The Washington State Department of Health Office of Immunization and Child Profile is seeking a Clinical and Quality Assurance Section Manager! This position is responsible for providing leadership, including clinical immunization consultation, Vaccines for Children site visits, and more. The position closes on October 17.
If you like your flu prevention to come with a laugh, check out these funny flu videos from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Looking for ways to improve adult immunization rates? Check out the Association of Immunization Managers' new Adult Immunization Resource Guide!
The Washington State Department of Early Learning recently featured an article on "Back to School Immunizations" in their newsletter and blog.
Register now for the first annual Washington State Immunization Summit on April 26, 2017! We are excited to share a compelling program featuring the latest on vaccine hesitancy, new data tools for improving rates, and reaching underserved communities.
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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. Our priorities for 2016 include vaccine hesitancy; access to immunizations; provider education; and special populations.
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Contact
Sara Jaye Sanford, MPH, CHES, Immunization Coordinator at
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For more information about the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington:
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Dear IACW Member,
We hope to see you at our upcoming meetings! We're excited to hear from epidemiologist Chas DeBolt at our
quarterly meeting on October 19 about polio and acute flaccid myelitis surveillance in Washington - join us to learn more about the local connections to global efforts to eradicate this once-feared disease.
Thanks for reading,
Sara Jaye Sanford, MPH, CHES
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 QUARTERLY MEETING OCTOBER 19 |
Please join us on Wednesday, October 19 from 12-2pm at the Tukwila Community Center for our quarterly meeting! We'll be featuring Chas DeBolt, epidemiologist for vaccine-preventable diseases at the Washington State Department of Health, on polio and acute flaccid myelitis surveillance in Washington. How close are we really to eradicating polio, and why are Washington's efforts important? Will we ever find the cause of other cases of acute flaccid myelitis? Join us to learn more! All are welcome.
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| WASHINGTON RECEIVES CDC ADULT IMMUNIZATION AWARD |
We are excited to announce that our state received an award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for highest pneumococcal vaccination coverage among adults aged 65 years and older during 2015. This award recognizes our efforts to prevent serious disease in older adults. On behalf of WA, the Department of Health accepted this award at the National Immunization Conference (NIC) held in Atlanta, GA. This award and honor is shared with our many immunization providers - you! We want to thank all of the healthcare providers across the state who help prevent serious diseases by vaccinating people every day. Let this recognition encourage you, and help further your efforts to get the word out about life-saving vaccines.
The award is for a dose of EITHER PPSV23 or PCV13, and was based on 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Washington came in second place for this award with a pneumococcal vaccinate rate of 78.3% among adults aged 65 years and older. Colorado came in first place with a pneumococcal vaccinate rate of 78.7%. New Hampshire came in third place with a pneumococcal vaccinate rate of 78.0%. The Healthy People 2020 goal for pneumococcal vaccine coverage among adults aged 65 years and older is 90%.
Washington has done a lot to focus our efforts on adult immunization rates since receiving a Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) award for promoting adult immunization work in 2011. Our adult work has included:
- Increasing use of the IIS for adult immunization for tracking and clinical decision making;
- Increasing access to immunizations in pharmacies and other settings;
- Purchasing more vaccines for adults who are uninsured and underinsured;
- Provider quality improvement;
- Training community health workers;
- Working with our partners across the state
We have a long ways to go to reach Healthy People 2020 goals for many immunizations, and we are still searching for the best ways to build vaccine confidence and remove barriers to immunizations. This work is hard, and we will continue to work together to do better. This award is a reminder that the work we do matters. Together we are working to protect and improve the health of people in WA State.
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| DOH SEEKS BILINGUAL REVIEWERS |
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The Washington State Department of Health Office of Immunization and Child Profile is looking for volunteers! Please read on for a message from them:
"If you are a bilingual parent (English/Spanish) with a child between age birth and 6 or a bilingual professional (English/Spanish), we would like to hear from you! The Office of Immunization and Child Profile is in the process of recruiting volunteers to help review its Child Profile Health Promotion materials. Child Profile Health Promotion is our state's immunization and well-child visit reminder system. The Washington State Department of Health uses the system to remind parents of upcoming well-child visits and send health and safety information to all families in the state with children aged birth to six by mail and email. This information is available in both English and Spanish.
Professional and parent volunteers are an important part of the review process for the Child Profile Health Promotion materials. Since the information we provide is in two languages, we would like to recruit bilingual volunteers to be part of the professional and the parent review teams. Here is more information about these teams:
- How often are these materials reviewed? These materials are reviewed monthly.
- How much time do I get to review each material? A 2 week turnaround time is given to review each material every month.
- How many materials go out for review? A total of 16 letters would be reviewed. The following brochures will also be reviewed on an annual basis:
- Three nutrition brochures
- Three development charts
- What type of information is covered in these materials? Information related to immunizations, nutrition, growth and development, oral health, safety, and other health topics.
- How long do I have to commit for? As long as you would like to participate.
If you would like to volunteer for one of these two review teams, please email Columba Fernandez (Spanish Health educator) or Adriana Avelar (English Health Educator). You can also call the Office of Immunization and Child Profile at 360-236-3595 and ask to speak with Columba or Adriana. Thank you, we look forward to hearing from you!"
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Save the dates for the remainder of our 2016 meetings:
Quarterly Meeting:
October 19, 12-2pm, Tukwila Community Center
Public Awareness & Education Committee Meeting:
Healthcare Provider Education Committee Meeting:
October 19,
10-11:30am, Tukwila Community Center
HPV Task Force Meeting:
October 19,
2-3:30pm, Tukwila Community Center
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 Check out the following free resources from IACW and our partners!
CME course on HPV immunization: A free online CME course on HPV immunization is now available from WithinReach, Cardea, and the Washington State Department of Health. Learn everything you need to know about HPV vaccines - plus practical strategies to communicate successfully with patients and parents! The course is on-demand and can be taken any time. Register at www.cardeaservices.org/resourcecenter/you-are-the-key-to-hpv-cancer-prevention.
Plain Talk About Childhood Immunization: This booklet is one of the most in-depth resources available for parents who want detailed answers about immunizations, and is available in Russian as well as English and Spanish! To order unlimited free quantities from the Department of Health, click on the language you're interested in. It is also available online in a new mobile-friendly format!
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