Infectious Disease

Information for Parents on Vaccine Safety

 
Infectious Disease Committee
Chairperson:
Leonard Krilov, M.D.
E-mail Dr. Krilov

Goals: To update members on current
infectious disease issues

This is the recorded broadcast on WUSB done in response to our letter of complaint about a previous broadcast.  It features Dr. Sharon Nachman, a Chapter member and head of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital discussing the safety of vaccination.  The radio station agreed to perform and broadcast this interview after we complained directly to the Stony Brook President’s office.  There is huge chapter value in combating vaccine misinformation in the community, and we are at every battle (5 this summer alone) providing the expertise and science about vaccine efficacy and safety.


Tuberculosis testing in New York City

As of January 12, 2017, the New York City health code now requires additional reporting for children less than five years of age with a positive test for TB infection (e.g., interferon gamma release assay [IGRA] or tuberculin skin test [TST]), including documentation of subsequent evaluation to rule out TB disease.  An up-to-date version of the Health Code (§11.21) can be found at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/about-doh/health-code-and-rules.page.


Meningitis B Action Project – This web site contains helpful materials and resources to help in educating parents and young adults about Meningitis B, including a poster specifically for doctor’s offices.  The message is simple: It takes two types of vaccines to be fully immunized against meningococcal disease: MenACWY and MenB.  While many have received the MenACWY vaccine, few have received MenB due to lack of awareness of its availability.  The site hopes to provide parents and young adults with the information to proactively talk to their healthcare provider about Meningitis B and the vaccine available to help prevent it, and to encourage the medical and education community to inform patients and students about the availability of the Meningitis B vaccine.


NYC HPV 9 Guidelines and Codes for HPV9 and Meningococcal B Vaccines

Statement of the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics, District II, New York State regarding thimerosal and the Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) vaccine


HPV Vaccine Resources

  1. The AAP HPV Champion Toolkit provides resources to help practices improve HPV vaccination rates.  The HPV Champion Toolkit is available at www.aap.org/hpvtoolkit.  Please feel free to share the HPV Champion Toolkit with your partners.  Toolkit Resources Include:
    1. Online Learning Opportunities for CME Credit
      1. Adolescent Immunizations: Strongly Recommending the HPV Vaccine
      2. Adolescent Immunizations: Office Strategies
    2. Quality Improvement
      1. Sample Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Improvement Cycles
      2. EQIPP Immunization Course (offers Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part 4 Credit)
    3. HPV Vaccine Content and Education
      1. Fact Sheets
      2. PowerPoint Presentations:
        1. You Are The Key to HPV Cancer Prevention:  60 Minute (Clinician Focus)
        2. You Are The Key to HPV Cancer Prevention:  20 Minute (Non Clinician Focus)
        3. How to Increase Adolescent Immunization Rates
    4. Public Communication
      1. Sample Facebook Posts
      2. Sample Tweets
    5. Success Stories – Examples of Chapter HPV vaccination successes
    6. NEW!  Free downloads of the documentary “Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic” along with a community viewing guide to help members show this lifesaving film in their practice or community.  Narrated by Vanessa Williams, this poignant documentary showcases the lives of five women affected by Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes several types of cancer.  Their intimate stories shed light on the risks, myths, and hard truths of this widespread epidemic.

NYPATH Would Like Your Input….
What Specific Questions Do You Have About Adolescents, HIV & PrEP?
(Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis)

NYPATH is currently working with Physicians for Reproductive Health, Alwyn Cohall, MD and Allison Eliscu, MD, to develop a two-part webinar focused on HIV including PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis).   PrEP is a potentially “game changing” intervention for protecting individuals at risk for HIV!  Therefore developing provider training on this very important topic is an important priority for NYPATH during our final six months.

What Is PrEP?
PrEP is a daily pill which can be offered to individuals who are HIV negative and at high risk for HIV.  In July 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PrEP for daily use following several clinical trials that established its safety and efficacy. Clinical guidance, issued by the New York State Department of Health in collaboration with John Hopkins University (and updated in October 2015), recommends the use of PrEP as part of a comprehensive prevention plan which includes regular HIV counseling, risk reduction counseling, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, and condom use.  To access this report click here.

The objectives of the training are to provide an overview of HIV and Adolescents, discuss the research and clinical practices pertaining to integrating PrEP into primary care practice, and teaching medical providers how to identify young people who would be good candidates for PrEP.  The training will also include information about initiating and monitoring PrEP treatment onsite and/or by referral.

In order to design this module we would like medical providers to tell us if you have specific questions, thoughts, ideas and/or concerns about Adolescents, HIV & PrEP.   Please contact Judy Lipshutz at jl545@columbia.edu or at 212-304-5237 to provide input and/or ask specific questions about PrEP.

For more information about PrEP, you can view the new SIECUS publication: PrEP Education for Youth-Serving Primary Care Providers Toolkit.   Click here.


Skeptical about vaccines?  Try this link – How to Do Research About Vaccines on the Internet.