Coming Next Month

Prepare now for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January

New Resources for Clinicians

Partner Spotlight: National AHEC Organization

Follow Dr. Messonnier's Twitter account for the latest information and news on immunizations, outbreaks, and NCIRD research.

November 2016 I What's New

#PreteenVaxScene Webinar on the HPV Vaccine Schedule Change

Join us Friday, November 18, 2016 at 10:00AM ET for the next #PreteenVaxScene webinar “HPV Vaccine Schedule Change Update: What It Means and How to Implement Today!”

During this webinar:

Dr. Nancy Messonnier, CAPT, USPHS, CDC’s Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), will give a brief introduction about why this change in the recommendation will help raise HPV vaccination rates.
Dr. Lauri Markowitz, Team Lead in the Division of Viral Diseases in NCIRD, will discuss the background research and scientific considerations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for this decision.
Dr. Melinda Wharton, Director of the Immunization Services Division in NCIRD, will highlight how this decision will impact immunization programs and how to meet the variety of challenges this brings.
Jill B. Roark, Lead for Adolescent Immunization Communications for NCIRD, will share how communicating about this change and HPV vaccination is as critical as ever! This brief update will contain a variety of perspectives as this potentially monumental decision can be implemented right away and there are many resources to help you get started today. Register now for this webinar.

NetConference on HPV Vaccine Recommendations Update

CDC’s Immunization Services Division hosted a Current Issues in Immunization NetConference on October 26th where Dr. Lauri Markowitz of the Division of Viral Diseases (NCIRD) discussed the HPV vaccine recommendation changes that occurred during the October ACIP meeting. Her presentation is entitled: “Recommendations for HPV Vaccination: 2016 Update.”

The update is now available on CDC’s Current Issues in Immunization NetConference site. CE credits will be available until November 26, 2016.

Partner Spotlight: American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed an HPV Champion Toolkit that provides resources to help primary care practices improve HPV vaccination rates. Included in the toolkit are quality improvement resources, HPV vaccine educational materials, sample public communication posts, and printable resources. To view the toolkit, go to www.aap.org/hpvtoolkit. Additional information can be obtained by emailing immunize@aap.org.

After participating in a foundational quality improvement (QI) training, AAP chapters across the U.S. were provided with funding to implement HPV QI activities in their respective states. AAP chapters recruited pediatric practices and had the option to select quality measures focused on improving series initiation by providing a strong provider recommendation for the HPV vaccine and/or implementing a reminder/recall protocol for HPV vaccine series completion. Some practices are completing their work and reporting improvement in HPV immunization rates, as well as in satisfaction with vaccine communication. A second round of AAP chapters will be embarking on similar projects in the coming months.

Campaign Exhibit at AAP Experience

CDC’s HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention campaign exhibited at AAP Experience, the AAP’s annual National Conference and Exhibition at the end of October. While exhibiting, in-booth panel discussions were facilitated by Jill Roark discussing frequently asked questions about improving office practices with Dr. Alix Casler of Orlando Health Physician Associates. On the final day, Dr. Lois Ramondetta of MD Anderson Cancer Center, joined the discussion sessions, providing her experience as a gynecological oncologist and HPV vaccine champion.

Pediatrician HPV Champion Spotlight: Alix Casler, MD

Dr. Alix Casler is the Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics at Orlando Health Physician Associates in Orlando, Florida. Her passion for high quality healthcare is evident as she strives to improve the systems in her office. In 2015, Dr. Casler led a highly successful Quality Improvement project in her practice where a number of interventions were applied to get clinicians and their staff on-board around improving their HPV vaccination rates. Educating clinicians and their office staff while providing incentives and improving office processes were critical components. Her practice experienced a 20% increase of HPV vaccination rates for boys and girls, with plans to address sustainability and continue improvements.

Dr. Casler was a guest speaker during last September’s #PreteenVaxScene webinar where she highlighted the QI project and the types of interventions that were utilized. Most recently, she was a part of the HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention in-booth presentations at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference in San Francisco. Dr. Casler is an excellent communicator about HPV vaccine, a clinician vaccine champion and a fabulous resource!

Please email us at preteenvaccines@cdc.gov with questions or comments!