Public Health Leaders Emphasize The Importance of Getting Vaccinated to #FightFlu |
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Message from Headquarters |
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If ever there was a year to #GetVaccinated against influenza (flu), this is the one! Faced with the prospect of a double-threat as the viruses that cause flu and COVID-19 co-circulate, NFID is working harder than ever to raise awareness about the burden of flu and the importance of prevention and treatment. In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NFID officially launched the 2020-2021 flu season on October 1, 2020 with the virtual 2020 NFID Influenza/Pneumococcal Disease News Conference, urging everyone age 6 months and older to get an annual flu vaccine and to make sure that they are up-to-date with recommended pneumococcal vaccines.
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Keynote speaker Anthony S. Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, presented new data on the burden on flu and US vaccination rates, and NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, shared results from a new NFID national survey of US adults to better understand flu and pneumococcal vaccination attitudes and behaviors in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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Panelists also included NFID President Patricia N. Whitley-Williams, MD, of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Federico M. Asch, MD, of MedStar Health Research Institute and Georgetown University, and Daniel B. Jernigan, MD, MPH of CDC. All panelists emphasized the need to increase vaccination rates, especially in communities of color, which often bear a disproportionate burden of serious complications from flu and COVID-19, and continue to experience disparities in vaccination coverage. The complete news conference recording and related resources are available at: nfid.org/2020flunews. We were very pleased to have the support of so many NFID partner organizations and the extensive coverage from national media outlets.
As part of the Leading By Example initiative, NFID is encouraging all partners and stakeholders to share flu vaccination photos on social media, using the hashtag #FightFlu and tagging @NFIDvaccines.
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To raise awareness about the importance of getting all recommended vaccines that may have been delayed in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NFID launched a national campaign, Keep Up The Rates. To date, more than 100 leading organizations have joined the campaign. NFID continues to explore innovative ways to reach diverse audiences, including a new partnership with the US Census Bureau to encourage the public to complete the 2020 Census. As part of the collaboration, the US Census Bureau is sharing key public health messages with consumers about the importance of annual flu vaccination. NFID is also working with several NFL teams on implementation of recommended precautions to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
In closing, thank you to all who responded to the NFID annual stakeholder survey—your feedback helps ensure that NFID activities help fulfill the mission to educate the public and healthcare professionals about the effective prevention and treatment of infectious diseases across the lifespan. Now, more than ever, the mission of NFID is vital to public health. Thank you to all of our partners and stakeholders who collectively advocate for disease prevention with ‘one strong voice.’ Together, we can save lives and reduce the burden on the US healthcare system.
Wishing you all a healthy fall season,
Marla Dalton, CAE
NFID Executive Director & CEO
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Register for 2020 Clinical Vaccinology Course (Virtual) |
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Join us from any convenient location, anywhere in the world, to learn about US vaccination recommendations across the lifespan. Led by national experts, the comprehensive course covers all recommended vaccines with a focus on innovative and practical strategies for ensuring timely and appropriate immunization. Don't miss new course content on COVID-19 vaccine development and implementation/deployment considerations.
2020 topics include:
- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Updates
- Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy
- Preventing Outbreaks
- Strategies to Increase Immunization Rates
- Vaccine Safety and Monitoring
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Hepatitis B: Are You At Risk?
Approximately 1 in 4 people with chronic hepatitis B virus infection will develop liver cancer or liver failure. October is Liver Awareness Month and NFID has developed a new campaign to raise awareness about the importance of hepatitis B prevention.
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Standing up for Science
NFID joined the Alliance for Aging Research and more than 75 national organizations urging the leaders of federal healthcare agencies to rise above politics and provide the public with information about the well-established guidelines in place to ensure safe and effective COVID-19 prevention, detection, and treatment.
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Stronger Campaign
BIO and The Public Good Projects launched Stronger, a national advocacy campaign with the goal of stopping the spread of harmful misinformation about science, medicine, and vaccines. Stronger focuses on actively mobilizing the vast majority of the public who know vaccines are safe and effective.
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Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Immunization Action Coalition has developed a repository of resources for use by state and local health departments, professional societies, immunization coalitions, advocacy groups, and communities in their efforts to maintain immunization rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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United Against the Flu
NFID has joined the American Hospital Association on the United Against the Flu campaign to amplify the importance of getting vaccinated against flu, especially during the 2020-2021 flu season, as the world is still experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Your Flu Vaccine, Your Pharmacist
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) launched a new campaign to stress that flu vaccines are essential to protect public health and prevent an overrun of the healthcare system due to the dual threat of flu and COVID-19. NFID is a supporting partner of the campaign.
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Stay up-to-date on NFID activities by following the blog, NFID News. Recent popular posts include:
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Telling A Good Story
Real stories are powerful tools to help raise awareness about the importance of disease prevention. Read More...
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Schaffner Report: Keep Up The Rates
NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, talks with NFID Executive Director and CEO Marla Dalton, CAE, about Keep Up The Rates, a national campaign focused on encouraging all individuals to receive recommended vaccines that may have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More...
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Predictions for A Post-COVID-19 World
NFID leaders share their predictions on the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More…
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Measles and COVID-19: A Dangerous Combination
In the midst of the pandemic, it may seem odd for public health experts to be thinking about measles, but that is exactly what they are doing. Even before COVID-19, measles vaccination rates fell short of public health goals–and experts are worried about measles outbreaks. Read More ...
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In Memoriam: William J. Ledger, MD |
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NFID is deeply saddened by the loss of former NFID Director William J. Ledger, MD, Given Foundation Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Recognized for decades as a pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic infections, he was chief investigator at one of the major test sites for the first approved quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and was a leading investigator in multiple trials of immuno-enhancing agents to speed the elimination of HPV infections in women. Dr. Ledger was a founder and first president of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology and was the first obstetrician-gynecologist to serve on the NFID Board of Directors.
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In Memoriam: Catherine M. Wilfert, MD |
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Catherine M. Wilfert, MD, was a pioneer in the field of pediatric AIDS and a relentless advocate for children. Dr. Wilfert graduated with distinction from Stanford University in 1958 and summa cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1962—one of just five female medical students in her class. She made many seminal contributions during her long career, including leading the development of treatments for children infected with HIV and leading the effort to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in North Carolina, which resulted in a 90 percent reduction in just 3 years, followed by similar efforts to reduce perinatal HIV transmission across the US and around the world, leading to a 47 percent decrease in new infections globally. She is survived by her husband and colleague, and former NFID Trustee and recipent of several NFID awards, Samuel L. Katz, MD.
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Shared Clinical Decision-Making Webinars
NFID offers complimentary, on-demand webinars to help healthcare professionals implement shared clinical decision-making vaccination recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The series of webinars, offering continuing medical education credit (CME), covers HPV immunization in adults, pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in adults age 65 years and older, and meningococcal B immunization.
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Vaccines Adults Need to Stay Healthy
To help educate adults about the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of prevention through vaccination, NFID has developed a consumer-focused resource that can be incorporated within an overall workplace wellness program. In this virtual education program, NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, briefly discusses how vaccines work, which vaccines are recommended for adults and why, and how adults can protect themselves, their families, and their community from preventable diseases. More than 200 participants recently attended a customized online session developed for Sangamo Therapeutics.
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December 14, 2020: 2020 NFID Awards Gala (Virtual)
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Through the generous support of its many donors, NFID continues to work towards our vision of healthier lives through effective prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Thank you to all who have given so generously this year.
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Help Us Help You
Be on the lookout this fall for an NFID email requesting that you update your online profile, to ensure that you receive relevant communications that best match your interests.
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