NIIW 2013 – Resources for Vax Educators

23 04 2013

It’s National Infant Immunization Week!

We put out the call for infant vaccination resources that groups were prepared to share, and this is what we received. If you have any tools or resources you can share with others, either hard copies or downloadables, just add them to the comments section.

Vaccinate Your Baby has a nice section on their website of video FAQs, featuring Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Mark Sawyer, Alison Singer, and Dr. Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco. The videos are very short, and they each ask and answer a question about vaccines. Plus, they have the full transcripts available for download. Nice way to hear how other healthcare professionals answer questions, and something you can show patients.

AAP has a multitude of resources, as you would imagine.

Here’s the Childhood Immunization Support Program Best Practices Summary. Clinicians answer several questions, and their answers are compared to best practices for each question. Sample question: “How does your practice ensure that, whenever possible, immunization appointments are scheduled along with other appointments, to prevent missed opportunities?” Good opportunity to find out how others are overcoming issues related to best practices.

AAP also has a nice page with several provider resources listed for those wanting to communicate with parents of infants, or children of any age.

The Alliance for Immunization in Michigan has a toolkit available for download that addresses infant immunization, as well as immunization in other age groups.

The Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition has a Community Immunization Education Guide Toolkit available in English and Spanish. It provides background information that the trainee can use as they train fellow community workers and/or educate the public about immunizations. Key topics include: What is a vaccine preventable disease, what are the five key immunization messages, what do vaccine preventable diseases look like, how to give an excellent presentation.

The Hepatitis B Foundation has a downloadable flyer promoting hep B vaccination.

CDC has an entire infant/toddler immunization section on its website.

Stanford’s Asian Liver Center has a flyer available in multiple languages that addresses HBV and Moms-to-be

CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center has several resources available:

Print materials: - Vaccines and Your Baby booklet; Q and A sheets about related vaccines: rotavirus, hep A, chickenpox, influenza, pertussis; Vaccine safety q and a sheets – facts about childhood vaccines, aluminum, recommended immunization schedule, thimerosal, too many vaccines, vaccine ingredients, vaccines and autism; Clings of the immunization schedule.

Videos: - Vaccines and your baby (for new or expectant parents), Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fear (for parents concerned about vaccine safety)

Parents PACK program – website and monthly e-newsletter (sample)

IAC has several resources for those working with infants:

FOR PARENTS:

Immunizations for Babies  (also available in 8 translations)

Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Age 0–10 Years

Clear Answers & Smart Advice About Your Baby’s Shots by Dr. Ari Brown, MD, FAAP

Cocooning Protects Babies

Personal belief exemptions for vaccination put people at risk. Examine the evidence for yourself.

Questions Parents Ask about Baby Shots   (also available in 8 translations)

Reliable Sources of Immunization Information: Where to go to find answers!

What if you don’t immunize your child?

FOR PROVIDERS:

Vaccine Administration Record for Children and Teens

Summary of Recommendations for Child/Teen Immunization

Recommendations for Pneumococcal Vaccine Use in Children and Teens

Meningococcal Vaccination Recommendations by Age and/or Risk Factor

Screening Checklist for Contraindications to Vaccines for Children and Teens   (also available in 9 translations)

Decision to Not Vaccinate My Child (declination form)

Standing orders for all routine childhood vaccines

PKIDs has several infant-specific resources that anyone may use. There’s a nice section on pertussis with video and audio PSAs, , and other materials for use by providers and parents. For the Make On-Time Vaccination Easy program, there are radio PSAs available for download . There are also videos covering a variety of vaccine-preventable diseases that may be used by anyone as PSAs, or there are longer versions for showing in waiting rooms .


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Categories : Immunizations

You’re An Adult, So Get Vaccinated!

29 01 2013

adults onlyOnce we leave our family home and go off to college or the military or the workforce, how healthy we are is up to us.

For our first couple of decades, mom and dad do all the work. They get us in for our immunizations, tell us to wash our hands, nag us to eat our greens—well, the nagging about our health never ends. But the point is, we don’t worry about that stuff because we know someone else is doing that for us.

Then, in our 20s, 30s, and 40s, we’re hauling our own kids to the clinic for shots and sniffles, or nagging them to eat their greens. We haven’t the time for a long shower; forget finding time to take care of our own health.

In our 50s, we’re working hard and at the peak of our careers, or getting laid off and stressing about that. Plus, we’re watching out for our parents’ health. We have no time for check-ups or even basic immunizations. Even if we have the time, we have no idea what we’re supposed to take care of and might not have a “medical home,” a physician we see when we need to see one.

Our 60s and 70s are when we wake up to the fact that we have to take care of our bodies. Most of the time, we do that by reacting to health issues that pop up rather than working to prevent problems.

After 80, we’re bossed around by our middle-aged children who can find us a specialist in 10 minutes, but have no idea that we need a Tdap vaccine.

Adults 19 and older in the US are not taking advantage of vaccines, and that’s an easy place to start taking care of ourselves. Each of us should check in with a healthcare provider and find out what vaccines we need. Nobody has time to do it, so just do it anyway.

Here’s a list from the CDC, although it’ll be much simpler to ask a physician. But, if you love the details (full recommendations for each vaccine can be found here):

  • Pneumococcal Vaccine Information
    • Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is recommended for all adults aged 65 years and older.
    • In addition, certain adults younger than 65 years should be vaccinated if they have certain high-risk conditions such as cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, alcoholism, cirrhosis, cerebrospinal fluid leak, or a cochlear implant, or if they have a suppressed immune system.
    • Adults aged 19 years and older should also get a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine if they have asthma or smoke cigarettes.
    • Preliminary data report approximately 37,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in 2011. Of those cases, there were about 4,000 deaths.
    • The majority of cases and deaths occur among adults 50 years or older, with the highest rates among those 65 years or older. Almost everyone who gets invasive pneumococcal disease needs treatment in the hospital.
    • Overall, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) is 30% to 70% effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease, such as meningitis and bloodstream infections.
      • Effectiveness is highest among otherwise healthy adults.
      • Effectiveness is lowest among adults with significant underlying illness.
    • There is not consensus regarding the effectiveness of PPSV23 against non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia.
    • Certain adults with significant underlying illness should also get the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), which has proven highly effective among children.
      • A large clinical trial is underway in the Netherlands that is studying the effectiveness of PCV13 against pneumococcal pneumonia among adults.
    • Adults at high risk for pneumococcal disease who haven’t gotten the vaccine yet should talk with their doctor about getting it now.
  • Tetanus and Tdap Vaccine Information
    • Tdap vaccine is recommended for adults aged 19 years and older to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
    • Tdap vaccine is especially important for adults who will have close contact with infants less than 1 year old.
    • In addition, pregnant women are recommended Tdap vaccination during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks’ gestation, to help protect their newborns from whooping cough.
      • Tdap vaccine can be safely given at any time during pregnancy, but is recommended during the third trimester to pass the most amount of protection to the baby.
    • Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis are all caused by bacteria.
      • Both diphtheria and pertussis are spread from person to person.
      • Tetanus enters the body through cuts, scratches, or wounds. • Provisional data report nearly 42,000 cases of pertussis during 2012, a nearly 60-year high.
    • Our current estimate is that Tdap vaccination protects 7 out of 10 people who receive it.
    • Since Tdap vaccines were only licensed in 2005, we don’t yet have results on long-term vaccine protection.  We’re still working to understand how that protection declines over time.
    • CDC is conducting an evaluation in collaboration with health departments in Washington and California to better understand how long Tdap vaccines protect from pertussis.  The data from these evaluations will help guide discussions on how best to use vaccines to control pertussis.
    • Adults who haven’t gotten a Tdap shot yet should talk to their doctor about getting it as soon as possible, no matter when they last got a tetanus (Td) booster.
    • After receiving the Tdap shot, adults should continue to get a Td booster every 10 years.
    • Adults need to get Tdap even if they were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with pertussis in the past; neither provides lifelong protection.
  • Hepatitis A Vaccine Information
    • Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for adults who are working in or traveling to any area of the world outside of Canada, Western Europe and Scandinavia, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.
    • Other adults that should get the vaccine include men who have sex with men, people who use illegal drugs, people who have clotting factor disorders, people with chronic liver disease, and people who might be exposed to hepatitis A on the job (such as those who work with hepatitis A virus in laboratory settings or with hepatitis A-infected primates).
    • Hepatitis A is caused by a virus and spreads primarily by oral contact with fecal matter, either through person-to-person or by contaminated food or water.
    • More than 95% of adults will develop immunity within one month of a single dose of hepatitis A vaccine, and nearly 100% will develop immunity after receiving two doses.
  • Hepatitis B Vaccine Information
    • Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for adults at high risk of infection by sexual or blood exposure to hepatitis B virus.
    • People at high risk of sexual exposure include sex partners of people who are positive for Hepatitis B, people who’ve had more than one sex partner in the last six months, people seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually transmitted disease, and men who have sex with men.
    • People at risk of blood exposure include current or recent injection-drug users, household contacts of people who are positive for Hepatitis B, residents and staff of facilities for the developmentally disabled, people with end stage renal disease, and some health-care and public safety workers.
    • Other groups at risk include international travelers to regions with high or intermediate levels of Hepatitis B infection and people with HIV infection.
    • Hepatitis B is caused by a virus and is spread from person to person primarily through blood or semen. • In healthy adults, the vaccine is 80% to 95% effective in preventing infection or clinical hepatitis in those who complete a hepatitis B vaccine series (usually 3 doses).
  • Herpes Zoster Vaccine Information
    • Herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine is recommended for adults aged 60 years and older.
    • Shingles occurs when latent varicella zoster (chickenpox) virus reactivates later in life.
    • Pain from shingles lesions, called post-herpetic neuralgia, can be very severe and last a year or more.
    • 50% of people who live until age 85 will develop shingles.
    • In people 60 years of age and older, the shingles vaccine:
      • Reduces the risk of shingles by about half (51%)
      • Reduces the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia (prolonged pain at the rash site) by 67%
    • The shingles vaccine is effective for at least six years but may last longer; research is being done in this area.
  • HPV Vaccine Information
    • HPV vaccine is recommended for routine vaccination of females and males at age 11 or 12 years.  Vaccination is also recommended for females 13-26 years of age and for males 13-21 years of age, if not previously vaccinated.  Males aged 22-26 years may be vaccinated.
    • HPV2 or HPV4 is recommended for females; HPV4 is recommended for males.
    • Men who have sex with men (MSM) may especially benefit from vaccination to prevent condyloma and anal cancer.  HPV4 is recommended for MSM through age 26 years who did not get any or all doses when they were younger.
    • HPV is a common virus that is primarily spread through sexual contact.
    • There are approximately 40 types of genital HPV.
      • Some types can cause cervical cancer and other kinds of cancer in both men and women.
      • Other types of HPV can cause genital warts in both males and females.
    • About 6 million people become infected with HPV each year.
    • Studies found vaccine efficacy of over 93% against disease due to HPV vaccine types if a female had not already been infected with that type.
    • HPV vaccine is not therapeutic and does not treat existing infection or disease.
    • Prior infection with one HPV type did not lessen the effectiveness of the vaccine against other vaccine HPV types.
    • There are 2 vaccines licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by CDC to protect against HPV-related illness; these vaccines are Cervarix (made by GlaxoSmithKline) and Gardasil (made by Merck).
      • Both vaccines are very effective against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause most cervical cancers, so both vaccines prevent cervical cancer in women.
      • Only Gardasil protects against HPV types 6 and 11 – the types that cause most genital warts in females and males.
      • Only Gardasil has been tested and shown to protect against cancers of the vulva, vagina, and anus.
      • Only Gardasil has been tested and licensed for use in males.
  • Vaccine Safety
    • All vaccines used in the United States are required to go through years of extensive safety testing before they are licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
    • FDA and CDC work with health-care providers throughout the United States to monitor the safety of vaccines, including for any adverse events, especially rare events not identified in pre-licensure study trials.
    • There are three systems used to monitor the safety of vaccines after they are licensed and being used in the U.S.
      • These systems can monitor side effects already known to be caused by vaccines as well as detect rare side effects that were not identified during a vaccine’s clinical trials.
      • One of the three systems used to monitor the safety of vaccines after they are licensed and used in the U.S. is called the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
      • VAERS accepts reports from health professionals, vaccine manufacturers, and the general public and receives about 28,000 U.S. reports per year, compared with millions of vaccine doses given to adults.

By Trish Parnell


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Categories : Adult Vaccination

ECBT – Two Decades

8 09 2011

Every Child By Two (ECBT) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Former First Lady of Arkansas Betty Bumpers started ECBT with two goals: “. . . [to] raise awareness of the critical need for timely immunizations and to foster a systematic way to immunize all of America’s children by age two.”

ECBT offers a lot of direction to various segments of the population. For parents, they have sections on vaccine safety, tips on paying for vaccines, and descriptions of vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

Immunization advocates can find a huge amount of information on ECBT’s website, including surveys, reports, links, and a long list of national and regional resources.

Immunization registries are at the heart of ECBT’s work and they feature on their website how-tos, detailed explanations of registry benefits, and other tools helpful to those investigating such start-ups.

Healthcare professionals aren’t forgotten! They can find many links to patient educational materials and to strategies to improve vaccination rates.

Bringing Immunity To Every Community is an eLearning course developed by ECBT in partnership with the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care and the American Nurses Association and is worth checking out.

In the past few years, ECBT has created a second website, Vaccinate Your Baby, and a blog called Shot of Prevention. Vaccinate Your Baby is based on an awareness campaign of the safety of vaccines and the need to keep children’s immunization rates high. Actress Amanda Peet has been an ardent spokeswoman for ECBT and immunization and has kept the momentum going on this campaign.

The blog, Shot of Prevention, is led by Christine Vara, and has been both a leader in the arena of immunization blogs and a lightning rod for those with strong opinions. But they do love it when folks take time to comment on posts, so stop by when you have a minute to read these thoughtful opinion pieces.

It’s true that we’re fans of the people at ECBT, but for good cause. Kids would not be so well-protected today if, 20 years ago, two strong women hadn’t taken it upon themselves to lead the nation in immunizing our young.

Amy Pisani, Rich Greenaway and Jennifer Zavolinsky get up and go to work each day at ECBT, and because they do, they make the jobs of other immunization advocates so much easier. Thanks to all of you.

By Trish Parnell


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Categories : Immunizations

Why are Vaccines Mandated?

26 05 2011

Why does the government mandate that millions of children and adolescents receive certain immunizations for school entry?

The more people in a community who are vaccinated, the healthier that community is.  Here is how Dr. Samuel Katz, a renowned vaccine expert and a member of PKIDs’ Medical Advisory Board, explained it before Congress in 1999.

“We know too well that the level of [immunization] protection that we have now established in our children and our communities is a fragile one that depends on what we refer to as community or ‘herd’ immunity.  From the standpoint of effectiveness, modern childhood vaccines are approximately 90 to 95 percent effective.  What that means is that for every 20 children who are vaccinated one or two may not develop a sufficient immune response [or antibodies to fight an infection].

“It cannot be assured that these children will be protected from the virus or bacteria should they encounter it at school, at a playground, at a shopping mall, or at their church daycare.  However, if sufficient numbers of children in a community are immunized, the vaccinated ones protect the unprotected by effectively stopping the chain of transmission in its tracks and drastically lowering the probability that the susceptible child will encounter the bacteria or virus,” said Katz.

Community immunity also helps protect children and adults whose immune systems are compromised or weakened because of another illness or old age.

“As long as the great majority of children receive their vaccines, we will be able to maintain our current level of disease control,” Katz explained.  “However, should the level of community protection drop to the point where the viruses and bacteria travel unimpeded from person-to-person, from school-to-school, and from community-to-community, we instantly return to a past era when epidemics were an accepted part of life.”

America experienced such an outbreak in 1989-91 with the resurgence of measles.  There were 55,622 reported cases mainly in children less than 5 years of age, more than 11,000 hospitalizations and 125 deaths.  States do allow personal exemptions, so parents can choose not to vaccinate their children, but those exemptions carry risk to the child and the public’s health, emphasizing the importance of community immunity.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that, on average, those children who were exempted from immunizations ran a 35-fold greater risk of contracting measles compared to those who were nonexemptors.

Not only are these children at greater risk of disease, their infections can be the spark that ignites a disease outbreak in a community.

According to Dr. Katz, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, despite the availability of a safe and effective measles vaccine, the United States continued to experience regular epidemics of measles.  Left to individual choice (as opposed to government mandates), only 60 to 70 percent of the community was immunized.

That coverage failed to provide adequate community immunity to prevent an outbreak.

“States without school immunization requirements had incidence rates for measles significantly higher than states with these requirements,” noted Dr. Katz.  “Recognizing these data, other states (not the federal government), quickly adopted similar requirements.  These requirements are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The results are striking,” he added.  “Before we had a measles vaccine, an estimated 500,000 cases of measles were reported each year.  In 1998, there were 89 cases of measles in the United States with no measles-associated deaths.  Most counties in the United States were free of measles.  However, we have learned that nearly all of the cases of measles that did occur in the United States were imported from other countries.  This would not have been possible without the “school exclusion” statutes that now exist in every state.  While we hear dramatic stories of exotic diseases that are just a plane ride away, the importation of vaccine preventable diseases into a susceptible population is much more frightening.  Should we allow our community immunity to wane, we will negate all the progress we have made and allow our communities to be at risk from threats that are easily prevented.”

Compulsory vaccination laws in the United States have repeatedly been upheld as a reasonable exercise of the state’s compelling interest even in the absence of an epidemic or a single case.  As the U.S. Supreme Court held in 1905 in the case Jacobson vs. Massachusetts:

“ …in every well-ordered society charged with the duty of conserving the safety of its members, the rights of the individuals in respect of his liberty may at times, under the pressure of great dangers, be subjected to such restraint, to be enforced by reasonable regulations as the safety of the general public may demand.”

The Supreme Court makes clear that “the liberty secured by the Constitution of the United States to every person within its jurisdiction does not import an absolute right in each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, wholly freed from restraint.  There are manifold restraints to which every person is necessarily subject for the common good.   [Liberty] is only freedom from restraint under conditions essential to the equal enjoyment of the same right by others.”

This is one in a series of excerpts from PKIDs’ Infectious Disease Workshop. We hope you find the materials useful – the instructor’s text and activities are all free downloads.

Photo credit: lawtonjm


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Categories : Vaccines

Just the Facts, Please

12 05 2011

Usually, the facts are the facts, right? Maybe not. Everything depends on the language we use to frame a given issue. That might sound kind of dry, but take a look at this:

Who would hire THAT babysitter?!

The same thing happens sometimes when people talk about vaccines. Even real facts can look alarming when they’re not presented in an accurate context. Watch how it works.

CBS News: “Ratajczak also looks at a factor that hasn’t been widely discussed: human DNA contained in vaccines. That’s right, human DNA.”

Notice how the reporter repeats “human DNA,” suggesting there’s something shocking about it. Yes, there is human DNA in vaccines that are cultured using human cells. They are a biological product that can’t just be cooked up out of inert materials, and if being exposed to foreign DNA were dangerous, it’d be baaaaad news for anyone who’s ever breathed around an animal.

Also, if it were this easy for one organism’s DNA to hijack the biology of another, kindergarteners could do gene therapy.

Fox News, on how the Court of Federal Claims is dealing with cases in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding now that all of the vaccines-cause-autism theories have been conclusively rejected: “It sounds like they’re making these families jump through almost impossible legal hoops. They want them to go out and somehow drum up their own medical expert, pay for it themselves, come up with a new medical theory…why are they making it so tough?”

Yes, the families who had cases in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding are now being asked to speak up if there’s any reason to believe their child’s case is different from the six test cases the Court heard. And yes, it is almost impossible any of them will prevail. Why? Not because, as the reporter insinuates, there’s some dark conspiracy to suppress information. It’s because the Omnibus Autism Proceeding was exhaustive. If there were any possibility that the vaccines-cause-autism theories held water, the test cases provided every chance in the world to prove it—but they couldn’t.

See how easy it is? Start with something harmless, pour on some spooky music, whip to a frothy doomsday conclusion, and . . . voila! You’ve got yourself a delectable morsel of Pernicious Urban Legend! Unfortunately, many consumers don’t know to beware before digging in.


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Categories : Immunizations, Uncategorized

Two Risks

31 01 2011

Courtesy of NOAA's People Collection

Ben Franklin chose not to inoculate his little boy against smallpox, fearing the inoculation more than the disease.  In 1736, Ben’s son died at the age of four — from smallpox infection.

Was Ben right to choose the “common way” of infection? Well, no, he wasn’t, although inoculation was nasty.  First, a string was drawn through a pustule of someone infected with smallpox.  The string was then left to dry, and later drawn through a cut made on an uninfected person.  The resulting infection was milder in form and about two percent of those inoculated died from infection versus 15 percent of those who became infected the common way.

Ben Franklin was a brilliant man, but in this case, he failed to look at the science.  Some years after losing his son, he said:

“In 1736 I lost one of my Sons, a fine Boy of 4 Years old, taken by the Smallpox in the common way. I long regretted that I had not given it to him by Inoculation, which I mention for the Sake of Parents, who omit that Operation on the Supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a Child died under it; my Example showing that the Regret may be the same either way, and that therefore the safer should be chosen.”

After his son’s death, Franklin became a big believer in inoculation, considering it the safer choice.  He wrote an introduction to English physician William Heberden’s pamphlet on the subject, which promoted the act and even explained how parents could inoculate their children themselves.  Ben then distributed the document in America.

Nearly 300 years after Ben Franklin chose between two risks and lost, parents face the same choices. No vaccine is 100 percent safe, and no disease is 100 percent benign.  There’s a risk when vaccinating and a risk when choosing natural infection.

The fact is, our kids don’t live in bubbles, and we can’t keep them safe from exposure to germs.  Although the vaccines today are not perfectly risk-free, they are much safer than the infections they prevent.

All we can do as parents is look at the science, talk to our pediatricians, and make the safest choices for our kids.


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Categories : Immunizations, Infectious Diseases, Smallpox

Vote and Vax

1 11 2010

Vote & Vax strongly urges public health and emergency management agencies to pilot immunization stations at polling places in their communities this Election Day. Flu season is almost here and we all have a stake in making sure that as many Americans as possible have a chance to be vaccinated.

While most flu sufferers recover in a couple weeks with no problems, a flu vaccination can prevent severe complications like pneumonia or death in vulnerable populations – such as the very young, the elderly, and those with other serious medical conditions.

Vote & Vax is also a great exercise in emergency preparedness. Improving your agency’s skill in immunizing potentially large numbers of people at community venues helps build your capacity to better respond to emergencies or disasters in the future.

Interested in protecting and preparing your community for flu season?

Participating in Vote & Vax is easy and a great opportunity to increase your community’s awareness of the importance and role of public health providers. Register your agency now and receive a free Election Day event kit — but only while supplies last!

Find out more at www.voteandvax.org or watch our story on YouTube!

Doug Shenson, M.D.
Program Director
Vote & Vax


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Categories : Flu, Immunizations, Influenza (flu), Uncategorized

YouTube for Health Educators

26 08 2010

YouTube isn’t just for Justin Bieber fans or people interested in 20th century dance moves.  It’s also perfect for health educators.

YouTube provides health educators with an endless supply of videos on health topics ranging from pertussis to the importance of adequate vaccination, as well as breaking health news and updates from government agencies.

Did you know CDC is on YouTube, as is WHO, and other estimable groups such as UNICEF and Save the Children?

A number of health departments use YouTube for health education campaigns addressing food inspection, oral health, swine flu, and everything in between.

If you are a health educator and are interested in learning more about YouTube, including how to set up an account and upload a video, sign up for next Wednesday’s webinar using these steps:

  1. Sign up for PKIDs Communications Made Easy Program (It’s free!)
  2. Register for our YouTube for Health Educators webinar (held Wednesday, September 1st at 9:00 am pacific time)
  3. Call in on the day of the webinar, using the number from your registration email
  4. Get online using the URL link in your registration email


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Back to School?!

9 08 2010

The kids are staggering around, moaning about school’s approach while we parents giggle in our sleep.  We have to put in some work to get our little sweetums of all ages launched into the new school year, but the payoff is worth it.  The kids – out of the house!

Vaccines.  Have to get pre-schoolers, collegians and everyone in-between up-to-date on those immunizations.  Ice cream afterward, no matter the age.

Flu.  Ok, this seems like it should be with the vaccines above, but most of us focus on the immunizations we need to get done before the kids go back to school, and this one usually isn’t available in clinics until September/October.  Put it on the calendar, because it’s easy to forget.  Check with your provider about each member of your family getting vaccinated against influenza.  It’s important.

Cover coughs.  With kids crammed into classrooms and adults back at the office after summer holiday, diseases have a chance to spread quickly.  Show the kids how to cough (or sneeze) into their elbows, or into tissues.  This helps stop the germs from floating around and being inhaled by others, or from landing on surfaces that others then touch, picking up the germs on their hands.

Wash hands.  Washing our hands throughout the day, and always after using the bathroom and before we eat, is an all-around good habit.  It’s one of the most effective ways to prevent infections.  Show the kids how to wash their hands.  We didn’t know there was a particular way that worked best until we had a nurse come in and show us prior to making this little video a few years ago.

Dating.  There will be a lot more interaction between teens after school starts.  Even though they know about STDs, it doesn’t hurt for them to hear us talk about the ways diseases spread.  It’s surprising how parents’ willingness to talk, and talk often, can impact a teen’s choices.  Also, thanks to the recent vampire craze, we have to explain that biting your date’s neck can spread all sorts of diseases.

Any parents out there want to chime in on what they do or say to keep their kids healthy?  We’d love to hear!


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Categories : Disease Prevention, Uncategorized

Pre-teens Need Vaccines Too

21 07 2010

(courtesy of guest blogger Amelia Burke, MA)

There are serious diseases that kids are at increased risk for as they approach the teen years, such as meningitis, whooping cough, and human papillomavirus (also known as HPV, the virus that can lead to cervical cancer in women).

And the statistics speak for themselves:

  • 13,000 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) were reported in 2008.  Although deaths from pertussis are usually in the youngest infants, adolescents and adults can develop complications such as pneumonia, rib fracture, difficulty sleeping and urinary incontinence.  Infants often catch pertussis from family members, including adolescents;
  • An estimated 1,000 – 1,200 cases of meningococcal disease (including meningitis) occur in the United States annually, with 10-15% of those people dying from it and an additional 15% having a long-term disability, such as hearing loss, loss of a limb, nervous system damage, or brain damage as a result;
  • And every year in the U.S., about 6.2 million people get a new HPV infection, about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,000 women die from the disease.

CDC recommends that pre-teens should receive the following:

  • Tdap vaccine – combined protection against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis
  • Meningococcal  vaccine  – protection against meningitis and its complications
  • Seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines – protection against seasonal and H1N1 influenza viruses
  • For girls, HPV vaccines to protect against the two types of human papillomavirus that cause up to 70% of cervical cancers.

As well, one of two available HPV vaccines also protects against warts in the genital area, and boys and men ages nine through 26 can get this vaccine.

These recommendations are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

Most health insurance plans cover these vaccines, and for families without insurance, there are options for cost coverage through the Vaccines for Children program (VFC). You can find a VFC provider by contacting your local health department, visiting CDC’s website, or calling 1800-CDC-INFO.

CDC’s Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign has educational materials tailored for various audiences, including Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American parents, available in English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese.  Learn more and download / order these materials at NO COST.


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