In the wake of
Zika virus and recent infectious disease outbreaks, concerns are rising about emerging infectious diseases and their devastating consequences on the health of infants and young children.
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), in partnership with health departments, national immunization partners, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), takes place April 16–23, 2016. During this time, immunization advocates across the nation will join together to share and celebrate how they have protected children, communities, and the public's health through vaccination.
In preparation for NIIW, the Public Health Foundation (PHF) interviewed three of the
2015 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award recipients to hear their unique perspectives on immunization successes and challenges in their states. Doreen Begley, RN (Nevada), David Fredenburg, MD, MPH, FAAP (New Hampshire), and Cassandra Grantham, MA, (Maine) provided PHF with insights on the evolution of childhood immunization, what they consider success, and what still needs to be done to improve immunization rates and overall community health across the nation.
- With a nursing career spanning nearly 50 years, Doreen Begley has witnessed her share of health-related tragedies and triumphs. As a young girl, she was deeply affected by the polio epidemic; today, images of iron lungs still haunt her. It was during those years that Doreen made a decision that would impact not only her life - but the lives of countless others. She chose to be a prevention advocate. Another encounter - her previous work at a large, city hospital - also left a lasting impression. She asserts, "If I can prevent a disease from occurring, I want to be a part of it." Read more about Doreen and her unwavering passion for immunizing vulnerable populations in Nevada.
- As a pediatrician and professor in New Hampshire and an advocate for global vaccines, Dr. David Fredenburg shares his conflicting points of view on the condition of immunizations in the United States. On the one hand, vaccines have completely altered diseases, which have changed disease frequency. However, David believes that people have taken this as a sign that they no longer need to worry about those diseases. He shares, "As soon as we stop worrying, we stop looking for and noticing diseases. Once we have this laid-back outlook, we will find ourselves in trouble." Access his full story to learn more about David's views on the importance of understanding the whole picture of vaccinations.
- Like many others, Cassandra Grantham has taken a non-traditional path into the public health workforce. While Cassandra has always believed in the importance of immunizations, she credits the birth of her first child as being the catalyst for becoming “militant about cocooning.” Cassandra states, “I didn’t realize the impact of other people’s decisions on my family and my community. Reading the data for myself, I became really passionate about immunizations.” Cassandra uses her various roles as a mother, public health worker, and communications professional to leverage effective messaging across Maine. Read more of Cassandra’s story to learn about her immunization success.
Although different, each of the stories shares common threads, including increased access to care, the importance of education, and the necessity for continued care. Each champion also notes the critical need to stay up-to-date on the ever-changing immunization standards and recommendations. While each has personal go-to resources, for example, Doreen uses the
Nevada Immunization Learning Exchange; David uses
ProMed; and Cassandra uses the
Parents Guide to Childhood Immunizations, there were mutual resources used, including:
- Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases: a current, credible, and comprehensive resource that provides updated immunization and vaccine information to public health practitioners, healthcare providers, health educators, pharmacists, nurses, and others involved in administering immunizations
- CDC’s immunization resources: free, online resources and reports such as Vaccine Information Statements, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, and more
- Guide to Community Preventive Services: a free resource for evidence-based recommendations and findings that covers many health topics and types of interventions for behavior change, disease prevention, and environmental change
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