Nominate a Childhood Immunization Champion by Feb 10!

tediousmonkey — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:45:40 +0000

The CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award is a new annual award that recognizes individuals who make a significant contribution toward improving public health through their work in childhood immunization.

Each year, up to one CDC Immunization Champion from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia will be honored.

Think of someone in your community has really helped improve the health of Hawai`i’s keiki through immunization efforts, and nominate your candidate to the Department of Health! Click here for more info.

HIC at American Academy of Pediatrics Conference

heatlusk — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:00:49 +0000

On February 1, HIC met with many supportive members of the pediatric community at the annual Hawai`i Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference, “Timely Topic in Pediatrics: How to Vaccinate When Parents Hesitate”. HIC Board Members were able to engage many of the medical professionals who work with keiki and parents to discuss many immunization topics from vaccine hesitancy to legislation.

Mahalo to AAP and Hawai`i Pacific Health for welcoming us to their conference!

For more photos, check out our Facebook page!

AAP Finds: Low Hepatitis A Coverage in Adolescents

tediousmonkey — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:36:32 +0000

On January 23, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the first study to evaluate adolescent hepatitis A coverage in the United States using provider reported vaccination data.

Hepatitis A coverage was low among adolescents, leaving a large population susceptible to hepatitis A infection maturing into adulthood. Read more here!

School Vaccines: More Students Skip Required Shots In 8 States

heatlusk — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:37:35 +0000

ATLANTA — More parents are opting out of school shots for their kids. In eight states now, more than 1 in 20 public school kindergartners aren’t getting all the vaccines required for attendance, an Associated Press analysis found. That growing trend among parents seeking vaccine exemptions has health officials worried about outbreaks of diseases that once were all but stamped out. To read the whole article, click here.

MRSA a major factor in kids’ H1N1 flu deaths, study finds

heatlusk — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:51:04 +0000

Many of the pediatric deaths and critical illnesses in the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic occurred among children who acquired antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in addition to being infected with that flu virus, a study in the journal Pediatrics reports. To read an article in the Washington Post about the findings, click here.

Thank You for Making the HIC Fall 2011 Meeting a Success!

heatlusk — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:46:19 +0000

“Viral Hepatitis: Combating the Silent Epidemic in Hawaii” HIC Membership Meeting on October 26th at Outrigger Canoe Club

Hawai‘i has the highest rate of liver cancer in the United States, and one of the leading causes of liver cancer is vaccine-preventable hepatitis B. “Viral Hepatitis: Combating the Silent Epidemic in Hawaii” was presented by the Co-Directors of Hep Free Hawaii, Heather Lusk (from the CHOW Project) and Thaddeus Pham (from the Department of Health). The workshop also included Vaccine Update 2011 by Maricel Abad, a Public Health Nurse with the Department of Health.

To view the slides from the presentation, click here.