The following is a message from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

New Measles Vaccine Resources

Measles is a highly contagious, very serious disease, and outbreaks across the nation have increased awareness in our communities. Included here are some flyers (flyers in Spanish are forthcoming) that may be useful in your communications with your patients and other members of the public.

Also, there is information on the Department of Health Services website that includes the Measles Surveillance and Control guidelines, P-00892. This resource includes information about measles disease presentation, specimen collection and laboratory testing, reporting and case investigation, and disease control. Please be sure that clinicians are aware of this guidance in the event they are evaluating someone suspected of having measles.

Lastly, given that cases are occurring in the United States, a detailed travel history, including domestic travel, is important to collect to help determine a patients risk for disease exposure.

Symposium: Immunization Update April 23, 2019

Please share this information widely with any colleagues or health care students who may be interested.

Our partners at the Dane County Immunization Coalition (DCIC) would like to invite you to the upcoming Immunization Update Tuesday April 23, 2019. There is no fee for the symposium. Free dinner and parking is available.

Registration, Dinner Buffet, View Exhibitor Displays 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Speaker: JoEllen Wolicki, Nurse Educator with CDC 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

  • Immunization Schedule 2019
  • Immunization Updates

Panel Discussion  7:00 – 8:00 p.m. How to reduce the immunization barriers that providers maintain/create

  • Sally Zirbel-Donish, RN, CMS, PNP, MMSD Health Services Coordinator
  • Dr. Omohundro, Pediatrics, Access Community Health Center
  • Dr. Mala Mathur, MD, MPH, President, Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, UW Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
  • JoEllen Wolicki, CDC Nurse Health Education

Registration Information:

  • Registration is limited be sure to register early. To register click here.
  • Registration deadline: Tuesday April 16, 2019.
  • If you have any questions call or email Diane McHugh dmchugh@publichealthmdc.com.

Intended Audience:

This conference is intended for health care staff who administer vaccines or facilitate the administration of immunizations: Nurses, medical assistants, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, public health staff, school nurses. CEUs for Medical Assistants are available.

New Central Location this year:

Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall, Mendota Rooms. A flyer and map can be found on the DCIC website.

2019 Adult and Child/Adolescent Immunization Schedules-Now Available

The 2019 adult and child/adolescent immunization schedules are available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Additionally, the schedule website has been redesigned. Examples of changes and improvements include:

Tools for providers

  • The adult and child/adolescent schedule pages immediately bring up the web version of the schedules. Users will be able to toggle back and forth between different tables within the schedules.
  • On the electronic version of the table, there is an information symbol beside each vaccine indicated with an “i” in a circle. If users click on the information symbol, it will take them to vaccination information for clinicians which gives the user not only the full ACIP recommendation but also storage and handling, administration and other relevant information.

The schedules pages have a variety of tabs across the top of each page. The tabs:

  • Allow users to toggle between the schedule tables
  • Identify current changes to this year’s schedules. In the coming months, this tab will change to a visual guide showing users how to properly use all schedule tables.
  • Allow health care providers to access additional resources. This new page provides relevant links to Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), storage and handling, travel vaccines, and other information.

On some pages within the site, tabs allow users to:

  • Access the parent-friendly schedule for children and adolescents
  • Access information and resources for parents
  • Access adult patient resources
  • Download the schedules app

The current links you have to the schedule pages will remain the same. The following pages are new:

The CDC is also releasing a pneumococcal vaccination app, due to the schedule complexity.  Information on the app is available on the health care provider resource page.

Tools for Patients and Parents

The redesigned schedules website includes the following changes to the interactive schedule tools available:

  • The adult easy-to-read schedule is no longer available. However, the new adult patient resources page will include the adult self-assessment tool (formerly known as the Adult Quiz), as well as information about vaccines that may be needed based on age or health condition.
  • The childhood vaccine assessment tool (formerly known as the Child Quiz) remains available as well. However, the “interactive scheduler” is no longer available. CDC has eliminated the duplicity of multiple “schedulers” for parents. This change ensures a simpler user experience for parents who are looking to find out which vaccines their child needs.