On January 11, 2010, Nadia passed away from bacterial meningitis at the age of 31. Her mother believes that if she had been vaccinated against meningococcal disease that she might still be alive today. Click
here to read and share Nadia's story. If you or someone you know has been impacted by a vaccine-preventable disease, share your story with
[email protected].
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Vermont recently tightened their rules on immunization, and the topic was featured on
PBS Newshour. As one mom noted, "None of this legislation actually forces someone to get immunized. What it says is that, if you're opting out of your right and responsibility to vaccinate, then you also have to bear the burden of opting out of the benefits of organized education."
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Scientists in the UK are working to develop a new way to deliver immunizations. This
timed-release micro-particle capsule could reduce the need for booster shots.
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New research published in the journal of
Obstetrics & Gynecology shows that enough women have gotten the HPV vaccine to create herd immunity for those women who remain unvaccinated. Unvaccinated women 18 to 26 experienced >50% decline in HPV infection from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014, as the vaccine helped prevent sexual transmission of the virus from person to person.
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An article published in
FiveThirtyEight shows how an uptake in vaccinations can reduce our need for and the developing resistance of antibiotics.For example, the US, UK, and Israel have all observed a large drop in kids' ear infections coinciding with the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines - ear infections are also one of the biggest reasons that children are prescribed antibiotics.
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Flu season is already kicking off in
Spokane County, with three individuals hospitalized for influenza this season. Check out the
Seattle Mama Doc blog for some answers to commonly asked questions about the flu shot, and get yours today!
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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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QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?
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Contact Izzy Brandstetter
, MPH, Immunization Coordinator at
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For more information about the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington:
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Dear IACW Member,
With leaves crunching under our feet and the smell of pumpkin spice wafting in the air, October is a busy time for those of us in the immunization field
making sure that everyone gets their annual flu shot. After all, it's never too early! This month's issue is full of many updates, perhaps most excitingly, our new immunization website! Take a peek, and feel free to be in touch if you have any suggestions or questions about the work we are doing.
Thanks for reading,
Izzy Brandstetter, MPH
206-830-5175
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ImmunityCommunityWA.org is a new immunization resource for parents, healthcare providers, and community partners that provides information, tools, and resources to protect and educate our community from diseases that vaccines prevent. On this new hub, you will find all of our immunization resources in one beautiful, easy-to-navigate location. Here are a few things you can find:
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DID YOU MISS OUR WEBINAR?
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On September 19th, we hosted a webinar on Best Practices in Promoting College Immunizations. We were joined by Pat deHart and Leigh Wallis from the Washington State Department of Health, Libby Skiles from Gonzaga University, and Sheryl Schwartz from the University of Washington to hold a discussion around college/university immunization policies, using best practices to promote immunizations in this population, and the impact of an outbreak.
If you weren't able to join us live, the slides and webinar recording are both available on our new website - check it out!
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LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR THE WA VACCINE UPDATE!
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On October 27, 2017, WithinReach and the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington are excited to host the Washington Vaccine Update, a one-day learning opportunity geared towards people who work with immunizations. Hear from nationally recognized speakers Patsy Stinchfield, MS, RN, CPNP from Minnesota, Dr. Trudy Larson from Nevada, and Dr. Orin Levine from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
While the event is sold out at this time, we encourage you to add your name to the waitlist if you are interested in attending. We will notify you if a spot becomes available! We are able to offer 5.5 continuing education credit hours for a variety of healthcare professionals. Add your name to the waitlist at www.wavaccineupdate.eventbrite.com
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Please note that
ALL committee meetings are canceled in October as we prepare for the
Washington Vaccine Update on October 27th; stay tuned for a calendar of our 2018 meetings.
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Check out the following free resources from IACW and our partners!
Imm
s-to-Go Toolkit:
This toolkit is designed to help local health departments work with schools and healthcare providers to plan and host onsite immunization clinics in their schools or community. It was developed and piloted by the Spokane Regional Health District at 26 schools within 10 school districts in Spokane County. You can find the toolkit with its associated planning checklists on our new website!
Adult immunization schedules:
Our pocket-sized, convenient format of the recommended adult schedule for patients, update
d for 2017. Order yo
urs today
by emailing
with your name, mailing address, and desired quantity.
E-course on vaccine hesitancy: "There Never Was An Age of Reason: Vaccines, Vaccine Hesitancy, and Vaccine Decision Making." Hear Dr. Edgar Marcuse on the history, current status, and impact of vaccine hesitancy on our vaccination rates and disease outbreaks across Washington and beyond. The course includes tips on how best to approach parent conversations about vaccines, and is designed for nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, physicians, health educators, public health staff, and others who work with immunizations. It is free, and registration is required at
www.immunitycommunitywa.org/courses/.
CME course on HPV immunization: An online CME course on HPV immunization is available from WithinReach, Cardea, and the Washington State Department of Health. Learn everything you need to know about HPV vaccines - plus practical strategies to communicate successfully with patients and parents! We've recently updated it to cover the new two-dose schedule. The course is on-demand and can be taken any time. Register at www.immunitycommunitywa.org/courses/.
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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