How Does the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) Benefit Colorado’s Public Health Efforts?

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An Interview with Heather Roth, Deputy Immunization Branch Chief at the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

Immunization information systems (IIS), also CIISreferred to as immunization registries, are confidential, population-based, computerized databases that collect vaccination data within a geographic area. They are a confidential, secure, and centralized way for authorized users (i.e. healthcare providers, public health officials, schools) to enter immunization data, access immunization records for patients, identify missed immunizations, monitor gaps in immunization coverage important for outbreak response and targeting interventions, and to ultimately improve vaccination rates.

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Clinicians: As Measles Outbreaks Grow, Here’s How You Can Help Protect Your Patients

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Measles outbreaks are popping up across the United States. From January 1 to March 7, 2019, 228** individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 12 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Six outbreaks (defined as 3 or more linked cases) have been reported, in Rockland County, New York; New York City, New York; Washington; Texas; California and Illinois.

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Surviving Cervical Cancer and Fighting Back

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Colorado native Tracy Jimenez was diagnosed with cervical cancer just four days after her 46th birthday on October 26, 2016. A single mother of three, grandmother to five, and surrogate mother to a 24-year-old nephew with cerebral palsy, Tracy had her hands more than full. Her busy life and endless responsibilities made her life-altering cancer diagnosis even more terrifying. In an interview with the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, Tracy explains how cervical cancer caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection impacted her life, and how it’s driven her to speak up for the vaccine that has the power to prevent cervical and other kinds of cancer: the HPV vaccine.

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Losing My Baby to the Flu: An Interview with Mom Vira Cover

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“I miss her. I wish she were here.”

On December 1, 2003, Vira Cover experienced what no parent should have to: the death of a child.

Just a week earlier, on Thanksgiving Day, Vira’s 23-month-old daughter, Elizabeth Terese Cover, caught the H1N1 strain of influenza and developed bilateral pneumonia. During the 2003-2004 flu season, 152 children in the U.S. died from flu. Elizabeth was one of them.

Vira shared her and Elizabeth’s story in an interview with the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition.

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Why Vaccination Is One of the Best Choices You Can Make As a Parent

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Content adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

As parents, we want to do what is best for our kids. We want to keep our little ones safe and healthy so that they can grow, learn, and be kids. We know about the importance of car seats, baby gates, and other ways to keep babies and young children safe. But did you know that one of the best ways to protect your children is to make sure they receive all of their vaccinations? During National Immunization Awareness Month, we share a few reasons why vaccination is one of the best and most important things you can do to protect your child.

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Back-to-School Season is Here! Tri-County Health Department Offers Back-to-School Immunization Clinics

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Guest post by Tri-County Health Department

When you think of back-to-school season, you might think about new books, backpacks and binders, but you may not think of vaccines! Colorado law requires students at licensed child care centers and schools to be vaccinated against certain diseases. Many people know that vaccines are recommended for babies, but additional doses are required for kindergarten and sixth grade entry to keep kids healthy and protected from preventable illness throughout the school year. Many colleges also require certain vaccines after age sixteen. More information on which vaccines are required in Colorado can be found here.

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Connecting New and Expecting Parents With Health and Safety Resources: The 2018 Community Baby Fair

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New parenthood is incredibly exciting, scary, wonderful, and challenging—all at once! With so much information and so many opinions from different sources, it’s hard to know just how to best keep a new baby safe. From car seat installation to finding a pediatrician to safe sleep, having evidence-based expert information is key. And parents shouldn’t have to navigate their parenthood journey alone. Enter: The Annual Community Baby Fair, hosted by the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC)!

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