Network News — May 15, 2025

Webinar/Biennial Meeting

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Resources

In the News

Announcements

Webinar/Biennial Meeting

Register now! The 2025 National Conference for Immunization Coalitions and Partnerships will be held October 15–17, 2025, at the Sheraton Keystone in Indianapolis, IN. Abstract submission deadline extended to June 2. Submit a nomination to recognize an immunization champion by June 6!

The 2025 National Conference for Immunization Coalitions and Partnerships (NCICP) will be held October 15–17 at the Sheraton Keystone in Indianapolis, IN. The conference will focus on coalition building and sustainability.

Abstract submission deadline is extended to June 2.

Submit an abstract.

NCICP is proud to once again host the immunization recognition awards. You can now submit a nomination to recognize outstanding contributions to immunization efforts.

Awards will be presented in the following five categories:

  • Immunization Leadership
  • Equity in Immunization
  • Excellence in Immunization Advocacy
  • Excellence in Immunization Collaboration
  • Emerging Leader

Nominations will be accepted through June 6, 2025.

Only one nomination per email address will be accepted. The number of nominations that a person receives does not influence the selection process.

Submit your nomination.

Reserve a room.

Register for the conference.

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Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

The National Network of Immunization Coalitions highlights Immunize Illinois Coalition

The Immunize Illinois Coalition “soft launched” at the April 2025 Illinois Infectious Disease Conference in Champaign, Illinois. This summer, the coalition will establish itself as a separate 501c3 from the Illinois Public Health Association.

The coalition plans to hold quarterly in-person meetings throughout Illinois, and monthly virtual meetings of its three coalition committees: Communications, Community Engagement/Immunization Equity, and Policy/Advocacy. It will also host a regular learning series through webinars, town halls, and forums.

The Immunize Illinois Coalition will debut a statewide public awareness campaign that engages diverse communities, dispels myths, addresses vaccine hesitancy, and communicates the importance of vaccines in a culturally responsive manner.

It will implement a Vaccine Ambassador Program to train vaccine champions from local communities throughout Illinois to encourage community vaccination, address vaccination concerns, combat vaccine rumors and misinformation, and increase vaccine access and confidence in communities with low vaccination rates.

Apart from the Vaccine Ambassador Program, the Immunize Illinois Coalition will maintain a Community Engagement/Immunization Equity Committee that will host community town halls, forums, and learning events to encourage immunization in Illinois communities. This committee will also support and amplify local vaccination clinics in neighborhoods throughout the state.

The Immunize Illinois Coalition has an active Policy/Advocacy Committee that works to advance legislation and policies that support immunization access and uptake in Illinois. The Policy/Advocacy Committee has been active in publishing policy impact statements that support ACIP and other essential elements of the nation’s immunization infrastructure and funding.

The coalition has been active with the Midwest Immunization Coalition, the National Network of Immunization Coalitions, Voices for Vaccines, and other immunization champions to support the critical need to promote vaccination efforts in the country, which is needed now more than ever.

Keep an eye on Immunize Illinois Coalition as they ensure reliable, sustainable, and equitable pathways to immunization across the lifespan for all Illinoisans.

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Immunize Kansas Coalition expands its “Protect Against Measles” campaign with Spanish resources and new graphics to combat misinformation

The Immunize Kansas Coalition (IKC) has expanded its “Protect Against Measles” campaign to include Spanish-language graphics and flyers, building on the previously available English resources. The updated campaign now features a social media toolkit with graphics and captions in both English and Spanish, as well as flyers designed to help partners and community members emphasize that MMR vaccination is our best defense against measles.

Additional new graphics explain the complications of measles, highlight compelling facts, and emphasize the serious measles health risks. Resources are available in English and Spanish.

All resources can be found on IKC’s Measles/MMR Vaccine Resource Hub web page.

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Virtual: WithinReach and partners host “Building Immunity, Strengthening Community: A Virtual Training Series for Health Professionals” on June 2–5 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. (ET); CE credit available

WithinReach WA, in partnership with the Washington Department of Health, American Indian Health Commission, and local coalitions and partners, will host a virtual training titled Building Immunity, Strengthening Community: A Virtual Training Series on Immunizations for Health Professionals from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. (ET) on June 2–5. Presentations will cover best practices and strategies for administration, informed consent, vaccine safety, vaccine conversations (including a motivational interviewing workshop), and considerations for pregnancy, childhood, and specific communities.

CE credit will be available.

Recordings will be available to registrants after the series.

View details and register for the event. Registration includes a $75 fee.

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Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Today! Virtual: CDC’s Project Firstline hosts webinar titled “Measles on the Rise: How to Prepare and Respond in Your Clinic” on May 15 at 11:00 a.m. (ET); CE credit available.

CDC’s Project Firstline will host a webinar titled Measles on the Rise: How to Prepare and Respond in Your Clinic at 11:00 a.m. (ET), today, May 15. The webinar will feature a panel of CDC experts as they cover current trends in measles epidemiology, clinical recognition of measles, the importance of vaccination, and preparing and responding to measles, including infection prevention and control in the healthcare setting.

Continuing education credit is available.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: University of Pennsylvania hosts webinar titled “New Rules for Vaccine Approval,” part of the virtual event series, Decoding the Moment, on May 16 at 2:00 p.m. (ET)

The University of Pennsylvania will host a webinar titled Decoding the Moment: New Rules for Vaccine Approval, part of the Decoding the Moment series, at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on May 16. The webinar will focus on the changes to the vaccine approval processes that were announced last week by the administration requiring that all “new” vaccines be tested against a placebo, which HHS described as a “radical departure from past practices.” The discussion will tackle what is proposed and why, what it could mean for vaccine availability, public confidence, and disease spread. The webinar will feature Paul Offit, MD, Alison Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, and will be moderated by Dan Gorenstein.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Register for Immunize​.org Website Office Hours. Ask questions and learn about "News and Updates" web section on June 11 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or June 12 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions available online.

To learn simple tips and tricks for using the Immunize​.org website efficiently, please register for the next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, June 12 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions.

We will open each 45-minute session with a short, live demonstration on navigating our News and Updates website section. You can submit questions when you register or live on Zoom during the session.

Register today for Immunize​.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both):

The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize​.org’s Webinars & Videos page. These archived programs include Ask the Experts; Clinical Resources; Vaccine Information Statements (VISs); Images, Webinars, Videos, & Social Media; Official Guidance; Publication Archives, Vaccine Timeline, & About Us; Travel Vaccines, Vaccine Confidence, & Addressing Concerns; Vaccines A–Z;  and Affiliated Websites.

Mark your calendar for future Immunize​.org Website Office Hours.

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In-person and virtual: The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Penn State College of Medicine host “29th Pennsylvania Immunization Conference” on June 13 in Hershey, PA; CE credit available

Pennsylvania Department of Health and Penn State College of Medicine will host the 29th Pennsylvania Immunization Conference in-person and virtually in Hershey, PA, on June 13. The conference brings immunization partners together to share information, discuss current issues, and recommend strategies to improve immunization rates in Pennsylvania.

CE credit available.

View details and register for the conference.

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In-person: The National Public Health Information Collaborative and Public Health Communications Collaborative present the “2025 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media” in Atlanta on July 28–30

The National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) and the Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) will host the 2025 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media July 28–30 in Atlanta, GA. This conference brings together individuals representing academia, public health researchers, and practitioners from federal and state government, as well as industry leaders and experts, to provide a forum for collegial dialogue within and across these groups. The conference aims to provide attendees with a learning environment where innovative ideas and new approaches to advance the field of health communication, marketing, and media are shared.

View details and register for the conference.

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Resources

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month; spread the word that all adults through age 59 years should be protected with hepatitis B vaccination

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and May 19 marks National Hepatitis Testing Day. By employing widespread screening and vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines, most viral hepatitis can be treated or prevented. Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B are easily preventable through routine vaccination. Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all children and for adults with risk factors for exposure to this acute infection. Hepatitis B, a cause of both acute and chronic infection, is preventable through routine infant vaccination and catch-up vaccination of everyone through age 59 years. Hepatitis C is not vaccine-preventable but is treatable.

  

Promote Hepatitis Awareness Month and National Hepatitis Testing Day with social media posts. See the Hepatitis Awareness Month Social Media Toolkit for graphics and sample messages to use this May.

Related Links

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Hepatitis B Foundation shares resources for patients and providers for Hepatitis Awareness Month

The Hepatitis B Foundation offers resources for patients and providers to raise awareness during Hepatitis Awareness Month in May.

View the resources.

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CDC offers Be Ready for Measles communication toolkit in response to growing measles outbreaks

In response to growing measles outbreaks involving more than half of U.S. states, CDC published a suite of new resources for public health, healthcare professionals, and families in communities experiencing a measles outbreak. Resources include infographics for families, images to help clinic personnel identify cases, and a Be Ready for Measles communication toolkit. A quick reference for healthcare professionals provides guidance for caring for patients with measles. Find all of these resources on the CDC Measles Cases and Outbreaks page.

Related Links

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Vaccinate Your Family highlights recently updated guide “The Truth About Autism and Vaccines” created in partnership with the Autism Science Foundation

Fifteen years ago, Every Child by Two (now Vaccinate Your Family [VYF]) and the Autism Science Foundation first collaborated on a monograph sharing the science that shows there is no link between vaccination and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They recently released an updated version of The Truth About Autism and Vaccines, which now includes discussion of recent vaccine safety research and our current understanding of autism causes, signs, early diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.

Use this guide to educate your communities and policymakers about the importance of ensuring that valuable research time and funding are dedicated to the most promising lines of inquiry related to the causes of and treatments for ASD.

View the guide.

Related Link

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The Association of Immunization Managers shares its 2024 Annual Report and “Responding to Measles Outbreaks in High Priority Populations” webinar recording

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) released its 2024 Annual Report. The report highlights the great work that AIM and AIM members achieved during AIM’s 25th anniversary year.

View the report.

Additionally, AIM hosted a webinar on April 15 titled Responding to Measles Outbreaks in High Priority Populations. Attendees heard from three jurisdictions on how they responded to past measles outbreaks in specific communities. Speakers shared examples of tailored outreach efforts and strategies for measles surveillance to instill trust.

View the archived webinar and related resources.

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CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center shares new Spanish infographics, “Science Behind the Vaccine Schedule” web page, updated immunization resources, and webinar recording of Dr. Offit’s recent bird flu update

The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is offering new and updated resources. Resources include:

New infographics in Spanish provide a brief overview related to a disease, vaccine, or related topic. The graphics are meant to provide quick access to information and should not be considered a replacement for actual medical advice.

VEC created a new page under its “Vaccine Schedule” section on the VEC’s website titled Science Behind the Vaccine Schedule. This page uses a metaphor of a map to describe how the vaccine schedule is made and how looking at the schedule only tells part of the story. The schedule represents vaccine recommendations that are based on an immense foundational understanding of the pathogens that cause disease, the people recommended to take vaccines, and vaccine characteristics, including immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy. The page also discusses questions related to vaccines and chronic diseases.

Additional updated VEC resources include:

Lastly, on April 2, VEC and partners presented Is a Bird Flu Pandemic Likely? as part of its Current Issues in Vaccines series. The webinar featured Paul Offit, MD, director of the VEC.

Free continuing education credits (CME, CEU, and CPE) are available for this archived webinar.

View the archived webinar, slides, and Q&As from the event.

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ACOG releases Labor of Love podcast discussing maternal vaccination and other topics

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is in its fourth season of its podcast series, Labor of Love. For the podcast’s fourth season, Supporting Maternal Well-Being in a Complex World, host Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, sits down with obstetric care professionals to discuss maternal vaccines, stillbirth, maternal mental health, and other critical topics affecting pregnancy and postpartum care.

New episodes are released every other Thursday.

Subscribe to Labor of Love on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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The American Society for Meningitis Prevention announces new “Meningitis Prevention Policy Hub” to help advocates and organizations advance policies that protect communities from meningococcal meningitis.

The American Society for Meningitis Prevention (ASMP) offers its new Meningitis Prevention Policy Hub to help advocates and organizations advance local, state, and federal policies that protect communities from meningococcal meningitis. The hub offers key messages and ideas to help you advocate effectively with state leaders, campus administrators, and public health decision makers.

Explore messages and take action.

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Public Health Communications Collaborative shares resources on communicating about Long COVID and the importance of pediatric vaccines

The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) offers sharable resources on Long COVID and pediatric vaccines for communication with the public. Resources include:

  • Still Here: Communicating About Long COVID: Contains a guide with information about the lasting impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Long COVID, as well as messaging guidance for public health communicators, and social media graphics and captions for communication with the public on Long COVID
  • Communicating About the Importance of Pediatric Vaccines: Social media graphics, available in English and Spanish, to explain the importance of pediatric vaccines and help caregivers keep their children on track with recommended vaccines

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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.
  • Please visit the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS, the “Summit” at www.izsummitpartners.org to check out the latest resources on operationalizing, and payment for, adult and influenza vaccines. If you are not a Summit partner, please sign on at: www.izsummitpartners.org/join-the-summit.
  • 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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