Immunize Colorado Attends NCICP; Julissa Soto and Dr. Leisha Andersen Win NCICP Awards

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Several members of the Immunize Colorado team traveled to Minneapolis this month for the National Conference for Immunization Coalitions and Partnerships (NCICP) co-sponsored by Immunize.org and Voices for Vaccines. The conference focused on fostering equity, building partnerships, and promoting vaccine confidence. Our team had a wonderful time learning and making connections; takeaways from the conference are sure to enhance our work to protect Colorado families, schools, and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and broaden our network across the state.

Additionally, the 2022 NCICP Awards were presented during the conference, and two of these prestigious awards went to Colorado vaccine champions! The 2022 Recognition Awards Equity in Immunization award was given to Julissa Soto. Julissa has been a force for vaccine equity in Colorado and works tirelessly to make sure the Latino community stays healthy through vaccination for COVID-19 and other routine immunizations. The 2022 Excellence in Immunization Collaboration award was given to Dr. Leisha Andersen of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter. Dr. Andersen has been an instrumental health champion across Colorado, advocating for routine and COVID-19 vaccination in the pediatric population. We’re proud to congratulate Julissa and Dr. Andersen on their awards and thank them for their continued efforts to keep Colorado communities healthy through immunization!

Finally, during NCICP, Julissa Soto along with Immunize Colorado’s program director, Sarah Waraniak, presented on Julissa’s “Vaccine Sundays” initiative and engaging Hispanic and Latino communities around COVID-19 vaccines in Colorado. Sarah also presented with Julissa and folks from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and Colorado Access in a session titled, “Reducing Dispanirty and Better Delivery Through Innovation.”

Immunize Colorado Announces 2022-2025 Strategic Plan

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Immunize Colorado is pleased to announce the release of our 2022-2025 strategic plan. Every three years, Immunize Colorado identifies areas of focus that will most effectively advance our mission and support our core programming areas: public policy, community outreach and awareness, health care provider education, coalition building, immunization services and data translation. Immunize Colorado continuously works to assess our success in meeting our goals by measuring data and outcomes.

View the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan

Immunize Colorado Partners with Community Influencers to Promote Vaccines

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Immunize Colorado is excited to partner with African Youth Advocate (AYA) to promote access and education to routine immunizations in the Black, African, and Immigrant communities in the Denver Metro area. AYA hosts community events that celebrate diversity and culture in different populations through food, music, and games. Immunize Colorado will work with them to offer vaccines at these events. This ongoing partnership will kick off with a large event in early August focused on the Ghanian community. 

Outside of Denver Metro, we have also partnered with Reverend Zelna Joseph, founder of the S/HE Identity, a faith-based nonprofit based in Colorado Springs that offers services to families who have been societally marginalized. Zelna is a trusted faith leader in the African American community in Colorado Springs, and will be planning routine immunization clinics in partnership with churches and faith communities starting in late summer.

We are thrilled to work with these wonderful partners, and look forward to elevating their work through lasting partnerships.

For inquiries about this work, please contact Sarah at Sarah.Waraniak@childrenscolorado.org.

Providers: Order the NEW Childhood and Adult Vaccine Reminder Cards for Your Practice

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These reminder cards, created in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), are a tool that can be used by healthcare professionals to help remind parents which vaccines their child needs, and remind adults which vaccines they need. The card can folded, taped, and mailed to patients, or hand-delivered at a wellness exam. The childhood card includes all recommended childhood and adolescent vaccines, and the adult card includes all recommended adult vaccines. The cards are both available in English and Spanish.

ORDER REMINDER CARDS FOR YOUR PRACTICE

New cancer vaccine finds way to overcome tumor defenses

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Developing cancer vaccines have been an essential partTrusted Source of cancer research for almost three decades.

Many formsTrusted Source of cancer vaccines are under research, including those that target proteins expressed across multiple cancer types, and those that are personalizedTrusted Source according to individual tumor mutations.

While existing vaccines can induce an immune response in blood, tumors often dodge this response via an immune escape mechanism.

Targeting this mechanism may help researchers improve cancer vaccine efficacy.

In a recent study, researchers developed a new cancer vaccine that targets this immune escape mechanism and increases immune antibody levels.

Read more at Medical News Today.

FDA Panel Recommends Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines for Children 6 Months and Older

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Many parents in the U.S. have been waiting to hear that the nation’s youngest children—those under 5 years old—can be vaccinated against COVID-19. Finally, on June 15, an expert panel convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that two vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are safe and effective for children ages 6 months and older.

The FDA’s panel voted unanimously—21-0—that the benefits of Moderna’s vaccine outweigh its risks for kids ages 6 months through 5 years of age. They also voted unanimously that the benefits of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine outweigh risks for kids ages 6 months through 4 years.

Read more at Time.

FDA advisers back Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for older kids

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NEW YORK — A government advisory panel Tuesday endorsed a second brand of COVID-19 vaccine for school-age children and teens.

The Food and Drug Administration’s outside experts voted unanimously that Moderna’s vaccine is safe and effective enough to give kids ages 6 to 17. If the FDA agrees, it would become the second option for those children, joining Pfizer’s vaccine.

Read more at ABC.

COVID-19 Continues to ‘Unravel’ Progress on Routine Vaccinations

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New reports suggest that many people are not still caught up on routine vaccine schedules that were disrupted by missed appointments throughout the pandemic.1

The reports suggest stay-at-home orders, fear of COVID-19 exposure, and healthcare staffing shortages have likely contributed to the decrease in vaccinations for measles, hepatitis A and B, meningitis, tetanus, and more. As pandemic restrictions ease up, immunization rates have yet to rebound enough to make up for the decline.

Read more at Very Well.

Op-Ed: Vaccine disruptions and mistrust are ramping up measles risk

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Pandemics have consequences beyond the death and disease directly caused by the novel pathogen. In the 1918 influenza pandemic, more deaths were caused by the pneumococcal bacterium among those made susceptible to bacterial infection by influenza than by the flu itself.

One potential byproduct of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic is the threat of an old scourge: measles. In the United States, two doses of measles vaccines are recommended for all children. These doses are usually administered as the measles, mumps and rubella combined vaccine. The first dose is given at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 to 6 years of age. Schools in all states require measles vaccination for entry, though they allow various medical or nonmedical exemptions.

Read more at Los Angeles Times.

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