Opportunities to Improve School and Community Health Through School-Located Vaccinations
AIM and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) hosted this webinar on October 26, 2021, to promote school-located vaccination (SLV) as a measure to improve and maintain a safe and healthy environment for students and the community. The webinar provided a brief overview of the AIM/NASN Environmental Scan and Roundtable documents with a state immunization director, school nurse leader, and school leader providing insight on their role as SLV champions and the importance of their role in the success of SLVs.
Webinar Speakers:
Linda Mendonca, MSN, MEd, RN, APHN-BC, NCSN, FNASN
Kathy Marceau, BA
Eva Stone, DNP, ARNP
Joseph Ellison III, EdD
Symposium Welcome
The “School-Located Vaccination (SLV) Strategies to Increase Child and Adolescent Immunization Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic” 2021 virtual symposium brought together stakeholders for an insightful discussion regarding best practices and innovative models for School-Located Vaccinations, as well as addresses the challenges of SLVs. It is evident that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many children across the country fell behind on routine vaccinations. Through partnership and coordination of SLV stakeholders, SLVs were a critical tool for expanding vaccine access and building vaccine confidence. Click the “Welcome” video link to hear enriching discussions from Mark McClellan, MD, Ph.D. , director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Claire Hannan, MPH, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, and Bruce Gellin, MD, MPH, chief of global public health strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation.
A Call to Action on Childhood Immunizations
In this segment of the virtual symposium, Rachel L. Levine, MD, former assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provided opening remarks and a call to action to increase routine vaccination in children (and adults), which slowed significantly during the pandemic. Additionally, hear remarks and gain beneficial resources from other federal partners, including Mary Wall (White House COVID-19 Response Team) and Tara Vogt, Ph.D., MPH (Immunization Services Division, NCIRD, CDC).
Rising to the Challenge: Innovative Strategies for Mobilizing K-12 Schools as COVID-19 Vaccination Sites
Tune in to the “Rising to the Challenge” segment of the virtual symposium to hear from SLV stakeholders and representatives from school districts across the country on innovative strategies and their experiences implementing successful and sustainable school-located vaccination clinics. Panelists included Tiffany Tate, executive director of the Maryland Partnership for Prevention, Sara Rigel, health services administrator for school-based partnerships and child care health for Public Health – Seattle and King County, Kaetlin Miller, program manager COVID-19 vaccine program for Public Health – Seattle and King County, and Gabriella Durán Blakey, chief operations officer at Albuquerque Public Schools.
Playing Catch-Up: Partnerships to Improve Routine and Seasonal Childhood Immunizations
In the “Playing Catch-Up” segment of the virtual symposium, panelists discussed current gaps and challenges in routine childhood vaccinations and methods to improve immunization rates for school-age children and adolescents. Panelists in this session included Ronald Balajadia, immunization branch chief for the Hawai’i Department of Health, Eva Stone, manager district health services for Jefferson County, Kentucky, and Judith Shlay, associate director of the Public Health Institute at Denver Health.
If You Build It, Will they Come? Strategies for Communicating With Parents and Building Vaccine Confidence
In the “If You Build It, Will They Come?” segment of the virtual symposium, listen to discussions regarding strategies for building vaccine confidence in communities through effective communication with parents and students. When it comes to SLVs, building the clinic is only half the battle, as communication with parents is crucial to successful program implementation. Despite the continuous dissemination and availability of vaccine information online, it remains vitally important to keep up the positive messaging and reduce misinformation in all mediums, specifically on social media. Panelists in this session included Judy Klein, president and founder, of Unity Consortium, Kathleen Ryan, associate division chief for pediatric infectious disease at the University of Florida Health, and Timothy Benally, founder of the Indigenous Peoples Student Association at Penn State University.