Monthly Newsletter - July 2016
In This Issue
Calendar  
August
National Immunization Awareness Month 

Happy Birthday, Jude!
August 18

Public Health Nursing 
Baby Shower
8/27/16-Natrona County
Contact Lisa Brown at:
Spotlight
Jab & Gab Subscription Rates Rising
Karoleigh Cassel, Administrative Specialist
We are very excited to see a large increase of subscribers for the Jab & Gab, since we went to an email format. In July 2016, we had 380 subscribers.

As of May 2016, our numbers had increased to 470 subscribers. If you know anyone that is not getting this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to them . There is a subscription link at the bottom of the newsletter that will allow them to sign up to be on the distribution list.
Reflections of an Immunization Unit Manager
Baby Shots: Round 2
By Jude Alden, MBA, CPM, Immunization Unit Manager
I have been preparing for this day since the last one and it has quickly arrived. Time to take my son in for his second round of shots. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. As I sit here writing, I feel so much stress and anxiety, and most of all, concern for my baby boy. As I dressed him in camo this morning, I said a little prayer thinking maybe the camo could give him some kind of strength. Daddy's strong presence can't be there this time, but maybe grandma will distract us both from what is to come. <<read more>>

Vaccine Profile: Varicella
By Jude Alden, MBA, CPM, Immunization Unit Manager .
We know that the v aricella zoster virus is chickenpox which was once a normal childhood experience. So what happened, why all of a sudden do we need a vaccine for something that we all had?

In 1888 the connection was made between the varicella zoster virus and the herpes zoster virus, or shingles. It wasn't until 1954 that that viruses were cultured. In the 1970s a vaccine was developed in Japan although the United States did not license the vaccine until 1995. The first vaccine proven to actually reduce the risk of herpes zoster wasn't licensed until 2006. So this is why many of us never received the vaccine. We were simply born too early. Unfortunately, this means that we could get shingles later on in life.

So back to the original question, why do we need a vaccine? "3.7 million cases of varicella were estimated to occur in the US annually in the early 1990s. Data from 1992 showed that about 158,000 cases of chickenpox were reported and 100 deaths were reported.
Top Stories
August is National Immunization Awareness Month!
LaChel May,CPM, Compliance Specialist



August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). Immunizations represent one of the greatest public health accomplishments of the 20th century. The purpose of NIAM is to celebrate the benefits of vaccination and highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.
To assist with your communication efforts during NIAM and beyond, the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC), in collaboration with CDC's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases developed communication toolkits. The toolkits are designed to help public information officers, immunization program managers, health care professionals, coalitions, advocates, parents, partners, and individuals communicate the importance of immunizations during August and throughout the year.

Four distinct messages are central throughout all of the toolkits:
1. Vaccines protect against serious diseases
2. These diseases still exist and outbreaks do occur
3. Vaccines are recommended throughout our lives
4. Vaccines are very safe.

Click on the link below to discover these great NIAM toolkit resources:
August is National Immunization Awareness Month!   

Our Website Has a New Look!
Kristy Westfall, VFC Coordinator
As some of you may have already noticed, the Immunization Program website www.immunizewyoming.com , is brand new! The new website launched June 20th and we have been working hard to make sure it continues to be a great resource for all Wyoming immunization providers as well as parents, patients, school nurses, and everyone else who comes to visit the site. We are trying to make it as user friendly and as easy to navigate as possible and have grouped the pages by audience such as: Healthcare Professionals Parents, Patients, and Guardians; and Schools and Daycares.

Please visit the website and when you do, let us know what you think about the new look. If you have suggestions for content or need help finding something, please email me at: kristy.westfall1@wyo.gov.

Vaccine Updates
HPV Vaccination Toolkit
Kristy Westfall, VFC Coordinator
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released their HPV Vaccination Toolkit i n the Spring of 2016. The Toolkit includes resources and materials to assist you and your staff in communicating the importance of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to your patients. The Toolkit includes:
  • Frequently Asked Questions for Patients Concerning HPV Vaccination
  • HPV Dear Patient Letter
  • Physician Script: HPV Vaccination
  • Infographic Poster: Protect Yourself with the HPV Vaccine
  • Infographic Poster: Protect Your Family with the HPV Vaccine
  • Rx pad for HPV Vaccine
  • HPV Vaccine Standing Orders for Adults
  • HPV Vaccine Standing Order for Children and Teens
  • Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for HPV Vaccines
  • And More!

Visit the ACOG website to learn more about this and other toolkits they have available.

Bexsero® (Meningococcal B vaccine) Available in Single Dose
 Lisa Sara, Provider Support Specialist
 Since the 2016 Wyoming Immunization Conference there has been an increased demand for the Meningococcal B vaccine, which is great news!  However; since Meningococcal B is a vaccine that most providers have never offered through the Vaccines for Children Program,  there were concerns of being able to administer the minimum order quantity of ten (10) doses prior to expiration.

In response to the expressed concerns, the Immunization Program is NOW offering Bexsero® to be ordered as a single dose in hopes that the flexibility to order a single dose will allow more providers the opportunity to "test the waters" and start offering Meningococcal B vaccine without the worry of vaccine waste due to expiration.

A meningococcal B vaccine series may be administered to adolescents and young adults aged 16-23 years to provide short-term protection against most strains of serogroup B meningococcal disease. The preferred age for MenB vaccination is 16-18 years. Vaccination is routinely recommended for people 10 years or older who are at increased risk for infection. Review the complete Serogroup B Meningococcal (MenB) VIS .
Public Vaccine Programs  
VacSHIP Survey Results
LaChel May, CPM, Compliance Specialist
The Vaccine Storage and Handling Improvement Project (VacSHIP) Survey is part of CDC's larger, two-year (2014-2015) Immunization Program Evaluation (IPE) effort focused on evaluating education and training activities related to vaccine storage and handling.

The survey was sent to about 70,000 Primary and Backup Vaccine Coordinators in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider offices within the 61 VFC awardees (50 states, 6 cities, and 5 islands/territories).  In Wyoming a total of 107 participants completed the survey with 61% being Primary Vaccine Coordinators and 32% being Secondary Vaccine Coordinators, with a 7% listed as other. The survey revealed that 18% of Primary Vaccine Coordinators have worked in their role for 3-4 years, where 11% of Secondary Vaccine Coordinators have worked in their role for 1-2 years.

Most Wyoming Vaccine Coordinators stated that they spend about 1-4 hours weekly working on vaccine storage and handling tasks. Wyoming participants rated site visit training and training materials provided by the Immunization Program high, along with the Wyoming Vaccine Coordinator Training Program as the primary source of  vaccine storage and handling training.  From the VacSHIP Survey results Wyoming Vaccine Coordinators feel they have the necessary training opportunities, resources and support to provide the very best vaccine storage and handling practices.  

The VacSHIP survey information provided allows the Wyoming Immunization Program the opportunity for further growth and improvement in the area of vaccine storage and handling. Thank you all VacSHIP Survey Participants!          
Wyoming Immunization Registry (WyIR) 
Release Notes - New WyIR Version 5.16.1.5 in Production by August 1, 2015
John Anderson, MA, WyIR Coordinator
Beginning in August 2016, a new version of the WyIR will present to users.  While most of the improvements are apparent to the administration/state users, there are quite a few changes that may affect other users of the WyIR. They are presented below:
 <<read more>>
WyIR Correct Lot Decrementing Training - Deadline of August 31, 2016
 John Anderson, MA, WyIR Coordinator
 As part of ensuring data quality between systems when exchanging data, our vendor has reached out to the WyIR Facility Contact once the system starts sending data to the live production environment.  Ideally, all of the sent messages would be in the proper format and display as anticipated in the WyIR.  However, we know that not all messages display as expected, and our software vendor has crafted training to assist in the process.
As your site submits data via HL7 to the WyIR and is receiving publicly supplied vaccine, training is needed to understand how to identify messages that are incorrectly displaying the patient's vaccine eligibility in the sent HL7 message and then rectify the incorrect information in both your E.H.R. and the WyIR.
Please respond to our software vendor's request to receive the Correct Lot Decrementing Training by the deadline of August 31, 2016, or future vaccine orders may be suspended.  
WyIR Agreement Deadline - July 31, 2016
 John Anderson, MA, WyIR Coordinator
 If your facility has not yet submitted a WyIR Agreement since July 2016, please do so in order to maintain access.  
 
An initial email was sent 06/27/16 by the WyIR helpdesk (WyIR @wyo.gov), and an additional notification (below) was provided in a posted "Message of the Day" that presents to users at the WyIR login page.   Another targeted email was sent to all WyIR Contacts alerting them to the need to complete the updated agreements by the end of July, 2016. Please keep in mind that if your facility orders vaccines through the WyIR, they may not be able to do so until an updated agreement is processed by the WyIR Help Desk.

If you have questions, please contact the WyIR Help Desk ( wyir@wyo.gov ) to ensure the agreement is completed by the deadline.  Thanks!
Education & Training 
New Pink Book Webinar Series!
Val Knepp, RN, Clinical & AFIX Specialist
This online series of 15 webinars provides an overview of topics covered in the 13th edition of the Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (the Pink Book).  Each webinar will explore a chapter from the pink book.  The webinars started on June 1st and will air live most Wednesdays from 12-1 PM EDT, through September 21st.  Click the link below for more information or to register for this valuable webinar series.  
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/webinar-epv/

On-Demand HPV Vaccine Webinars
Kristy Westfall, VFC Coordinator
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Immunization Branch has compiled a list of updated webinars and trainings regarding HPV vaccination , presented by experts in their respective fields. Many of the trainings offer CME credits. The trainings are divided into 3 subject areas:

  1. HPV Vaccine Recommendations: Focus on topics including the burden of HPV, efficacy and safety of vaccine, and updates on HPV vaccine recommendations.
  2. HPV Vaccine Practice Strategies/Quality Improvement: Present strategies that can be used to optimize adolescent immunization efforts, improve adolescent immunization rates, and introductory concepts in QI related to HPV vaccination.
  3. Communication Strategies: Provide compelling strategies to communicate with patients and their parents about HPV vaccination and address patients' concerns about the vaccine.

Visit www.eziz.org/resources/events/ to access these and other webinars.
Resources
The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians-iOS app version
Val Knepp, Clinical & AFIX Specialist
The 5th edition of The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians (The Purple Book) is now available as a free iOS app from iTunes. This guide is considered a vital source of practical, up-to-date information for vaccine providers and educators.  It draws together the latest vaccine science and guidance into a user-friendly resource for the private office, public health clinic, hospital, pharmacy or medical teaching institution.

Download it now at
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-vaccine-handbook-app/id1043246009?ls=1&mt=8
Quick Links
Storage & Handling Webpage
Vaccine Programs Webpage
WyIR Webpage
Our next newsletter will be released in August  2016
WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, IMMUNIZATION UNIT
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 420, Cheyenne, WY 82002
307-777-7952   FAX: 307-777-3615

Wyoming Immunization Program -  "Bringing Immunity to Every Community" 


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