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April 2023
Vaccine Booster
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Annual Report from Vaccinate Your Family
Examines the State of Our Immunion
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Every year, Vaccinate Your Family writes and distributes a State of the ImmUnion report to help examine the strength of our country’s defenses against vaccine-preventable diseases, and what we can do, as public health advocates and policymakers, to make our country stronger and more resilient in the face of emerging health threats. CIC is an active partner with Vaccinate Your Family and we encourage you to read through report and encourage you to take a few simple steps to help share important data and information with policymakers and the public.
- Read through and share this report with your network of fellow immunization advocates.
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Please take a moment to ask for strong support of vaccines and to share the most recent State of the ImmUnion report by using VYF’s form to send quick and easy emails to your Members of Congress.
- Find specific asks on page 17 through 18 - share with state and national representatives.
Many thanks to the Vaccinate Your Family team for this annual report and the many ways they support the California Immunization Coalition and all state and local coalitions and partners.
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Updates: Ending of COVID-19
Public Health Emergency
Recommendations for Pediatric Immunization Providers
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Thanks to our collective efforts, the risks of severe COVID-19 to immunized Californians in the ongoing pandemic have decreased, contributing to the ending in 2023 of state and federal public health declarations of emergency .
However, CDC COVID-NET data indicate that hospitalization of infants and young children for COVID-19 have increased over the last year emphasizing the need to continue our efforts to increase their low rates of immunization as Californians have resumed everyday activities.
During Fall 2023, the federal government is expected to cease being the sole purchaser of COVID-19 vaccine, which will then be sold on the private market similar to other routine vaccines. We encourage you to order and administer COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible patients now, while it is free of cost and to consider the following strategies to get your patients up to date before the summer break starts:
- Promote COVID-19 vaccine availability to your patients via patient portals or other communications; some families may still be unaware children under 5 years of age are eligible to get vaccinated.
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Encourage patients to download their digital vaccine records, which now include full immunization records, including reminder messages when immunizations are due.
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Administer COVID-19 vaccines at all visits, including well-child checks Use the immunization registry or your EHR to identify those due for COVID-19 vaccination.
For more information on key dates and strategies find our joint letter here to all providers who care for pediatric patients, written by the California AAP, California Family Physicians, CIC and the California Medical Association with thanks to the coordinating efforts of the CDPH Immunization Branch team.
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The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) draws its strength from its robust and diverse partners. We are grateful to be able to gather in person again to celebrate these partnerships and learn from one another at our 2023 Summit in Riverside.
For almost 25 years, California's Immunization Coalition has dedicated its energy on improving access to vaccinations and achieving and maintaining full immunization protection for all Californians, and we look forward to continuing the conversation and goal setting with you.
We are reaching event capacity soon and if you are interested in attending be sure to register today. Registration link below.
Thank you to our Summit Sponsors and Exhibitors who are helping to make this year's event possible.
CIC is pleased to welcome our Summit Keynote presenter, former California State Senator and Senior Policy Advisor Richard Pan, MD, MPH, who will be joined by our tremendous colleagues including:
- Erica Pan, MD, MPH, FAAP, State Epidemiologist, Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases, CDPH
- Oliver Brooks, MD, Medical Director, Watts Healthcare Corporation, Current ACIP Member
- Ethan Lindenberg, Advocate and Communication Specialist
- Robert Schechter MD, MPH , FAAP, Chief, Immunization Branch, CDPH
- Michael Hogue, Pharm D, MPH, Professor and Dean, Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy
- Jeffrey Goad, PharmD, MPH, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Chapman University School of Pharmacy
- Dorit Reiss, PhD, Professor of Law, UC Hastings College of the Law
- Richard Carpiano, PhD, MPH, Professor of Public Policy, UC Riverside
- Michael Powell, MSc, Chief Immunization Registry, CDPH Immunization Branch
- Crystal Strait, Principal, Strait Advocacy
- And over 16 amazing workshop presenters
Visit the CIC website to find registration, hotel and other travel information and view final Summit agenda.
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National Infant Immunization Week
April 24 to April 30
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National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is a yearly observance highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).
COVID-19 has caused many disruptions in families’ lives – and in some cases, it has meant that children have missed or delayed their wellness checkups and vaccination, which are a critical part of ensuring children stay healthy. CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations.
NIIW is April 24 – 30, 2023. Learn more about NIIW resources here. For healthcare providers, check out updated educational resources here.
| 2023 Immunization Champion Award - AIM | |
The Nomination Period for the 2023 Immunization Champion Award begins today, April 17!
The Immunization Champion Award is a national award program hosted by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) and funded by the CDC. This award recognizes individuals going above and beyond to promote or foster adult and childhood immunizations in their communities. The award program has been expanded to include immunization throughout the lifespan, as well as all vaccine categories to provide more opportunities for recognition.
The award honors one individual per jurisdiction at the local level who has made significant contributions to promoting and fostering immunization in their community for any vaccine category. Awardees exhibit at least one of the following criteria:
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Advocacy
Nominate someone you know, or yourself, who fits these criteria. AIM members will be accepting nominations until Friday, May 19. Learn about eligibility requirements and application submissions on the nomination form on their website. Please feel free to share this one-pager with your networks and If you have any questions, please contact AIM here.
| California Legislative Updates - 2023 | |
Legislation we are watching as of April 13, 2023
AB 659 - Assemblymember Aguiar Curry - Cancer Prevention Act
AB 310 - Assemblymember Arambula - CalWORKS
Additional information can be found on the California Legislative Information pages where you can sign up for alerts about all California legislation - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/
CIC will post updates, fact sheets and information on immunization related legislation on our website under our websites legislative pages as it is available.
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New COVID-19 Stories Focus on
Protecting Kids and Parents
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Most recently, ShotByShot.org launched new COVID-19 testimonials including: It's Worth a Shot: Eric's Testimonial and It's Worth a Shot: Amy's Testimonial (both 30 seconds). Amy’s story shares a mom's anguish as her young daughter experiences a medical emergency after contracting COVID-19. Getting through this motivated her to share the importance of COVID vaccination.
Eric shares how disruptive and confusing it was for his young daughter to have to stay away from daddy when he tested positive. Eric talks of vaccination being important to protect him and his family.
The stories were part of a trio contributed by new partner, the Mississippi Public Broadcasting, It’s Worth a Shot campaign. We're thrilled to expand the circulation of these stories. Please help by using them and sharing them with colleagues, clients, and friends!
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And just like that, you can get a digital copy of your vaccine record! And not just for your COVID vaccinations.
Check it out here - just enter a few details below to get a link to your COVID-19 Vaccine Record with a QR code or your California Immunization Record. Save it on your phone and use it as proof of vaccination wherever you go.
If you are a parent or guardian and have multiple vaccine records associated with a single cell phone number or email address, you will need to enter each Digital Vaccine Record request separately.
For us, this is a huge incentive to get your patient's immunization data into the registry either by direct data entry or data exchange. More information about this new program will be available soon.
From the CDPH Digital Vaccine Record site:
NOTE: It is possible that some or all vaccine doses you received were not reported to the California Immunization Registry (CAIR), and therefore your Digital Vaccine Record may not be complete. Historically, only COVID-19 vaccinations were required to be reported to CAIR and effective January 1, 2023, all vaccines are required to be reported.
If you received your vaccinations from a federal agency (e.g., Department of Defense, Indian Health Services, or Veterans Affairs), you may need to contact those agencies for assistance with your vaccination record.
If you have questions about your vaccination record, visit their FAQ by clicking button below.
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Stay in touch and find out how to get involved in CIC: | | | | |
