Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition Stephanie Wasserman, MSPH, Executive Director September 15, 2014 Colorado PTA Parent Forum
CCIC is dedicated to keeping Colorado kids healthy by building awareness for vaccines, educating health care providers, and advocating for policies that protect children with the goal of increasing childhood vaccination rates. Mission : to strategically mobilize diverse partners and families to advance children’s health through immunizations.
Colorado’s only statewide independent 501(c)(3) organization committed to children’s immunization Formed in 1991 by Colorado doctors to increase and sustain childhood immunization rates in response to the fact that only around 50 % of CO children were adequately immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.
2012: “ Evidence shows that exemptions result in higher risk of vaccine preventable disease to both the children who take the exemption and to others in the community. CCIC supports meaningful exemptions after consultation with a health care provider .”
Stakeholder Process CDPHE, the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, and The Keystone Center planned and implemented the process to: 1. Gain a better understanding of the current state of PBE attitudes and opinions 2. Participate in facilitated discussions on current PBE policies and practices 3. Generate potential policy and/or rule changes to the PBE system. 4. Make final recommendations to be formally submitted to CDPHE in a written report.
Participants 57 participants in 8 sector-specific focus group and key informant interviews 25 stakeholders – 3 meetings o Local/state public health, physicians, nurses and healthcare providers, state legislative representatives, school nurses and administrators, parents/guardians, and advocacy organizations
Final Recommendations Hold school districts accountable for immunization policy Establish joint policy between state agencies on immunization data collection and sharing Require education and/or counseling prior to exemption Make publicly available rates of immunization and exemptions by schools and licensed childcare centers Require medical practitioner or health official signature for exemption Require annual renewal of exemption
Supporters All Kids Covered Association March of Dimes, Colorado Chapter American Academy of Colorado Children’s Pediatrics – Colorado Campaign Meningitis Angels Chapter Colorado Children’s Mile High United Way American College of Immunization Coalition National Jewish Health Obstetricians and Colorado Coalition for the Nurses Who Vaccinate Gynecologists, Colorado Medically Underserved Padres & Jovenes Unidos Chapter Colorado Medical Society Pediatric Infectious Anthem Blue Cross and Colorado PTA Diseases Society Blue Shield Democrats for Education Public Health Nurses Boulder County Health Reform Association of Colorado Department Denver Health Qualistar Colorado Children’s Hospital Colorado Denver Public Health The Colorado Health Clayton Early Learning Early Childhood Summit Foundation Colorado Academy of Family Every Child By Two - The Immunization Physicians Carter/Bumpers Champions Partnership Colorado Association for the for Immunization Rocky Mountain Health Education of Young Children Healthy Child Care Colorado Plans Colorado Association for Immune Deficiency Vaccinate for Healthy School-Based Health Care Foundation Schools Colorado Association of Immunization Action Voices for Vaccines Local Public Health Officials Coalition Colorado Association of Larimer County Board of School Nurses Health Colorado BioScience
Requires schools and child care centers t o disclose immunization and exemption rates, upon request Effective - July 1, 2014
Directs CO Health Dep't: ◦ to create on online ne ev eviden dence ce-based based vacci accine ne educatio cation n module dule ◦ to explore data sharing ing among CDE and CDHS ◦ to to provid vide tech chnical nical assista stanc nce e to sch chool ools regarding how to analyze and interpret immunization data Directs the Board of Health to promulgate rules regarding the freque uency ncy that vaccine exemption forms must be renewed
Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) Stakeholder Engagement Recommendations SB13-222 Vaccine Access Taskforce completed vaccine finance and delivery policy framework Department of Human Services Childcare Rules committee re-convened and CCIC participating
The Colorado General Assembly is comprised of the State Senate and the State House of Representatives Democrats control the State House by 9 seats ◦ 37 Democrats / 28 Republicans = 65 total seats Democrats control the State Senate by only 1 seat ◦ 18 Democrats / 17 Republicans = 35 total seats
The November elections could have a significant impact on the political viability of potential legislative efforts The race for governor is very close, in addition to numerous close races for state Senate and House Electoral outcomes and resulting control of the Senate is very unpredictable
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