San Diego Immunization Coalition's 20th Anniversary,
National Infant Immunization Week and Vaccination Week in the
Americas!
The San Diego Immunization
Coalition (SDIC), one of the longest continually-running
immunization coalitions in the nation, celebrated its 20th
Anniversary (and all its successes) on Monday, April 25,
with a press event and a luncheon at a local hotel. The
gathering also celebrated National Immunization Week (NIIW)/Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA).
The press event featured
speakers Chairman Bill Horn, County Board of Supervisors;
Nick Macchione, Director of the County Health and Human
Services Agency; Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., County Public Health
Officer; Mauricio Leiva, Chief of the California Office of
Binational Border Health; and Jeff Sternberg, the father of
a child exposed measles during the 2008 outbreak. Mr.
Sternberg is also a community partner active in the
Immunization Coalition.
The speakers discussed the
importance and effectiveness of immunizations in protecting
both individual and community health, and how increased use
of immunizations has led to a reduction and prevention of
diseases like measles and chickenpox. Mr. Sternberg spoke
movingly about his experiences as a parent whose child was
exposed to measles at an age too young to have received
immunization against the disease.
Some 120 former and current
SDIC partners, local health officials and others attended
the luncheon following the press event. Guests enjoyed lunch
while two local musicians played songs written to promote
various Coalition Immunization events over the years.
Chairman Horn presented the Coalition a Board of
Supervisors Proclamation praising SDIC’s tireless advocacy
of immunization for 20 years.
The luncheon also included
remarks by HHSA Director Nick Macchione, County Public
Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten and Mauricio Leiva, Chief of
the California Office of Binational Border Health, as well
as a representative from Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher’s
office. All speakers praised the Coalition, its work and
innovations in promoting immunization in our region.
The Coalition presented
Assemblyman Fletcher with an award to thank him for his
sponsorship of AB354, the legislation requiring a booster
dose of Tdap vaccine for children entering the 7th
grade. (There’s more information about this requirement
below.)
Dr. Mark Sawyer, Medical Director of the San
Diego Immunization Partnership and a Pediatric Infectious
Disease Specialist at Children’s Hospital, gave a
presentation about the history of vaccines and
vaccine-preventable diseases in San Diego County, from the
1980s to the present. The reduction of vaccine-preventable
disease prevalence in the County over the past two decades
is a testament to the hard work of those inside and outside
of the Coalition.
SDIC
has
been initiating and supporting programs and events to
promote immunizations here in San Diego since 1991. That
year, local, state and federal health officials worked
together to form the SDIC
(then called the Infant Immunization Initiative, or I-3)
to address the low immunization coverage rate in the County.
In fact, the coalition was one of several formed in
communities through the country to address low immunization
coverage. At that time, only about half of all local
children had the vaccine protection they needed to protect
them against diseases like pertussis (whooping cough) and
measles.
Making this all the more urgent was
that San Diego had recently suffered a measles epidemic,
with nearly 1000 cases reported in 1990, including several
deaths. The victims were mostly children of preschool and
school age. Many of these children were eligible for
immunizations they did not get, according to local health
officials.
Many years of hard work followed, and
the coverage rate has increased. Now, more than 7 out of 10
local children have protection from a number of
vaccine-preventable diseases. Over the years, SDIC changed its focus to Immunizations Across the Lifespan, to
promote vaccinations for people of all ages, because shots
are not just for kids!
***
Also part of this
celebration were the annual National
Infant Immunization Week/Vaccination Week in the Americas
and Toddler
Immunization Month. These three observances
celebrate the importance of childhood immunizations, and
serve as reminders that adolescents and adults need
immunizations, too. Vaccination
Week in the Americas,
celebrated concurrently with National
Infant Immunization Week,
is an international effort by the Pan
American Health Organization (affiliated with the World
Health Organization),
and other partners to promote immunizations in North,
Central and South America.
Locally, the
slogan for these observances is Immunize to Stay on Track. When infants, children and adults have had all the age-appropriate
immunizations, they protect their own health, and
the health of those around them. The result is a healthier
community!
The continuing
fight against the spread of pertussis (whooping cough) is an
excellent example of how immunizing older children and
adults can protect young children, as well. The idea is to
immunize adults and children to provide a “cocoon of
protection” around infants and younger children. Very
young infants have not had their childhood series of shots
to protect against pertussis, and are very vulnerable to
whooping cough-related complications which can be
life-threatening. Also, there are infants and young children
who may not have been immunized because of certain health
problems.
As part of the fight against
whooping cough, California is introducing a new pertussis
immunization requirement for the 2011-12 school year. All
children entering 7th through 12th
grade will need proof of a Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria and
pertussis) shot. This requirement goes into effect July 1 of
this year. Don’t wait—make sure your preteen or teen
gets this important vaccine protection now,
and avoid the rush at your doctor’s office this summer!
For
more information about immunizations please visit:
California Department of Public Health Immunization Branch
Website
California Department of
Public Health/California Immunization Coalition Shots for
School Website
Federal
Health and Human Services Agency Vaccines.Gov Website
Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Immunizations Website
