Nevada AAP Chapter President Vanessa Slots, MD, FAAP met with staff members from the offices of Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen to encourage their support of the bipartisan Strengthening the

Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2021.

Dr. Slots also met with staff of Representative Mark Amodei (NV-02) and Nevada AAP Secretary/Treasurer Terence McAllister, MD, FAAP met with Representative Susie Lee (NV-03) herself to encourage their support of the bill. We are so grateful to Rep. Lee for taking the time to speak with us!

Photos from the virtual meetings were shared on Twitter along with the hashtag #AAPAdvocacy2021 as more than 700 pediatricians across the US met with their representatives to encourage the same support.

A detailed sign-on letter from the AAP and a bill one-sheet contain more details about the bill aimed at improving the VFC program.

The Nevada AAP has been busy giving both verbal and written testimony for a number of State bills that impact pediatric health in Nevada.

Nevada AAP Board member Randi Lampert, MD, FAAP has been especially active during the Nevada legislative session having given testimony on a number of bills important to her. In addition, Dr. Lampert wrote a blog post for our Chapter on the importance of updating Nevada car safety laws (AB118).

Dr. Lampert has taken a leadership role with advocacy groups supporting Nevada SB420,

a bill that revises provisions relating to health insurance including creating a public option. Dr. Lampert gave testimony and co-authored an opinion piece on the bill that ran in The Nevada Independent.

To date, the Nevada AAP has not taken an advocacy position on SB420 and we want to hear form members what you think. If you have an opinion, either for, against, or neutral, please contact Executive Director Leann McAllister at ED@NevadaAAP.org or on her cell 508-685-0918. Dr. Lampert invites physicians who support SB420 to sign onto this letter urging members of the Nevada Legislature and Gov. Sisolak to Pass the Public Option.

A complete list of state bills we've taken advocacy action on so far this session are below:

AB59 Revises various provisions relating to tobacco

AB118 Revises provisions relating to the transportation of children in motor vehicles

AB141 Revises provisions relating to the sealing of records for summary evictions

AB143 Establishes provisions concerning victims of human trafficking

AB189 Expands Medicaid coverage for postpartum care and other services for pregnant women

AB191 Requires the State Plan for Medicaid to include coverage for the services of a community health worker under certain circumstances

AB197 Revises provisions relating to persons experiencing homelessness

AB257 Establishes provisions governing indoor air quality in public schools

AB286 Prohibits certain acts relating to firearms

AB287 Providing for the licensing and regulating of freestanding birthing centers

SB139 Requires certain health insurance to cover treatment of certain conditions relating to gender dysphoria

SB190 Provides for the dispensing of self-administered hormonal contraceptives

SB275 Revises provisions relating to communicable diseases

HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Just today, the AAP published it's official policy on COVID-19 Vaccines in Children and Adolescents. In the policy, the AAP recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all children and adolescents 12 years of age and older who do not have contraindications using a COVID-19 vaccine

authorized for use for their age. 

For AAP members interested in learning more about COVID including how to administer the vaccine at your practice, the Academy offers a number of resources including an ongoing Town Hall Series.

For patients, the AAP has published a number of helpful articles on HealthyChildren.org for doctors to share with families. All pages on HealthyChildren.org are also available in Spanish.

Here in Nevada, Nevada AAP Immediate Past President: Pam Greenspon, MD, FAAP has given a number of recent press interviews encouraging patients to #CallYourPediatrican to talk about the COVID vaccine and the importance of getting kids caught up on well exams.

We need your help! Please take 1 minute to fill out this brief, 6 question survey only for Nevada Physicians and Medical Providers on COVID vaccines for kids.