CO-mmunity Corps Blog Series: A Tale of Two Drive Thru Vaccination Clinics

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By Olwen Menez

The CO-mmunity Corps blog series highlights the incredible work that members of the CO-mmunity Corps (Immunize Colorado’s AmeriCorps VISTA program) are doing across Colorado to build capacity for immunization programs.

On August 3rd, I started my first day as an Immunization Outreach and Education Coordinator at Jefferson County Public Health, the county agency that provides public health services to a large area just east of Denver, Colorado that includes urban, suburban, rural and mountain communities. Its almost 800 square miles is home to close to 600,00 diverse residents. I was placed at the Jefferson County Public Health department by Immunize Colorado to provide a year of national service through the AmeriCorps VISTA program.

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My Experience as a COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Participant

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Guest Post by Angie Anderson

A year ago, no one could have imagined how different the world would be today. Pandemic life is hard: lock downs, capacity restrictions, masks, school shutdowns and online learning, and the worst part—climbing death counts. With a husband who works in the COVID-19 unit of the ICU, I realize how debilitating and potentially deadly a severe case of COVID-19 can be. I don’t want to get this virus and I don’t want to contribute to community spread either. For all these reasons, my family is anxiously awaiting a safe and effective vaccine, which is why I jumped at the chance to participate in a vaccine trial. [Read more…]

CO-mmunity Corps Blog Series: Vaccination in Chaffee County and Potential Interventions to Improve Rates

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By Clara Holder

The CO-mmunity Corps blog series highlights the incredible work that members of the CO-mmunity Corps (Immunize Colorado’s AmeriCorps VISTA program) are doing across Colorado to build capacity for immunization programs.

My name is Clara, and I am one of the AmeriCorps VISTAs working on immunization education and outreach with Immunize Colorado. I work in Salida, Colorado at Chaffee County Public Health and spend my time engaging community partners and working on the COVID-19 response as well. I feel lucky to have been placed at a small LPHA (local public health agency) for all of the incredible experience that I’m getting, and am excited to share the research I’ve conducted over the past few months and the planned interventions I’ll be working on for the rest of my service year.

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Successes and Barriers to Pharmacists’ Participation in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program in the U.S.

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By Kayla Knock and Ellie Dullea

Pharmacies serve as an important community-based access point for vaccinations and have the potential to better serve children by participating in the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. The VFC program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. While all 52 states and territories allow pharmacists to vaccinate adults, not all states allow pharmacies to participate in the VFC program. Further, additional barriers such as differing state laws and regulations, retail pharmacy policies and pharmacists’ scope of practice can limit a state’s ability to deliver vaccinations to VFC-eligible children through pharmacies.

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New Tools Help Providers Encourage Vaccinations, Well-Child Checks During COVID-19 Pandemic

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Across the U.S., vaccination rates and well-child visits are declining. According to data released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 2.5 million fewer orders for routine vaccines (excluding flu vaccine) provided through the federally funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) program from mid-March to mid-April 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. And in Colorado, vaccinations have declined by an estimated 40% since the beginning of March.

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Maintaining Routine Immunizations During the Pandemic: An Urgent Growing Need

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By Stephanie Wasserman, MSPH
Executive Director, Immunize Colorado

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused over 2.6 million cases around the world and is growing each day, has shown us—in the most alarming way—the indisputable value of vaccines. And though we are at least a year away from having an effective COVID-19 vaccine, we do need to remember that we already have many available vaccines that are safe and highly effective against dozens of dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases that once ran rampant across the globe. Most of us have never seen the ravages of polio or measles, but these diseases can come roaring back if we do not stay vigilant about maintaining high vaccination rates.

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For Polio Survivor Lois Tilley, COVID-19 Brings Memories of Polio Outbreaks

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The COVID-19 virus has quickly spread across the globe, causing half a million cases and nearly 40,000 deaths. In the U.S., we’ve seen over 160,000 reported cases as of March 30, and the actual number is likely much higher. Disease is spreading rapidly, and health systems are struggling to keep pace. Across the country, non-essential businesses are being required to shut their doors, schools are closing—some for the remainder of the school year—, and state governors are issuing Stay-At-Home orders requiring that people not leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.

We are living in a new and uncertain reality. But to many, the fear and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 is familiar. This is not the first time our society has experienced a pandemic like COVID-19; it is not the first time that people have been afraid to leave their homes, or that healthcare workers have struggled to keep pace with the number of cases.

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Immunology 101 Series: The Process of Making Safe and Effective Vaccines

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By Aimee Pugh-Bernard, PhD

This post was originally published on April 4, 2013 and updated on March 17, 2020.

In the third installment of the Immunology 101 Series, Aimee explains the process of vaccine development. Vaccines undergo rigorous testing and must be proven extremely safe and effective before they are available for use in the general public.

As you may know from reading the first Immunology 101 Series post, vaccines train our immune systems to recognize and respond quickly to infection to keep us healthy. Reading the second Immunology 101 Series post, you learned that there are several different forms of vaccines, each created to produce the most effective vaccine possible based on the unique properties of each type of pathogen. In this post you will learn about the process of vaccine development. The process is lengthy and rigorous, just as it should be to prove that the end product is safe and effective! [Read more…]

A Tale of Two Registries: Unpacking How Strong Immunization Information Systems in New York Helped End the Measles Outbreak

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The Benefits of Immunization Information Systems to Public Health Efforts 

Immunization Information Systems (IIS) are confidential electronic records of vaccine information which provide a powerful public health tool for patient care, especially during an outbreak.  The benefits of IIS occur on an individual and societal level and include but are not limited to: data usage and collection, timely and accurate patient care, and efficient resource allocation. Access to immunization records allows providers, patients, and some partner organizations, such as schools, to access data in order to inform or notify parties of missing or needed immunizations. 

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Standing Up to Cancer During Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (And Beyond)

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Guest Post by Laurie Cardin

Laurie Cardin was 48 years old when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013. Six years later, Laurie is cancer-free. She still lives with the trauma—both mental and physical—of her battle with cervical cancer. But with the support and encouragement of family, friends and support groups, Laurie has chosen to embrace life and support other women and families who are affected by cervical cancer. Laurie also advocates for the HPV vaccine and its incredible power to prevent the cancer that changed her life. In honor of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Laurie shared her story with Immunize Colorado.

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