A publication of the Immunization Action Coalition of WA (IACW) and WithinReach
October 2021

Greetings!

As the leaves change to fall colors and people start bringing out Halloween decorations, it’s also time to get our flu shots and get fully caught up on all recommended vaccines. Learn more about getting a flu vaccine this season on Washington State Department of Health's website.

On September 24, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups. These groups include adults 65 and older, residents in long-term care facilities, people ages 18-64 with underlying health conditions, and people ages 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to their occupational or institutional setting. Decisions about booster doses for Johnson & Johnson’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines will be announced as soon as those data are available.  

This month's newsletter includes important community vaccine announcements, webinars and vaccination news. Please feel free to share this newsletter with your networks.

Stay safe, healthy and protect your community!

WithinReach
Community Vaccine Announcements

As part of the Power of Providers Initiative (POP) to support COVID-19 vaccination and referral, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has recently created new resources to support providers and partners.

The recruitment toolkit contains newsletter, email, fax, and video script templates and a flyer for organizations and partners to spread the word on POP. The committed toolkit contains sample reminder/recall and holding message scripts, social media, and other web content.



Getting the flu vaccine is your best defense at protection from the flu. And this year, it’s more important than ever to get vaccinated! It’s best to get your family vaccinated for flu by October, but flu vaccine is still available through winter. You may visit your local doctor’s office, pharmacy or clinic event in your area.


The COVID-19 Vaccine Collaborative is a community engagement initiative launched by the DOH to ensure an equity and social justice lens is incorporated in the agency’s vaccine planning and implementation. The Collaborative centers the needs, requests and recommendations of communities and sectors that have been most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. If you are interested in joining the Collaborative, please fill out an interest form or register for our next meeting.


Upcoming Webinars & Events
October 7, 2021, 9:30 - 10:30 am ET  
Leading national experts will present final influenza (flu) vaccine coverage data from the 2020-2021 US influenza season and will discuss the importance of protection against flu and pneumococcal disease amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


October 20, 2021, 12:00 - 2:00 pm PDT

Join us for our virtual October 2021 IACW Meeting! Presentations and a recording of this meeting will be made available after the event.

Free E-Courses

Fostering COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in Russian- and Ukrainian-Speaking Communities


Hepatitis B Health Disparities in Refugee and Immigrant Communities

News

Many social media influencers who focus on natural remedies, holistic health and new age spirituality have been sharing posts and videos questioning the wisdom of vaccinating against the coronavirus. Public health experts say widespread vaccine hesitancy increases the threat of the virus mutating and helps keep the pandemic raging.


Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the CDC's strongest recommendation yet for pregnant people and those who were recently pregnant to get a COVID-19 vaccine.


Updated city and state population figures from the 2020 U.S. Census released last month gave a clearer picture of the country’s racial and ethnic makeup. In every state, the White-only share of population was smaller than projected, and, as a result, a larger percentage of White people in many places have received shots than previously reported.

Resources
QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?
Contact us: ic@withinreachwa.org
Making the connections Washington families need to be healthy and safe. Promoting, protecting & supporting immunization as a vital part of the health and development of children and families.

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.