Dear ,



The World Coalition on Adult Vaccination has had a busy summer and has shown extraordinary progress in advocating for a life course approach to vaccination across sectors and disciplines. It is an honour to see the Coalition grow to include new members and increase initiatives -- thank you all for your efforts.

The IFA Vaccines4Life Team hopes you are informed, inspired and make connections as a result of the Coalition member updates within this newsletter.

Yours sincerely,

The IFA Vaccines4Life Team

For almost a decade online, Vaccines Today has grown to become a vital part of the 'immunity community'. The information portal, based in Europe, has launched a new video to showcase its story and encourage others to join the online conversation.



'As we begin to write the next chapter in our story, we are constantly looking for new partners and supporters who can help us reach new audiences and take our initiative to the next level,' said Gary Finnegan, Editor of Vaccines Today.   

Vaccines Today has also published several new articles this summer, including a feature on how tech giants are pushing back against anti-vaccine messages ; the story of a doctor with a plan to mobilise pro-vaccine voices online ; and a fascinating experiment in Finland that will use computer games to increase HPV uptake .  



Expect plenty more from Vaccines Today this autumn, beginning with coverage of the EU Global Vaccine Summit in Brussels in September, followed by the Fondation Merieux Vaccine Acceptance conference in Annecy, France.  

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) National Adult Vaccination Program (NAVP) recently participated in a Capitol Hill Briefing: Access to Vaccines for Medicare Part D Beneficiaries – Today and In the Future. GSA CEO James Appleby moderated the event and NAVP workgroup member Stefan Gravenstein provided data on the cost effectiveness of vaccines developed for older adults. Find more information on the briefing here .

NAVP is also collaborating with the Gerontological Advance Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) to offer its Immunization Champions, Advocates, and Mentors Program (ICAMP) in Las Vegas in October. It will be offered as a pre-conference workshop to the GAPNA annual meeting. Healthcare professionals are invited to join us. For more information on NAVP, or to join our monthly newsletter mailing list, please contact [email protected] .  

In subtropical Hong Kong, annual influenza vaccination is recommended for vulnerable populations and healthcare workers before the main seasonal peak in Winter. Vaccination coverage of healthcare workers is particularly important both for self-protection and for preventing virus transmission.

Since 2006 an annual nurses survey has been conducted by the Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases to track the vaccination pattern in the community. Over the past decade, a V-shape curve of vaccination coverage was observed. The coverage declined from 57% in 2005/06 to 24%-25% in 2010/11-2011/12 (the years following H1N1(pdm09) pandemic), and increased gradually to 48% in 2018/19. Past history of influenza vaccination (odds ratio (OR) ranging from 11.25 to 44.55, p<0.05) and family members’ vaccination (OR from 2.18 to 6.89, p<0.05) were positively associated with vaccination in all survey years. Some other factors, including recent diagnosis of influenza or influenza-like illnesses, older age (>55 years old), longer work experience (>20 years), and infrequent patient contacts were in significant positive association with vaccination in some of the years.

These results showed that while impending threats of influenza epidemics could influence vaccination decision, one’s vaccination habit and family influences are consistent predictors of vaccination uptake. 

Generations United’s Valuing Vaccinations Across Generations campaign in the U.S. continues to produce compelling and shareable content on how older adult vaccinations impact all ages as a result of young and old connecting through intergenerational programs. 

 

Generations United launched the campaign in 2016 with The Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Pediatrics to bridge the importance of immunizations within segmented groups into an intergenerational conversation within families and among different generations.

 

Generations United took the campaign abroad, working with teams led by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) in Japan and the University of Granada - Business Sector Foundation in Spain.

 

The campaign team in Japan ( www.ikouyo-vaccine.com ) launched an English version of the website and shared messages through manga cartoons and translated content on its website, leaflets and social media. They built off their successful grassroots strategy through presentations and working with local governments on direct outreach in communities.

 

In Spain, the campaign team recruited participants for a study on vaccine beliefs and attitudes. They also trained older adults to go into schools to educate young people about vaccines. The campaign also worked with health professionals in primary care centers and senior centers.

 

Kicking off their work in the U.S., Generations United published a blog, “ Strengthening Healthy Connections Between Generations .” They submitted the piece as a statement in support of continuing the pneumococcal vaccine to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. For more information, visit www.bandAGEofhonor.org . 

Immunize Canada has put together several infographics to educate Canadians on the importance of adult vaccination. Click each image to download and share on your own social media platforms, and check out Immunize Canada's Social Media Calendar for the month of September.

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