Recently published results from Vax Northwest's Immunity Community program found that it moved the needle on vaccine hesitancy, and were featured in Time.
Join the Hepatitis B Coalition of WA for a special community forum and screening of a new documentary about living with hepatitis B, on May 23! Details and RSVP available here.
Eastern Washingtonians, you won't want to miss the Spokane Regional Health District's VaxExpo on May 17!
Recent outbreaks show how important adequate public health funding is.
The April issues of the Immunization Action Coalition's info-packed newsletters Needle Tips and Vaccinate Adults are now available!
The Department of Health is seeking public input about the quality of services and healthcare communities are receiving. Please consider taking or sharing their survey to provide feedback!
A recent study confirms: Flu vaccination significantly reduces a child's risk of dying from influenza.
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Founded in 1994, the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington (IACW), a program of WithinReach, works to improve the health of the community by minimizing the incidence of vaccine preventable diseases through the optimal use of immunizations across the lifespan. Our priorities for 2017 are catching up toddlers by age three; be a trusted source of timely communication about immunizations; and work with non-traditional partners.
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Contact
Sara Jaye Sanford, MPH, CHES, Immunization Coordinator at
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For more information about the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington:
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Dear IACW Member,
We have lots of exciting news and resources to share with you this month, including our
new e-course on vaccine hesitancy, winners of the CDC Childhood Immunization Champion and Immunize Washington awards, and more!
Thanks for reading,
Sara Jaye Sanford, MPH, CHES
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There Never Was An Age of Reason: Vaccines, Vaccine Hesitancy, and Vaccine Decision Making
Presented by: Dr. Edgar K. Marcuse, MD, MPH, FPIDS Emeritus Professor, Pediatrics University of Washington
What impact does vaccine hesitancy have on vaccine-preventable diseases? How do parents make decisions about vaccines? What role do health care providers play in getting parents to vaccinate? Register today to hear Dr. Edgar Marcuse share his presentation on the history, origins, current status, and impact of vaccine hesitancy on our vaccination rates and outbreaks of disease across Washington State and beyond. The course also provides information on how parents make decisions about vaccines and the provider's role in vaccine decisions. Lastly, the course shares tips on how best to approach parent conversations about vaccines using the Recommend, Ask, Acknowledge, and Advise conversation pathway developed and tested by Vax Northwest.
This course is approximately 1 hour in length and is designed for nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, physicians, health educators, public health staff, and other health professionals who work with immunizations. It is free of charge, but registration is required at: http://www.withinreachwa.org/age-of-reason-register/
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 Congratulations to Dr. Elias Kass, Washington's 2017 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion! Dr. Kass is a midwife and naturopathic pediatric primary care provider in Seattle. As a naturopath, he values vaccines for their ability to prevent disease by stimulating the body's immune system.
Dr. Kass educates the public on how vaccines align with naturopathic principles as a contributor to the website NDs for Vaccines, and is also part of the clinical team for The Vaccine Page on Facebook, a resource for vaccine-hesitant parents and parents-to-be to get clear, evidence-based answers.
Among naturopathic colleagues, Dr. Kass is a leader who mentors naturopathic physicians and students through organizations such as Bastyr University and the Naturopathic Academy of Primary Care Physicians.
Dr. Kass has built bridges between the naturopathic community and other health professionals to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation and address vaccine hesitancy. Thank you, Dr. Kass, for your commitment to children's health and promoting immunization!
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 The Washington Health Plan Partnership is proud to announce the awardees for the 2017 Immunize WA provider recognition program to clinics reaching immunization rates of 70% or higher!
Nine clinics achieved over 90% coverage with the 4313314 series: The Everett Clinic - Shoreline and Harbour Pointe; Columbia Valley Community Health - East Wenatchee; Polyclinic Pediatrics; Swedish - West Seattle Pediatrics and Greenlake Clinic; The Kids Clinic (two locations); and Lourdes West Pasco Pediatrics. Congratulations to these clinics for their amazing work to make sure their patients are protected! You can find all the award winners for childhood and adolescent immunization rates online.
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| WHY BEGIN HPV VACCINATION AT AGES 9-10? |
A "Dear Provider" letter from state communicable disease epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist outlines the benefits of starting the HPV vaccination series at ages 9-10. They include:
- A better immune response than older ages
- More opportunities to vaccinate
- HPV vaccine works best when given before exposure to the virus
You can read the full letter here. |
| SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 27 |
We are pleased to announce that we'll be hosting an exciting immunization event on Friday, October 27 in Seattle. Please stay tuned for further details and in the meantime, save the date!
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We hope to see you at an upcoming meeting! You can view our full 2017 meeting calendar
online.
Quarterly Meetings:
July 19, 12-2pm, location TBD
October 18, 12-2pm, location TBD
Public Awareness & Education Committee Meetings:
Healthcare Provider Education Committee Meetings:
July 19,
10-11:30am
, location TBD
October 18, 10-11:30am, location TBD
HPV Task Force Meetings:
July 19, 2
-3:30pm
, location TBD
October 18, 2-3:30pm, location TBD
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Check out the following free resources from IACW and our partners!
 Laminated, pocket-sized childhood immunization schedules: Our durable, convenient format of the recommended childhood schedule for healthcare provider use, updated for 2017. Order yours today
here, or if you need 50 or more, by emailing
[email protected] with your name, email address, mailing address, and desired quantity.
Plain Talk About Childhood Immunization: This booklet is one of the most in-depth resources available for parents who want detailed answers about immunizations, and is available in Russian as well as English and Spanish! To order unlimited free quantities from the Department of Health, click on the language you're interested in. It is also available online in a mobile-friendly format!
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