Colorectal Screenings & Influenza Vaccines Could Go Together #NIAM15

National Immunization Awareness Month 2015

August is National Immunization Awareness month. This month let's all help to spread the awareness of the importance and value of vaccinations from birth through adulthood.  If you are using social media outlets be sure to share the hashtag #NIAM15 to help inform and create awareness.

Patients over 50 Getting the Influenza Vaccination Could Help Us Get to Our Clinical Quality Goal for Colorectal Cancer Screenings!

 

The Flu vaccine is recommended for adults every year. Colorectal Cancer Screening by High-Sensitivity Fecal Occult Blook Test or Fecal Immunochemical Test is recommended for adults over 50 years of age every year, as well. 

What if we told you there might be a way to combine getting vaccinated for influenza and helping to increase the amount of colorectal cancer screenings in the same visit? Well, according to the American Cancer Society and HSAG there is a way. Its called FluFIT or FluFOBT.   

Colorectal Cancer is the 3rd most common cancer and the 2nd deadliest in the U.S.  The thought is to allow patients over 50 to get their influenza vaccination and their FIT or FOBT kit to take home in the same visit to help increase the colorectal cancer screening outcomes and hopefully lower the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. "Recent study estimates that [colorectal] screening has prevented more than 500,000 colorectal cancers in the US over the past three decades" (Page 6). 

Learn more about this program by listening to Dr. Durado Brooks of the American Cancer Society explain it in the webinar "Implementing Flu-Fit: An Innovative Way to Incorporate Influenza Vaccination and Colorectal Cancer Screening" and by viewing the slides.   

The American Cancer Society and Health Services Advisory Group are looking for practices to participate. View Their Call to Action and Contact the Ohio HSAG Representative: Kim Salamone – ksalamone@HSAG.com – 602-513-0761

View Webinar | View Slides 

 

Help Promote Immunization Awareness for #NIAM15 -  Download these tool kits:

 

• Pre-school to College 
• Adults
• Preteens & Teens
• Birth to Age 6
• Pregnant Women
• Ready for School Toolkit
• Full Toolkit

Annual Report of the State of the National Vaccine Plan (2014) 

 

The National Vaccine Advisory Committee released the Annual Report of the State of the National Vaccine Plan (2014) online.  This report highlights work and accomplishments of HHS agencies and other partners across the immunization system toward meeting the goals and objectives in the 2010 National Vaccine Plan and Implementation Plan.

 

More Info 

 

• Download immunization schedules for Adults, Children and Adolescents here. 
• For additional resources click here
• Influenza Vaccine Information Statements have recently been updated by the CDC 
• Focus on immunizations
• Recommended Immunizations for Infants, Children and Teens
• Recommended Immunizations for Adults