Legislation

Immunization Initiative

About the Initiative

Mission

Our mission is to join forces with The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other organizations in the effort to meet the challenge of Healthy People 2020 objective to fully immunize children and adolescents in Massachusetts against vaccine preventable diseases. To do this, we provide educational services to professionals and the general public, participate in collaborative initiatives to identify, educate and immunize children and adolescents who are at high risk, under-served or underimmunized, and advocate for programs to establish and maintain universal funding and distribution of vaccines to all children in Massachusetts.

MDPH Immunization Program

Ongoing Activities

We educate clinicians who administer vaccines to children on pediatric immunization by:

Organizing seminars on pediatric immunization practice. Our speakers are clinicians and teachers of pediatric infectious disease and also are members of the Immunization Initiative Advisory Committee. Since the beginning of the program in 1995 we have organized hundreds of seminars on pediatric immunization practice and policy around the state at hospital Grand Rounds and on-site CME programs in provider clinics.
Sponsoring and organizing an annual statewide immunization conference in collaboration with the MDPH.
Developing and implementing methods for monitoring all children and assisting in the improvement of office practice strategies and tools for vaccinating children.
Supporting and assisting in the development of the statewide immunization registry.
Cooperating with other private and public statewide and local organizations, which share the mission of reducing the burden of disease by immunizing children and adults against vaccine preventable diseases.
Working with MCAAP members and leadership, the Pediatric Council, and other Chapter committees, to identify and overcome obstacles to smooth distribution and administration of vaccines to all children in the State and to guarantee fair and equitable reimbursement to clinical practices administering these vaccines.
Working closely with Massachusetts executive and legislative leadership, as well as state agencies, to develop programs and legislation to fund, manage and distribute vaccines to all children in the state.

The Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee meets quarterly and provides guidance to the Immunization Initiative program. Its membership includes physicians and nurses, DPH Immunization Program officials, and representatives from various organizations interested in improving immunization practices and rates in communities across Massachusetts. Clinician members of the Immunization Initiative form the Advisory Committee on Vaccine Purchasing Strategies, which serves as an advisory board to the MDPH’s Immunization Program (MIP) on issues of policy, regulation and recommendations. Subcommittees of the Immunization Initiative or special work groups.

The next Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., at Massachusetts Medical Society in Waltham.

To be invited to Advisory Committee meetings or to join the Immunization Initiative, call Cynthia McReynolds at (781) 895-9850 or email: cmcreynolds@mms.org.

Updated: 12/21/11

Managing Team and Staff

Co-Directors:

spalfrey@mcaap.org

richard.moriarty@umassmemorial.org

Program Manager:

cmcreynolds@mms.org

The MCAAP Immunization Initiative is funded by the Massachusetts Immunization Program (MIP) at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH).