March 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the March 2024 Massachusetts Vaccine Confidence Project (MVCP) newsletter! Our goal is to introduce you to several resources that we hope can help you increase vaccine confidence in your practice.

Here at the Massachusetts Vaccine Confidence Project we are committed to increasing vaccine confidence and ensuring that all Massachusetts residents are protected against vaccine preventable diseases.

Interested in receiving future MVCP newsletters? Click here to subscribe.

We appreciate all that you do to vaccinate our residents!



EVENTS AND PARTNER HIGHLIGHT

Event Highlight: The 29th Annual MA Adult Immunization Conference -

2024: Confidence & Compassion in a Complex Vaccine World

Date: April 2nd, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Location: Boston Marriott Newton Hotel

Registration for the in-person conference is open and ongoing; the registration fee is $150. Click here to view the conference website.



Partner Highlight: The Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition (MAIC) is a statewide partnership dedicated to increasing adult immunizations through education, networking, and sharing innovative and best practices.

Immunizing adults can decrease health care costs and substantially reduce morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases. Click here for a link to Current Curated List of Resources.

Event Highlight: 2024 MAPHN Conference

Date: May 8 & 9, 2024

Location: Hilton 2 Forbes Rd, Woburn, MA 01801

More information at maphn.org.

The Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses (MAPHN) seeks to strengthen the leadership role of the public health nurses within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As the official state organization for public health nurses, the association:

• Provides a common voice on issues of public health nursing.
• Maintains regional chapters.
• Provides educational programs.
• Advocates for Public Health Nursing.
• Enhances the health of Massachusetts residents.

Event Highlight: 2024 MDPH Immunization Updates

Dates: May and June 2024 (see schedule below) 

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Immunization Division presents updates on immunization-related topics for health care providers every spring. This series of one-hour webinars takes place from noon to 1 p.m. Registration to open in early April.

5/8: Immunization Schedule Updates

Angela Fowler, MD, MPH, Associate Medical Director for Vaccine Preventable Diseases, MDPH

5/15: Immunization 101

Laurie Courtney, MSN, RN, Immunization Nurse Manager & Perinatal Hepatitis B Coordinator, MDPH

5/22: Epidemiology of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Massachusetts

Juliana Jacoboski Duncan, MPH, Epidemiologist, MDPH

5/29: Vaccine Confidence - Improving the Vaccination Experience to

Reduce Anxiety-Related Vaccine Hesitancy

Kelly Moore, MD, MPH, President & CEO, Immunize.org

6/5: Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS)

Michelle Holmes, MPH, MIIS Interoperability Coordinator and Trainer, MDPH

6/12: Vaccines For Children (VFC) - Compliance and Vaccine Storage & Handling Training - earn your VFC Certificate!

Dylan Kirby, MPH, Vaccine Management Unit Operations Coordinator VFC, MDPH

All sessions are free and will be held via webinar (no in-person sessions).

Click here for more information

Questions? Please contact ted.f.clark@mass.gov

LEARN HOW TO SPOT MISINFORMATION



Has a patient told you a story about COVID vaccines that you want to check out to see if it's accurate?

The website FactCheck.org has a webpage dedicated to dispelling misinformation. It’s called SciCheck.

The goal of this webpage is to increase exposure to accurate information about COVID-19 and vaccines, while decreasing the impact of misinformation.

FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Health Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

RESPIRATORY VIRUS GUIDANCE UPDATE

RESEARCH STUDY FEATURE

NEW! Resource from Immunize.org:

HEALTH EQUITY FEATURE

“Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. Achieving this requires focused and ongoing societal efforts to address historical and temporary injustices; overcome economic, social, and other obstacles to health and healthcare; and eliminate preventable health disparities”. (CDC, 2024).

Recent event: MDPH's Immunization Division staff member and MVCP member Dr. Christy Norton was a featured speaker in the Webinar Vitality Unleashed for the Chica Project in November 2023. The webinar brought people together to enhance understanding about the current state of COVID-19, the importance of vaccination, winter preparedness and maintaining mental wellness during these times. 

TECH TALK

• Voices for Vaccines Podcast: Vax Talk Episode 75, Brandy Zadrozny Hikes with RFK Jr.

• CDC Vaccine Schedules App for Healthcare Providers: Vaccine Schedules App | CDC

• CDC Pneumococcal Vaccines App for Clinicians: PnemoRecs VaxAdvisor

FEATURED TOOLKITS

• Adolescent Immunization Action Week (#AIAW24)

• Oral Cancer Awareness Month  

• National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW)

• National Minority Health Month

MVCP RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Vaccine confidence: 

The trust in the recommended vaccines, the providers who administer them,

and the process that leads to vaccine licensure and recommendations.

Our Partners