AVAC Member Spotlight: WomenHeart  Millions of Americans are living with or at risk of heart disease. For many, this chronic health condition puts them at risk for other illnesses, such as the flu, and can make serious complications more common (as we’re seeing currently with COVID-19). For example, adults with heart disease are at higher risk for suffering a heart …

A Call to Action on Hepatitis B Vaccines April 30th is designated as National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day. Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. Some people who become infected can go on to develop a chronic or lifelong infection. Left untreated, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious liver damage, and even liver …

Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine is Only Half the Battle Written By: Vaccinate Your Family Apr 08, 2020 Rising cases of COVID-19 across the country have many people asking the same question: where’s the vaccine? Experts have suggested a vaccine may be 12 to 18 months away, an optimistic timeline given the intense scrutiny vaccines undergo prior to approval. Once approved, additional …

The Essential Role of Physicians in Immunization By Lisa Foster, AVAC Co-Manager Physicians and other health care providers in the community are the experts we turn to when we are sick and are in need of medical advice and care. We also look to providers for information and education on how to improve and protect our health and overall wellbeing. …

Vaccine Infrastructure And Education Is The Best Medical Investment Our Country Can Make By: J. Nadine Gracia and Amy Pisani January 21, 2020 When it comes to vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States, it’s been a rough few months. Flu season got off to its earliest start in 15 years and is currently widespread throughout the nation, according to the …

Moving More Electrons To Optimize New Adult Composite Immunization Measures Health Affairs Blog Angela K. Shen Elizabeth Sobczyk September 20, 2019 Doi: 10.1377/hblog20190919.68890 Meaningfully measuring adult influenza and pneumococcal vaccination is a vital public health intervention. Ninety percent of deaths from influenza occur in older adults, often those with chronic co-morbid conditions. Pneumococcal disease is also responsible for thousands of …

This past weekend, Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) lost a beloved colleague and close friend. Rich Greenaway, our Director of Operations and Special Projects, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Sunday. Rich was a committed champion of vaccinations and a superlative human being who dedicated more than two decades of his life to protecting people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Read more about Rich’s life and contributions to the immunization community: https://shotofprevention.com/2019/08/16/vaccinate-your-family-mourns-the-loss-of-rich-greenaway/

Check out this blog from Dr. Angela Shen, ScD, MPH that was published in Health Affairs. The blog discusses the recent measles outbreaks and the value of vaccines.

AVAC Blog Spotlight: Amy Pisani, Vaccinate Your Family As major measles outbreaks in New York, California and elsewhere continue to spread, along with the spread of whooping cough, mumps, hepatitis A and hepatitis B, you may wonder how an organization such as Vaccinate Your Family, founded thirty years ago on the heels of a massive outbreak of measles, is dealing …

AVAC Spotlight Dara Lieberman, MPP, Trust for America’s Health As Director of Government Relations at Trust for America’s Health, Dara Alpert Lieberman oversees the development and implementation of federal government relations strategies and works to advance and implement TFAH’s policy priorities. Through her leadership of the organization’s advocacy around infectious disease prevention, disease surveillance, and strengthening the nation’s public health …