Immunize Colorado

#WorldMeningitisDay is October 5! To help providers have productive conversations about meningitis vaccines with patients, our friends at Meningitis Awareness developed a new provider video series. Check it out ⬇️

In response to updates on vaccine guidance, several leading organizations in Colorado's medical community have formed the Colorado Chooses Vaccines Coalition. This coalition's goal is to provide clear, science-based information about vaccines and improve access. Members from the Colorado School of Public Health are joined by members from Children’s Hospital Colorado, the Colorado Hospital Association, Immunize Colorado, and others. The coalition recently held its first meeting to outline objectives and plans for action. Learn more, https://buff.ly/wcPlMAP

Immunize Colorado's Motivational Interviewing (MI) training is back! This engaging 1.5- to 2-hour workshop is available to any group in Colorado. It will prepare your team to confidently engage in conversations about vaccines through an evidence-based MI framework. The training will explain MI, run through realistic practice scenarios, and offer practical advice for facilitating a productive conversation about vaccines. The trainings are available in-person and can also be offered virtually. We can accommodate most group sizes. Reach out at ICOffice@childrenscolorado.org to schedule a training!

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has, until recently, been a trusted institution—the gold standard for vaccine guidance in the U.S. Last week, the committee (which now consists of members with histories of spreading vaccine misinformation) met to discuss three vaccines: MMRV, hepatitis B, and COVID-19. The meeting was tense, chaotic, and spent rehashing and refuting settled vaccine science. It is a shame that we can no longer rely on the ACIP to make decisions based on data and evidence. At Immunize Colorado, we will rely on the recommendations made by other trusted professional organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics until (and unless) we feel confident that the ACIP is once again guided by science. Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/gzrVKuZw

On Thursday, August 28 from 12 to 1 p.m. (MT), Immunize Colorado will host a free webinar titled "Simplify Communication to Build Trust, Access, and Efficiency." Attendees will learn immediately actionable skills to improve communication with community members, colleagues, policymakers, and more. We invite you to join us! Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/gmy4fwke

We're #hiring a new Health Educator in Aurora, Colorado. Apply today or share this post with your network.

On Thursday, July 24 from 12 - 1 p.m. MT, Immunize Colorado will host a free webinar titled Outbreak: Following Somali Mothers' Vaccination Stories During and After the 2017 Minnesota Measles Outbreak. We invite you to join us! Please learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/df_Npkvh Please also feel free to share details with anyone else who might benefit from attending. 

Immunize Colorado board member Dr. David Higgins shares his thoughts about this week's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting in a new Substack: "I’m frustrated by the erosion of transparency, the marginalization of experts, and the open conflicts of interest. But more than anything, I’m scared. And pediatricians don’t scare easily. We’ve stood between a child and death and said, not today. So when we say we’re afraid for the health and lives of our patients, take us seriously."

Check out this new article from IC's past board chair, Dr. Edwin Asturias, and his colleagues on the the recent unprecedented termination of all 17 sitting ACIP members. "As former ACIP members, we are deeply concerned that these destabilizing decisions, made without clear rationale, may roll back the achievements of US immunization policy, impact people’s access to lifesaving vaccines, and ultimately put US families at risk of dangerous and preventable illnesses."

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members are carefully vetted medical and public health experts. ACIP recommendations determine which vaccines will be covered by both public and private insurance programs. This latest decision by HHS undermines scientific expertise. It could result in some vaccines being removed from the vaccine schedule and left uncovered by insurance, leaving people to either pay high out-of-pocket costs or forgo the vaccines necessary to protect them from disease. Vaccination rates are already declining across the U.S. This will likely result in further decreases, leaving our communities vulnerable. As our Policy Committee Co-Chair Sean O'Leary puts it, "this is manufactured chaos." https://lnkd.in/gq8y9Wpe