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

Recent News


 45 Students at California High School Possibly Exposed to TB
United Press International, Inc. Blog (December 20, 2013)

 
CDC Newsroom (December 20, 2013) 
 
ModernHealthcare.com (December 23, 2013)
 
CDC Health Alert Network (December 24, 2013)
 
Medscape (December 24, 2013 
 
CBS KPIX (CA) (December 26, 2013)

Dothan Eagle (AL) (December 27, 2013)

Some Bacteria 'Live for Long Periods' on Toys, Books, and Cribs
Medical News Today (December 29, 2013) 

National Public Radio (December 30, 2013)
 
USA TODAY (December 30, 2013) 
 
CBS News (December 30, 2013) 'Germ Zapper' Machine Keeps Patients' Rooms Super Clean
Veterans Health Administration (January 2, 2014) 

Resources


Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines for Food Establishments
The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) Industry Guidelines were developed as voluntary guidance for owners, operators, and managers of retail food establishments to help outline, clarify, and explain their recommended roles in a foodborne illness outbreak investigation. The document provides step-by-step approaches to important aspects of outbreak response such as preparation, detection, investigation, control, and follow-up.

2013-2014 Influenza Surveillance

For the latest information on the 2013-2014 influenza season, please visit the CDC's Flu View website for weekly updates. 

 

The Unbelievable Impact of Vaccines Infographic

This infographic makes it easier to understand the impact of immunization in public health. This is a valuable image to be added to a local health department (LHD) website or used as a teaching tool with community members.

 

Vaccines and Autism Myth Videos

The Khan Academy has created a two-part video on the myth that vaccines and autism are linked. Part 1 and part 2 are available online. 

 

ACA National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative Website

The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) recently launched a website for the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC). The NDNRC is an initiative aimed at providing disability information and support to Navigators and other enrollment specialists to ensure that people with disabilities receive accurate information when selecting and enrolling in insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces.  For further information please contact Karl Cooper, AAHD Project Associate, at [email protected] or (301) 545-6140 ext. 204.

 

Chikungunya Fever

The CDC is closely following new reports of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus among residents of the French side of St. Martin in the Caribbean. While outbreaks of chikungunya have been reported in some parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, this marks the first time the disease has been reported among non-travelers in the Western Hemisphere. For more information, visit CDC's chikungunya webpage


NEW: Billing For Clinical Services Toolkit and Website

NACCHO, with funding from the CDC, created a toolkit with resources, templates, and tools for LHDs to use while developing the capacity to bill third party payers for immunization, STD, TB and HIV services. More than 200 resources have currently been collected from state billing guides, CMS, state health departments, LHDs, insurance companies, and vendors of products such as electronic medical records and billing clearinghouses.  The toolkit can be found on NACCHO's new billing website along with other resources such as webinars, training opportunities, and information on peer networking.

 

NACCHO wants to talk to you about your LHD billing experiences and needs! Please contact [email protected] and we will work with you to schedule a time to discuss LHD billing.

 
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. Please email Alyssa Kitlas ([email protected]) if you have an immunization video you would like to share with other LHDs. 

Get Involved

Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) Webinar
The IAC is hosting a webinar for immunization colaiton leaders, members, and anyone interested in the work of immunization coalitions on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 (12:00-1:00 PM EDT). The agenda includes assessing anti-vaccine political action, an update on Voices for Vaccines, and partner announcements. Registration is available here.

Volunteers Needed for Travel History Pilot Project
Travel history data are often missing or incomplete on infectious disease case records. To address this, the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Travel History Workgroup has developed standardized travel history questions that it plans to field test for Lyme disease, tularemia, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, West Nile, giardiasis, and cryptosporidiosis from April-October 2014.

CSTE is collaborating with NACCHO to recruit pilot sites nationwide from all jurisdiction types (e.g., city, county, region, state). Please contact Dr. David Wong with the National Park Service Office of Public Health for more details: [email protected].

 

Nominations Open: WEGO Health Activist Awards

The Third Annual WEGO Health Activist Awards Program recognizes health leaders and is accepting nominations through its website.

 

Call for Abstracts for APHA 2014
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is now accepting abstracts for the 142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition. The theme of the meeting is Healthography: How Where you Live Affects Your Health and Well-Being.

Request for Information: Immunization and WIC Activities

Every Child By Two is looking to determine best practices when it comes to WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children) and immunizations. For example, do WIC staff review the immunization records of the WIC participants and then refer those in need of vaccines to a vaccine provider? Are the WIC staff regularly trained in immunizations/how to read immunization records by either the coalition or immunization program?  Please email Jennifer Zavolinsky with any information you would like to share.

 

Register Now for NACCHO's Winter MAPP Training

Register now for the Winter Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) Training on February 5-7, 2014 in Washington, D.C. MAPP is a community-owned strategic planning process informed by comprehensive assessments for improving the public's health. This is an introductory level training. If you are unable to join NACCHO for the 2014 Winter MAPP Training, please note that we will be offering an additional MAPP Training in Atlanta, Georgia, adjacent to NACCHO Annual Conference in July. Please email [email protected]
for further information. 

 

Register Now for the 11th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions

The 11th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions will occur May 21-23, 2014, in Seattle, Washington. The conference theme is "Partnering for Prevention from Sea to Summit," featuring the following keynote speakers: David Williams, Bill Foege, Wendy Sue Swanson, and Sara Rosenbaum. Registration is currently open.

 

EPA Announces Request for Applications for the 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program

EPA's Office of Environmental Justice announces the opening of its Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program. The EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding for eligible applicants for projects that address local environmental and/or public health issues within an affected community. The EJCPS Program is designed to help eligible non-profit and Native American communities understand and address exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks at the local level. The total estimated available funding for awards under this competitive opportunity is $1,200,000. Awards will be made in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two year project period.  

    
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


Infectious Diseases
 
Contact Tracing for Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Virus-Infected Passenger on International Flight
Shankar AG, Janmohamed K, Olowokure B, Smith GE, Hogan AH, De Souza V, et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 January; 20(1).

Outbreak of Escherichia coli O104:H4 Infections Associated with Sprout Consumption - Europe and North America, May-July 2011
CDC. MMWR. 2013, December 20; 62(50): 1029-31.

Outbreak of Staphylococcal Food Poisoning from a Military Unit Lunch Party - United States, July 2012
CDC. MMWR. 2013, December 20; 62(50): 1026-28.
 
 

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.