoming students’ families, and her local partner, Vibrant Health Clinic, administered vaccinations. To give individuals ready access to vaccine information, she hosted an information table at Mercado Fresco, a local supermarket that is popular within the Hispanic Latino community.

Her largest event was a 3-day community health fair hosted by local partner JUNTOS, where she engaged with over 300 individuals. Immunize Kansas Coalition and its Community Health Specialists continue to address the needs of multicultural communities by providing bilingual handouts and starting the conversation about the important role vaccines play in preventing disease in Kansas.

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Virtual: New Mexico Immunization Coalition, New Mexico Department of Health, and Comagine Health sponsor webinar “Vaccinating for Respiratory Season: Breathe Easy” on September 26 at 12:00 p.m. (MT)

The New Mexico Immunization Coalition, New Mexico Department of Health, and Comagine Health are sponsoring a webinar titled Vaccinating for Respiratory Season: Breathe Easy, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (MT) on September 26. During the webinar, you can get your questions answered around vaccine-preventable respiratory viruses.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Immunize Nevada hosts Doc Talk webinar “Preparing for the 2023–2024 Influenza Season” on September 26 at 12:00 p.m. (PT) and NILE Webinar “HPV Vaccine: Why? How? Now! Cancer Prevention Made Easy” on September 28 at 12:00 p.m. (PT)

Immunize Nevada is hosting two webinars this September:

  • September Doc Talk: Preparing for the 2023–2024 Influenza Season, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (PT) on September 26. The presenter will be Liliane Mofor, PharmD, MBA, Medical Science Liaison, CSL Seqirus.
  • September NILE Webinar: HPV Vaccine: Why? How? Now!  Cancer Prevention Made Easy, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (PT) on September 28. The presenters will be Hannah Nein, Senior Program Manager, HPV Rocky Mountain Area, American Cancer Society, and Ashley Lach, MHA, CPHQ, Rocky Mountain Area HPV, American Cancer Society. Continuing education available.
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Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Association of Immunization Managers announces the 2023 Immunization Champion Award winners!

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) announced the 2023 Immunization Champion Award winners. This prestigious award honors individuals at the local level who go above and beyond to foster and promote vaccines for adults and/or children in their communities. The awardees are a diverse array of pharmacists, providers, nurses, and community leaders who have made a significant impact on improving public health through increasing immunization rates for their communities.

AIM congratulates all 41 awardees and thanks them for their incredible work!

View 2023 Immunization Champion Award winners.

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Virtual: Watch September 12 ACIP meeting to discuss updated COVID-19 vaccines for fall 2023

CDC will convene its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), September 12, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (ET). The agenda will focus on recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines that target the XBB variants of SARS-CoV-2.

No registration is required to watch webcasts of live ACIP meetings or listen via telephone. Opportunities for public comment are described on the website.

Related Links

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Virtual: Association of Immunization Managers hosts REACHing for Health Equity webinar on healthcare access and community sustainability on September 13 at 2:00 p.m. (ET)

The iREACH team at the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) hosts a one-hour monthly webinar series titled REACHing for Health Equity. This series of informative webinars complements the iREACH 2023 podcast series, REACHing for Vaccine Equity, and discusses the accomplishments and challenges of working in racial and ethnic minority communities to increase flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates and explore how these activities intersect with traditional REACH work on decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in chronic diseases and promoting healthy behaviors.

These webinars take place every fourth Wednesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. (ET) and feature a panel including a REACH recipient, an expert clinician, a patient advocate or a community-based organization/partner, and an iREACH subject matter expert.

iREACH will host its next webinar titled Healthcare Access/Community Sustainability at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on September 13.

Register for the webinar.

View past archived REACHing for Health Equity archived webinars:

Related Links

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Virtual: CHOP hosts Current Issues in Vaccines webinar titled “RSV Vaccines Across the Lifespan” on September 13 at 12:00 p.m. (ET); CE credit offered

The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) will present a 1-hour webinar titled RSV Vaccines Across the Lifespan beginning at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on September 13. Part of its Current Issues in Vaccines series, the webinar will feature Paul Offit, MD, director of the VEC.

Free continuing education credits (CME, CEU, and CPE) will be available for both the live and archived events.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Public Health Communications Collaborative presents webinar “Culturally Driven Strategies: Tailoring Health Communications to Build Understanding and Trust” on September 21 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)

The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) will host a webinar titled Culturally Driven Strategies: Tailoring Health Communications to Build Understanding and Trust, 1:00–2:00 p.m. (ET) on September 21. During the webinar, experts will discuss the principles of culturally driven communications and share their experiences using culturally driven strategies to communicate about public health. Participants will gain actionable insights and techniques to effectively communicate across cultures, build trust with their community, and help advance public health outcomes for all.

Register for the webinar.

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Save the date! Virtual: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases hosts annual news conference “Preventing Disease This Fall and Winter” on September 28 at 9:30 a.m. (ET).

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will host its annual news conference, Preventing Disease This Fall and Winter, 9:30–10:30 a.m. (ET) on September 28.

Register for the webinar.

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Save the Date! In person: Association of Immunization Managers’ 2023 Leadership in Action Conference to be held December 5–7 in Houston.

Save the date! The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) will host its 2023 AIM Leadership in Action Conference, December 5-7, in Houston, TX.

The conference will be held at the Westin Galleria Houston.

Book a hotel room.

Registration will be open and available on the AIM website soon. The cost for early birds will be $700, $750 for regular admission, and $800 for on-site admission.

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Resources

Immunize​.org posts complete suite of materials on vaccination anxiety, designed for healthcare personnel and the public

Anxiety about injections is common at all ages and contributes to vaccine hesitancy in those affected. Among some adolescents and adults, anxiety can trigger dizziness or fainting, risking fall-related injuries. Both the vaccinator and the vaccine recipient can take simple and effective steps to improve the recipient’s vaccination experience.

Thanks to support from CDC as part of its work to increase vaccine confidence, Immunize​.org now offers clinical tools for healthcare professionals and corresponding patient handouts on vaccination-related fainting and anxiety:

These 1-page resources highlight major points and include key references. The resources for healthcare personnel are ideal for teaching huddles and in-service trainings. They may also serve as the basis for quality-improvement efforts.

   

These resources are ideal to use in concert with Immunize​.org’s screening checklists for contraindications to vaccination, recently revised to include questions about vaccination anxiety and history of injection-related fainting.

Related Links

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Listen to the newest episode of Unity’s FACTSinnated podcast on the FDA’s role in increasing vaccine confidence with Dr. Peter Marks

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, Considering FDA’s Role in Increasing Vaccine Confidence amongst Parents, Adolescents, and Young Adults, features Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration. During the podcast, Dr. Marks discusses how the FDA is keeping adolescents and young adults in mind as they continue to tackle vaccine development.

Considering FDA’s Role in Increasing Vaccine Confidence amongst Parents, Adolescents and Young Adults with Dr. Peter Marks

Visit the FACTSinnated web page for more podcast episodes.

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Association of Immunization Managers releases the seventh episode of their podcast REACHing for Vaccine Equity focused on building vaccine confidence in a Hispanic/Latino community

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) posted a new episode, Innovative Strategies to Build Vaccine Confidence in a Hispanic/Latino Community – Penn State College of Medicine, on its REACHing for Vaccine Equity podcast. The podcast offers ideas on increasing vaccine access by creating systemic and local changes. Get inspired by this episode of REACHing for Vaccine Equity to build stronger partnerships that empower Hispanic/Latino communities to feel vaccine confident.

Hear Andrea Murray, MPH, Director of Penn State REACH, Penn State College of Medicine, and William A. Calo, PhD, JD, MPH, Associate Professor, Penn State College of Medicine, share inspiring strategies to develop programs accessible to the Hispanic/Latino community in terms of both language and culture. Improving COVID-19 and flu vaccination rates for this population requires leveraging knowledge about cultural backgrounds to improve access and help individuals feel more comfortable receiving care.

Listen to the podcast on the REACHing for Vaccine Equity web page or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Related Links

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The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC) and PolicyLab teamed up to create an Evidence to Action brief, Higher Education Student Vaccination Policies: How Administrators Can Encourage Vaccine Uptake, that lays out recommendations for college and university health administrators to strengthen vaccine uptake among students.

Download the PDF.

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Coalitions in the News

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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:

  • Bookmark National Network of Immunization Coalitions’ Calendar of Events on its website, immunizationcoalitions.org, to learn about upcoming national, regional, state, and local conferences; workshops; and virtual educational opportunities
  • Subscribe to IZ Express, the free weekly e-newsletter produced by Immunize.org, for immunization-related news, new and updated recommendations, educational materials, and educational opportunities
  • Urge your coalition members to sign up for IZ Coalitions Network News, the monthly e-newsletter for the National Network of Immunization Coalitions that features news of interest to immunization coalitions and nonprofit organizations. To subscribe, send a request to info@immunizationcoalitions.org asking to be included.
  • Be sure that your coalition is listed and information is up to date on the National Network of Immunization Coalitions website. To add your coalition or make updates, please email info@immunizationcoalitions.org.
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