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MCAAP Immunization Initiative Update

January 2025


2025 Vaccine Education Webinar Series Presented by MCAAP and MAIC

Next Webinar:

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 12:00 PM

2025 Immunization Schedules Update

webinar registration


The Immunization Initiative of the Massachusetts Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP) and the Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition (MAIC) have partnered to present the 2025 Vaccine Education Webinar Series for Massachusetts healthcare providers and vaccinators, with CMEs to be provided by the MA Department of Public Health.


Upcoming Webinar

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 12:00-1:00 PM ET

2025 Immunization Schedules Update


Presenters

Anindita Nanda Issa, MD

Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A. Patricia Wodi, MD

Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Learner Objectives

As a result of participating in this activity, learners should be able to:

  • Describe updates to the 2025 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule (birth through 18 years).
  • Describe updates to the 2025 Adult Immunization Schedule (19 years and older).
  • Review current ACIP vaccine recommendations.
  • Locate relevant immunization schedule resources.

 

Registration

Registration is free; pre-registration is required. Click here to register.


2024 Webinars

Recordings, presentations and resources for the following webinars can be accessed here:


  • A Father’s Story – Storytelling and Motivational Interviewing to Increase Influenza Vaccine Uptake (recorded 12/5/24)
  • 2024-2025 Influenza Season Update (recorded 10/8/24)
  • Accessible Vaccination: A First Step Towards Health Equity (recorded 9/25/24)
  • Pregnancy and Newborn Immunization During the 2024-2025 Respiratory Illness Season (recorded 8/27/24)


Questions?

Please contact Cynthia McReynolds (cmcreynolds@mcaap.org).


Click here for more information about the webinar series, including the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Statement.

Pejman Talebian Inducted Into

AIM Hall of Fame


The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), representing the 64 federally funded state, territorial, and urban area immunization programs, celebrated its 25th anniversary at its December annual conference. AIM marked this milestone by inducting five leaders into the AIM Hall of Fame. AIM’s Hall of Fame Award recognizes individuals who contributed outstanding leadership to the field and the vision of a nation free of vaccine-preventable diseases throughout their career. Pejman Talebian, MA, MPH, Director of MDPH's Immunization Division, was among the five people inducted into the AIM Hall of Fame.


Pejman served as AIM chair in 2003. During his tenure, AIM acquired its first funding and hired its first executive director. He planned and facilitated monthly General Membership calls, took minutes, facilitated the AIM meeting for program managers in 2004, and worked closely with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to set up financial infrastructure so that AIM could accept its first cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pejman accomplished all this while leading the Massachusetts immunization program to some of the highest coverage rates in the country.


Pejman served as AIM chair again in 2015. He was the 2017 winner of the Natalie J. Smith, MD, Award for Excellence in Program Management, and has served for many years on the AIM Executive Committee. Pejman continues to step up every time there is an AIM need, most recently at the AIM Emerging Issues Summit.


Click here to read more about the five people inducted into AIM's Hall of Fame.


Congratulations, Pejman, and thank you for your leadership, both in Massachusetts and nationally!

From MDPH Epidemiology Program

2024-2025 Influenza Season: We need your help!

How you can contribute to flu surveillance


Every respiratory season, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences Epidemiology Program recruits outpatient medical practices to participate in ILINet, a national surveillance system for influenza-like illness (ILI). This volunteer program is a critical component of influenza surveillance, allowing real-time tracking of the ever-changing epidemiology of influenza as well as other respiratory illnesses.


There are 2 components to the program: (1) Submission of specimens (usually nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs) to the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory (MA SPHL) for influenza surveillance testing (we provide the flu kits and cover the shipping using UPS), and (2) weekly data collection with easy electronic reporting of patient visits due to influenza-like illness. You can do one or both! 


Contributing to this valuable surveillance program means you play a role in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nationwide Influenza Surveillance Report that is published weekly as well as our own Viral Respiratory Illness Dashboard. And to brag for just a moment, as a result of the testing performed at MA SPHL, the 2024–2025 non-egg-based vaccines includes a strain isolated from a MA specimen, “A/Massachusetts/18/2022 (H3N2)-like virus”! 


Please contact Joyce Cohen (joyce.cohen@mass.gov) for more information about participating in ILINet.

2024-2025 Respiratory Illness

Season Update


As of today (1/17/25), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that:

  • COVID-19 activity has increased in most areas of the country.
  • Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated across the country.
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity has peaked in many areas of the country.


COVID-19

COVID-19 activity has increased in most areas of the country, with high COVID-19 wastewater levels and elevated emergency department visits and laboratory percent positivity. Emergency department visits and hospitalizations are highest in older adults and emergency department visits are also elevated in young children.


Influenza

Seasonal influenza activity, including outpatient and emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths, remains elevated across the country. Additional information about current influenza activity can be found at: Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report.


RSV

RSV activity has peaked in many areas of the country. Emergency department visits and hospitalizations are highest in children and hospitalizations are elevated among older adults in some areas.


As of January 11, 2025, the Massachusetts Immunizations for Respiratory Diseases dashboard reports that pediatric immunization rates for COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are lower than the 2023-2024 respiratory illness season.


CDC recommends that vaccination continues as long as respiratory virus strains are still circulating.


See the Resource Spotlight section of this newsletter for respiratory illness season resources.

January is Cervical Health

Awareness Month


January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Most cervical cancer is caused by high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can prevented by HPV vaccination.

You can help promote the importance of cervical cancer prevention by sharing messages throughout the month that cervical cancer (and other HPV-related cancers) is preventable!


The CDC recommends routine HPV vaccination at 11 or 12 years old, but notes that vaccination can be started at age 9 years.


The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends routine HPV vaccination for all adolescents starting between age 9 and 12 years, at an age that the provider deems optimal for acceptance and completion of the vaccination series. Click here to read more about why AAP recommends initiating HPV vaccination as early as age 9 years.


See the Resource Spotlight section of this newsletter for HPV vaccination resources.

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.


Recent MVCP Activities and Events

  • The MVCP exhibited at the MIAP Conference on October 30 and at the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization (MSNO) Fall Conference on November 2.
  • The MVCP also exhibited at the Massachusetts Councils on Aging Conference on October 24, and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees/Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASC/MASS) Joint Conference on November 7.
  • In December the MVCP partnered with Families Fighting Flu to present, "A Father’s Story – Storytelling and Motivational Interviewing to Increase Influenza Vaccine Uptake." Click here to access the webinar recording and resources.


Upcoming Activities and Events

  • On January 22, the MVCP will partner with Martha's Vineyard Hospital and the Martha's Vineyard Vaccine Task Force to present motivational interviewing training for family medicine and pediatric providers, and community advocates. The training will be repeated on February 19 for internal medicine providers and community advocates.
  • During 2025, MVCP partners, MCAAP and MAIC, will join forces to present vaccine education webinars, with CMEs to be provided by the MA Department of Public Health. On Thursday, January 30, at 12:00 PM, the webinar series will present, "2025 Immunization Schedules Update." Scroll up for more information. Click here to register for the webinar.
  • On February 1, the MVCP will present a human papillomavirus (HPV) education session for community health center dental staff at the 2025 Yankee Dental Congress.


Click here to visit the MVCP website.

Resource Spotlight


Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination


2024-2025 Respiratory Illness Season


Recently Published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)



Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)


Bulletins, Newsletters and Updates

Upcoming Educational Activities,

Events and Meetings


Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM ET

Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition (MAIC)

MAIC Meeting

The meeting will be virtual. Click here for more information.


Thursday, January 30, 2025, 12:00-1:00 PM ET

Vaccine Education Webinar Series, presented by MCAAP and MAIC

2025 Immunization Schedules Update

Presenters:

Anindita Nanda Issa, MD, Medical Officer, CDC

A. Patricia Wodi, MD, Medical Officer

Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.


February 26-28, 2025

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

ACIP Meeting

Registration is not required for virtual participation. Click here for more information.


Registration is open!

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition/MDPH

2025 Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference

Boston Marriott Newton, Newton, Massachusetts

Conference website


On Demand Meetings and Recordings

MCAAP Immunization Initiative webinars

Click here to access recently webinars.


MDPH/MCAAP/MMS HPV Webinar (CME)

Increasing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Uptake in Massachusetts

Presenters: Lloyd Fisher, MD, FAAP, and Sherri Zorn, MD, FAAP. CME-CEU credit is available for completing the webinar. Click here to access the webinar.


MDPH

Vaccine Storage and Handling/Vaccines for Children (VFC) Compliance Training

Annual VFC Compliance Training Certification webinar. Click here to access the webinar.

Click here to visit our website!
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