Network News — July 24, 2025

Webinar/Biennial Meeting

Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Editable Resources

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. Early bird registration ends August 1!

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.

The abstract submission and nomination periods are now closed.

Reserve a room.

Register for the conference. Early bird registration ends August 1.

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Coalition News, Top Stories, and Events

The National Network of Immunization Coalitions highlights The J.A.M.I.E. Group

The J.A.M.I.E. Group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about meningococcal disease and the life-saving power of vaccination.

“J.A.M.I.E.” stands for Joint Advocacy of Meningococcal Information and Education, and is inspired by Jamie Schanbaum’s personal journey of survival. Jamie survived meningococcal infection, which resulted in the amputation of both her legs and several fingers. Her experience became the catalyst for a lifelong mission to ensure others do not have to endure the same suffering from a disease that is preventable through vaccination.

The J.A.M.I.E. Group uses real stories, educational tools, and community outreach to inform and protect individuals and families. The organization will launch a series of short videos on LinkedIn aimed at raising awareness among U.S. healthcare providers of updates to the ACIP meningococcal vaccination recommendations. The videos are expected to launch in late September, leading up to World Meningitis Day on October 5.

The organization engages with the community through policy on a state and national level, as well as through public awareness. Currently, The J.A.M.I.E. Group is working alongside hospitals to bring vaccine education to New York policymakers. 

Unique to The J.A.M.I.E. Group, in the summer of 2009, the Texas Legislature passed The Jamie Schanbaum Act, requiring menACWY vaccination of in-state college students. In 2011, the bill was amended and expanded to become the Jamie Schanbaum and Nicholas Williams Act. This updated law requires all incoming college students under the age of 22 (not just those living on campus) receive a meningitis vaccination before enrollment at Texas institutions of higher education. This amendment honored both Jamie’s advocacy and the life of Nicholas Williams, a Texas student who tragically lost his life to meningitis in 2009.

Jamie’s advocacy didn’t stop there. Just two years after learning to walk again with prosthetic limbs, she earned a place on the USA Paralympic Cycling Team in 2011, proving that limits are meant to be pushed.

Learn more about The J.A.M.I.E. Group on its web page at www.thejamiegroup.org and visit its social media channels on Facebook and TikTok.

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Every month, the National Network of Immunization Coalitions features an organization in Network News. If your organization has not been featured and you’d like to be featured in a future issue, please contact Taryn Chapman at taryn.chapman@immunize.org.

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New video series from Immunize Kansas Coalition answers parents’ vaccine questions

The Immunize Kansas Coalition launched its Ask a Doctor video series, kicking off the first set of videos with Gretchen Homan, MD, FAAP, a Kansas pediatrician. In response to ongoing misinformation and a continuing measles outbreak, Dr. Homan addresses real questions that parents are asking. The videos tackle the following questions related to measles, the MMR vaccine, and vaccine safety.

Videos include:

The initial set of videos consist of four short-format videos designed for platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Immunize Kansas Coalition’s Measles resources main page contains links to many more measles-related resources you can use in your messaging.

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Today! Virtual: Immunize Colorado offers webinar titled “Outbreak: Following Somali Mothers' Vaccination Stories During and After the 2017 Minnesota Measles Outbreak” on July 24 at 2:00 p.m. (ET).

Immunize Colorado will host a webinar titled Outbreak: Following Somali Mothers’ Vaccination Stories During and After the 2017 Minnesota Measles Outbreak at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on July 24.

In 2017, Minnesota experienced its largest measles outbreak since 1990. The outbreak primarily affected Somali children, whose vaccination rates had been declining over the last decade. Public health and media responses to the outbreak widely framed Somali populations as undervaccinated, undereducated, and/or influenced by social movements, and these interpretations informed much of the public health and state responses to the outbreak. During the outbreak, Kari Campeau, PhD, was working in partnership with a Somali women’s health center in Minneapolis to study how parents were navigating autism diagnoses, and the stories she heard from Somali mothers could not be fully mapped onto such accounts of the 2017 outbreak. This talk explores seven themes that recurred across stories that Somali mothers told about the outbreak and their vaccine decisions. These themes speak to lived experiences of exclusion from the production of medical knowledge and the benefits of medical progress. Contexts of vaccine decision-making have shifted since the 2017 outbreak, but Somali mothers’ stories speak to enduring and newly urgent challenges and possibilities for the role of vaccination and public health in polarized societies.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Association of Immunization Managers hosts coalition-focused webinar titled “Building and Sustaining an Immunization Coalition: The Secrets to Success” on August 13 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) will host a webinar titled Building and Sustaining an Immunization Coalition: The Secrets to Success at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on August 13. The webinar will provide immunization programs and vaccine champions with strategies to build, maintain, and sustain strong immunization coalitions. Attendees will hear from two immunization programs and two coalitions on their partnerships and tips for success.

Register for the webinar.

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Other News, Educational Opportunities, and Events

Becky Werner Meningitis Foundation partners with Vaccine Ambassadors to provide thousands of meningitis vaccines in Trinidad and Tobago

In 2006, the Becky Werner Meningitis Foundation was founded following the unimaginable loss of 20-year-old Becky Werner on February 24, 2004. Becky, a healthy, athletic young woman, fell ill, and within 39 hours, she tragically lost her life to meningitis. Becky’s parents channeled their grief into action through their foundation in honor of Becky’s memory to help prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak. Through education, advocacy, the funding of critical meningitis research, and providing support to families affected by this devastating disease, the foundation has played a pivotal role in the fight against meningitis, saving lives and making a lasting difference.

The Becky Werner Meningitis Foundation has partnered with Vaccine Ambassadors to provide a donation that secured 5,000 meningococcal vaccines for teenagers and young adults in Trinidad and Tobago. This effort reflects the shared mission to increase access to life-saving vaccines and protect young people through immunization. On May 27, 2025, the vaccines arrived in-country, offering new hope in preventing this deadly disease.

This collaboration was made possible by CoMO Americas, which played an instrumental role in bringing these partners together and advancing the shared mission of increasing access to life-saving vaccines and protecting young people through immunization. Bob Werner of the Becky Werner Meningitis Foundation has been an active member of its original steering committee since CoMO’s early days, helping launch initiatives like World Meningitis Day and shaping the network’s regional advocacy efforts.

Related Links

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Virtual: Community Catalyst hosts workshop titled “Paid Ads Essentials for Health Advocates” on July 30 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Community Catalyst will host a workshop titled Paid Ads Essentials for Health Advocates at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on July 30. The workshop will provide a comprehensive introduction to the world of paid digital advertising for health advocacy and education. This webinar, facilitated by M+R, will cover the essentials, including when to use paid ads, understanding different ad channels like Google and Meta, and developing effective creative content for your campaigns. Whether your goal is advocacy, awareness, or education, this training will equip you with the foundational knowledge to get started.

Register for the webinar.

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Virtual: Register for Immunize​.org Website Office Hours. Ask questions and learn about the Official Guidance (state resources) web section on August 6 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or August 7 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions archived.

To learn simple tips and tricks for using the Immunize​.org website efficiently, please register for its next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, August 6 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, August 7 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions.

Each 45-minute session will open with a short, live demonstration on navigating the Official Guidance website section. This section is useful for those who want to know about state immunization requirements for school and childcare. 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); Affiliated Websites; Images, Webinars, Videos, & Social Media; Let’s Get Real About Vaccines Website; News & Updates; Official Guidance Part 1 & 2; Publication Archives, Vaccine Timeline, & About Us; Travel Vaccines, Vaccine Confidence, & Addressing Concerns; and Vaccines A–Z.

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

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Virtual: Association of Immunization Managers hosts webinar titled “Utilizing Social Media to Promote Adolescent Immunization” on August 12 at 4:00 p.m. (ET)

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) will host a webinar titled Utilizing Social Media to Promote Adolescent Immunization at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on August 12. The webinar will address ongoing challenges in achieving high rates of routine adolescent vaccinations by offering innovative strategies for effectively communicating with and educating teens about immunization through social media.

Register for the webinar.

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Editable Resources

National Immunization Awareness Month starts August 1. Promote protection with Voices for Vaccines' customizable resources.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of protecting people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases through on-time vaccination. This year, NIAM serves as a focal point to share trustworthy, credible information about the importance of staying up-to-date with routine immunizations.

Voices for Vaccines‘ (VFV) NIAM web page includes key messages and sample customizable social media content to grab the public’s attention on immunizations. VFV encourages its partners to share these messages and resources using the hashtag #NIAM2025.

During NIAM, encourage your patients to schedule appointments to get up to date on annual exams and recommended vaccines. Research shows that healthcare providers remain the most trusted source of vaccine information for parents and patients.

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Migration Health Initiative’s “Protect Your Family” campaign encourages hepatitis B vaccination among refugee and immigrant communities

The Migration Health Initiative (MHI) created Protect Your Family, a health education campaign that supports hepatitis B vaccine uptake among refugee and immigrant communities in the United States. This collection prioritizes the needs of Sub-Saharan African communities while supporting Asian communities with more language options than is typically available from public health authorities.

The campaign is currently available in English and several other languages. All 15 expected translations will be available in August.

Key features of the campaign:

  • MHI convened a cohort of community leaders to inform its decision-making around the campaign, so you can be confident that these resources are culturally relevant
  • The resources are available in multiple formats, so that communities can choose what works for them
  • Fact sheets and posters are fully customizable, so you can remove the MHI logo and replace it with your own. Easy drag-and-drop templates in Canva and Google Slides include a photo bank of people representing a diversity of cultures, ages, genders, and more.

View the campaign materials.

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Resources

LetsGetRealAboutVaccines.org, Immunize​.org’s newest website, provides credible, plain-language information about routine pediatric vaccines

The Let’s Get Real campaign, created in 2024, was originally researched and reviewed by medical, public health, and communications experts at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies. The development team worked with parents and providers to find the right tone and focus on key issues. The HHS campaign ended in 2025. Immunize​.org acquired the content to continue providing this clear and accurate information.

Key features of LetsGetReal.org (also accessible via LetsGetRealAboutVaccines.org) include:

  • Personal stories to convey important facts and plain language to debunk misinformation
  • Information that is real, balanced, and unbiased
  • Content in English and Spanish (Hablemos en serio)

LetsGetReal.org is divided into four main parts:

  • Learn about Children’s Vaccines: This section offers answers to help families separate fact from fiction and to learn why most adults make sure their children receive vaccines. It addresses vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine safety, vaccine science, the vaccination schedule, and common questions.
  • Separate Fact from Fiction: This section gives families tools to separate what’s true from what’s not. It highlights subsections such as Understanding Risk, Correlation vs. Causation, and the Credibility Checklist.
  • Share the Facts: This is an extensive searchable library of parent-tested materials, including shareable social media graphics, videos, infographics, and fact sheets.
  • Help Patients: This section features a provider-tested approach called ARM (Act, Recommend, Motivate), to aid vaccine conversations.

Please explore LetsGetReal.org and see for yourself. We welcome feedback at www.immunize.org/about/org/contact

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Association of Immunization Managers encourages you to nominate a colleague for the 2025 AIM Awards; nominations due August 15!

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) recognizes that immunization program managers are central to the success of the nation’s immunization efforts. AIM members ensure vaccines reach the thousands of providers who provide COVID-19 vaccination and the 44,000+ providers and physicians enrolled in the Vaccines for Children program. Members do the hard and necessary work to lead the nation’s network of immunization programs—supporting information systems that track vaccinations, monitoring vaccination progress, containing outbreaks, and informing and educating consumers. They work year round to develop and implement strategies to ensure that immunization coverage rates remain high, and that babies, adolescents, and adults are protected from vaccine-preventable disease.

AIM is proud to celebrate the hard work, innovation, and commitment to excellence shown by program managers throughout the nation and encourages you to nominate a colleague for the annual 2025 AIM Awards.

Eligible candidates must be program managers or program initiatives from one of the immunization programs directly funded by the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. There are additional restrictions on eligibility for various awards, so please consult the nomination forms for details.

Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday, August 15.

The awards will be presented at the 2025 AIM Leadership in Action conference in Palm Springs, CA, in December 2025.

See AIM’s Awards web page for more details.

If you have questions about the AIM awards process, please contact Mikaela Mendoza Pereira at mpereira@immunizationmanagers.org.

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Vaccinate Your Family launches back-to-school immunization awareness campaign; spread the word using their FirstDayVax toolkit in English and Spanish

Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) launched its #FirstDayVax campaign, a timely reminder that vaccines should be part of every back-to-school checklist. This campaign reflects on how far we’ve come, celebrates the protection vaccines provide, and empowers parents with the information they need to make timely, informed choices. Find the shareable assets in the #FirstDayVax toolkit, also available in Spanish.

Use the #FirstDayVax hashtag on social media and tag @vaccinateyourfamily (@vaxyourfam on X) so VYF can amplify your posts.

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ACOG shares new Maternal Immunization Social Media Toolkit with messaging aimed at pregnant patients and clinicians

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released its Maternal Immunization Social Media Toolkit, designed to provide healthcare professionals with ready-to-use social media messaging to promote the COVID-19, flu, RSV, and Tdap vaccines for pregnant patients, with messages that target both patient and clinician audiences.

The toolkit features sample posts, resources, and graphics to keep patients informed and to encourage your networks to promote maternal immunization. While the post copy, resources, and graphics below are endorsed by ACOG, language can be augmented to suit your own voice.

Please share the Maternal Immunization Social Media Toolkit with partners and networks who can utilize the resources to share these recommendations.

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CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center shares new Parents PACK newsletter and immunization videos

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC) offers a monthly e-newsletter, Parents PACK, for anyone who wants information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.

The June issue’s feature article, What We Know and How We Feel — Can You Recognize the Difference? Try It! (download in PDF), explained that when people are making vaccine decisions, they aren’t just relying on the scientific facts. There is an emotional or attitudinal aspect to the decision-making process. However, when people are evaluating messages, such as those online or in the media, they may not consider whether what they are hearing is based on facts or feelings. The article also included some practice statements to help people sort out knowledge, emotions, and misinformation. The examples can be used in your publications (with credit) or the PDF can be photocopied for easy sharing.

Content from Parents PACK newsletters can be posted in your newsletters or linked from your website with appropriate source citation.

CHOP’s VEC also had new videos available, including:

  • The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP): This eight-video playlist describes the VICP, how it came about, how it works, the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), the Omnibus Autism Proceeding, and considerations related to the future of VICP
  • Thimerosal in Multidose Vaccine Vials: Then and Now: Paul Offit, MD, talks about the history of thimerosal, an ethylmercury-containing preservative used in vaccines between 1930 and 2000 to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination. A corresponding web page offers resources related to the video, as well as to the June ACIP meeting.
  • Becoming a Member of ACIP: This three-video playlist describes the historical process of becoming a member of ACIP, including addressing whether ACIP members are political appointees
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NFID responds to June ACIP meeting in recent blog post

On June 27, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) published a blog post titled Flawed ACIP Process Leads to Confusion and Distrust. The post expresses NFID’s deep concerns about the flawed process that occurred at the June ACIP meeting and offers a compilation of statements from professional societies and longtime immunization stakeholders regarding the June ACIP meeting and related events.

Read the blog post.

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Public Health Communications Collaborative shares HPV resource and recording of recent webinar

The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) has developed a Resource for Caregivers: Understanding HPV and the HPV Vaccine to spread awareness about HPV and its effects, as well as the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine.

View the resource.

Additionally, PHCC offers an archived webinar from June 25 titled Building Your Public Health Comms Toolkit: Communications Planning on a Budget, along with slides and a resource list.

View the webinar and resource list.

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Health Equity Community Collaborative offers communication training series to help community leaders address health issues

Over the next three months, the Health Equity Community Collaborative (HECC) will deliver three training sessions in its Communication Training Series for Community Leaders to support community-based and public health organizations in addressing health issues in their local areas, especially for those with limited communication support and resources.

Find new and upcoming training sessions as well as resources on HECC’s Resources web page.

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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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