Families Advocate for Meningitis Vaccine on both sides of the Ocean

The nurses and members of Nurses Who Vaccinate would like to offer sincere support and our deepest gratitude to Lee Booth, of the UK, for bringing attention to a serious and life-threatening communicable disease: meningitis B.


As news of the tragic death of two-year-old Fay Burdett from Kent County in South East England due to a meningitis B bacterial infection rocked the world on Valentine’s Day 2016, attention was brought to an important issue in the United Kingdom: the fact that the meningitis B vaccine is not made available for all children and is only covered at no cost for those under 12 months. Lee Booth, a father of two, started a petition to get the meningitis B vaccine available for all children on the free schedule of vaccines in September 2015 when his older daughter was denied the vaccine because she was older than 12 months. Booth, like many parents, was upset that parents who wanted to protect their children older than 12 months would have to pay out of pocket for this life-saving vaccine.

Faye Burdett from Kent County in the UK was just two when meningitis B took her life after struggling with the infection for 11 days. Her parents released the photo of her on the right to raise awareness on how swiftly meningitis B can claim a life.

Before the death of Faye Burdett in February 2016, the petition only had about 900 signatures. As of this writing in March 2016, the petition (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/108072) has received more than 822,000 signatures, making it the largest petition ever signed in Parliamentary history!

The UK Parliament responded to the Booth petition by stating that they cannot provide the vaccine to all children as it would be too costly, citing the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) recommendation that it is only cost effective to offer the three-part meningitis B vaccine, Bexsero, series at ages 2 months, 4 month and 12 months.

Alan Glynn from Perth has stated that he’s “disgusted” that the UK has not amended the schedule of vaccines even after the petition reached over 800,000 signatures. Glynn lost his daughter, Alexa, to meningitis 5 years ago and has been a strong advocate in spreading awareness of the disease and the vaccines available ever since.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean, the Kimberly Coffey Foundation, which was founded in honor of Kimberly Coffey who lost her life to meningitis B in 2012, also chimed in on the issue, stating on their Facebook page, “We agree with you Alan. Human life should not be equated into what is cost-effective".

Bacterial meningitis infects about 3,200 people annually in the UK and more than 1 in 10 of those cases are fatal. Children under 5 and adolescents are most likely to contract meningitis B in the UK, yet the vaccine is currently only available for those under 12 months. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), bacterial meningitis is highly contagious and spreads through respiratory droplets and throat secretions. Symptoms of meningococcal disease are usually sudden and flu-like, including fever, headache, and the hallmark signs of a stiff neck and extreme sensitivity to light. In the United States, anyone can get meningitis B but it is most common in children under one and in adolescents.

In October 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of Trumenba, the first vaccine licensed in the United States to prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B in children ages 10 through 25. In January 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of Bexsero, a second vaccine to prevent meningitis B. However, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) only suggests that children ages 10-25 “may be vaccinated” against meningitis B and doesn’t include this important vaccine alongside the other vaccines on the recommended schedule of vaccines for meningitis serogroups A,C,W & Y.

In February 2015, the Kimberly Coffey Foundation met with the ACIP in Atlanta to advocate for adding meningitis serogroup B vaccination to the recommended schedule of vaccines. The ACIP determined that vaccination would only be offered to high risk populations in the event of an outbreak. In June 2015, the ACIP amended their suggestions to state, “A MenB vaccine series may be administered to adolescents and young adults aged 16–23 years to provide short-term protection against most strains of serogroup B meningococcal disease. The preferred age for MenB vaccination is 16–18 years (recommendation Category B).”

It is our hope that the Booth petition continues to grow and that the UK Parliament makes the decision to extend the availability of the meningitis B vaccine to children older than 12 months. We also hope that the U.S. ACIP makes the decision to add the meningitis B vaccines to the recommended schedule of vaccines and we at Nurses Who Vaccinate will continue to support any and all petitions to the UK Parliament, the U.S. ACIP or any other governing agency which supports the addition of meningitis B vaccines to their recommended schedule of vaccines.


Angela Quinn, BSN, RN is a registered nurse on Long Island. She is passionate about nursing and public health and serves as an Executive Board Member in Vaccine Advocacy for Nurses Who Vaccinate.

How to #BeLikeBen when Caring for our Communities

Dr. Benjamin Franklin cared about others in his community. He worked to make his community, and indeed, his country better.

Among his many contributions to colonial American society, Dr. Franklin was an avid supporter of a collective focus on public health and safety. He helped establish the nation’s first public hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, and contributed to a variety of medical discoveries (see Did You Know section). As a public health activist, Dr. Franklin is remembered as an avid supporter of smallpox inoculation in the 1730s. At that time, protection from smallpox was afforded by a process known as variolation. Variolation involved taking pus from a smallpox pustule of an infected person and either injecting it into a non-immune person or drying it for later inhalation as a powder by a non-immune person. While the process would typically cause a mild form of the illness, it also produced lifelong immunity. (CHOP Ben Franklin — Pro-vaccine Before Vaccines Were Invented?)

Dr. Franklin supported using variolation to protect against smallpox after losing his own son to the disease. Sadly, his son had not been inoculated.

Like Ben Franklin, nurses work to make their community and country better. Every day, in communities around the country, nurses care for people. They work to make them better; they work to prevent them from getting ill. The educate communities and families on importance of healthy living and infection prevention.

Doctors are also an important asset to community health. One particular doctor has made it his life's mission and recently received recognition. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (VEC), recently received the 2016 Benjamin Franklin Founder Award for his contributions to public health and medicine. To celebrate this award, this month’s issue of the VEC’s Parents PACK newsletter  shares stories of Ben Franklin’s accomplishments and those of other groups working to make our communities better.

You don't need to be a doctor, nurse or Ben Franklin to make a difference. Shot Of Prevention provides 5 simple things you can do to support public health and immunizations:

•  With Your Comments and Posts On Social Media
•  With Your Family At Holiday Functions
•  With Your Friends While Out to Dinner
•  With Your Neighbors At the Bus Stop
•  With Your Vote On Election Day

Check out their blog post for more info.

The Vaccine Education Center is also promoting use of #BeLikeBen on social media to recognize people you know, who like Ben Franklin, Paul Offit and all the Nurses Who Vaccinate, make their communities better places to live. Be sure to use the hashtag often and spread the word how we can can support public health.

This guest post was contributed by Matthew Chando who is member of Nurses Who Vaccinate. He is the Parents PACK program manager at the Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 

When You Share Zika Virus Rumors, the Mosquitoes Win

The Zika virus is a hot topic right now and you may be seeing articles being shared from various sources and websites. As research progresses, more information is being discovered and shared about the link between the virus and the developmental disorder, microcephaly. Unfortunately, like many new and mysterious medical topics, myths and rumors are bound to pop out and be passed around as truths. It only took a few weeks for the stories and conspiracies theories to poke their head and make their way to social media concerning the Zika Virus and increased reports of microcephaly in Brazil, and they are already damaging public health efforts.

One of the most damaging myths being passed around online is about how a group of physicians claimed that the thousands of cases of microcephaly reported this year aren’t due to the Zika virus, but are instead due to pesticides. There's another rumor that a British biotech company released genetically modified mosquitoes to combat dengue fever in Brazil and that caused the thousands of cases microcephaly as an adverse effect. Neither of these stories or theories hold up under rational scrutiny. These are stories that are merely fear pieces that ignore the scientific evidence.

Unfortunately, it's not only laypeople falling for this myths, but also celebrities and widely-recognized figures, who then share them as potential theories and thus increase the likelihood of more people reading and falling victim to them.

Let's quickly debunk these two myths and move on to how this hurts our efforts in battling the Zika virus. The larvicide pyriproxyfen, a chemical that kills mosquito larvae, has been thoroughly studied. It is used worldwide and it's only effect is reducing the number of mosquitoes that carry deadly diseases. Pyripyroxyfen has been used for decades, with no reports of increased birth defects.

Using genetically modified mosquitoes and bacteria is a prevention method being supported and encouraged by the World Health organization (WHO). The modified mosquitoes receive a modified gene, usually male mosquitoes, so that when they mate with females in the wild, they will produce offspring that die before they reach adulthood. There is no evidence to support rumors tying Zika to genetically modified mosquitoes.

The conspiracy theorists aren't limiting themselves to accusing genetically modified mosquitoes or
larvicides. The New York Times wrote a collective article about the many types of conspiracy theories about Zika spreading through Brazil. Frontline also gathered a collection of debunked Zika myths involving a falsified claimed that expired vaccines are to blame.

"The rumor exasperates Patricia Ismael de Carvalho, general director of information and strategic actions in epidemiological surveillance for the Pernambuco State Secretariat of Health. She insisted that vaccines present no danger to pregnant women, and that there is nothing to support the theory.
“It’s impossible. Vaccination given to pregnant women are all inactivated viruses. There is nothing active in the vaccine, nothing to cause harm,” she said."

Journalists reported on the ongoing battle to educate and spread accurate information. Health departments are trying to reach out in any possible way: leaflets; TV and radio advertisements; the mobilization of businesses, churches and nongovernmental organizations; weekly press conferences and near daily coverage by local media.

At the current moment, there is no specific treatment for Zika patients. Without a cure, treatment focuses on supportive care such as rest, re-hydration, managing fever and pain. In regards to preventing the virus, it will be at least 18 months before any vaccines are tested in large-scale clinical trials. In the meantime people traveling and living in the Zika areas are advised to follow strict mosquito prevention strategies throughout the entire day, not just at dusk.

Recommendations for Those Traveling/Living in an Area of Zika Virus Transmission 

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants 
• Use U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA registered insect repellents 
• Wear permethrin-treated clothing and gear 
• Staying and sleeping in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms
• Follow these steps to prevent your home and living space from mosquitoes.

Healthcare professionals are asked to monitor the CDC and state/local health departments for evidence-based, accurate information and updates on the progress of Zika virus treatment and prevention. (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/hc-providers/index.html)

Nurses, when you come across myths and rumors- counter them with appropriate sources from the CDC and and health departments. Don't be afraid to speak up!

Remember- when you share dangerous Zika misinformation, you're hurting science and letting the mosquitoes win.

The Zika Virus may seem to be a world away, but with recent cases appearing across the United States,
this not-so-new virus is grabbing the attention of the media and medical professionals alike.
With the upcoming summer Olympics scheduled to take place in Brazil, the epicenter of the recent Zika outbreak,
concern is growing over the threat the virus may pose, particularly to pregnant women. New York
is far from Brazil, but many in our area have questions and concerns.

Don't Wait to Vaccinate for Meningococcal Disease.

Two cases of serogroup B meningococcal disease have been confirmed at Santa Clara University in California. The university will now have to scramble to implement vaccine clinics to protect other students. We urge communities and schools to please be proactive - not reactive - and vaccinate now for MenB and the other four serogroups of this disease. Serogroup B is the most common serogroup in the US right now. Please do not put these vaccinations on your "to do" list or think this disease can't strike your child. And remember this is not just a college disease.

This is an issue near and dear to our hearts here at Nurses Who Vaccinate. Executive Board member Patti Wukovitis's daughter Kimberly was a high school senior when she contracted meningitis B and passed away. Please note that 11-25 years old are the ages of highest risk.

We will keep these students in our prayers and also pray that this does not turn into an outbreak situation.

Please see below for a recent statement from Patti Wukovits, RN, Executive Director, The Kimberly Coffey Foundation

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In light of today’s news of two confirmed cases of serogroup B meningococcal disease at the University of Santa Clara in California, we urge all adolescents and young adults ages 10-25 to be vaccinated with a serogroup B vaccine series in addition to a quadrivalent (serogroups A,C,W and Y) meningococcal conjugate vaccine. This will offer you the best protection against all five serogroups of meningococcal disease (more commonly referred to as bacterial meningitis). Please do not assume that you are protected against serogroup B (MenB) if you have been vaccinated for meningococcal disease unless you have received this very important ADDITIONAL vaccine. Serogroup B currently accounts for 40% of meningococcal disease in the U.S. and is not just a college disease.

My 17-year-old daughter, Kimberly Coffey, died in 2012 from serogroup B meningococcal disease just three days before her high school graduation.  As a parent, I had the false sense of security that Kimberly was fully protected because she had been vaccinated for meningococcal disease. As it turns out, she was not because the quadrivalent conjugate vaccine does not include or protect against serogroup B. In 2012 Kimberly didn’t have the opportunity to be protected against serogroup B. But because serogroup B vaccines are now available as of 2014, you do. Please, please get vaccinated.

Visit our website www.kimberlycoffeyfoundation.org for further information about the symptoms, protection and transmission of meningococcal disease.  If you require assistance in finding vaccination for MenB, we can help you locate a provider in your area. Contact Patti Wukovits, RN at kimberlycoffeyfoundation@gmail.com 

Patti Wukovits, R.N. Executive Director www.kimberlycoffeyfoundation.org (516) 982-1433

Patti Wukovits, R.N. Secretary of Nurses Who Vaccinate

Patti Wukovits has been a registered nurse for 9 years. She is the Executive Director of The Kimberly Coffey Foundation, a foundation she and her husband established after the loss of her daughter Kim. The Kimberly Coffey Foundation’s mission is to educate the public and healthcare professionals about bacterial meningitis (meningococcal disease), including the symptoms of the disease and the importance of prevention through vaccination. Patti has also made The Kimberly Coffey Memorial Nursing Scholarship available in Kim's name as Kim’s dream was to be a pediatric nurse. She is a M.O.M. (Moms on Meningitis) with the National Meningitis Association. Married with 4 children (her son Chris, her daughter Kim, her stepdaughter Jaclyn and her stepson John).  www.KimberlyCoffeyFoundation.org 

What Is The Best Way to Prevent Cervical Cancer? Hint: It Starts with "V" and Rhymes with "Sixteen"

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Each January, we've taken a closer look at cervical cancer as we raise awareness to prevention and detection. As the yearly observance comes to an end. it's important to summarize the information that is available.



Cervical cancer is caused by certain strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which spread mainly through sexual contact. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cervical cancer affects more than 12,000 women in the United States annually and caused more than 4,000 deaths in 2012. In the U.S., the incidence of cervical cancer is relatively low when compared with other countries. In 2012, the rate of cervical cancer in the U.S. was only 8.1 cases per 100,000 women.  In Malawi, the incidence of cervical cancer was 75.9 cases per 100,000 women in 2012. According to the Word Cancer Research Fund International, about 84% of cancer cases occurred in less developed nations than the U.S. and more than 528,000 cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed worldwide.


The CDC estimates that nine out of ten people will contract HPV at some point in their lifetime. Detection and prevention are key in preventing fatal cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer can be detected with routine pap smears. Cervical cancer screening includes two types of screening tests: cytology-based screening, known as the Pap test or Pap smear, and HPV testing. The main purpose of screening with the Pap test is to detect abnormal cells that may develop into cancer if left untreated.

Cervical cancer can be prevented by getting one of the two HPV vaccines available. The HPV vaccines are important because the incidence of HPV is high in the U.S.  Gardasil is recommended by the CDC for all males and females ages 11 to 26  and prevents types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Cervarix vaccine is used in girls and young women ages 9 through 25 to prevent cervical cancer caused by certain types of HPV (types 16 and 18).  Unfortunaterly, the HPV vaccine has been a source of controversy since Gardasil was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 and when Cervarix was approved in 2009. Many parents may feel hesitant to consider the future sexual activity of their children and thus choose to forgo the Gardasil vaccine. Others may also worry about the safety of the HPV vaccine based upon misinformation they have read on the Internet. However, the HPV vaccine is perfectly safe.  Both Gardasil and Cervarix went through the stringent FDA approval process and both demonstrated favorable results in studies which included over 10,000 girls from 12 different countries. It’s important to note that both males and females should get the HPV vaccine to reduce the incidence and opportunity for transmission in our communities.


The CDC has several resources about the HPV vaccine, including this pamphlet for distribution for patients and families: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/pdf/parents-hpv-vaccine-is-safe.pdf


According to Health Finder.gov, there are several ways that we as nurses can help promote Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. We can encourage women to get their annual pap smears, remind women that this service is covered by their health insurance and we can encourage parents to vaccinate their children against HPV. But mostly importantly, we need to stress that the HPV vaccine is highly effective and safe. 


Cancer is never a good thing but the good news is that cervical cancer can be detected early and it can be prevented with the HPV vaccine!

For further reading, here’s an excellent document from Health Finder.gov about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine: http://healthfinder.gov/NHO/PDFs/JanuaryNHOToolkit.pdf


References:

1. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/statistics/
2. https://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/viewfactsheet.aspx?csid=76
3. http://www.wcrf.org/int/cancer-facts-figures/data-specific-cancers/cervical-cancer-statistics
4. http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html
5. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/hpv-vaccine.html
6. http://healthfinder.gov/nho/januarytoolkit.aspx
7. http://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/pap-hpv-testing-fact-sheet
8. http://www.nature.com/news/the-world-must-accept-that-the-hpv-vaccine-is-safe-1.18918



Angela Quinn is a registered nurse on Long Island, NY. Angela is passionate about nursing and public health. She volunteers as an Executive Board Member of Nurses Who Vaccinate and is also the founder of Correcting the Misconceptions of Anti-Vaccine Resources, a professional blog which refutes anti-vaccine articles and blogs that promote misinformation and misconceptions about vaccines.

Help Stop Meningitis in New York!

Pro-science parents and nurses- your support this week is critical! The New York State meningococcal bill S4324a/A791c is now on Governor Andrew Cuomo's desk for his consideration.This is the final step and the Governor will likely make his decision this week.

The NYS Meningococcal Immunization Bill would require all seventh and twelfth grade students to be immunized with the current meningococcal vaccine. 

JUSTIFICATION: According to the CDC, roughly 1,000 - 1,200 people contract meningococcal disease each year in the United States. Between ten and fifteen percent of these cases are fatal. Eleven to nineteen percent of those who survive will suffer from permanent hearing loss,developmental delays, loss of limbs, or other serious conditions. This bill would require meningococcal vaccinations for students entering the seventh and twelfth grades. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides advice and guidance to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommends a single dose of vaccine be administered at age 11 or 12, and a booster at age 16. Currently, more than 20 states require meningococcal vaccines.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2014: S.7348 Referred to Health
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None noted. Health plans in the state of New York are required to cover preventive and primary care services, including necessary immunizations. Additionally, the Vaccines for Children (VFC)program is a federally funded program that provides ACIP recommended vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.

Supporters of this bill are asking everyone to please call, write an email and fax letters in support of the bill today.

Phone Calls:

The Governor's office can be reached at 1-518-474-8390. Out-of-state residents are allowed to call to voice their support and NYS residents please be sure to provide your zip code.

Emails:

Emails should be directed to: Alphonso David, Counsel to the Governor c/o Katherine Santandrea, Executive Assistant to Alphonso David

alphonso.david@exec.ny.gov; katherine.santandrea@exec.ny.gov

Please include in the subject line of e-mails: Support for NY Meningococcal Immunization Bill (S.4324-A/ A.791-C)

Suggestion of some sample wording in email:

Dear Mr. Alphonso David:

Please help support The New York State meningococcal bill S4324c/A791a. New York State needs this very important bill to be signed into law so that not one more person will contract or die unnecessarily from meningococcal disease – a vaccine preventable disease! This bill will, no doubt, save hundreds of lives and save hundreds from the devastating side effects of the disease, such as limb amputations and neurologic deficits. Meningococcal disease can kill an otherwise healthy person within 24 hours!

This bill targets vaccination of the ages with the highest rates of meningococcal disease, specifically preteen, teen, and young adults. I believe it should be mandated for this high risk group. It is the most effective way to avert a catastrophic disease in young people who usually contract the disease in a school setting.

I urge you to please pass this bill into law.

Emails can also be sent to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via his website contact page:
http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php%20
You can also mail him directly at gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us

Postal Service:

Please write a letter to the governor (you can use the above template but please include your own thoughts) asking him to support (S.4324-A/ A.791-C)

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

Fax:

FAX your letter: 518-4741513

There is some false misinformation being circulated in opposition of this bill. Below are the common misconceptions and rebuttals. 

1    FALSE STATEMENT: “There have been no deaths from meningococcal meningitis in the age group targeted by this bill in New York in the past five years.”

FACT: As one example, a 17-year-old high school senior died from meningococcal disease in the bill’s targeted age group within the past five years (2012) in New York State. www.kimberlycoffeyfoundation.org

      FALSE STATEMENT: “One can reasonably expect 4,000 serious injuries and 12 deaths every year from annually vaccinating 400,000 New York students to prevent a handful of meningococcal meningitis cases.”

FACT: During 2005-2011, an estimated 800-1,200 cases of meningococcal disease occurred annually in the United States. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/mening.html#

      FALSE STATEMENT:  The bill “also includes a mandate for vaccines for the B-strain of meningococcal meningitis, even though there are no vaccines for meningitis B licensed for use in the United States.”

FACT:   Serogroup B vaccines are licensed in the United States as of 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/vaccine-info.html

Because serogroup B vaccines were given a permissive category B recommendation by ACIP in June 2015, the proposed bill does not, at this time, include vaccines for serogroup B meningococcal disease. The bill is for protection with the current ACIP recommended meningococcal vaccines which protect against serogroups A,C,W & Y.

Please share this message with friends and family and please post to social media. 

For additional information please contact:
Patti Wukovits, R.N., Nurses Who Vaccinate Meningitis Advocacy Director
kimberlycoffeyfoundation@gmail.com 

Albany, New York

Resources:

-CDC- Meningitis

http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html

-MAYO Clinic- Meningitis

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/basics/definition/con-20019713

MedlinePlus- Meningitis

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000680.htm

Nurses Essential in Ensuring All Children are Protected with Immunization

Nurses Essential in Ensuring All Children are Protected with Immunization

National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder

 that we all need vaccines throughout our lives.

Parents consider healthcare professionals one of the most trusted sources in answering questions and addressing concerns about their child’s health. A recent survey on parents’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding vaccines for young children – including vaccine safety and trust – found that 82 percent of parents consider pediatric health care professionals to be one of their most trusted sources of vaccine information. With so many parents relying on the advice of health care professionals about vaccines, a nurse’s recommendation plays a key role in guiding parents’ vaccination decisions.

“Because nurses are often the ones administering vaccines, it makes their expertise, knowledge, and advice vital in creating a safe and trusted environment for discussing childhood immunizations,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service and CDC’s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “How you communicate with parents during routine pediatric visits is critical for fostering parental confidence in the decision to vaccinate their children.”

The survey also found that 71 percent of parents were confident or very confident in the safety of routine childhood immunizations, although parents’ most common question is what side effects they should look for after vaccination. Twenty-five percent are concerned that children get too many vaccines in one doctor’s visit and 20 percent of survey participants are concerned that vaccines may cause autism.

“Reinforcing that vaccines are safe and effective can go a long way towards assuring parents that they are doing the best thing for their children,” says Patsy Stinchfield, a pediatric nurse practitioner who represents the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. “One of the best ways you can establish trust with parents is by asking open-ended questions to help identify and address concerns they may have about vaccines. Also, restate their questions and acknowledge concerns with empathy.”

Make sure to address questions or concerns by tailoring responses to the level of detail the parent is looking for. Some parents may be prepared for a fairly high level of detail about vaccines – how they work and the diseases they prevent –while others may be overwhelmed by too much science and may respond better to a personal example of a patient you’ve seen with a vaccine-preventable disease. A strong recommendation from you as a nurse can also make parents feel comfortable with their decision to vaccinate.

For all parents, it’s important to address the risks of the diseases that vaccines prevent. It’s also imperative to acknowledge the risks associated with vaccines and highlight the benefits of vaccines. Parents are seeking balanced information. Never state that vaccines are risk-free, and always discuss the known side effects caused by vaccines.

If a parent chooses not to vaccinate, keep the lines of communication open and revisit their decision at a future visit. Make sure parents are aware of the risks and responsibilities they need to take on, such as informing schools and child care facilities that their child is unimmunized, and being careful to stay aware of any disease outbreaks that occur in their communities. If you build a trusting relationship over time with parents, they may reconsider their vaccination decision.

To help communicate about vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccines, and vaccine safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have partnered to develop Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations with Parents. These materials include vaccine safety information, fact sheets on vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases, and strategies for successful vaccine conversations with parents. They are free and available online at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/conversations.

A parent's baby’s well-child visits can be stressful for the parent and their child, but there are ways to make them go easier. Get useful tips for soothing their baby when they gets shots by visiting CDC’s vaccine website for parents: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/tools/tips-factsheet.html
A special thank you and acknowledgement to the National Public Health Information Coalition and the CDC for providing the above information and resources.