The next EMIC meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 20 from 2-3:30 PM. Dr. Mohamed Jalloh, author of Andre's Armor, a children' book about vaccines will present on ways the book can be used as a resource for increasing vaccine confidence among parents.

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Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a member of the Essex Metro Immunization Coalition? Fill out a member form to stay up to date on all of EMIC's activities!



The first ever vaccines for RSV were FDA approved in May 2023 for adults 60 and older. Both have now been recommended by ACIP for those 60 and older. You can learn more about these recent recommendations from the American Medical Association and the ACIP.

Additionally, the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab received FDA approval on July 17. This will impact neonates and infants born during or entering their first RSV season, as well as children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to RSV in their second season.

You can view the recorded on-demand Q & A session on RSV Monoclonal Antibody presented by EMIC and the Partnership on 8/15 here.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. As students prepare for back to school, it is a great time to recommend vaccines for families.

Here are some upcoming events in honor of Immunization Month:

• Friday, August 18th 12 PM Back to School Webinar with EMIC and the Essex County Office of Public Health Management

• Wednesday, August 23, 5 PM virtual webinar with American Cancer Society on HPV

New Resources from the NJ Department of Health for discussing vaccines with parents are available:

Vaccine Information Toolkit for Parents/Guardians NEW! 6/2023

• Introduction Letter
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Keeping Your Children Calm During Vaccine Appointments
• Spotting Vaccine Misinformation
• Tips for Staying Up to Date 
• Locations to Access Vaccines (2.5 x 3.5 Palm Card)

Source: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/vpdp.shtml

Closing the Gaps: Effective Strategies to Increase Immunization Rates Traveling Program

This program will provide practitioners with insights and strategies to address gaps in vaccine coverage rates. It will explore current immunization rates and disparities, as well as the reason behind vaccine hesitance. This presentation will also discuss communication techniques and practical tips providers can use to boost immunization rates. This program offers 1.0 Nursing Contact Hour. For more information about scheduling this program at your site, contact Melisa Hart at mhart@pmch.org.

In collaboration with Touro University California College of Pharmacy, the Partnership is conducting several information sessions to determine parental attitudes toward childhood immunizations and to evaluate the impact of a children's book on such opinions. Participants will receive a copy of the book Andre's Armor and an Amazon gift card.

There are upcoming workshops scheduled:

• August 22
• August 30

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Jasmine Anderson janderson@pmch.org or share this flyer.

The hepatitis B birth dose program provides patient education materials in English, Spanish, and Chinese on preventing hepatitis B during pregnancy and the importance of babies receiving the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours after birth.

Have 15 minutes? Check out this short video as part of the Partnership's "15 minutes or Less" professional education on demand library discussing how to recommend hepatitis B vaccine to expecting families.

For resources, please visit the NJ Department of Health Perinatal Hepatitis B website.