- Announcements – L.J Tan (IAC)
- Vaccines: National Strategic Plan – David Kim (OASH)
- Update on HHS HPV Vax Now Campaign – Valerie Borden (OASH Office of Women’s Health)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Funding – L.J Tan (IAC)
Announcements – L.J Tan (IAC)
COVID-19 Update – L.J announced an upcoming Summit webinar which will be conducted in partnership with BIO. Developing COVID-19 Vaccines in Record Time, Part 3: Update on Vaccines will be presented on January 29 from 2–4 pm ET. Summit partners wishing to participate should contact L.J Tan for additional information.
Vaccines: National Strategic Plan – David Kim (OASH)
David provided a presentation on the recently released Vaccines: National Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025. This plan, which was developed by the Interagency Vaccine Work Group, updates the 2010 National Vaccine Plan, 2016 Mid-course Review of the 2010 Plan, and the 2016 National Adult Immunization Plan.
David noted that this plan does not include COVID vaccine information because it is premature to include them in any planning at this point. The Plan contains 5 goals, 19 objectives/strategies, and 10 indicators with 5- and 10-year targets. It was developed through more than 60 stakeholder interviews, as well as soliciting public input. The Plan was released on January 19, and an overview webinar is planned for early February.
The goals of the Plan are to:
- Foster innovation in vaccine development and related technologies.
- Maintain the highest levels of vaccine safety.
- Increase knowledge of and confidence in routinely recommended vaccines.
- Increase access to and use of routinely recommended vaccines.
- Protect the health of the nation by supporting global immunization efforts.
David reviewed the objectives associated with each goal. He also noted that while support for global immunization efforts has always been a goal of the vaccine plan, it has gained even more importance in light of COVID-19. The Plan contains specific vaccine indicators for pediatric and adult populations, including pregnant women. One indicator for the population as a whole is to ensure vaccination of all persons age 6 months and older, with 60% of the population meeting this indicator by 2025 and 70% by 2030.
The next steps for the Plan are to:
- schedule an information webinar
- promote adoption of the Plan by partners and stakeholders
- develop an implementation plan (with the Interagency Vaccine Work Group serving as a steering committee)
- consider additional indicators and targets
- conduct a mid-course review in 2023
In response to a question about why there appeared to be less emphasis in the Plan on adolescent vaccination, David noted the Plan is representative, not comprehensive. L.J agreed that immunization of this group continues to be a challenge. Carolyn Bridges asked if the plan has been cross-walked with vaccine indicators in other plans, such as the ones for viral hepatitis, and David replied that this has occurred.
Update on HHS HPV Vax Now Campaign – Valerie Borden (OASH Office of Women’s Health)
Valerie gave an overview of the HHS HPV Vax Now campaign, which is directed at young adults ages 18–26. The overarching goal of the program is to increase HPV vaccination rates among young adults age 18–26 in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. The objectives for this group include motivating this group to talk to their healthcare providers (HCPs) by increasing: their awareness that HPV vaccination protects against HPV-related cancers and genital warts; their perceived susceptibility to and severity of HPV; and self-efficacy to request or accept HPV vaccination from HCPs. In addition, the campaign targets the HCPs caring for this group to increase their knowledge of catch-up vaccination recommendations and efficacy, as well as increasing the quality of their recommendations, such as ensuring the timeliness of their recommendations and strengthening their importance at every healthcare visit.
The campaign acknowledges that there have been great improvements in the acceptance and uptake of HPV vaccination among adolescents, but there have been limited HPV promotional efforts targeting young adults. The three states chosen for the project have some of the lowest adolescent HPV vaccination rates in the country, highlighting a substantial opportunity for catch-up in these locations.
Research into the best approaches for reaching these populations and planning for these efforts was conducted in 2019 and 2020. The format was developed during 18 in-depth interviews with providers and 12 virtual focus groups with 88 young adults. This information formed the basis for the campaign.
The program involves a phased roll-out, with information for providers released prior to opening the public-facing campaign. The campaign webpage includes materials such as outreach toolkits for young adults and healthcare providers. Guidance on how to make an HPV vaccine recommendation is available in the Guide for Improving HPV Vaccination Rates.
The campaign which will include use of both paid and organic media, will be evaluated through web-based surveys, key informant interviews, and social media digital monitoring.
COVID-19 Vaccine Funding – L.J Tan (IAC)
Utilizing a slide provided courtesy of the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC), L.J provided a summary of the vaccine distribution funds found in the COVID Relief Act. He noted that these funds are in the very early stages of flowing to state programs.
L.J pointed out that 317 funding was not reduced in this plan, which is a significant achievement. The plan includes $100 million to improve the data found in immunization information systems (IIS). The group discussed whether COVID vaccination ultimately might be required for travel. Although Summit members agreed it is premature to consider such a move, it was noted that one program in support of such an effort is Common Pass.
