New Phone Numbers! As you may have already discovered, the Immunization Program has implemented a new phone system, resulting in new phone numbers for all of our staff. Here’s a short list of the new numbers, including the direct phone lines to the Immunization Health Educators.

Main Number 971-673-0300 Fax Number 971-673-0278 ALERT 800-980-9431 Matt Gilman 971-673-0319 Anna Halpin 971-673-0305 Heather Kaisner 971-673-0298 Jolene McGee 971-673-0298 Jenne McKibben 971-673-0323 Al Smith 541-548-1129

Oregon Immunization Bulletin Health Services Spring 2005

OPIC Awards Luncheon

Congratulations to all 2005 Award Recipients!

Immunization Provider • Public Clinic Shirley Yoder, RN Lane County Public Health • Individual Provider Bernard Bueffel, MD - Tigard • Group of Providers Calcagno Pediatrics - Gresham Innovative Partnership • Alan Ertle, MD Corvallis Clinic

Model Program • Immunization Awareness Project

Asian Health and Service Center Christine Lau, Program Director

Volunteer (Individual) • Individual Team Members

Shots for Tots Douglas County Volunteer (Organization) • Rotary Clubs of Oregon

Joyce Lockhard, PhD Media and Promotion • Patrick O’Neill, The Oregonian

What’s Happening? New Vaccine Information Statements The Centers for Disease Control, has changed the vaccine information phone number on all VIS forms. Instead of having a separate Spanish line, English and Spanish have been combined into one number. To download the new forms go to www.immunize.org. You may use up all current stock of VISs before switching to the new ones.

New Tools for Vaccine Management The Immunization Program has developed a new tool, Standard Operating Procedures for Vaccine Management, which can be adapted to use in your clinics. You can download it from http://egov.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/imm/docs/ClinicSOPOct04.doc. If your clinic does not have access to the Internet, please call your Immunization Health Educator for assistance.

Calibrate Your Temperature Recorders! If you use a Temperature Chart Recorder (e.g. Dickson) to monitor your refrigerator and freezer temperatures, make sure they are recording accurately. They need to be calibrated every one to two years depending on the previous calibration services used. Check the last calibration date on your recorder to see if it needs to be re-calibrated! Listed below are two companies that provide calibration services:

• Advanced Technical Services NW Inc. (800) 287-8046 Offers a one-year calibration service for $55.00 that includes shipping.

• Dickson (800) 323-2448 (www.dicksonweb.com) Offers a two-year calibration service for $149.00. Shipping is an additional $20.00 per unit.

What Do I Do With My Left Over Flu Vaccine?

Please hang onto your flu vaccine doses until they expire (June 30, 2005). Keep them refrigerated until expiration, then you can dispose of them like any other biologic.

We are not going to ask you to send unused vaccine back to us, nor will you

be charged for unused doses. But, we do want you to keep a record of how many doses went unused - just in case the CDC or another reporting agency want a record from this very strange flu season!

If you have any questions, please contact your Health Educator.

What’s New With ALERT! www.immalert.org

The ALERT Immunization Registry is continuing to grow, with new users joining and more data coming in every day. In early 2005, ALERT rolled out online forecasting for children age 0-7 years. This allows clinics, schools and childcare centers to quickly see which shots are past due and which are due, for children under their care. In addition, there are other new, exciting features that we’ve added to our online site that should make it easier and more convenient for our users:

• A link was added to the school law page that clarifies the differences between the ACIP Recommended Schedule and the school law requirements. • A box on the search page now shows exactly when the weekly update of data on the Web took place. • Changes in the ALERT immunization records will now display the type of Hib reported to ALERT, when available (PRP-T, PRP-OMP, etc.). “Hib NOS” will appear when no type of Hib was specified by the reporting source. As always, we look forward to hearing feedback from our users about how we can further improve the online data.

2005 Immunization Coordinators’ Conference

April 28th and 29th marked the Annual Immunization Coordinators’ Conference for Public Health Departments. It was held at the beautiful Tolovana Inn at Cannon Beach. While the weather was not the greatest, the presentations certainly were. Those that attended were treated to many wonderful presentations, including OPIC keynote speaker Dr. Gregory Poland. Dr. Poland is the

Director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group and spoke about research and the future of Measles Vaccine.

Other excellent presentations were given as well, including; Dr. Karen Landers, who presented on Immunizations for Special Populations, Dr. Paul Lewis who spoke about the importance of the Avian Flu, and Mindy Stomner, Immunization Coordinator for Deschutes County Health Department, who spoke about OPIC’s 4th DTaP Project. The conference wrapped up with a presentation on new vaccine updates and pertussis investigative guidelines given by Juventila Liko.

Flu Season Heroes 2004-05

Sandy Kasprizyk, a pharmacist at Medicine Shoppe in Dallas, Oregon, sought out and gave shots to people who were homebound, or in local group homes. Many of these folks could not travel to a clinic, so, without Sandy they would have been without protection during the height of the season.

Many clinics and pharmacies contacted the Oregon Flu Hotline, sometimes daily, to update their flu vaccine status. Here’s of list of these particular heroes: · Fred Meyer Pharmacies · Safeway Pharmacies · Clackamas Pediatrics · Bridge City Medical · Corvallis Pediatrics · getaflushot.com

Tara Bailey, a FEDEX driver, took a shipment of flu vaccine from Corvallis to Yachats. Realizing the importance of the situation, Tara did this on her own time.

Special thanks go to all the people who staffed the Oregon Flu Hotline for 4

months. They were the calm, helpful and friendly voices who assisted tens of thousands of concerned Oregonians (and Washingtonians) who called looking for vaccine and advice. A big thank-you goes out to the volunteers from the DHS-Seniors and People with Disabilities for helping staff the hotline during the chaotic first days.

Rotary International chapters from all over the State deserve special recognition. They delivered vaccine to medical clinics, care centers and pharmacies. They also volunteered to help at flu shot clinics.

Through effective advocacy and education creating demand, staff at Legacy Emanuel Hospital Outpatient Clinic in Portland continued to order and give pediatric flu vaccine well into March.

When the shortage was declared, Harney County Health Department shared their unneeded vaccine with the Oregon Immunization Program for redistribution in other areas.

This is just a small list of all the outstanding flu heroes for the past year.

1. We have a back-up person for vaccine storage and handling.

2. We always keep thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer.

3. The refrigerator temperature is maintained at 2-8°C (35-46°F) and the freezer temperature is maintained at -15°C (5°F) or colder. We post a temperature log on the refrigerator door where we record the refrigerator and freezer.

4. We check temperatures twice a day, first thing in the morning and at closing time, and we know who to call if the temperature goes out of range.

5. We check vaccine expiration dates and use those that will be expiring first.

If you answered yes to all of the above, pat yourself on the back. If not, assign someone to implement needed changes or call your Health Educator with any questions.

Who is considered the godfather of the modern

vaccine era?

Jenner, Salk, Hilleman, Pasteur, Sabin?

As a microbiologist and vaccine researcher, his career spanned six decades. He developed nearly three dozen vaccines. His credits include not only the vaccine for mumps, but also vaccines for measles, rubella, chickenpox, bacterial meningitis, flu and hepatitis B. In 1988 President Reagan presented him with the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest scientific honor. Who is this man?

Many of the diseases his vaccines helped bring under control have been all but forgotten by a well-immunized generation of Americans. Today his measles vaccine alone prevents an estimated one million deaths around the globe every year.

Dr. Maurice Hilleman died April 11th at the age of 85. He probably saved more lives than any other scientist in the 20th century, according to Dr. Paul A. Offit of Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Reference: The Man Who Saved Your Life- Maurice R. Hilleman- Developer of Vaccines for Mumps and Pandemic Flu. 8/30/99 article in the Philadelphia Enquirer. By Huntly Collins

Proper Vaccine Storage and

Handling Quiz

Ask Anna

Dear Anna,

In our clinic we use both PedvaxHIB and Comvax vaccines that require just three doses to protect for Hib, instead of 4 doses. I have been told by several parents that, because of school law, their child must have another dose. Is this true?

Thank you, Clinic Nurse

Dear Clinic Nurse,

The Oregon school immunization law accepts PedvaxHIB and Comvax for protection against Hib. A third dose of Hib is not required for school entry until 18 months of age and if the third dose of Hib is given at or after 12 months of age, the child is “complete” for Hib. If, however, a third dose of Hib (any brand) is given prior to the first birthday, a fourth dose of Hib is required. Just make sure - if you use a 3-dose series - that the third dose of Hib is given after 12 months of age and there will not be a problem with school law. Anna Halpin, MPH Immunization Health Educator

Immunization Program 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 370 Portland, OR 97232

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