This Newsletter is shared on behalf of ICLAC. If you have any questions or concerns about the content, please send an email to info@immunizelac.org
NEW ICLAC Newsletter!
If you subscribe to our newsletter, please be sure to add info@immunizelac.org to your contact list, as we will be delivering the newsletter directly from our website starting in August 2024. If you haven’t yet subscribed to our newsletter, please visit: https://immunizelac.org/newsletter/
Community Spotlight
In lieu of hosting our yearly ICLAC Spring Vaccine Forum, we encourage all LA County immunization partners to join ICLAC in attending the California Immunization Coalition Summit being held on April 29th – 30th in Riverside, CA.
Please stay tuned for exciting updates as ICLAC restructures as an independent 501(c)(3) and an announcement about our next Vaccine Forum in Fall 2025!
The CIC Summit brings together a wide range of speakers and immunization partners from across CA and the US, to share ideas, discuss issues and identify partnerships that will support the mission of improved immunization rates for all Californians. This year’s Summit – Building Trust, Strengthening Vaccine Confidence, will feature state and national speakers that will provide clinical updates, communication strategies, policy impacts, and promote discussion and opportunities for future collaborations. https://www.immunizeca.org/2025-summit-registration-form/
In 2025, we are excited to announce:
- Membership and Sponsorship Program: A new structure to sustain our programs and grow our impact.
- Innovative Events and Forums: Opportunities to collaborate, learn, and innovate through tailored events.
Visit our ICLAC Website to stay updated on upcoming changes and announcements.
ACIP Meeting February 26-28, 2025 Postponed
Days before it was scheduled to begin, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices February meeting was postponed, citing the need to accommodate public comment in advance of the meeting. The ACIP workgroups have continued to meet as scheduled and are planned to present at the upcoming ACIP meeting, whose date is yet to be determined.
We find this move to be concerning given the importance of the ACIP meetings in assessing and disseminating up-to-date information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Additionally, the meetings serve as a venue for responding to changing infectious disease epidemiology, and maintaining the standard of care for vaccines. The delay of scheduled votes and discussion on vaccines with time-sensitive implications including flu, RSV, COVID, and others will likely have real impacts for patients, health systems, and public health.
ICLAC will alert our members and newsletter recipients when the next public comment period opens so those who are interested can provide input.
Where to Get Vaccinated
Visit ICLAC’s Where to Get Vaccinated page for which routine and recommended vaccines are needed for you or a family member, how to find a vaccination clinic near you, or request in-home vaccination. Information provided is for all routine and recommended vaccines throughout the lifespan including COVID-19 and flu.
Visit the Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR) COVID-19 and Flu Treatments Locator page to find nearby pharmacies, clinics, and other locations with COVID-19 and flu medications. Please note that these medications require a prescription from a healthcare provider.
Visit VaxAssist’s Respiratory Vaccination Locator to check eligibility and find and schedule vaccinations. Available in English and Spanish.
LA COUNTY VACCINE, COVID-19 NEWS, UPDATES & MORE
WEBINARS, TOWNHALLS, AND EVENTS
MMR Vaccine MessagingMarch 11, 2025: Public Health Confirms Measles Case in Los Angeles County The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine provides the best protection against disease and serious illness. The California Department of Public Health strongly recommends MMR to:
For more information and resources, visit the CDPH Measles Communization Toolkit. We also encourage you to share personal stories from ShotbyShot.org, a collection of stories told by people affected by vaccine preventable-diseases. CDC recommends a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for older adults and immunocompromised individualsOn October 23, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that adults ages 65 years and older and individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised receive a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose (CDC Recommends Second Dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine). The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines were initially recommended and approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on June 27, 2024, and thereafter by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2024 to target currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults and those who are immunocompromised, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness and year-round circulation of COVID-19. For additional information and vaccination resources for patients, please visit ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines/ |
Stay up to date with CDC’s Avian Influenza response: https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html
According to the CDC, follow these prevention measures:
- As a general precaution, whenever possible people should avoid direct contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry, and other animals and observe them only from a distance.
- If you must have direct/close contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry, or other animals, wear recommended personal protective equipment (PPE). Wild birds can be infected with avian (bird) influenza (flu) A viruses even if they don’t look sick.
- Do not touch surfaces or materials (e.g., animal litter or bedding material) contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian bird influenza A virus infection.
- Do not touch or consume raw milk or raw milk products, especially from animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza A virus infection.
Reminder:
Continue Administering RSV Immunization through March 31, 2025
As a reminder, please continue recommending and administering RSV immunization to eligible infants and toddlers until the end of March. RSV immunization is the best way to protect our youngest patients from severe illness and hospitalizations. Providers may check the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) or ask the birthing parent to download their digital vaccine record at myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov to verify receipt of prenatal RSV vaccine.
For more information, see our RSV FAQs and resources.
Webinar: CDPH Immunization Branch Provider Webinars
Every other Friday, from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM PT
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) hosts a webinar every other Friday for California providers to provide Immunization Branch updates.Â
In this webinar, Molly Howell, MPH, and Lynn Bahta, MPH, BSN, PHN, will provide an overview of the current measles landscape and its impact on communities, detail strategies to collaborate with affected communities to enhance outbreak response, and describe the role of trust and communication in promoting vaccination and containment efforts.
Webinar: Operationalizing CDC’s 2025 Adult Immunization Schedule
Thursday, March 20, 2025, from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (PST)
Join the AMGA Foundation’s Rise to Immunize® (RIZE) monthly webinar focused on sharing best practices and resources to improve adult vaccination rates.
The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) has created a Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) health access report highlighting how RSV remains a significant threat to infants and furthering health disparities among Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaskan Native communities.
