for CDC's latest influenza information
for VFC resources and interactive training modules
for clear, science-based information about vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases for parents by parents.
to educate local and national health organizations, coalitions, and public health departments about effective immunization communication strategies.
Keep up with us on:
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Our Mission
The California Immunization Coalition is a public-private partnership dedicated to achieving and maintaining full immunization protection for all Californians to promote health and prevent serious illness.
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Contact Us
Catherine Flores Martin, Director
California Immunization Coalition
1331 Garden Highway
Sacramento, CA 95833
(916) 414-9015
Kamrynn Saylor, Program Associate
(916) 414-9017
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2019 - 2020 Influenza Season - United States
T
he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 15 million people in the U.S. have gotten sick with flu. More than 150,000 Americans have been hospitalized, and more than 8,000 people have died from their infection. And, this isn't even a particularly bad flu year (so far).
- Flu shots are still best way to protect yourself and loved ones. And it is not too late to get one.
- Handwashing continues to be one of the best strategies for avoiding infections. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. CDC has a great new
- section on handwashing (Clean Hands Save Lives)
- Social distancing - i.e. stay home if you are sick. Keep your children home from school and activities if they are sick. We get it, it's difficult, and employer policies don't always support real life. Think of your co-workers and their families the way you want them to think about you and yours.
Read more about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak and surveillance below. While this international outbreak is concerning and rapidly changing, we want to make sure our communities are reminded about the existing risks that influenza presents right now in the United States and the simple steps that can assist with avoiding many respiratory illnesses as outlined above.
For updates and more information about the influenza season so far:
#FightFlu #IVax2Protect #VaccinesWork
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2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov)
This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated information as it becomes available, in addition to updated guidance.
CDC is closely monitoring the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV ), a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Visit these CDC's web pages for the most current information.
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CIC Summit Abstract Deadline Fast Approaching!
There is still time! CIC is accepting abstracts through the weekend for our 2020 Summit on June 8 and 9, 2020 in Sacramento, CA. This is a great opportunity to highlight what your organization has been doing and share with others in the field. The deadline for summiting an abstract is Monday February 3, 2020. For more information about the Summit click here. To submit an abstract go here.
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Thank you to Wilbert (Bill) Mason, MD
Congratulations and Thank you for your Leadership
The Board and Staff of CIC want to thank Dr. Bill Mason for his years of dedication and leadership to the California Immunization Coalition. He recently completed his two year term and has handed the gavel to our new President Randy Bergen.
Bill has been a thoughtful and involved President, offering his over 35 years of expertise and experience in pediatric infectious diseases and healthcare to the Coalition as a content expert, advocate, and media spokesperson. Bill joined the Board in 2008 and served as Co-Chair of the Emerging Issues Committee for several years before taking role of Vice-President and President.
Many thanks to Dr. Mason for his commitment to California and public health.
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Meet CIC's New President and
Vice President!
The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) welcomes
Randy Bergen, MD, as CIC President
Randy
Bergen is a Senior Physician with The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) at the Walnut Creek Medical Center. He has been a member of a variety of
professional associations including the California Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, has chaired various Kaiser Committees, and is a clinical site investigator for the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Safety Study Center and the clinical lead for the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Influenza Vaccine Program.
D
r. Bergen has been involved in CIC for over 11 years (
previously serving on the Adult IZ Coalition prior to our merger)
as a Board member, Advisory Council, committee chair, Treasurer and Vice President. He is a tremendous spokesperson for the Coalition, for children and for public health. Many thanks to Dr. Bergen for taking on this important role!
The California Immunization Coalition welcomes
Jasjit Singh, MD, as CIC Vice President
Jasjit Singh
is Assistant Director of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), where she also serves as Medical Epidemiologist and the Faculty Advisor for the Pediatric Residency Program.
Her main interests are in the prevention of infection and vaccines, international health, and primary immunodeficiency conditions in children. She is active in clinical research, has a passion for teaching medical students and residents, and gives frequent lectures at CHOC and in the community on a variety of infectious disease topics.
Dr. Singh is active in a variety of organizations and partnerships. Since 2013, she has served as the Chair of the Orange County Immunization Coalition and is a frequent presenter at their educational meetings. She is also a member of a variety of public health and research-related organizations including the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
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CIC Board Planning For 2020 and Beyond
Coalition Board members met in Sacramento earlier this month to discuss priorities, goals and objectives for our work over the next two years.
CIC is grateful to these public health leaders who represent a range of professions, organizations, backgrounds and interests. Priority goals which support the Coalition's mission of ensuring that all Californians have access to lifesaving vaccines, include: addressing issues around access to vaccinations, education and advocacy for strong vaccine policies, registry promotion, and providing educational opportunities on latest recommendation and information on vaccines and immunization.
To learn more about our wonderful Board members, go to
About Us - Board of Directors. Our next Booster will feature profiles on our newest Board members, Eric Ball,MD, Pamela Kahn, MPH, RN and Sallie Negin, RN.
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AB 1965 - Coverage of Preventive Services
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) has introduced Assembly Bill 1965, to require that the State Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program cover the costs of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
AB 1965 would require that the Family PACT program include the HPV vaccine within its covered health services.
The California Family PACT Program provides comprehensive family planning services to approximately 1.1 million low-income residents through a network of over 2,200 public and private providers. Services provided include comprehensive education, assistance, and health services related to family planning for both men and women.
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Help us spread the word. Not the Flu.
In order to help spread awareness about influenza and how easy it is passed from person to person, we launched a great campaign called "FluDropped." It uses the AirDrop feature on an iPhone to spread the message about the flu vaccination in the same way the flu is spread: through the air and by proximity.
You can still help us by joining us in spreading this "epidemic" of awareness. You can download the FluDropped image and pass it forward to remind your friends, family and co-workers that flu season is here.
Learn more here.
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Register Today for
2020 CIC Summit
Be sure to
mark your calendar
,
make your travel plans
, and
register today to be a part of the great work we do to create a healthier future.
The 2020 California Immunization Coalition Summit to be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento, California.
The theme of this year's Summit is
A Healthier Future Is In Sight 2020
and will focus on utilizing our public health successes to engage with new partners, grow our Coalition network, educate, and support our communities to make our collective vision for immunizations a reality for all Californians. For over 13 years, the CIC Summit has brought together partners and colleagues from throughout California and beyond to share ideas, highlight successes, and identify partnerships.
Click on the link below to register.
*Note: The annual meeting for California's local health department immunization coordinators will take place on Monday, June 8. Information and agenda for that meeting will be emailed separately to immunization coordinators.
Registration fees will be applied towards Summit materials and any meals provided during the event. For bulk registration or purchase orders, please contact Kamrynn Saylor at
[email protected]
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Help Promote New Prenatal HEDIS Measures
As in the U.S., California has significant disparities, with lower vaccination rates among low-income women. Infants born to women with Medi-Cal coverage have more than twice the risk of pertussis than those who are privately insured. CIC is delighted about a new HEDIS measurement. It assesses maternal Tdap and influenza vaccination levels.
CIC believes this new measure is important and should be used by everyone. We developed a letter with steps our partners can take to adopt the new measure in their organizations.
The letter includes:
- Steps for health plans (commercial and Medi-Cal)
- Steps for local immunization coalitions and health departments
- Steps for medical groups, healthcare facilities and health systems
View and download the letter
here.
Everyone has a role to play in promoting this effort.
Please share this information widely in your network and with your provider community.
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Preteen Vaccine Week 2020
March 1-7, 2020!
PVW is an annual California observance. First started in 1999 to create awareness about the Hepatitis B vaccination school law requirement, the observance has evolved to promote the concept of preteen doctor visits and draw attention to the importance of immunizations for preteens.
The goals of PVW 2020 are to distribute information and materials through multiple avenues such as schools, providers, and the media to raise awareness about HPV, Tdap, meningococcal, and varicella vaccines for boys and girls, as well as to promote the preteen doctor visit. Each day has a theme:
Monday:
General Awareness / PVW
Tuesday:
Meningococcal Vaccination (MenACWY)
Wednesday:
HPV Vaccination (International HPV Awareness Day)
Thursday:
Chickenpox Vaccination
Friday:
Pertussis Vaccination (Tdap)
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CIC Redesigned Website
CIC is pleased to announce the official launch of our updated website at
ImmunizeCA.org
. We think you'll agree it is a nice refresh with updated images, updated information and easier navigation tools.
This refresh will help us get information out to you and we hope it will help inspire you to promote our work even more. Thank you for the suggestions, feedback and comments so far. Check it out here!
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Nominate Your Immunization Champion
Do you know someone whose work in immunization deserves special recognition? Consider nominating that person
or group for a CIC Immunization Champion Award.
Each year CIC presents two very special awards, one typically to a community member and the other to a provider. Awards are presented at the annual CIC Summit luncheon.
Nomination forms and details will be posted on the
CIC website
with Summit updates soon.
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NEW Prenatal Immunization Information
CIC Website
Please share these great resources with prenatal care providers and those working closely with pregnant women.
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Click below to join CIC on Social Media!
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Immunization Information en Español!
The Spanish website,
vacunasymisalud.org,
has been redirected to the CDPH Immunization website. Including Spanish information on the CDPH website makes the content more accessible to everyone as the website is ADA compliant as well as mobile-friendly.
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The California Immunization Coalition is a statewide 501c3 nonprofit. Newsletter content is the sole responsibility of the California
Immunization
Coalition.
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