Eliminating Disparities

AVAC Makes Recommendations for the Development of the 2020 National Vaccine Plan

October 24, 2019 Tammy R. Beckham, DVM, PhD Director, Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 200 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20201 RE: Request for Information (RFI) from Non-Federal Stakeholders: Developing the 2020 National Vaccine Plan Dear Dr. Beckham, On behalf of the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition […]

Building a Strong Vaccine Infrastructure

It’s officially flu season here in Richmond. As a nation, we’re failing to get them into the hands of the adults who need them most—largely because patients encounter confusing health information, do not know where to go to access evidence-based information about recommended vaccines and experience too many barriers to access. These obstacles are especially difficult to manage for poor, at-risk, chronically ill and minority and ethnic populations.

AVAC Spotlight: Dr. Minerva Campos, National Hispanic Medical Association

As a family physician practicing for more than 35 years, and Board Member of the National Hispanic Medical Association, Dr. Minerva Campos knows that immunizations prevent numerous diseases.  That’s why she needs to stock a lot of vaccines for both children and adults.

Creative Solutions Addressing Vaccine Disparities

Annie Fedorowicz, the Adolescent and Adult Immunization Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), is trying to change that by getting to the root causes of vaccine disparities in her state. As Fedorowicz explains, programming can’t be targeted without knowing the underlying issues. 

AVAC Sends Letter to Majority Leader McConnell and Chairmen Hatch, Alexander, and Enzi about American Health Care Act of 2017

June 12, 2017 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate S-230 U.S. Capitol Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Orrin Hatch Chairman Senate Finance Committee 219 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Lamar Alexander Chairman Senate HELP Committee 428 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Michael Enzi […]

2016: Start Making a Difference. 2017: Take it to the Next Level.

It’s been just over a year since the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) launched on Capitol Hill to raise awareness, improve access, and increase utilization of vaccines among adults. Vaccines protect us from a variety of common diseases that can be serious and even deadly. Here’s a snapshot of our activities over the past year

AVAC and The Next Frontier for Immunizations

“In a world of massive information overload, we have to be loud and insistent with our vaccination message. Nowhere is that more true than in Washington, DC.” –  Mike Popovich CEO, Scientific Technologies Corporation

Every American Should Have Access to Life-Saving Vaccines

April 2016 is National Minority Health Month and this week marks World Immunization Week.  This year’s theme for Minority Health month is “Accelerating Health Equity for the Nation.”  Our nation has made important progress in recent years toward increasing immunization rates among all Americans, particularly among children. But when it comes to adult immunization, we have not been nearly as successful.

The Importance of Adult Immunizations

Adult immunization rates are not nearly as high as they should be. As a result, upward of 50,000 adults in the U.S. die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases, and thousands more suffer serious health problems. Disparities persist as well, with adult immunization rates for minorities far below immunization rates for whites with respect to most recommended vaccines.

AVAC Issues Statement on the Release of the National Adult Immunization Plan

The following are statements from Laura Hanen and Phyllis Arthur, co-chairs of the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC), regarding the release of the National Adult Immunization Plan from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO). “The Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) congratulates NVPO on the release of the National […]

AVAC Infographic Shows Communities of Color Have Immunization Rates

Adult Vaccination Rates Too Low – Putting Our Nation’s Health and Pocketbook at Risk, Says New Coalition

Every year, more than 50,000 adults die from vaccine preventable diseases and thousands more suffer serious health problems that could have been prevented by accessing recommended immunizations. In response, a diverse group of healthcare providers, vaccine makers, pharmacies, public health organizations, and patient and consumer groups today launched the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) to change this.