Shots for Tots

Coalition Newsletter

Happy Summer Everyone!  Thanks to everyone that could make the last meeting.  It can very difficult during the summer months to juggle family, fun and work obligations.  It’s hard to believe the conference is right around the corner.  I hope everyone will make a special effort to sell, sell, sell, Pampered Chef.  Remember, you do not have to have a “party” so to speak.  You can do book orders which is much less work.  However, when you do have a party, they come and cook in your home, so you can kill two birds with one stone…….make money for SFT AND get dinner on the table!!!!

And don’t forget the Mardi Gras Get Away fundraiser tickets.  We are only having one raffle this year so it should be much easier to sell tickets.  This is a wonderful packet valued at $3000.00!!!  It includes: 2 nights deluxe accommodations @ J.W. Marriott Hotel, New Orleans March 4 & 5, 2011 parking included, $100.00 in cash, dinner at the Court of Two Sisters (yum-yum) and a $50.00 Starbucks gift certificate(that’s enough coffee to keep you up the entire trip!)

The Silent Auction is progressing; however, please get your item(s) to Gina as soon as possible or at least the description of what you are bringing.  Having all the auction boards printed ahead of time is a huge time saver. 

I am also happy to report the SFT Coalition was able to step in and save the day regarding the birthing packets given to new moms when they leave the hospital after the birth of a baby.  Due to a lack of funding the packet was in jeopardy of continuing, so the Coalition provided the funding to print the birthing packets.  Three cheers for SFT Coalition!!

For those coalition members that checked out the SFT banners, please remember to return the banners to Gina.  By all means keep a couple, but the bulk of them should be returned.  They can be checked out again next year during NIIW.

Last but not least we need nominations for the vice chairperson position.  Everyone put on your thinking caps and send the nominees to me at: alandry@cppj.net.  I look forward to seeing some good results!!

Trivia corner 

Which disease is known to be more commonly spread from adults to children as compared with the usual direction of transmission from children to adults? See answer below….no cheating!  J

Well I think that about covers the most important things from the last meeting.  I know it seems like we have a lot to do AND we do, but remember we are a TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More!! 

Until the next time,

Amy Landry, SFT Vice-Chair

A: “Pertussis is spread more commonly from adults to children. Learn more in the Feature Article “The 100-Day Cough.”       

..................Save the Date..................

SFT Coalition Meeting

Wednesday, October 27, 6 pm - 8:00 pm

JW Marriott Hotel New Orleans

614 Canal, New Orleans, LA

................................................Absolutely Must RSVP..................................................

Louisiana is #2 in U.S.

The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention just released the 2008 immunization coverage rates results and we are happy to report our latest achievement.   According to the National Immunization Survey (NIS), Louisiana ranks number 2 in the country at 81.9% for 4:3:1:3:3:1!

As you all know the NIS is a large, on-going survey of immunization coverage among all U.S. pre-school children (19 - 35 months old), irrespective of whether the children received their immunizations in the public or private sector that measures how well immunized the children are vaccinated by 24 months of age.   The sample for the survey is derived from children born from January 2005 through June 2007.

Needless to say, this achievement has not come easy, but it was achieved through the hard work of our Vaccines for Children providers, Immunization Program staff, Parish Health Units, Shots for Tots and our Coalition partners, and various immunization Champions.  Our success has come from many different approaches and stepped interventions that has enabled us to achieve this level of immunization completion. 

 We would like to take this opportunity to thank the First Lady Supriya Jindal for lending her support to our Immunization cause.  We would like to thank all of our Immunization Consultants who have worked extremely hard in promoting, recruiting, training healthcare providers to participate in the Louisiana Immunization Network for Kids Statewide (LINKS).  We wish to thank all Vaccines for Children providers, the Parish Health Units-nurses and clerks for ensuring that children get vaccinated.  We would like to thank our partners in the Medicaid Program, for their partnership and leadership in the Immunization Medicaid-Vaccines For Children (VFC)-Assessments Follow Up Information-eXchange (AFIX)-Pay for Performance Initiative.  This initiative provides a qualitative and quantitative financial inducement for provider to be more “immunization aware” and to take “ownership” of the children under their care, and thereby, improving the immunization coverage rate in their practice.  We also like to thank our ACS partners. 

It is the belief of the Immunization Program that not only does it take a whole village to raise a child but also to see that one is properly vaccinated in a timely manner which is why each and every one of you should share in the victory that we are celebrating today with these results.  These results are not merely statistics validating our success as a program but represent the health and well being of our precious children in Louisiana. 

Congratulations to all of you on a job well done!  

Estimated Vaccination Coverage* with Individual Vaccines and Selected Vaccination Series

Among Children 19-35 Months of Age by State and Local Area

US, National Immunization Survey, Q1/2008-Q4/2008†

Estimates presented as point estimate (%) ± 95% Confidence Interval.

† Children in the Q1/2008-Q4/2008 National Immunization Survey were born between January 2005 and June 2007.

‡ 4 or more doses of any diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccines including diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, and any acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP/DTP/DT).

† Children in the Q1/2008-Q4/2008 National Immunization Survey were born between January 2005 and June 2007.

‡ 4 or more doses of any diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccines including diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, and any acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP/DTP/DT).

§ 3 or more doses of any poliovirus vaccine.

ll 1 or more doses of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.

¶ 3 or more doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine.

** 3 or more doses of hepatitis B vaccine.

†† 1 or more doses of hepatitis B vaccine administered between birth and age 3 days.

‡‡ 1 or more doses of varicella at or after child's first birthday, unadjusted for history of varicella illness.

§§ 4 or more doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7).

llll  ACIP expanded the recommendation of administering hepatitis A vaccine from ≥24 months to children aged 12-23 months in May 2006; therefore, ≥2 doses of hepatitis A coverage in the 2008 NIS is measured among  19-35 month old children.  Prior years of hepatitis A data among 19-35 months of age is not available.  Hepatitis A coverage among 24-35 month old children including the 2006 and 2007 NIS data are available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5825a1.htm  and for 2003-2005 NIS data is available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/stats-surv/imz-coverage.htm#chart

¶¶ 4 or more doses of DTaP, 3 or more doses of poliovirus vaccine, 1 or more doses of any MMR, 3 or more doses of Hib, and 3 or more doses of HepB.

*** 4:3:1:3:3 plus 1 or more doses of varicella vaccine.

††† 4:3:1:3:3:1 plus 4 or more doses of PCV7.