Network News — June 20, 2024

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Resources

Funding Opportunities

In the News

Announcements

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

The National Network of Immunization Coalitions highlights the Indiana Immunization Coalition

The Indiana Immunization Coalition (IIC) advocates for Indiana families, healthcare providers, and local and state health departments, striving to increase vaccination rates in Indiana. IIC offers direct immunization services, which they began offering during the COVID-19 shutdown to help combat the massive declines in immunization rates in the state. In the past three and a half years, IIC has administered more than 127,000 vaccines.

In the fall of 2023, IIC began hosting health fairs in rural northern Indiana counties to address health disparities. IIC provided recommended vaccinations and distributed free hygiene kits, diapers, and gas cards. Partner organizations provided other necessary health services. The health fairs continued into the spring of 2024, and IIC is currently preparing to host fairs in the state’s southern region. IIC will produce a health fair toolkit to serve as a template for hosting community health fairs.

To commemorate International HPV Awareness Day on March 4, IIC held a legislative breakfast at the state capitol to educate lawmakers about HPV vaccination and the economic burden of HPV-related cancers. IIC is planning to host the first national HPV conference, which will be held in Indianapolis in April 2025. IIC continues to hold two state HPV summits a year and two flu summits with stakeholders. These summits provide the latest immunization news and rates, and feature a workshop for ideas to increase vaccinations across the state. IIC also holds conferences for its members.

This year, IIC launched The Indiana Immunization Coalition Equity Taskforce, which works to improve vaccine equity and access through engagement, empowerment, education, and advocacy in marginalized, underrepresented, and underserved communities.

The coalition engages with different communities via focus groups and clinics, meeting people where they are. It holds community events and partnership lunches to understand community needs, as well as offering many resources in multiple languages.

The IIC citizen action group, Hoosiers Vax, engages with policy makers to educate them on why vaccinations are vital for community health. The action group has an advocacy portal and sends a quarterly newsletter for easy communication with legislators and staff. IIC sends out an advocacy tip to its members monthly. Every year, Hoosiers Vax hosts a Legislators HPV breakfast.

IIC now has a data team that travels across the state to help schools and health organizations enter historical and foreign immunization records into the state registry. The team also trains the staff at these organizations to enter data and run reports in the registry.

The coalition ended 2023 with a gala at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.

While IIC is a state coalition, it also manages three national initiatives: #WeThePeopleVax, Project HPV Free, and Beware of B.

Many resources can be found at www.vaccinateindiana.org, including its monthly webinars, which are free to watch.

Additionally, IIC has social media resources available, which can be easily edited and downloaded.

Follow IIC on social media:

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Indiana Immunization Coalition offers opportunity to view “Shot in the Arm” film; CME and CE credit available

The Indiana Immunization Coalition is offering an opportunity to view Shot in the Arm, from now through June 4, 2025. This film by Scott Hamilton Kennedy explores the anti-vaccine movement both historically and in the challenging present time. The film includes rare interviews with some of the top health officials and with well-known anti-vaccine activists.

Register to view the film.

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Immunize Kansas Coalition highlights immunization resources shared during the recent Kansas Immunization Conference

Immunize Kansas Coalition (IKC) recently attended the annual Kansas Immunization Conference hosted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Immunization Program. The event was filled with impactful speakers and engaging breakout sessions. Two well-known speakers in the immunization community, Sharon Humiston, MD, MPH, Director of Research, Immunize.org, and Heather Simpson, Back to the Vax, shared their collaborative efforts with IKC.

Dr. Humiston presented on the collaborative efforts to raise the rates of HPV immunizations, highlighting the IKC HPV Toolkit and education module, Shutting the Door on HPV Cancers. The module is designed to teach providers and clinical staff how to recommend the HPV vaccine and answer patient questions.

National speaker and immunization champion Heather Simpson shared the compelling story of her journey to becoming a pro-vaccine advocate. A featured topic within her presentation was the collaborative booklet Vaccine Fears Overturned by Facts (VFOF). The booklet includes personal stories to address and rebut 24 common vaccine myths. All resources can be found on the VFOF web page.

IKC has developed additional modules with Dr. Humiston, including Protecting Kansans with Immunization, Youth Module Series, and Increasing Vaccine Uptake in Pregnant Women. Education modules are frequently reviewed to reflect the most up-to-date information and can always be found on the module web page.

For more, view IKC’s Key Resources web page for campaigns and educational materials, as well as  IKC’s Vaccine Education Modules web page.

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Virtual: Montgomery County Immunization Coalition hosts Ask the Experts webinar on fall and winter vaccines during National Immunization Awareness Month on August 21 at 7:00 p.m. (ET)

The Montgomery County Immunization Coalition (MCIC) will host a webinar during National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) on fall and winter vaccines as part of their Ask the Experts webinar series at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on August 21. During the webinar, healthcare experts will answer participants’ questions on fall and winter vaccines.

Register for the webinar.

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Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Virtual: Public Health Communications Collaborative hosts webinar “Engaging the Media to Amplify Public Health Messaging” on June 26 at 1:30 p.m. (ET)

The Public Health Communications Collaborative will host a webinar titled Engaging the Media to Amplify Public Health Messaging at 1:30 p.m. (ET) on June 26. The webinar will provide public health communicators with essential skills to effectively collaborate with media professionals. Expert panelists will share their insights on tailoring public health messages for different media formats and best practices for delivering important information to journalists and their readers.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Voices for Vaccines hosts webinar "Defeat the Anti-vaxxers Boot Camp" on June 26 at 2:00 p.m. (ET)

Voices for Vaccines will host a webinar titled Defeat the Anti-vaxxers Boot Camp at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on June 26. The webinar will feature Devin Burghart, Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR), who will cover the basics of how anti-vaxxers use messaging and other means to convert people to their causes. It will also discuss the large players in the movement, exploring their backgrounds, strategies, and techniques. This webinar aims to develop tools to overcome these messages and strategies.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Association of Immunization Managers hosts webinar “Utilizing Infodemiology to Improve Vaccine Confidence: Resources for Immunization Programs and Partners” on July 16 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) will host a webinar titled Utilizing Infodemiology to Improve Vaccine Confidence: Resources for Immunization Programs and Partners, 1:00–2:00 p.m. (ET) on July 16. During the webinar, Joe Smyser, PhD, MSPH, CEO, Public Good Projects, will discuss infodemiology, a public health discipline that studies the spread of information with the goal of improving health. Dr. Smyser will also cover how immunization programs and partners can utilize infodemiology resources to improve vaccine confidence.

Register for the webinar.

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Resources

The Association of Immunization Managers shares six new immunization eLearning modules and the updated guide, Connecting the Dots: Vaccine Confidence

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) iREACH team created a series of six eLearning modules to increase knowledge and support community conversations about flu, COVID-19, and basic information about vaccines and vaccine safety. In addition, the modules help to address the racial and ethnic disparities that exist in vaccine coverage and disease outcomes. These modules were created with the general public, community health workers and promotoras, trusted messengers, and community champions in mind. They can be used for individual or shared learning, and a certificate of completion is available for individuals who complete the modules. The free modules are available in English and Spanish and are accessible by desktop or phone.

View the modules.

Additionally, AIM updated its guide, Connecting the Dots: Vaccine Confidence. This resource includes vaccine confidence tools distilled into a one-page, easy-to-reference guide that covers topics including effective communication, health equity, and addressing misinformation and disinformation. Each column includes information on immunization programs, their partners, and healthcare providers.

Visit AIM’s Resources and Tools main page for more.

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"Implementing Adult Hepatitis B Immunization and Screening Using Electronic Health Records: A Practical Guide," coauthored by Immunize.org staff, published in a special issue of Vaccines

In the May 14 issue, Vaccines published Implementing Adult Hepatitis B Immunization and Screening Using Electronic Health Records: A Practical Guide. Coauthors include Immunize.org’s Kelly Moore, MD, MPH and David Sanders, MD, MS. The goal of the publication is to facilitate the effective use of electronic health record (EHR) system prompts to increase rates of routine adult hepatitis B vaccination. The abstract appears below.

Importance: Hepatitis B is a serious problem in the United States (US), with up to 2.4 million Americans living with a chronic infection. Only 26–32% of people living with hepatitis B in the US are diagnosed. Additionally, just 30% of all adults are vaccinated against the virus. In 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated adult hepatitis B vaccination recommendations to include all adults aged 19–59 years and those 60 years and older with risk factors for hepatitis B. Subsequently, in 2023, the CDC recommended that all adults be screened at least one time in their lives. Observations: Electronic health record (EHR) tools (prompts, order sets, etc.) have proven to be an effective method of increasing hepatitis B screening and vaccination, but longstanding challenges and questions around hepatitis B vaccines and tests could prevent effectual EHR implementation. As the new recommendations directly impact providers who may have limited familiarity with hepatitis B, guidance on how to identify eligible patients and triggers, order sets to facilitate vaccine/test selection, and proper documentation and patient follow-up is necessary. Conclusions and Relevance: This communication offers a practical framework for health systems to build an effective EHR strategy for the updated adult hepatitis B recommendations. We also provide comprehensive responses to clinicians’ questions that are frequently asked prior to screening or vaccinating for hepatitis B.

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The Hepatitis B Foundation shares new hepatitis B immunization and screening resources

The Hepatitis B Foundation has two new resources available to share.

The Universal Vaccine Resources and Social Media Toolkit offers a suite of new materials to help providers, clinics, and community-based organizations educate their communities on hepatitis B. The resources feature social media posts, fact sheets, and posters focused on raising awareness of the new universal adult hepatitis B recommendations and combatting HBV-specific vaccine hesitancy among the general public.

Implementing Adult Hepatitis B Immunization and Screening Using Electronic Health Records: A Practical Guide, described in detail in a separate article, is coauthored by the Hepatitis B Foundation and Immunize.org. The guide offers a practical framework for health systems to build an effective electronic health record (EHR) strategy for the updated recommendations. The article also provides comprehensive responses to clinicians’ questions that are frequently asked before screening or vaccinating for hepatitis B.

Visit the Hepatitis B Foundation website for a wealth of resources and information.

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Public Health Goods Project offers an Infodemiology Training Program to teach public health professionals how to respond to false and misleading health information

Public Health Goods Project is offering an Infodemiology Training Program, the first U.S.-based training for public health professionals on the evolving field of infodemiology. The program is designed for epidemiologists, program evaluators, coordinators, communications staff, and other public health professionals. The flexible training modules offer the basics of infodemiology and the applied skills to help improve public health by tracking, analyzing, and responding to trending narratives.

Sign up for the program.

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Funding Opportunities

Available funding opportunities may be found on the Partnering for Vaccine Equity Resource Hub

Partnering for Vaccine Equity’s Funding Opportunities main page offers a list of open funding opportunities related to vaccination and health equity.

Please reach out to PHEbranch@cdc.gov if your organization has a funding opportunity to add to the list.

See the funding opportunities.

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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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