A publication of the Immunization Action Coalition of WA (IACW) and WithinReach
April 2021

Greetings!

Happy Spring! April is a month of celebrations and recognition. Cherry trees are blooming, kids are heading back to school, baseball season has started, over 3.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given across WA State and, on April 15th, the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all Washingtonians 16 and older!

April also marks the celebration of National Public Health Week and National Infant Immunization Week. We are so grateful for our public health workers across the U.S. who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy!

In our April newsletter, you’ll find information on our upcoming IACW quarterly meeting, COVID-19 resources and other information we hope you’ll find helpful in your work.
 
As always, stay safe, stay healthy and get vaccinated!

WithinReach
Immunity Community Highlights of the Month
STOP ASIAN HATE

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian racism and xenophobia have shaken and traumatized our communities. Public Health - Seattle & King County denounce racism, colorism and any actions taken to harm someone because of their race or place of origin. They also acknowledge and condemn the systemic violence and erasure that our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities face, and how this is distinct from the escalation of anti-Asian hate crimes in our country. 


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces additional measures to encourage vaccinations and increase vaccine confidence as part of the next phase of its COVID-19 public education campaign. The Administration is launching the COVID-19 Community Corps – a nationwide, grassroots network of local voices people know and trust to encourage Americans to get vaccinated.

Washingtonians who are eligible for the vaccine can use this vaccine locator from the WA State Department of Health (DOH) to find appointments near them. For additional information, individuals can call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available, if needed.
Upcoming Webinars & Events
Register today for the April 2021 IACW meeting. Our Spring meeting will feature a presentation on the impacts of the 2019 Washington State legislation requiring childhood vaccinations for school entry on Seattle Public Schools students, an overview of the 2021 legislative session and DOH COVID-19 updates.


Join the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), the American College Health Association, the National Medical Association, and the Business Group on Health for a panel discussion with experts sharing practical strategies and real-world insights to reach key audiences, including communities of color, employees and college students.


April 30, 2021, 2021 8:00 - Noon PST
This virtual meeting will take an in-depth look at the state of
Washington, discuss how to overcome current barriers/challenges, and provide tools to start HPV vaccination at 9-10 years old. 
Free E-Courses

Hepatitis B Health Disparities in Refugee and Immigrant Communities

Drop Your Assumptions and Pick Up the Evidence: Strategies for Communication with Parents About Vaccines

News

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is extremely effective in young adolescents, perhaps even more so than in adults. This finding could ease the return to normalcy for millions of American families.

There's growing evidence that the HPV vaccine can protect even young women and girls who haven't been immunized.
A new government study finds HPV infections have declined dramatically in both vaccinated and unvaccinated teen girls and young women.

Mark Zuckerberg wanted to make his social network a reliable source about the pandemic. Instead, he’s helped spread misinformation about vaccines causing infertility.
Resources Section

This report summarizes key information discussed during the roundtable and presents a scalable communications framework with strategies and messaging to help leaders across many sectors ensure that their communications foster positive social norms that encourage the public to protect themselves, their families and their communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had tragic and disproportionate adverse effects on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities across the U.S. This plan provides tools to create, implement and support a vaccination campaign that works with BIPOC communities to remedy COVID-19 impacts, prevent even more health burdens and more.

Overall Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider orders (other than flu) are down by almost 10.9 million doses, with MMR/MMRV down by 1.4 million doses. Overall adolescent vaccination orders are down 17-22% due to pandemic impacts in 2020. It is crucial that we ramp up adolescent vaccination earlier than usual in 2021 to catch up and ensure a safe return to in-person schooling.
QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?
Contact us: [email protected]
Making the connections Washington families need to be healthy and safe. Promoting, protecting & supporting immunization as a vital part of the health and development of children and families.

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.