Immunization and Infectious Disease Update
National Association of County & City Health Officials
Information and Resources for Local Health Departments

Recent News


National Public Radio (July 18, 2013)

 

Science World Report (July 22, 2013) 
 
DoctorsLounge (July 23, 2013)
 
AAFP News Now (July 23, 2013)
 
Science Daily (July 23, 2013)
 
New York Times (July 24, 2013)  
 
WIVB (NY) (July 24, 2013)
 
Reuters (July 25, 2013)

   

Cyclo-What? A Nasty Stomach Bug Spreads in the Midwest
National Public Radio (July 26, 2013) 
 
Sun-Sentinel (FL) (July 26, 2013) 
 
Medical News Today (July 27, 2013)
 
Nature Medicine News (July 29, 2013)  
 
Associated Press (July 30, 2013) 
 
KIII TV News (TX) (July 30, 2013)  
 

Resources


2013 NACCHO Model Practice Award Winners 

Thirty-eight local health departments (LHDs) were honored at NACCHO Annual 2013 in Dallas for implementing public health programs that demonstrate exemplary and replicable outcomes. Among this year's Model Practice Award winners were the following programs related to immunizations and infectious disease prevention and control:

  • Broward County Health Department, FL, Paramedics as Partners: Back to School Immunization
  • Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, WV, A Model for SLIV Clinics: The Dollars and "Sense" of Billing Private Insurers for Immunization Services
  • St. Louis County Department of Health, MO, Mandatory Hepatitis A Vaccine Ordinance for Food Handlers and Subsequent Decline in Case Rates in St. Louis County
  • Clark County Health Department, KY, Clark County Dental Health Initiative
  • Two Rivers Public Health Department, NE, Young Children Priority One Dental Program
  • Nassau County Health Department, NY, Skype Observed Therapy: New Technology for TB Control
  • Palm Beach County Health Department, FL, Use of IGRA for TB Infection Screening

For more information about these and other Model Practices, visit NACCHO's Model Practices Database.

 
Sign Up for NACCHO's News from Washington
If you are interested in weekly information about federal government activities that relate to LHDs, sign up for NACCHO's News From Washington. 

New Health Reform Planning Tool for State Health Departments and LHDs
The Georgia Health Policy Center recently released "Leading Through Health System Change: A Public Health Opportunity," a new tool to help public health organizations adapt to the changing healthcare environment. The tool's interactive website can be used to examine the basics of healthcare reform and create a simple implementation plan for improving population health.

 

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Online Course

A new self-study, interactive course for medical providers on HCV infection is now available from the University of Washington. Free CME credit is available (CNE credit will be available soon). 

  

August is National Immunization Awareness Month  

August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This awareness month highlights the need for improving national immunization coverage levels and encourages all people to protect their health by being immunized against infectious diseases. Refer to the National Public Health Information Coalition's toolkit to plan your LHD's events and messaging. Your LHD can support NIAM by:

  • Sharing the information with your networks and partners;
  • Tweet and post on your Twitter and Facebook accounts;
  • Place articles in your publications; and 
  • Engage the local media.       

Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) for the 2013-14 Influenza Vaccines

On July 26, 2013, CDC issued two new influenza vaccine VISs for use during the 2013-14 influenza season. The VIS for inactivated influenza vaccine is intended for use with all non-live virus formulations: trivalent, quadrivalent, cell-culture, recombinant, intradermal, and high-dose. The VIS for live attenuated intranasal influenza vaccine is intended for use when administering nasal-spray vaccine.

 

The Association of Immunization Managers' New Website

The new site www.immunizationmanagers.org contains information and resources about the 64 state, local and territorial immunization programs including new features like an interactive calendar, an up-to-date contact list of immunization program managers, and homepage news that highlights innovative and promising practices. Contact Katelyn Wells, kwells@immunizationmanagers.org, for more information. 

 

Public Health Agencies & Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Presentation Slides

SuccessEHS hosted a presentation on July 25, 2013, about EHRs and the slides are now available here. A retired deputy health officer at Jefferson County (AL) Department of Health, Dr. Ouimet, shared firsthand experience in implementing EHR technology in a public health department and addressed barriers to EHR adoption, considerations for participation in Meaningful Use, and the numerous ways EHR technology can be used to advance public health goals.

 

NACCHO's Billing for Clinical Services Toolkit

NACCHO recently released a toolkit with resources, templates, and tools for LHDs to use and develop capacity to bill third-party payers for clinical services. More than 200 resources are available from state billing guides, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, state health departments, LHDs, insurance companies, and vendors of products such as electronic medical records and billing clearinghouses. Specifically, the toolkit provides the following information:

  • Details on how to get started, such as credentialing steps and contracting processes;
  • How to submit claims; and
  • Steps for establishing billing procedures for other clinical services. 
NACCHO Immunization Videos Page
NACCHO has gathered videos addressing vaccination into one convenient place. Watch short videos covering immunization issues, including influenza, pertussis, adolescent immunization, and personal stories about vaccine preventable diseases. Videos range from humorous to serious and target a variety of ages.

Get Involved

Multistate Outbreak of Cyclospora Infections
CDC continues to monitor the multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis. Stay informed by visiting CDC's cyclosporiasis webpage for the latest information. If your LHD has conducted any activities related to the outbreak, please e-mail infectiousdiseases@naccho.org. NACCHO will compile the information it receives and send it back out to all who respond.  

 

Updated Standards for Adult Immunization Practices

A review group working under the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) examined the current adult immunization environment and developed draft recommendations for consideration by NVAC. The draft report is now available for public review and comment. NACCHO is compiling comments from LHDs and requests that any feedback on the draft report be sent to infectiousdiseases@naccho.org by August 12, 2013. 

 

HealthMap Vaccine Finder Needs You!

Flu season is just around the corner and providers who participated on HealthMap Vaccine Finder last year can log into their account and update their information by following the directions on the "Help" tab. New providers must first register for an account. Once you receive your password and login, you may then upload the required information to your account. Please direct any questions to vaccine@healthmap.org.

 

Zoning for the Public's Health Webinar

The American Society of Law Medicine and Ethics, Network for Public Health Law, and the Public Health Law Research Program are sponsoring a webinar on the benefits of mixed-use zoning for public health and neighborhood safety on Thursday, August 15 (1:00-2:00 PM EDT). Presenters will share the latest public health law research on mixed-use zoning, describe a new method for evaluating zoning laws, and examine case studies from the East and West Coasts. Please register for this free webinar here.  

  

Register Today to Become a Certified Application Counselor Organization

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act is right around the corner with open enrollment starting October 1 for coverage beginning January 1, 2014. If your LHD is interested in helping enroll clients into insurance plans on the marketplace, you can apply to become a certified application counselor organization, which will give you access to training about health reform programs in your state. You will be able to educate your clients about options available and help them complete an application for coverage. It is important to note that this information is only for states with federally-facilitated marketplaces or state-federal partnership marketplaces.  

 
November Clinical Vaccinology Course  
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the Emory Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and the Emory Vaccine Center are sponsoring a Clinical Vaccinology Course (November 15-17, 2013) in Cambridge, MA. The course will focus on new developments and issues related to the use of vaccines. Faculty will provide information on both current and prospective vaccines, updated recommendations for vaccinations across the lifespan, and innovative and practical strategies for ensuring timely and appropriate vaccination. Continuing education credits are available.  

NACCHO Seeks LHD Billing Tools for HIV, STI, and TB Services

Are you currently billing or planning to bill for HIV, STI, or TB services? If so, have you developed any resources or tools that could help other LHDs start billing programs?   

Examples of billing resources for these services may include:

  • Billing process guidelines or protocols;
  • Billing procedures and training materials for LHD staff;
  • Educational materials to inform clients of billing changes; and
  • Letter of intent to a third-party payer/insurance companies.

Please submit any resources you would like to share to Alyssa Kitlas.

  

Submit a Tool to NACCHO's Immunization and Infectious Disease Toolkits
NACCHO's Immunization and Infectious Disease Toolkits are intended to provide LHDs with resources related to immunization and infectious disease prevention and control practices. Examples of tools include templates, guides, community resources and much more. Log in to submit your own resources to the Toolkit to share with other LHDs. 

Publications


Immunizations  

The Aetiological Role of Human Papillomavirus in Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis
Liyanage SS, Rahman B, Ridda I, Newall AT, Tabrizi SN, Garland SM, et al. PLOS One. 2013 July; 8(7): e69238.

Effectiveness of Pertussis Vaccines for Adolescents and Adults: Case-Control Study
Baxter R, Bartlett J, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Fireman B, Klein NP. BMJ. 2013, July 17; 347.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescent Girls, 2007-2012, and Postlicensure Vaccine Safety Monitoring, 2006-2013 - United States
CDC. MMWR. 2013 July 26; 62(29): 591-95.  
CDC. MMWR. 2013 July 19; 62(28): 574-76.
 
Infectious Diseases  

The mission of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is to be a leader, partner, catalyst, and voice for local public health departments.

 

For additional information about NACCHO, visit www.naccho.org.