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September 17, 2015

Taryn Chapman 2015 Buzz, Uncategorized

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Summit Call Recap – September 10, 2015
Summit Call Recap – August 27, 2015
Special Announcements
Information from CDC
Announcements

SUMMIT CALL RECAP – SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

Announcements – L.J Tan (IAC)

NFID 2015 Influenza/Pneumococcal News Conference
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will be holding its 2015 Influenza/Pneumococcal News Conference on September 17 at the Press Club in Washington, DC. This event serves as the major kickoff to the influenza season. Featured speaker Tom Frieden, CDC Director, will be joined by other speakers who will highlight different aspects of influenza. NFID Executive Director Marla Dalton will be on a future Summit call to provide a summary of the information shared at the conference and the results of the media outreach.

2016 National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS)
The 2016 NAIIS meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia on May 10–12, 2016. Summit members should hold these dates on their calendars. As it becomes available, additional information will be posted on the Summit website.

Influenza Surveillance Update – Sophie Smith (CDC)

Sophie provided a summary of the published reports for week 34, ending August 29, 2015. Influenza activity in the U.S. continues to remain low.

The ILI-Net national data indicated 0.9% of total outpatient visits were for influenza-like illness (ILI), which is below the national baseline. Approximately 1.7% of specimens submitted for testing were positive. Of the deaths reported through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System during week 34, 5.4% were attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I), which is below the 5.8% epidemic threshold for the week.

One human infection with novel influenza A virus was reported from Michigan during week 34. The individual, who was infected with an influenza A variant (H3N2v) virus, was hospitalized in June, but has now fully recovered. No human-to-human transmission of the virus was identified, and the individual reported close contact with swine during the weeks prior to onset of infection.

No influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during week 34. A total of 145 pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2014–2015 season. Of the 122 for whom vaccination status was known, 14 were ineligible for vaccination, and only 15 were fully vaccinated.

CDC will begin providing weekly surveillance updates for the 2015–2016 influenza season on October 15.

CDC Communications Plans for 2015–16 Influenza Season – Austyn Dukes (CDC)

Austyn highlighted information from a presentation (begin with slide #28) that was recently presented by Cindy Alvarez during a VicNetwork webinar, What’s New With Flu? CDC’s Recommendations and Communications Plans for the 2015–2016 Season.

The overall communication goal for the upcoming season is to create and sustain positive social norms that support influenza vaccination efforts. This includes increasing awareness of the universal influenza vaccination recommendation, maintaining/extending confidence in influenza vaccine safety, and addressing disparities through target messaging to high risk populations. The overarching message of “Take 3 Steps to Fight Flu” encompasses following the recommendation to get a yearly influenza vaccine, taking routine preventative actions such as hand hygiene, and using antiviral medications as a second line of defense.

Key communication considerations to be addressed include vaccine options, the ACIP recommendations, vaccine effectiveness, susceptibility/threat, and safety/concerns.

Manufacturers have begun shipping vaccine, and this activity will continue throughout the fall months. An estimated 171–179 million doses will be produced this season, approximately 92–98 million of which will be quadrivalent. In the coming weeks, vaccine shipment information will be updated weekly on the CDC influenza homepage.

During the 2014–2015 season, ACIP recommended the use of nasal spray for children aged 2–18 years. However, this preferential recommendation has not been renewed for this season. Children may receive either the nasal spray or injectable influenza vaccine.

A challenging aspect of this year’s influenza vaccine communications is how best to address concerns about vaccine effectiveness (VE) due to last year’s low VE results. Austyn reviewed the ways the VE message evolved from November through March last season, including announcements of no measurable difference in LAIV effectiveness among children, the poor match of the vaccine with circulating H3N2 viruses, and the March announcement that updated VE estimates indicated the vaccine offered little protection against drifted H2N2 viruses.

For the upcoming season, CDC’s communications will be dedicated to transparency and “sharing what we know when we know it.” The messages also will communicate the variability and unpredictability of influenza, as well as acknowledging that influenza vaccine, while not perfect, is still our best method of protecting against infection.

Messaging will reinforce the benefits of influenza vaccination, including the concepts that it can reduce illness, visits to the doctor, and missed days from work and school, as well as preventing deaths. More than 40,000 influenza-associated deaths are estimated to have been prevented from the 9-year period of 2005–06 through 2013–14, and vaccination prevented an estimated 7.2 million influenza-associated illnesses and 90,000 hospitalizations during the 2013–14 season. Updated information from the 2014–15 season will be available in December.

This year’s key message concepts are:

Two of the vaccine components of this season’s influenza vaccine were updated in February to better match the viruses experts now think will be most common during the upcoming season. (Austyn noted that, based on currently available information, CDC is optimistic that this year’s vaccine will be a good match of circulating strains.)

Last season was very unusual because one strain caused almost all cases, and that strain was very different from the vaccine strain – both because the virus changed and because it quickly became predominant.

This season’s campaign strategy is designed to address the following areas:

Susceptibility/Threat

  • Continue  to increase awareness of the universal recommendation;
  • Communicate that anyone can get influenza and that it can be serious;
  • Highlight other potential “costs” of influenza; and
  • Emphasize that the vaccine can protect you and those around you.

Safety/Concerns

  • Point out the vaccine’s strong safety record;
  • Emphasize that the vaccine doesn’t cause influenza, but some people may have “side effects” that need to be put into context with the risks and benefits;
  • Utilize partnerships with trusted messengers to reiterate safety messages.

The campaign will be targeted to all persons age 6 months and older, with tailored efforts aimed at people at high risk for developing complications and those who live with or care for them. Messages also will be developed for healthy young/middle-age adults, as well as racial/ethnic groups who have shown disparities in influenza vaccination programs.

Core campaign elements include:

Research and evaluation

  • In-depth interviews with physicians
  • Surveys with Hispanic/Latino physicians

Traditional media

  • National Immunization Awareness Month (August)
  • NFID Influenza Vaccination Kick-Off (September 17), including:
    • Thunderclap campaign – #FightFlu – will begin at 10:30 on September 17 (details discussed on the August 27 Summit partner call)
    • Radio media tour (September 17–18)
    • Twitter chat (September 29)
  • National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 6–12)

Diverse partnerships

  • Multi-sector national partnerships to reach general audiences
  • Grassroots and community partnerships to reach minority populations

Partner engagement

  • Frequent communications and updates from CDC
  • Stakeholder workshops
  • Development of a suite of print and digital materials for partner use
  • Increased visibility of partner promotional efforts
  • Provision of CDC subject matter experts
  • Web page tailored for partners
  • Efforts to build capacity and sustainability

Digital media
Austyn reminded partners that digital outreach plans currently are tentative because 2 replacement contracts are pending award – however, likely possibilities include the following:

  • Publisher outreach#VaxWithMe interactive digital timeline
  • Social gaming
  • Smart phone/iPad applications

Education/outreach to health care professionals

Partner Resources

      • Wide range of materials, including success stories, photos from promotional activities, campaign highlights, and much more
      • Free resources available for download

In response to a question, Austyn noted that a large variety of CDC’s materials are targeted to people age 65 years and older. Finally, she reminded Summit partners that any additional questions about the campaign or materials could be submitted via email to CDC.

Partner Announcements – L.J Tan (IAC)

Heather Richmond (AstraZeneca/Medimmune)
Heather announced that FluMist quadrivalent vaccine has begun shipping to CDC and private distributors. Persons with questions may contact their local AstraZeneca/MedImmune representative. L.J added that, with this announcement, all influenza vaccine manufacturers have now begun shipping.

Maria Lanzi (New Jersey Immunization Network)
New Jersey’s Adult Immunization Summit will be held on November 4, with speakers including Carolyn Bridges and representatives of the American College of Physician’s I Raise the Rates program. Maria especially thanked the Summit for providing the opportunity to meet and partner with these individuals.

The next Summit call will take place on September 24. Calls will return to a weekly schedule as the season develops.

SUMMIT CALL RECAP – AUGUST 27, 2015

Influenza Surveillance Update – Sophie Smith (CDC)

Sophie provided a summary of the published reports for week 32, ending August 15, 2015. Influenza activity in the U.S. continues to remain low.

The ILI-Net national data indicated 0.7% of total outpatient visits were for influenza-like illness (ILI), which is below the national baseline. Approximately 1.5% of specimens submitted for testing were positive. Of the deaths reported through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System during week 32, 5.4% were attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I), which is below the 5.8% epidemic threshold for the week.

No influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during week 32. A total of 145 pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2014–2015 season. Of the 122 for whom vaccination status was known, 14 were ineligible for vaccination, and only 15 were fully vaccinated.

In response to a question about circulating strains in the southern hemisphere and their potential match to the strains selected for this season’s northern hemisphere vaccine, Sophie stated the most recent information she had was from July. Through July 27, the southern hemisphere had increased (but still low) influenza activity in tropical countries of Central America and the Caribbean. Only Cuba has reported a slight increase with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. In temperate South America, influenza activity increased with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) predominating. Sophie will check for updated information through August and share this with Summit partners.

National Immunization Awareness Month Summary – Ian Branam (CDC)

Ian encouraged partners to continue their promotional efforts during this last week for NIAM, which focuses on childhood immunization. Please visit the NPHIC NIAM website to complete the online submission form describing your activities.

The Thunderclap campaign, which went live on August 17, reached an audience of over 5.6 million people on Twitter. Ian thanked the Summit participants who were among the more than 300 partners who participated in the success of spreading this information to a wide audience. The #NIAM2015 hashtag has been mentioned over 10,000 times on social media, which is also an increase over last year. CDC hopes to continue encouraging all partners to be part of CDC’s ongoing #TeamVax campaign in the future.

L.J asked if CDC had any specific information to report on the adult week during NIAM. The thunderclap went live during the first day of the adult emphasis week. In addition, several #TeamVax graphics were released on CDC’s and Dr. Frieden’s webpages that week. Ian will return to a Summit call to share more information about the adult portion of the campaign after it been compiled.

Upcoming Influenza Season Thunderclap – Austyn Dukes (CDC)

This week CDC and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) launched a new Thunderclap campaign scheduled to coincide with the annual flu season press event on September 17. This effort will take place at 10:30 a.m. on the day of the event. Austyn urged Summit partners to use #FightFlu both now and after the event. Other hashtags which can be used on partner social media sites include #getafluvax. All of this can build off of the momentum established by the NIAM Thunderclap.

CDC has sent out a short survey requesting information on how your organization posts and learns about influenza vaccination promotion activities (i.e. clinics, health fairs) in your area, the value and usability of CDC’s submission page for those activities, and awareness of CDC’s #VaxWithMe social media campaign. L.J encouraged Summit partners to participate in the survey, which will close on September 7 at 5 p.m. ET.  Coalitions also may forward this information to their members.

One Summit partner asked about any lessons learned during the NIAM Thunderclap. Ian noted that it is important to think through promotional efforts well before the scheduled event. CDC had developed a clear strategy for reaching out to partners, and this was vital to the effort’s success. Austyn noted the importance of taking advantage of contacts you already have from other efforts. She added that CDC surpassed its initial outreach goals early on, so they increased their goals mid-campaign to encourage more partners to get involved.

Other Items – Litjen Tan (IAC)

2016 Summit Scheduled for May 10-12, 2016 in Atlanta, GA
L.J announced that the 2016 NAIIS will take place May 10–12 in Atlanta. The specific hotel will be announced after the contract is finalized. L.J reported that the results of the vote on moving the Summit to another location for 2016 were evenly split between Atlanta and Denver. Atlanta was chosen for the coming year due to cost savings. However, L.J assured partners that the message was heard and that we will make every effort to move the meeting to a different location in future years.

Take a Stand Project
L.J also announced that the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has launched Take A Stand, a new program developed to promote the use of standing orders for adult immunizations.  Many adult providers have said they think standing orders are important, but are difficult to implement. These reported difficulties are often the result of misconceptions, which the program hopes to address. The program will consist of 22 workshops held around the country from October 2015 through June 2016. Attendees will participate in a 4-hour interactive session, and they also will be able to receive one year of support with any problems they encounter while implementing standing orders. L.J requested that Summit partners in the workshop locations help promote this opportunity to their providers. A listing of workshop dates and locations, as well as other materials, is available on the project homepage.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Don’t Forget the Summit Awards in Your Immunization Programmatic Planning this Fall

The National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS) is soliciting candidates for the 2016 NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards. The 2016 awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions towards improving vaccination rates within their communities during 2015. The awards focus on individuals and organizations that exemplify the meaning of the “immunization neighborhood” (collaboration, coordination, and communication among immunization stakeholders dedicated to meeting the immunization needs of the patient and protecting the community from vaccine-preventable diseases).

  • National Awards will be presented in the following categories: 1) Influenza Season Campaign (Laura Scott NAIIS Immunization Excellence Award for Outstanding Influenza Season Activities); 2) “Immunization Neighborhood” Champion; 3) Adult Immunization Champion; 4) Corporate Campaign; 5) Adult Immunization Publication Award. A National Winner will be selected for each award category, and, where appropriate, an Honorable Mention recipient.
  • Additional award to be presented: “Influencer Award” – Selected by the NAIIS Summit Organizing Committee to recognize an individual or organization in the media, legislature, or community whose activities, contributions and/or willingness to go above and beyond have advanced adult and/or influenza immunization implementation. There is no nomination application, but the Organizing Committee would be interested in receiving input on individuals or organizations to consider.

The winners will be presented with their awards at the NAIIS meeting to be held on May 10–12 in Atlanta, Georgia, and the national winner in each category will be invited to present their programs at the Summit.

Submit nominations online by February 15, 2016.

Please Help the Summit, AIRA, and CDC Engage EHR Vendors in Immunization IT

The Summit has been active and interested in improving interoperability and utilization of electronic health records (EHRs) and immunization information systems (IIS) for several years. In particular, Summit workgroups have prioritized IIS and health information technology (HIT) activity over the last two years.

However, engagement by vendors of EHRs remains difficult. With the Summit’s support, we hope that we can begin to change that in incremental steps. If you are connected with an EHR vendor, perhaps you can start by encouraging them to simply join in two activities in the IIS community that are not demanding on their time:

  • AIRA Standards and Interoperability Steering Committee (SISC) – SISC provides technical support and guidance to interoperability efforts of AIRA members and the IIS community. They act as a liaison between national organizations (e.g., the Office of the National Coordinator – ONC) involved with interoperability and serve as a technical resource for AIRA members and the IIS Community. SISC meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 1–2 pm ET.  EHR, pharmacy, HIE and other IIS trading partner participation and perspectives are welcomed to help drive increased interoperability forward. For more information, please connect with Mary Beth Kurilo.
  • CDC Clinical Decision Support for Immunization (CDSi) Project – This project provides a single, authoritative, implementation-neutral foundation for development and maintenance of CDS engines. It captures ACIP recommendations in an unambiguous manner and improves the uniform representation of vaccine decision guidelines, as well as the ability to automate vaccine evaluation and forecasting. More information can be found on the CDSi project website. Additionally, interested parties can reach out to Eric Larson.

INFORMATION FROM CDC

CDC/Influenza Division Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report and CDC Key Points

Summer reporting
The CDC weekly influenza surveillance report for week 35, 2015 (ending September 5, 2015) and region specific data are now available. During week 35, 5.0% of all deaths reported through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System were due to pneumonia and influenza (P&I). This percentage was below the epidemic threshold of 5.8% for week 35.

No influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during week 35. A total of 145 influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2014–2015 season. Additional data may be found on CDC’s Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality webpage.

Nationwide during week 35, 0.9% of patient visits reported through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) were due to influenza-like illness (ILI). This percentage is below the national baseline of 2.0%.  ILI is defined as fever (temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or greater) and cough and/or sore throat.

CDC Influenza Division seasonal influenza key points for week 35 are now available, and archives of previous FluViews are available online.

CDC Issues Key Points on Recent Paper Highlighting Benefits of Early Antiviral Treatment

A new study recently published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases looks at the benefits of early antiviral treatment on preventing the need for extended care in community-dwelling influenza-hospitalized people age 65 and older. Key points and a press release from CDC are now available.

CDC Issues Key Points on Second H3N2v Human Infection

CDC Influenza Division has released these key points regarding the second human infection with influenza A H3N2 variant (H3N2v) virus in the United States in 2015.

Notice to Clinicians: Continued Vigilance Urged for Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Overview
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to receive and investigate sporadic reports of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). To date, CDC has verified reports of 120 children in 34 states who developed AFM. Almost all of the children were hospitalized and most presented with acute onset of areflexic limb weakness, usually following a respiratory or febrile illness. All were characterized by distinctive abnormalities on spinal MRI, where pathologic changes were largely restricted to the central gray matter of the spinal cord and most had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with pleocytosis (CSF white blood cell count >5 cells/mm3). Despite extensive testing of patients’ CSF, no pathogen was consistently detected.

CDC is re-emphasizing the importance of continued vigilance by clinicians for cases of AFM among all age groups
As we enter enterovirus season, it is unclear if an increase of AFM could occur again this year. Therefore, continued vigilance and testing of specimens is needed to help clarify a cause and determine the frequency of AFM. Clinicians are urged to report cases of AFM, irrespective of enterovirus status. Reporting of cases will help states and CDC monitor potential increases in this illness and better understand potential causes, risk factors, and preventive measures or therapies.

  • As of June 2015, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) adopted a standardized case definition for AFM, which includes cases of all ages to more accurately determine the overall occurrence of AFM.
  • CDC advises clinicians to report cases of AFM classified as confirmed or probable, irrespective of laboratory results, to the local and/or state health department using the patient summary form. Forms can be submitted to CDC by email or via secure fax at 404-471-8442.
  • CDC advises clinicians to collect specimens from patients suspected of having AFM as early as possible in the course of illness (preferably on the day of onset of limb weakness) including CSF, whole blood, serum, stool, a nasopharyngeal aspirate, nasopharyngeal wash, or nasopharyngeal swab [with lower respiratory specimen if indicated], and an oropharyngeal swab. Early specimen collection has the best chance to yield a diagnosis.  Additional instructions regarding specimen collection and shipping are available from CDC.
    • Clinicians treating patients meeting the AFM case definition should consult with their local and state health department for laboratory testing of CSF, blood, serum, respiratory, and stool specimens for enteroviruses, West Nile virus, and other known infectious etiologies.
    • Health departments may contact CDC for further laboratory and epidemiologic support by phone through the CDC Emergency Operations Center (770-488-7100), or by email. Confirmation of EV-D68 currently requires typing by molecular sequencing.

Recommendations for clinical management and follow-up of patients
Information is available to help clinicians and public health officials manage care of persons with AFM that meet CDC’s case definition.

For more information:
Please visit the CDC AFM investigation website for updates to the investigation.

Upcoming and Recent CDC COCA Calls

Archived COCA conference calls are available from CDC. Free continuing education credits (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, CECH, and AAVSB/RACE) are available for most calls.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MedImmune Announces that LAIV Shipping Began on September 3

MedImmune has issued a press release stating that LAIV4 has begun shipping for the 2015–2016 influenza season.

National Council on Aging (NCOA) Announces 2015-2016 Flu + You Program

National Council on Aging (NCOA) is excited to announce the launch of the 2015–2016 Flu + You program in collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur. This program helps to educate older adults and those who care for them about the seriousness of the flu, the importance of prevention and available vaccine options.

For a second year, two-time Emmy and Tony award-winning actress Judith Light has joined the national educational initiative, which officially launched in New York City on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Light, currently starring in the upcoming Broadway play Therese Raquin and the Emmy-nominated show Transparent, appears in a new public service announcement in support of the campaign.

This year, Flu + You also unveiled results from a survey conducted to highlight flu awareness among people aged 65 years and older. While the flu hits older adults the hardest, the Flu + You survey found many seniors underestimate the seriousness of the flu and are largely unaware of their vaccine options. The survey, fielded before the start of this flu season, included more than 1,000 Americans 65 years of age and older and found:

  • Only 13 percent of seniors are extremely confident in their knowledge of possible flu complications.
  • About one third are unaware that someone with chronic health conditions, like heart disease or diabetes, would be at risk for complications from the flu.
  • More than half (57 percent) are unaware there is a flu shot specifically for their age group.
  • Only 8 percent are concerned about getting the flu despite the high hospitalization rates in seniors, highlighting the need for further education about the seriousness of the flu.
  • Most seniors (88 percent) take a proactive approach to their health; however, about as many are not confident in their knowledge of the flu and where to get flu information.

To help spread the word about the seriousness of flu, importance of prevention and available vaccine options, the campaign will feature:

  • New Educational Materials – New and updated patient education materials and shareable content are available online.
  • Chronic Conditions Collaborators – We continue to collaborate with the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) to further raise awareness about the seriousness of the flu, especially for those with chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
  • Grassroots Programming – NCOA is hosting local events in support of Flu + You in 10 markets across the country to provide educational information and materials about the flu in seniors.

NFID Holds Successful National Influenza and Pneumococcal Press Conference

With influenza (flu) season approaching, health experts at a news conference held at the National Press Club by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) reinforced the need for everyone six months of age and older to get vaccinated with updated 2015–2016 vaccine. A press release summarizing the event is available online.

Influenza vaccination coverage estimates have steadily increased, particularly over the past five years, and are highest in young children and older adults, who are among those most vulnerable to severe complications from the flu. The coverage estimates, announced by Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also include new reports on vaccination coverage among health care personnel and pregnant women and were published in this week’s issue of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and on CDC’s FluVaxView website.

Panelists who joined Dr. Frieden in the call for everyone age 6 months and older to get vaccinated annually against flu included William Schaffner, MD, medical director of NFID and professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH., professor of medicine and director, Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; and Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, pediatrician, blogger (Seattle Mama Doc) and executive director of Digital Health at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

HealthMap Vaccine Finder Needs Your Help

Given the impact of influenza during the 2014–2015 season, health care providers all over the country are already preparing for next year’s influx of patients seeking vaccines. It is important that the public be able to quickly find vaccines in their area when they need them.

HealthMap Vaccine Finder is a free, online service that provides users with the most reliable and current information on vaccine availability in their area. Providers must opt-in to participate, and listing your location is free. Over 50,000 pharmacies, clinics, and health departments are already registered in the system.

Vaccine Finder has recently added formulation information for meningococcal, pneumococcal, and HPV vaccines, in addition to the 7 influenza vaccine formulations and 10 routine adult immunizations previously featured. These improvements, along with a growing network of participating providers, have allowed over 1 million users to access life-saving vaccine information from over 50,000 locations!

And there’s more to come. HealthMap is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to develop Flu Med Finder, a new capability for use during an influenza pandemic. This tool will allow users to find antiviral medications in their area in near real-time.

Make sure your community knows about the vaccines that you offer. If you would like to register as a new provider, create an account for HealthMap Vaccine Finder and put yourself on the map! Once your account is confirmed, you can log in to the provider site and upload information to your account.

For our existing partners, it may be time to update your listings. For questions, please send us an email. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter at @VaccineFinder!

About HealthMap
HealthMap is a team of researchers, epidemiologists and software developers at Boston Children’s Hospital. Learn more about the organization on the HealthMap website.

NFID Fall 2015 Clinical Vaccinology Course Scheduled for November 13–15, 2015

Don’t miss the NFID Fall 2015 Clinical Vaccinology Course scheduled for November 13-15, 2015 in Bethesda, MD.

Learn the latest immunization recommendations for all ages as well as recommendations for special populations including international travelers and pregnant women. Speakers will also address effective strategies to ensure timely and appropriate vaccination among all patients. A preliminary course agenda is available online.

  • Learn from expert speakers who will provide the latest information on current vaccines including ACIP immunization recommendations
  • Network with speakers and other healthcare professionals involved in vaccine administration across the US
  • Earn up to 20.0 hours of continuing education credit (CME, CNE*, CPE)
  • Register before October 5, 2015 and save $100

Three Slide Decks Available to Support New Standards for Adult Immunization Practice

The Summit’s Access and Collaboration working group has developed three separate slide decks with talking notes, along with tips and tools on how to use them, to support partners and others who wish to present on the Standards for Adult Immunization Practice to their peers and colleagues. The audiences targeted by each deck are health care providers, patients or consumers, and public health professionals.

Every Child By Two (ECBT) Compiles Media Information on Its Website

On a daily basis, ECBT assembles significant news media coverage on immunizations in their “Daily Clips.” Summit partners may find this effort useful.

Summit Website Offers Wonderful Resources on Influenza Vaccination

Remember to visit the Summit website for the latest on influenza immunization resources. You also can find archived copies of The Summit Buzz there.

Reminder

Summit calls are now scheduled every other Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern time, unless cancelled. We will resume the regular weekly call schedule later in the fall. There was no Summit call on September 17 due to NIFD’s National Influenza and Pneumococcal Media Conference in Washington, DC.

Please email L.J Tan or LaDora Woods if you have any updates on activities to provide to the Summit.

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