MCAAP Immunization Initiative Update
April 2024
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National Infant Immunization Week
April 22-29, 2024
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).
While NIIW is coming to end, its key messages can be used throughout the year in your practice:
- Ensure that families stay on track for their children’s well-child visits and routinely recommended vaccinations. 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. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations.
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Most parents choose the safe, proven protection of vaccines. Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough (pertussis) and measles.
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Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. Vaccines help protect both individuals and communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
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Vaccination is a shared responsibility. Families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials must work together to help protect the entire community.
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Vaccines are safe. The U.S. has a long-standing vaccine safety system that ensures vaccines are as safe as possible. As new information and science become available, vaccine recommendations are monitored, updated, and improved.
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Trust in vaccines is built through millions of conversations between parents, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and community members. NIIW reminds us to encourage vaccine conversations at all community levels.
Reference: NIIW Key Messages, CDC
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Registration is Open!
2024 MDPH Immunization Updates
Click here to register!
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (MDPH) Immunization Division presents updates on immunization-related topics for health care providers every spring. This series of one-hour webinars takes place on Wednesdays in May and June, from noon to 1 p.m.
The 2024 Immunization Updates schedule follows:
Wednesday, May 8, 12:00 PM
Immunization Schedule Updates
Angela Fowler, MD, MPH, Associate Medical Director for Vaccine Preventable Diseases, MDPH
Wednesday, May 15, 12:00 PM
Immunization 101
Laurie Courtney, MSN, RN, Immunization Nurse Manager & Perinatal Hepatitis B Coordinator, MDPH
Wednesday, May 22, 12:00 PM
Epidemiology of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Massachusetts
Juliana Jacoboski Duncan, MPH, Epidemiologist, MDPH
Wednesday, May 29, 12:00 PM
Vaccine Confidence - Improving the Vaccination Experience to Reduce Anxiety-Related Vaccine Hesitancy
Kelly Moore, MD, MPH, President & CEO, Immunize.org
Wednesday, June 5, 12:00 PM
Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS)
Michelle Holmes, MPH, MIIS Interoperability Coordinator and Trainer, MDPH
Wednesday, June 12, 12:00 PM
Vaccines for Children (VFC) Compliance and Vaccine Storage & Handling Training*
Dylan Kirby, MPH, Vaccine Management Unit Operations Coordinator VFC, MDPH
*Vaccine coordinators and backups can earn their VFC Certificate
All sessions are free and will be held via webinar (no in-person sessions). Click here to register!
For questions about the Immunization Updates, please contact Ted Clark, Outreach Coordinator, MDPH Immunization Division, at ted.f.clark@mass.gov.
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Nominations are Open!
2024 AIM Immunization Champion Award
Nomination deadline: May 28, 2024
The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) is accepting nominations for the 2024 Immunization Champion Award.
This award honors a local Champion - nominated by you - by recognizing those who go above and beyond to promote or foster immunizations for children and adults. Immunization programs will base their nominations on meeting one or more of the following criteria: Leadership, Collaboration, Innovation, and Advocacy. Immunization Champions may include coalition members, parents, healthcare professionals (e.g., physicians, pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, medical assistants), community activists, nonprofit leaders, and community-based organization members.
Click here to access nomination information and the nomination form. Please send completed forms to Ted Clark (ted.f.clark@mass.gov), by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28.
Please share news of this award with your networks and partners.
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Vaccinate Your Family Publishes Annual "State of the ImmUnion" Report
Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) has published its 8th annual "State of the ImmUnion" Report. The 2024 report reviews 2023 "ImmUnion" activity, presents the ongoing challenges that our nation faces, and describes the policies that can increase immunization rates and promote public safety. The report requests our help in rebuilding a culture of immunization to protect our communities from deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.
The reports also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, noting that the VFC program guaranteed that no child would be denied a vaccine based on their family’s ability to pay for it. As a result, vaccination of children born since 1994 will prevent 472 million illnesses and over one million deaths.
Click here to access the report.
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Measles Update
As reported on CDC's Measles Cases and Outbreaks webpage, as of April 26, 2024, a total of 128 measles cases have been reported by 20 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
There have been 7 outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) reported in 2024, and 67% of cases (86 of 128) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 4 outbreaks were reported during 2023 and 48% of cases (28 of 58) were outbreak-associated.
On Tuesday, April 30, at 11:00 a.m. ET, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will present, "Combating the Resurgence of Measles and Other Preventable Diseases." Click here for webinar information.
Families in your practice may planning international travel this summer. As summer draws near, the CDC recommends that children who are eligible to receive measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine should be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure.
Please see the Resource Spotlight section of this newsletter for measles resources.
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Respiratory Season Update
COVID-19
As they become available, CDC posts COVID-19 vaccines updates to its, "Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines" webpage. By bookmarking this page, you can easily keep current on COVID-19 vaccines updates.
Influenza
While the 2023-2024 influenza season is winding down, infections due to influenza can be found throughout Massachusetts. Vaccination is still recommended while flu strains are circulating.
Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 influenza season:
- Flu ordering is not yet opened for the 2024-2025 flu season. There is no pre-booking required for the 2024-2025 flu season. Flu ordering for the 2024-2025 flu season will open in August 2024.
- All state-supplied doses in the 2024-2025 Flu Season will be trivalent formulations as opposed to the quadrivalent formulations that are available for the 2023-20245 flu season.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV)
The April 2024 MDPH Vaccine Program Update includes an article noting that th 2023-2024 nirsevimab season officially closed as of March 31, 2024. Clinical guidance recommends halting nirsevimab administration until September 2024. Providers who have doses remaining in inventory should continue to store the doses in the appropriate storage conditions, as they will remain viable into next Respiratory Season as long as they don't experience excursions or pass their labeled expiration dates on the box.
As a reminder, nirsevimab ordering is currently turned off in the MIIS. There is no pre-ordering process for state-supplied nirsevimab doses for the 2024-2025 season. Additional communication will be sent with updates for 2024-2025 nirsevimab ordering, as the next Respiratory Season approaches.
Please see the Resource Spotlight section of this newsletter for respiratory season resources.
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Vaccine Confidence Update
The Massachusetts Vaccine Confidence Project (MVCP) is a collaboration of the Immunization Division, Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH); the Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition (MAIC), and the Massachusetts Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP).
The MVCP’s mission is to increase vaccine confidence throughout Massachusetts to ensure that all residents are fully protected against serious, vaccine-preventable disease. This is accomplished through the development of educational activities and science-based resources and training materials for healthcare providers and the public, and collaboration with organizations which support immunization.
Earlier this month, the MVCP was a recipient of a Massachusetts PTA Health Grant. The grant will support the development of "Take the Shot" activities in collaboration with Team Maureen. The MVCP is grateful for MA PTA's support!
The MVCP will be exhibiting at these upcoming conferences:
- Oral Health in the Commonwealth (4/30/24);
- 26th Annual Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses (MAPHN) Conference (5/9/24);
- MA League of Community Health Centers Community Health Initiative Conference (5/13-14/24).
If you plan to attend any of these conferences, please stop by to say hello!
On May 29, as part of its 2024 Immunization Updates, MDPH will present, "Vaccine Confidence - Improving the Vaccination Experience to Reduce Anxiety-Related Vaccine Hesitancy Kelly Moore, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Immunize.org will present. Click here to register for this webinar.
Click here to visit the MVCP website. Click here to read the most recent MVCP newsletter.
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Resource Spotlight
Measles
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
CDC
MDPH
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Infectious disease surveillance, reporting, and control website
2023-2024 Respiratory Season
Dashboards
- MDPH's Massachusetts Viral Respiratory Disease Dashboard. The dashboards provide data on contagious respiratory viruses, including acute respiratory diseases, COVID-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Massachusetts. The data presented helps track trends in respiratory disease and vaccination activity across Massachusetts.
- CDC's Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) Dashboard. Weekly reports of hospitalizations across the United States due to three vaccine-preventable seasonal respiratory viruses: COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
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CDC's FluView, Weekly U.S. Surveillance Report website (seasonal influenza activity).
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CDC's FluVaxView website (current season preliminary influenza vaccine data).
Recently Published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
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Use of the Pfizer Pentavalent Meningococcal Vaccine Among Persons Aged ≥10 Years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ― United States, 2023. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). April 18, 2024 / 73(15);345–350.
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Durability of Original Monovalent mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Omicron–Associated Hospitalization in Children and Adolescents — United States, 2021–2023. MMWR. April 18, 2024 / 73(15);330–338.
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Measles — United States, January 1, 2020–March 28, 2024. MMWR. April 11, 2024 / 73(14);295–300.
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Early Estimate of Nirsevimab Effectiveness for Prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Associated Hospitalization Among Infants Entering Their First Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season — New Vaccine Surveillance Network, October 2023–February 2024. MMWR. March 7, 2024 / | 73(9); 209-214.
Bulletins and Newsletters
- Weekly Flu Report dashboard, MDPH
- Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS) Monthly Update - April 2024, Issue 25
- MDPH Vaccine Program Update - April 2024
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Events and Meetings
April 22-29, 2024
CDC
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW)
NIIW is a yearly observance highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Click here for more information. Click here for NIIW Key Messages.
April 30, 2024, 11:00 AM National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Webinar Combating the Resurgence of Measles and Other Preventable Diseases
Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.
May 8, 2024, 4:00 PM
Massachusetts Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP)
MCAAP Annual CME and Business Meeting - "Adolescent Wellness in the 21st Century"
The meeting will be virtual. Click here for more information and to register for the meeting.
May and June 2024
MDPH
2024 Immunization Updates Webinars
Click here for more information and to register for the updates.
On Demand Meetings and Recordings
MCAAP Immunization Initiative Webinar Series
2024 Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Update (recorded 1/18/24)
Click here to access the webinar recording, presentations and resources.
Vaccine Refresher! Preventing Vaccine Administration Errors (recorded 6/29/23)
Click here to access the webinar recording and resources.
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