Immunity Community Connections June 2022

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

June 2022

Image of two men embracing with the caption celebrate men's health month and pride month

Hello {First Name},

May brings us Men's Health Month and Pride Month! While all routine vaccinations can benefit men and/or LGBTQ+ people, this month we want to highlight the importance of the HPV vaccine for both of these groups.

Men lag far behind women in HPV vaccination rates even though the vaccine could be be life-saving for them and their partner. Additionally, cancers caused by HPV disproportionally affect LGBTQ+ people. Visit the HHS Office of Minority Health for Men’s Health Month materials and find more information about HPV vaccines for LGBTQ+ people at the National LGBT Cancer Center.

Please read on for more vaccine-related resources, events, and announcements!

Stay safe, healthy and protect your community!

WithinReach

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Immunization Champion Awards Nominations Are Now Open!

2020 IACW Immunization Champion Award winners

IACW and the Washington State Department of Health are now seeking nominations for the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) Immunization Champion Awards!

This award recognizes local immunization efforts in Washington state. The program has been expanded this year to recognize individuals for their work in routine childhood vaccination, or for flu, HPV, or COVID-19 work across the lifespan.

Select nominees may be honored with an IACW award through this process. IACW will select winners for the Immunization Advocate and Collaborator Awards alongside the AIM Immunization Champion Award process. Awardees will be recognized at the Summer IACW Quarterly Meeting on August 17 on GoTo Webinar.

The nomination process ends at 5pm PT on June 27, 2022. Please access the nomination packet on the AIM webpage. All nominations must be emailed to DOH at phillip.wiltzius@doh.wa.gov. The official award winners for each state will be announced on August 15, 2022.

Events and Learning Opportunities

National Vaccine Advisory Committee Meeting

June 15-16, 2022

NVAC meets three times per year in Washington, DC. to cover the most recent and pressing topics surrounding vaccines. In-person attendance is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis but you must register ahead of time. For anyone who would like to view the meeting without attending in-person you can watch via webcast on hhs.gov/live.

ACIP Updates to Pneumococcal Vaccines

Jun 9, 12:15 - 1pm (ET), 9:15 - 10am (PT)

Please join the Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition and Dr. Camille Kotton of Mass General Hospital and the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for an educational session around the recent updates to Pneumococcal Vaccine.

Dr. Kotton will provide a brief overview on pneumococcal disease, discuss the updated pneumococcal vaccine recommendations, and present clinical cases.

Vaccines as tools to prevent antimicrobial resistance: Advances, challenges and future development

Jun 23, 9am (ET); 6am (PT)

Antimicrobial resistance caused 4.95 million deaths associated with AMR and 1.27 million deaths attributable to AMR in 2019. This webinar, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), will explore the mechanisms, evidence and value of vaccines in preventing AMR. A panel of experts will discuss what are the challenges to ensure that vaccines to prevent AMR are developed and widely used.

COVID, Beliefs, and Bias - Oh my!

June 15, 10:30am - 12pm (CT), 8:30 - 10am (PT)

Mistrust of the healthcare system by disenfranchised communities and implicit bias have contributed to poor communication and missed opportunities for realistic goal-setting and relevant patient education that can further the conversation about COVID and vaccine hesitancy.

This webinar will focus on addressing these topics and open the discussion on ways to improve communication between providers and patients especially as it relates to COVID, vaccine hesitancy, and total health promotion.

HPV CME Overview: Make an Impact, You have the Power to Prevent HPV Cancers

Available June 1 - June 30

Learn more about HPV, the HPV vaccine, and evidence-based strategies for increasing HPV vaccine delivery while earning CME credits. Up to 3.5 CME credits can be earned, with credits earned per module completed. Participants can choose to complete as few or as many modules as they would like. Providers, healthcare team members, and HPV vaccine advocates are welcome.

Resources

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Two Videos Advocate for Vaccines for Children

Two videos from the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants advocate for vaccines for children from the perspective of an immigrant mother and father respectively. Both videos are available in 14 languages.

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Resources For New Adult Vaccine Recommendations

The CDC recently updated adult vaccine recommendations related to hepatitis B vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, and Shingrix. Find a detailed summary of the updated recommendations with additional resources here.

Conversation Guide: Boosters and Third Doses

With COVD-19 boosters now available for children ages 5+, check out this conversation guide as well as the pediatric vaccination guide to help inform parents about how they can boost their children's immunity.

Free E-Courses

Check out our free immunization e-courses on our Immunity Community website! These courses can be started and completed at any time. Courses are available for professionals who work in the immunization field.

QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?

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.

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