• CDC publishes "Decline in Child Immunization Coverage during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Michigan Care Improvement Registry, May 2016–May 2020" in MMWR
• AAP launches campaign urging parents to call their pediatricians to schedule check-ups and vaccines in light of falling immunization rates
• Dozens of new resources! IAC adds to its new Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during COVID-19 Pandemic
• Cheers! Dozens of colleges and universities are recognized on IAC’s MenB Vaccination Honor Roll for requiring the vaccine to protect their students
• Teaching young people about vaccines: IAC compiles reliable resources for instructing high school students on vaccines and how they work
• Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news
• Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus information

• IAC updates its popular handout titled “When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?"
• IAC posts update to its handout “Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination”
• IAC releases Spanish translations of two recently updated handouts on HPV, one for parents of 11-12–year-olds, one for adults ages 18–26
• IAC revises its PowerPoint slide set “Give Birth to the End of Hep B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns” for your use

• This week’s “Video of the Week” explains how to respond to pandemic concerns in a pediatric practice 
• As healthcare offices become busier, be sure you have IAC’s laminated schedules and all the other “Shop IAC” supplies you need

• CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center publishes May issue of Vaccine Update newsletter
• CDC publishes “Assessing the Role of Food Handlers in Hepatitis A Virus Transmission—Multiple States, 2016–2019” in MMWR
• "Planning for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program" published in JAMA 

• Thursday! CDC and Public Health Foundation will host webinar on vaccinating adults with chronic conditions on May 28

• Register now to provide oral public comment at the virtual ACIP meeting on June 24
• Thursday! NASEM Health and Medicine will hold virtual meeting on improving vaccine uptake and issues of access and hesitancy on May 28

• 2009 parody video suggests ways to mask a cough to make the world a healthier place to live

CDC published Decline in Child Vaccination Coverage during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Michigan Care Improvement Registry, May 2016–May 2020 in the May 22 issue of MMWR. The researchers compared vaccination rates in children at ages 1, 3, 5, 7, 16, 19, and 24 months in May 2020 with the average of 2016–2019 May vaccine coverage estimates. Vaccine coverage declined in each of the age cohorts, except for birth-dose HepB coverage, which is typically given in the hospital. Vaccination rates in Michigan for some diseases fell below 50%.



Access the MMWR article in HTML format or in PDF format.

Related Links

• CNBC: CDC Warns of Possible Measles Outbreak as Vaccinations for Children Fall During Coronavirus Pandemic (5/18/20)
• New York Times: Vaccinations Fall to Alarming Rates, CDC Study Shows (5/20/20)
• New York Times: Child Vaccinations Plummet 63 Percent, a New Hurdle for N.Y.C. Schools (5/20/20)
• IAC's Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• American Academy of Pediatrics website
• AAP's #CallYourPediatrician Campaign digital media toolkit 
• IAC's Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic

On May 19, IAC launched the Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic to assist in maintaining routine immunization rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Located on the National Network of Immunization Coalitions website, a project of IAC, this repository includes links to both national and state-level policies and guidance; advocacy materials, including talking points, webinars, press releases, articles, and social media posts; and telehealth resources. These resources are intended for healthcare settings, state and local health departments, professional societies, immunization coalitions, advocacy groups, and the community to use in their efforts to sustain immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The more than 80 resources that appear in the repository come from the federal government, nationally recognized healthcare organizations, state health departments, state immunization coalitions, and other organizations devoted to disseminating accurate immunization information.



These resources can be sorted and searched by date, title, geographic area, source, type, category, or setting.

If you have a resource that you would like to see in the repository, please send a message to [email protected].

Access the repository to view and to search through the range of valuable resources available to support the patients, families, and communities you serve.

Related Link

• National Network of Immunization Coalitions website

IAC has compiled a list of online resources to educate children and adolescents on vaccines and the immune system. Over the last two weeks, IAC Express shared resources for elementary school students and resources for middle school students.

Below you will find resources for high school students. Please use these resources to teach your own children how vaccines work and help spread the word about these credible resources for students in many classroom settings.

• History of Vaccines: Historyofvaccines.org offers standards-based resources for use in biology and health courses. The Activities tab leads to a set of nine short slideshows on the Scientific Method, Koch’s Postulates, How Vaccines Are Made, How Vaccines Work, Understanding Risk, and other topics. From the Activities tab, clicking on “Family Facts” or “Educator Resources” leads to more resources and suggestions for educators at home and school.
• CHOP's The Vaccine Makers Project: Includes high school lesson plans (revised 2020), videos, and 3-D animations. Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS), this content describes the different parts of the immune system and how the immune system works to fight off disease and infection, along with how vaccines work, their history, development, and safety. High school students are able to explore lessons on biomedical and animal research, as well as navigate through an interesting case study on the spread of disease. Lessons include a teacher's plan, student worksheets, glossaries, games, and additional resources. Activities and resources introduce the scientific method and equip students to critically evaluate science-based topics central to our lives. 

For shorter activities, here are several sources that share important lessons about vaccines, how they work, and important vaccine champions.

• TED-Ed: How do vaccines work? (4:35 min.; 1/12/15)
• Science News for Students: Explainer: What is a vaccine? (7/18/17)
• Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell:
  • The Side Effects of Vaccines—How High is the Risk? (10:55 min.; 5/12/19)
  • The Coronavirus Explained and What You Should Do (8:34 min.; 3/19/20)
  • Measles Explained—Vaccinate or Not? (5:33 min.; 2/24/15)
• Vaxopedia website
• Science Journal for Kids and Teens: Five Scientific Articles about Vaccination for Middle and High School Students

 

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Not-to-miss immunization articles in the news

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.

• New York Times: Child Vaccinations Plummet 63 Percent, a New Hurdle for N.Y.C. Schools (5/20/20)
• Shot of Prevention: The Vaccine Mom Discusses Thimerosal in Vaccines (5/20/20)
• Stanford Law Review: When Public Participation is Public Theatre: Misuse of Public Comment Opportunities by Anti-Vaccine Activists (5/20) 
• NPR: The Race for a Polio Vaccine Differed from the Quest to Prevent Coronavirus (5/22/20)

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Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus information 

CDC, NIH, WHO, and Johns Hopkins are closely monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Be sure to check the resources below for the latest information. Stay in touch with your local and state health departments.

Related Links

• CDC’s COVID-19 gateway page, CDC.gov/coronavirus, links to CDC’s Situation Summary web page and Latest News web page. The COVIDView gateway page summarizes the epidemiologic intelligence.
• NIH's Coronavirus (COVID-19) gateway page links to news releases on vaccine trials
• WHO's Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak gateway page links to WHO’s Situation Reports web page
• Johns Hopkins' Coronavirus Resource Center gateway page links to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases CSSE web page
• Eriksen's COVID-19 Resources to Support Accurate Translation web page

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IAC HANDOUTS

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IAC updates its popular handout titled “When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?”

IAC recently revised When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations? to incorporate the revised recommendation to vaccinate all adolescents against hepatitis A. 



Related Links

• IAC's Handouts: Hepatitis A gateway page
• IAC’s Handouts for Patients and Staff gateway page, where you can sort materials by topic, vaccine, or language
• IAC’s Educational Materials for Patients and Staff—an alphabetical listing of more than 300 ready-to-print staff educational materials and patient handouts

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IAC posts update to its handout “Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination”

IAC updated its patient handout Hepatitis B Facts: Testing and Vaccination to include the addition of incarcerated people to the groups for whom the vaccine is recommended.



Related Links

• IAC's Handouts: Schedules for Patients gateway page
• IAC’s Handouts for Patients and Staff gateway page, where you can sort materials by topic, vaccine, or language
• IAC’s Educational Materials for Patients and Staff—an alphabetical listing of more than 300 ready-to-print staff educational materials and patient handouts

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IAC releases Spanish translations of two recently updated handouts on HPV, one for parents of 11–12-year-olds, one for adults ages 18–26

IAC released new Spanish translations of two recently updated HPV handouts.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV): A Parent’s Guide to Preteen and Teen HPV Vaccination has been revised to update the statistics along with other minor edits. View the handout in Spanish.

HPV Vaccine: A Guide for Adults Ages 18–26 Years has a new title and updates the recommendations for men 22 through 26 years of age. View the handout in Spanish.

  

Related Links

• IAC's Handouts: Spanish Translations of IAC Materials gateway page
• IAC’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) gateway page
• IAC’s Handouts for Patients and Staff gateway page, where you can sort materials by topic, vaccine, or language
• IAC Educational Materials for Patients and Staff—an alphabetical listing of more than 300 ready-to-print staff educational materials and patient handouts

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IAC revises its PowerPoint slide set “Give Birth to the End of Hep B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns” for your use

IAC recently posted a revised edition of its PowerPoint slide presentation for healthcare professionals titled Give Birth to the End of Hep B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns to incorporate current statistics and updated ACIP recommendations.

You can download the 6-slide-per-page handout of 36 slides (PDF format) or request the PowerPoint file from IAC by going to IAC's PowerPoint Slide Sets web page. Just below the presentation's title and description, click on "Request the PowerPoint slide set" and IAC will email the request form for the PowerPoint presentation. Once you have submitted your request, we will send you the presentation. You can edit and use it as you see fit.



IAC's PowerPoint Slide Sets web page on immunize.org contains presentations on 13 immunization topics. Use the slide sets "as is" or modify them to suit your organization's needs. The titles and links to the handout-formatted slides are listed below.

• Adolescent Immunization Update and the 16-Year-Old Platform
• Common Immunization Myths and Misconceptions
• Current Issues in Influenza
• Give Birth to the End of Hep B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns
• How to Implement Standing Orders in Your Practice
• The Importance of Minimum Ages and Intervals in the Vaccine Schedule
• A Photo Collection of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
• Quick Answers to Tough Questions
• Resources to Help Immunization Providers PREVENT Vaccination Errors
• Strategies to Increase Enrollment in IAC's Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll
• To Err Is Human; Not to Err Is Better! Vaccination Errors and How to Prevent Them
• What Are Standing Orders Protocols? Making a Difference in Adult Immunization Rates
• Why Adult Immunization Matters

Visit the IAC's PowerPoint Slide Sets web page on immunize.org to begin utilizing these valuable slide sets today!

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FEATURED RESOURCES

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This week’s “Video of the Week” explains how to respond to pandemic concerns in a pediatric practice

AAP president Dr. Sally Goza, MD, FAAP, advises clinicians and parents on how to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19 in this week's "Video of the Week."
 


Visit the VOTW archive.

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As healthcare offices become busier, be sure you have IAC’s laminated schedules and all the other “Shop IAC” supplies you need

On the Shop IAC web page, you will find many resources such as laminated vaccination schedules, personal immunization record cards, pins for your lapel, and more! Your purchases will help IAC keep delivering free, educational materials to healthcare professionals and to the public. 

IAC's laminated versions of the 2020 U.S. child/adolescent immunization schedule and the 2020 U.S. adult immunization schedule are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccinations are given.

    

The schedules' coating can be wiped down, and they’re durable enough to stand up to a year's worth of use. Visit the Shop IAC: Laminated Schedules web page for more information on the schedules.

IAC’s three personal immunization record cards—child & teen, adult, and lifetime—are printed on durable rip-, smudge-, and water-proof paper. Sized to fit in a wallet when folded, the cards are brightly colored to stand out. Give these nearly indestructible personal record cards to your patients. They're sold in boxes of 250.



You too can show your support for vaccination with IAC’s elegantly designed “Vaccines Save Lives” pin on your lapel. The pin makes a refined statement in hard black enamel with gold lettering and edges, measuring 1.125" x 0.75”. Order yours today to show how much you value immunizations!



Related Links:

• IAC’s Laminated Child/Adolescent Immunization Schedule (0–18 years) 
• IAC’s Laminated Adult Immunization Schedule (19 and older) 
• IAC’s Laminated Schedules print-ready order form (PDF)
• IAC’s Child & Teen Immunization Record Cards
• IAC’s Adult Immunization Record Cards
• IAC's Lifetime Immunization Record Cards
• IAC’s “Vaccines Save Lives” pins
• IAC’s Shop IAC gateway page

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JOURNAL ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTERS

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CHOP's Vaccine Education Center publishes May issue of Vaccine Update newsletter

The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) publishes a monthly immunization-focused newsletter titled Vaccine Update. The May issue includes articles on the following:

• Vaccines and Adults: A Lifetime of Health booklet updated
• Video clips with Dr. Fauci added to Vaccine Makers Project (VMP)
• WHO Guidance on COVID-19 Strategies by Charlotte A. Moser, BS, and Paul A. Offit, MD
• Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on routine pediatric vaccine ordering and administration by Paul A. Offit, MD

Additional resources, including information booklets for patients, are available in the full newsletter.

Access the sign-up form to subscribe to Vaccine Update.

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CDC publishes “Assessing the Role of Food Handlers in Hepatitis A Virus Transmission—Multiple States, 2016–2019” in MMWR

CDC published Assessing the Role of Food Handlers in Hepatitis A Virus Transmission—Multiple States, 2016–2019 in the May 22 issue of MMWR. The last two paragraphs are reprinted below (references omitted). 

Ongoing hepatitis A outbreaks have been prolonged and costly to control. These study findings indicate that the risk for secondary infection from hepatitis A–infected food handlers to food establishment patrons in these outbreaks is low (<1.0%). Therefore, public health efforts to preemptively vaccinate all food handlers would be ineffective at mitigating the current risk for person-to-person outbreaks. To optimize resources, health departments should assess the risk for secondary transmission of hepatitis A from infected food handlers on a case-by-case basis and prioritize vaccination efforts in situations where secondary transmission risk is deemed high.

Approximately two thirds of the hepatitis A–infected food handlers in this survey reported risk factors commonly associated with the current person-to-person outbreaks. This underscores the importance of vaccination strategies targeting the populations at highest risk (i.e., persons who use drugs, persons experiencing unstable housing or homelessness, MSM, and persons who are or were recently incarcerated) as the cornerstone of an effective public health response.

Related Links

• MMWR gateway page provides access to MMWR Weekly, MMWR Recommendations and Reports, MMWR Surveillance Summaries, and MMWR Supplements
• IAC's Ask the Experts: Hepatitis A web page
• IAC’s Hepatitis A gateway page
• IAC's Unprotected People Stories: Hepatitis A web page

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"Planning for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program" published in JAMA 

In its May 18, 2020 issue, JAMA published Planning for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program, by Sarah Schaffer DeRoo, et al. The conclusions and recommendations are reprinted below. 

The groundwork for public acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine must be carefully started before a vaccine becomes available. The health community will likely benefit from early public enthusiasm for a COVID-19 vaccine, and it is critical to build on that momentum to encourage swift, broad vaccine uptake as it becomes available. To promote future COVID-19 vaccine uptake, the following approaches are suggested.

First, a COVID-19 vaccine should rapidly be delivered to the public as soon as rigorous testing has been completed, and efficacy and safety have been established. The vaccine should be equitably and justly distributed, particularly targeting individuals at highest risk for complications and disease transmission to others if initial vaccine supply does not meet demand. Second, the plan for a COVID-19 mass vaccination program should proactively address known potential obstacles to vaccine acceptance using linguistically and culturally competent messaging. Third, public health officials should develop a robust COVID-19 vaccine educational campaign harnessing traditional and social media, with a particular focus on involving social influencers and targeting misinformation. Fourth, frontline health care workers should be taught how to make strong recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination, including, if relevant, sharing their personal experiences with COVID-19 and the vaccine.

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

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Thursday! CDC and Public Health Foundation will host webinar on vaccinating adults with chronic conditions on May 28

The Public Health Foundation is hosting a CDC webinar, Vaccinating Adults with Chronic Conditions: Recommendations and Lessons Learned, May 28 at 3:00 p.m. (ET). Three physicians will discuss vaccine recommendations and strategies for increasing immunization among adults with heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes. Speakers will include Sarah Coles, MD, and Lt. Cmdr. Tara Jatlaoui, MD, MPH (USPHS).

Register for the webinar.

 

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CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

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Register now to provide oral public comment at the virtual ACIP meeting on June 24 

You can now register to make an oral public comment at the web-enabled June 2020 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. The oral public comment session will occur on June 24 during the ACIP meeting, which will be held virtually. To accommodate the interest in participation, each speaker will be limited to 3 minutes. A lottery may be conducted to determine the speakers should there be more people requesting to speak than can be reasonably accommodated. 

Register to make an oral public comment. 

No registration is required to watch the live June ACIP meeting or listen via telephone. The agenda for the June ACIP meeting has been posted.

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Thursday! NASEM Health and Medicine will hold virtual meeting on improving vaccine uptake and issues of access and hesitancy on May 28

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will host a workshop May 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET) titled The Critical Public Health Value of Vaccines—Tackling Issues of Access and Hesitancy. The virtual meeting will explore topics including vaccine access and hesitancy, and the causes and effects of declining confidence in vaccines. The agenda and briefing book may be downloaded from the virtual meeting’s home page.

Register for the May 28 session. 

Related Links

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine gateway page
• Download Briefing Book and May Virtual Meeting Agenda
• IAC's Talking About Vaccines gateway page
• IAC's Vaccine Safety gateway page

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

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2009 parody video suggests ways to mask a cough to make the world a healthier place to live

Office workers in this 2009 archived video titled Cough Etiquette Parody, have found alternatives to using the crook of your elbow to cover your cough while around other people. The spot comes from CBC’s 22 Minutes, a Canadian comedy show, and is part of a PSA collection curated by vaccine expert William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH.



Previous videos mentioned in “On the Lighter Side” are available when viewing this Vimeo video.

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