Our June topic is IIS or Immunzaion Registries. Between August and October of 2008, immunization initiative staff at MCN conducted structured interviews with all State Immunization Coordinators or their designated contact persons in an effort to identify state programs that address the immunization needs. In response to the question “does your state have an electronic immunization registry?” we found that 42 states have registries, six states are in the process of implementing them, and two states do not have registries. Out of 42 states with registries, 37 are in both public and private settings and 31 are “birth to death” registries, including both children and adults. To view report, go to: http://www.migrantclinician.org/toolsource/resource/interviews-state-programs-addressing-immunization-needs.html

We offer three articles that discuss the progress of using immunization registries to improve recording and access of immunization data. Click on the links below to access the full articles.

California Department of Public Health offers numerous bilingual educational materials regarding childhood lead poisoning prevention.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development lead information

Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead also can be emitted into the air from motor vehicles and industrial sources, and lead can enter drinking water from plumbing materials. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.

Approximately 250,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 years have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, the level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is committed to the Healthy People goal of eliminating elevated blood lead levels in children by 2010.

The Immunization Initiative at MCN promotes improving childhood, adolescent, and adult immunization coverage levels among migrant and other mobile underserved populations. During the course of the initiative, anecdotal and documented evidence of an increase in the Hispanic indigenous population in United States and outside California surfaced from various sources. A separate initiative emerged, to design and develop a piece of educational material specifically for this population. This article, published in Streamline (March-April, 2009) discusses this initiative.

A resource from SAGE in English and Spanish. A reminder to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze to prevent sickness from spreading. Prints legal size.

This resource helps you address stigmatization by providing best practices for inhibiting and the actions to take when you encounter stigmatization when new infectious diseases and illness emerge.

Early in an outbreak, such as the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, groups of people, places, and animals can be singled out and will be at risk of being stigmatized by association with the threat this virus poses. Groups are stigmatized by an infectious disease when the risk of infection to others is not present or remote but the association of the risk is magnified by others for that population group, or place or animal.

This organization, based in Woodburn, Oregon, has 3 community outreach workers and a receptionist in their office who speaks indigenous languages (Mixteco Alto and Mixteco Bajo). 

They utilize the following strategies to communicate with clients who speak indigenous languages:

1        Audio Materials: The Oregon Law Center puts important information and scenarios on tapes and CDs in indigenous languages for their clients

2        Radio: The employees at the Oregon Law Center who speak indigenous languages create radio ads for local Spanish language stations in indigenous languages.  They also participate on 2-3 radio shows per month. 

3        Presentations: They also do around 5 community presentations per month for workers (some of which are done in indigenous languages). 

4        Identifying and training interpreters for indigenous languages: They collaborate with the Oregon Judicial Department to provide training to become court interpreters for people who speak both an indigenous language and Spanish. 

Contact Information:

230 W. Hayes St.

Woodburn, OR 97071

Julie Samples juliesamps@yahoo.com

(503) 981-0336

1-800-973-9003

Oral health is one of HRSA's Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS). The SPNS Innovations in Oral Health Care Initiative funds 15 demonstration sites for up to five years to support organizations using innovative models of care to provide oral health care to HIV-positive, underserved populations in both urban and non-urban settings.

The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) is a nationwide network of dental providers who care for patients in Migrant, Homeless, and Community Health Centers. These providers understand that oral disease can affect a person's speech, appearance, health, and quality of life and that inadequate access to oral health services is a significant problem for low-income individuals.

Founded by singer/songwriter Paul Simon and pediatrician/child advocate Irwin Redlener, MD in 1987, The Children's Health Fund (CHF) works nationally to develop health care programs for the nation's most medically underserved population - homeless and disadvantaged children. CHF brings medical care and essential services directly to underserved children in rural and urban communities via Mobile Medical clinics (doctor's offices on wheels) and fixed site clinics. Moreover, CHF has become a major national advocacy voice on behalf of all children, and has inspired special federal legislation designed to help create innovative Children's Health Projects throughout the United States. The Children's Health Fund's website contains a lot of useful information, which would undoubtedly benefit your audience. 

Physician outreach efforts regarding West Nile Virus diagnosis. We have created a webinar that medical professionals can access for free. CME credits are part of the activity, which makes it even better. The webinar features Lyle Petersen, head of CDC’s vector-borne disease unit, along with Anne Kemptrup, from California Dept. of Public Health and Susan Little, executive director of the DEET Education Program. The program runs for one hour.