Thursday, November 8, 2018

Training the Next Generation of Vaccinators

 There has been a steady increase in the number of individuals affected by the influenza virus.  It has been estimated that 80,000 Americans died and 900,000 people were hospitalized for flu-related complications (National Foundation for Infectious Disease, 2018) this past year. Although older adults carry the heaviest burden for flu-related deaths, all ages can be impacted.
 
In preparation for the 2018 flu season, Clayton State University School of Nursing partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology Health Services for their Flu Campaign. Professors Elicia Collins, Han Dong and Sue Gronka along with Dr. Victoria Foster took 20 second semester nursing students to assist with providing flu shots for the student body.

Over 2 separate visits, 1,120 students were immunized. The nursing students also did patient teaching regarding what to expect after being vaccinated. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated each year for influenza.

 
 
We at Nurses Who Vaccinate are tremendously proud to share the accomplishments of these nursing students and their mentors.

Are you a nursing student yourself looking for more information on influenza and vaccines? Check out what the
American Nursing Association has to offer for education. "There are many elements of immunization that nurses need to know. From the correct anatomical sites for giving injections, to the increasingly complex immunization schedule, to knowing where to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Report, to the way that vaccines work in activating the immune system, there's a lot to learn and remember! Through continuing education courses, fact sheets, videos, and webcasts, this ANA page offers nurses a variety of educational opportunities to increase their immunization knowledge and competency."

Still looking to get your flu vaccine? You can visit http://vaccine.healthmap.org/ to find out where flu shots are available in your area. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have any questions regarding which flu vaccine is best for you and your family.

And when you get your vaccine... send us your selfie! Like past flu seasons, we'll be collecting and sharing your #FluShotSelfie (with your permission) on our social media pages.

Send it to us on our Facebook page, email it to us (NursesWhoVaccinate@gmail.com),
or tag us on Instagram and Twitter at @NursesWhoVax.

We look forward to sharing everyone's efforts to protect themselves and others from influenza. Be safe this season!
 


FLU SEASON HASH TAGS



Thursday, August 16, 2018

Nurses Who Vaccinate Announces Partnership with Shot@Life

 
In honor of National Immunization Awareness Month, Nurses Who Vaccinate, a non-profit organization, announced their official partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign.  This partnership will provide network of nurses and members who are enthusiastic and engaged, and connect them with Shot@life's mission to stand up for children around the world. It will expand the efforts to champion global childhood immunizations through grassroots advocacy and awareness raising activities.


“As a long time supporter of Shot@Life, Nurses Who Vaccinate has worked side by side S@L to raise awareness of the need for children everywhere to receive life-saving vaccinations,” said Melody Butler, BSN, RN, CIC, Executive Director of Nurses Who Vaccinate. “As public health advocates, Nurses Who Vaccinate members encourage patients, colleagues, and communities to learn about, advocate for, and provide access to immunizations.  Becoming an official partner with Shot@Life to build global awareness of the need for childhood immunizations, fits naturally within our mission.”


NWV members meet fellow S@L Champion Jo Frost
Despite great advances, worldwide each year, 1.5 million children still die from vaccine preventable diseases.  Shot@Life and Nurses Who Vaccinate will work together to stand up for childhood and give children everywhere a shot a healthy life. The two organizations believe that no matter where they live, every child deserves a shot at life.






Shot@Life, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation, educates, connects and empowers individuals to champion global vaccines as one of the most effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries. The campaign rallies the public to advocate and fundraise for global childhood vaccines. Shot@Life believes that by encouraging people to learn about, advocate for, and donate to  vaccines, we can decrease the 1.5 million annual vaccine-preventable childhood deaths and give every child a shot at a healthy life. Go to www.ShotAtLife.org to learn more.



NWV Members attend Shot@Life's Annual Summit

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Your Pregnancy: Protecting Your Baby Starts Now




National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder everyone needs vaccines throughout their lives.

 

From the moment you found out you were pregnant, you started protecting your baby. You might have changed the way you eat, started taking a prenatal vitamin or researched the kind of car seat to buy. But did you know that one of the best ways to start protecting your baby against serious diseases is by getting flu and Tdap vaccines while you are pregnant?

 

The vaccines you get during your pregnancy will provide your baby with some disease protection (immunity) that can last during the first months of life after birth. By getting vaccinated during pregnancy, you can pass antibodies to your baby that may help protect against diseases. This early protection is critical for diseases like flu and whooping cough because babies are at their greatest risk of severe illness from these diseases in their first months of life, but they are also too young to get the vaccines against these illnesses. Passing maternal antibodies during pregnancy is the only way to help directly protect them from flu and whooping cough (pertussis).

 


In cases when doctors can determine who spread whooping cough to an infant, the mother was sometimes the source. Once you have protection from the Tdap shot, you are less likely to spread whooping cough to your newborn baby.

 

When it comes to flu, even if you are generally healthy, changes in immune, heart and lung functions during pregnancy make you more likely to have a severe case of the flu if you catch it. If you catch the flu when you are pregnant, you also have a higher chance of being hospitalized. Getting a flu shot will help protect you and your baby.

 

You can rest assured these vaccines are very safe for you and your baby. Millions of pregnant women have safely received flu shots for many years and CDC continues to monitor safety data on flu vaccine in pregnant women.

 

The whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) is also safe for you and your baby. Doctors and midwives who specialize in caring for pregnant women agree that the whooping cough vaccine is important to get during the third trimester of each pregnancy. Getting the vaccine during pregnancy will not put you at increased risk for pregnancy complications.

 

You should get your whooping cough vaccine between your 27th and 36th week of pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of that period. You can get a flu shot during any trimester. You may receive whooping cough and flu vaccines at the same time or at different prenatal care visits. If you are pregnant during flu season, you should get a flu vaccine as soon as the vaccine is available, by October if possible.

 

If you want to learn more about pregnancy and vaccines, talk to your ob-gyn or midwife, and visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pregnancy/pregnant-women/index.html.

CDC, 2018 National Public Health Information Coalition