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Preregistration
for H1N1 Vaccine Shipment Underway; Chapter Outreach to State Health
Departments on Novel H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Still Critical
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While
many unresolved
issues related to the production, distribution, and administration of
vaccine to combat novel H1N1 influenza remain, the fall influenza season is approaching rapidly. State public health programs are setting the
groundwork for what could be the largest mass vaccination campaign since
the 1960s.
As
noted in our July 31
Advocacy FLASH, novel H1N1 influenza vaccine will be purchased and distributed by the
federal government through state health departments. At this time, many state immunization programs have begun asking
physician offices to preregister to receive shipments of novel H1N1
influenza vaccine. Although vaccine has not yet been distributed to
states, preregistration will help states to plan and prepare for
eventual distribution of vaccine, and may help to ease the administrative
burden that pediatric clinics will face in acquiring vaccines for the H1N1 effort. Contact your state
immunization program for more information about the preregistration process in
your state, and to find out about other ways that pediatric practices can
be a part of the campaign to fight novel H1N1 influenza.
The Division also
wishes to take this opportunity to remind chapters to reach out to their state
health departments and provide guidance and input to their
state's strategy for distribution of novel H1N1 influenza vaccine. In many states, novel H1N1 influenza vaccination sites may
include nontraditional
sites like schools
and pharmacies
in addition to pediatric clinics. The time is
now for AAP chapters to reach out to their state health departments,
urge them to prepare and inform pediatric practices for novel H1N1 vaccine
implementation in the office setting, and promote record keeping and notification
of pediatric offices if
alternative sites are
used. The optimal source
of routine childhood immunization continues to be within the medical
home setting under the supervision of a child's pediatrician.
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The Division of State Government Affairs sends this
update to the Academy's Executive Committee, Board of Directors, District
Vice-Chairs, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Vice Presidents, Chapter
Legislative Contacts, Committee on State Government Affairs, Committee on
Federal Government Affairs, Chapter Executive Directors, and other
interested AAP members and staff.
For additional state legislative information, strategy suggestions,
in-depth resources on issues of pediatric interest, and past editions of
this update, log onto the AAP
Member Center
and see the State Government Affairs area at http://www.aap.org/moc/stgovaffairs.
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