Albany, NY - July 5, 2022—The New York State HPV Coalition, the NYS Department of Health and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are united in their commitment to eliminating preventable HPV-related cancers in New York through increased vaccination. At least 30% of adolescents in New York are not fully vaccinated against HPV. To help incentivize vaccine administration, the Coalition has developed an award program to recognize health systems across the state that have excelled in increasing HPV vaccination rates among youth over the past year. The award winners and the award criteria have been posted to the Coalition website at http://www.nyshpv.org/nys-hpv-vaccination-honor-roll-awards/
The HPV Honor Roll Award has been presented to those who achieve HPV vaccination completion rates of 80% to 89% among their patients that have turned 13. Data used to determine the awards are based upon immunization registries which are managed by the State and New York City health departments. “Pediatric and family care practices with the highest HPV vaccination rates in the state deserve to be recognized for their stellar work to prevent HPV infection and save lives from cancer,” says Michael Seserman, MPH, of the American Cancer Society and Chair of the NYS HPV Coalition.
In addition to the statewide Honor Roll Awards, two practices from each region of the state were selected to be HPV Honor Roll Honorees. Regional awards focus on practices with the most improved HPV vaccination rates over the past year. “There is significant variability in HPV vaccination rates across the state. We wanted practices in all regions of the state to have the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work to get more kids vaccinated against HPV,” says Manika Suryadevara, MD of SUNY Upstate Medical University and Co-Chair of the Coalition’s Provider Education Committee.
About 14 million people, including teens, become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) each year. An estimated 85 percent of people will get HPV during their lives. While most HPV infections go away on their own without lasting health problems, there is no way to know if an infection will lead to cancer. HPV infection is known to cause six different types of cancer: cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and throat cancers. According to the American Cancer Society and the National HPV Roundtable, this 2-shot vaccine series is most effective when administered to children starting at age nine and has the potential to help prevent more than 34,000 cases of HPV-caused cancers in men and women each year.
About the HPV Vaccine
The HPV vaccine, which is recommended for children between 9 and 12 years of age, is highly effective at preventing HPV cancers and genital warts. The vaccine is very safe with more than 300 million doses given worldwide since it was first approved for use in 2006. Unfortunately, only 68% of adolescents between 13 and 17 are fully vaccinated against HPV in New York State, according to a national survey. Some of the reasons are due to misinformation, the lack of a strong provider recommendation, and the HPV vaccine not being required for school entry like other adolescent immunizations. For more information go to www.nyshpv.orgor https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/index.html
About the NYS HPV Coalition
The NYS HPV Coalition was founded by the American Cancer Society and the New York State Department of Health in 2017 to increase HPV vaccination rates and decrease HPV-related disease in New York State through education, coordination, advocacy, and leadership. The Coalition is led by 17 major public health and medical organizations in the state and is one of several action teams under the New York State Cancer Consortium. The NYS HPV Coalition website can be accessed at www.nyshpv.org
In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, MCMS will continue to advocate for full spectrum of reproductive health care for all patients and to maintain the confidentiality of the patient-physician relationship.
Two COVID-19 vaccine products for young children are nearing the final stages of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process. Pfizer-BioNTech is submitting data on a THREE-dose primary series for a vaccine for children ages six months through FOUR years of age (6m–4y). Moderna is submitting data on a TWO-dose primary series for children ages six months through FIVE years of age (6m–5 y). The authorization is a multi-step clinical and regulatory process, and no vaccine can be administered until the final recommendation is issued by the CDC Director, Dr. Walensky. In preparation, this guidance includes details about BOTH products.
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This program may be for you if you are:
Adolescent girls (13-17)
Women 18+
Interested in participating in a 10-week program
You can reach out to the University of Rochester Department of Orthopaedics Research Team.
Phone: 585-341-9304
Email: ortho_research@urmc.rochester.edu
Flyer: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:3d36c813-4301-3d4e-a056-608951bea939
Registration is now open for the Speak Life! 2022 Health Equity Conference – Revive. It will be virtual on April 23rd from 9 am – 12:30 pm featuring a dynamic group of speakers, including Harriet Washington, nationally-acclaimed writer and medical ethicist; Dr. S. Michelle Ogunwole, Johns Hopkins University professor and health disparities researcher; and Denise Smith, executive director of National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW). Emcee, John Rodriguez, award-winning entrepreneur and change agent, will lead us through this invigorating session.
Revive! will challenge disparities and inequalities in our healthcare system, offer a message of renewed hope and energy, and set the stage to create a collective plan of action and path forward as a community. We take a deep dive and tackle issues of racism, discrimination, mental health, and more - while honoring Community Equity Champions. The event is free and open to the public. (Paid ticket option available for CME credit*)
Here is a flyer with the details of the day's events:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:aa8775ef-8642-37eb-8ff4-32f323d803f1
Please go to: www.commongroundhealth.org/speaklife2022 for more information, including registration and nominations for the coalitions’ community equity awards.
Itasca, Illinois— In the wake of updated COVID-19 guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how communities can approach public health measures to reduce the risk of illness, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers considerations for families to inform their decisions.
CDC’s updated recommendations allow communities to relax risk mitigation measures like masking when all three of the following conditions are met: low COVID-19 transmission rates, low hospital admission rates, and adequate hospital capacity. Communities with high levels of immunization also have more protections that make masks less critical, though many children and individuals lack this protection.
“While CDC’s new approach is reasonable, pediatricians urge state and local policymakers to keep in mind the unique needs of children when considering COVID-19 mitigation measures. For some children—including those too young to be immunized and many with special health care needs—masking will still be an important layer of protection for a while longer,” said AAP President Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP. “We encourage each family to make a plan that works best for them, while also modeling empathy and discouraging bullying of any child who chooses to mask to protect themselves and their family even when not required to do so.”
AAP advises families to consider the following factors in making this decision:
If their child is between ages 2 and 5 and currently ineligible for COVID-19 vaccine
If their child is immunocompromised and may not have a protective immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine, or is at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness
If their child is not immunized
If other members of their family are at higher risk of severe disease or are not immunized
If they live in a community with “high” COVID-19 transmission
These factors may lead adults and children to continue wearing face masks in public indoor settings, including schools, even if not required. According to the AAP, children, adolescents, and teachers who choose to continue wearing face masks in school settings should be supported in their decision to do so.
CDC’s guidance calls for public health decision-making on masks based on local conditions. Based on CDC’s new guidance, universal mask policies are still necessary in many parts of the country. In addition, localities will need flexibility to reinstitute masking as local situations warrant. Policies that serve as impediments to this local decision-making are inappropriate and should be eliminated.
“The toll of the pandemic has not been felt equally across racial or economic lines, and we must acknowledge these inequities as we help families navigate the right choices to keep themselves and their children safe and healthy,” said Dr. Szilagyi. “Families of children with special health care needs may also now be forced to stay home from school or other activities if universal masking goes away. One of the best ways to protect our communities is to encourage everyone ages five and older to get vaccinated.”
The AAP strongly recommends that all individuals ages 5 years and older receive the COVID –19 vaccine. Additional layered prevention strategies such as testing, ventilation, and masking can also create a cocooning effect that offers protection for children too young to be vaccinated or who have health conditions, such as immune-compromising or lung conditions, that are more likely to result in severe disease from COVID-19 infection.
“While we are disappointed by new data that may suggest waning efficacy of the vaccine in preventing mild infection with the Omicron variant in children ages 5 to 11, the vaccine is effective in protecting children from severe illness and hospitalization, and pediatricians still recommend every eligible child receive the vaccine,” said Dr. Szilagyi. ###The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds. For Release: 3/1/2022 Media Contact: Jamie Poslosky 202-724-3301 jposlosky@aap.org
https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics-offers-new-masking-recommendations-for-families-following-updated-cdc-guidance/
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 8:30am- 1:00pm.More details below...For program information and to register, please visit
https://cmetracker.net/ROCHESTER/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/158246/
Linking Research to Community Health Improvement
This session is jointly organized by the Center for Community Health & Prevention and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Office of Health Equity Research Towards a Quantifiable Science of Research Equity
Pre-registration for this session is required using the link below: https://rochester.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rmnhP9MMQ66cF_Rak8Ggrw
Flyer here: Public Health Grand Rounds Flyer
*ASL interpreters in attendance* Contact Carolyn_Settle@URMC.Rochester.edu with questions.
Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:
Fill in this form with your contact and shipping information to order your tests.
https://special.usps.com/testkits
