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Stylish Boutique Takes Stand Against Meningitis With Local Non-Profit

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Updating your wardrobe during the summer is something that many people consider a must. One local boutique wants to help the community stay stylish and safe this summer. Rouge Boutique has collaborated with The Immunization Partnership, for a day of shopping and saving lives. The event gives back to the community by offering free immunizations, especially the meningitis vaccine which is required for incoming college freshman in Texas. Those involved hope to ensure a healthy upcoming school year, and to honor some of the lives already lost. Houston, TX May 15th, 2012 - Over the summer, parents do so much to prepare their kids for the next school year. After vacations, family barbecues, and road trips are complete; parents find themselves scrambling to knock out their back-to-school checklists. Shopping for school supplies and new school clothes become priority. For parents with children transitioning from high school to college, other items like dorm room gear and...

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth Millions in Savings

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:00:00 GMT

The Texas Legislature is confronted with an unprecedented budget shortfall, possibly as much as $20 billion, according to some estimates. In preparation for the Legislature's return in January 2011, all state agencies were asked to trim their budgets by ten percent. As agencies release their budget cuts this fall, the magnitude of the shortfall will become apparent. The impact on Texas will be huge, and the cost to public health will be staggering. In order to comply with the mandated cuts, the Department of State Health Services has been forced to cut vaccinations for more than 100,000 disadvantaged children per year. Eliminating immunizations for tens of thousands of children is a public health disaster waiting to happen. Vaccinations are an invisible investment that prevents debilitating diseases from ever happening. Texans who benefit from immunizations often never know how bad things could have been without those immunizations. There is a greater risk of...

Texas Immunization Summit 2010 to Identify Successes, Concerns and Policy Needs

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Texas Immunization Summit 2010 to Identify Successes, Concerns and Policy Needs - September 30 - October 1, 2010, Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa HOUSTON (September 27, 2010)- The Immunization Partnership (TIP) will host The Texas Immunization Summit 2010, sponsored by St. David's Foundation. The Summit represents the culminating event of 10 statewide Stakeholder Meetings, attended by hundreds of concerned citizens across Texas. The organization will be releasing a report, called An Ounce of Prevention: Texans Speak Up for Immunizations, summarizing the results of the Stakeholder Meetings, and detailing the participants' recommendations for policy makers. The Summit is expected to draw over 250 participants from across the state and will feature world-renowned experts in immunizations. The tremendous interest in the Summit demonstrates the incredible dedication of our public health officials, immunization providers and legislators to keeping Texans...

Don't Re-gift the Gift that Keeps on Giving

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

This is the time of year that we're most sociable, as we attend and host holiday gatherings. We will come into contact with others at holiday parties, special events, and venues to watch our favorite college and professional teams. As we enter the winter flu season, physicians are urging people to get the influenza vaccination to protect against the three types of flu (Influenza A-H3N2, Influenza B, and H1N1). You are not only protecting yourself, but everyone around you. The one gift that you do not want to give is the flu. Flu activity in Texas is considered sporadic, but on the rise in neighboring Louisiana. There has been a sharp increase in southeastern states, particularly in GA, SC, NC, TN, and AL. During week 46 of a Center for Disease Control (CDC) study this year; fifty-one (6.4 percent) specimens tested by laboratories in Texas were positive for influenza, as reported by the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS). ...

Champions for Children Spring Luncheon

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:00:00 GMT

A lively crowd packed The Junior League of Houston for the 2010 Champions for Children Spring Luncheon benefiting The Immunization Partnership.

Chaired by Dr. Lindy McGee and John McKeever, the event featured a presentation by Dr. Paul Offit, chief of Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dr. Offit, who also is the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine RotaTeq and author of several books, outlined the history of the anti-vaccine movement and shared what the future holds for vaccines.

Anna Dragsbaek, CEO of The Immunization Partnership, and board members honored

Dr. Offit with the Ralph D. Feigin, M.D. Award for Excellencefor his dedication to championing education and advocacy for immunizations. In addition, The Houston Area Rotary Clubs received the Community Partnership Award for their commitment to piloting special projects and supporting community-based initiatives that encourage and highlight the importance of vaccines.

About The Immunization Partnership

The Immunization Partnershipis a non-profit organization that aims to eradicate vaccine preventable diseases by developing and coordinating our community’s resources through public and private partnerships. The primary focus areas are education, advocacy and public policy, and support of immunization information systems. For more information, visit www.immunizeUSA.org

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Pertussis Forum Aims to Inform and Raise Awareness

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT

According to medical professionals at a recent Pertussis Forum, cases of pertussis or whooping cough are on the rise. In fact, 2009 data shows that of the 693 cases in Houston, 24.4 percent have occurred in N.E. Houston. The Immunization Partnership hosted the forum with the goal of informing parents and the community on how to prevent the disease.

Pertussis is a highly communicable disease characterized by cough, followed by vomiting and whooping. Caused by the Bordetella Pertussis bacteria found in the mouth, nose and throat of an infected person, it is named after the “whoop” sound that children often make when they try to breathe during a severe coughing spell. Pertussis is spread through close contact when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs.

Other Pertussis Facts:

In 2009 there were 2,437 cases of pertussis in Texas,the highest in the U.S.
90% of unvaccinated children living with someone with pertussis will also get thedisease.
Pre-teens and teens get whooping cough more often than any other age group except for infants younger than one year (496 cases per 100,000 adolescents).
Whooping cough may cause pneumonia, bruised ribs, collapsed lungs, increased urination, seizures, infections of the brain and death in pre-teens and teens.
The CDC recommends that persons aged 11 – 12 years receive the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine, or Tdap. This FDA-approved vaccine helps prevent not only whooping cough, but also tetanus and diphtheria.

The Immunization Partnership Urges Parents to Have Children Vaccinated for Meningitis

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:45:00 GMT

The Immunization Partnership Urges Parents to Have Children Vaccinated for Meningitis HOUSTON (January 6, 2010)-Effective January 1, 2010, a new law requires first time and transfer students enrolling in college and entering on-campus housing, to show proof of having the meningitis vaccine at least 10 days prior to residency. The law is named the Jamie Schanbaum Act, in honor of Jamie Schanbaum, who survived bacterial meningitis as a college sophomore at the University of Texas in Austin, in November 2008. College students living in dormitories have an exceptionally high rate of meningitis. In fact, the rate of invasive disease among 17-20 year olds is approximately twice that of the overall U.S. population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that college students living in dormitories get immunized against meningitis, and the law brings Texas into compliance with that recommendation. Had my child...

Houston Area Immunization Partnership Urges Parents of 7th Graders to Take Action and Have their Kids Immunized

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:15:00 GMT

HOUSTON (April 22, 2009) – Three new vaccines are essential for the 337,000 Texas students, including 73,923 Harris County students, entering seventh grade. The Texas Department of State Health Services is requiring that students receive the following vaccines before they enroll for the 2009-2010 school year: One dose of Meningococcal vaccine (Meningitis) One dose of Tdap vaccine - tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Whooping Cough) A second dose of Varicella vaccine (Chicken Pox) Dangerous diseases can be easily passed from one child to another, but many of them are easily preventable through immunization. It’s critical we have our children vaccinated to keep them healthy, said Anna C. Dragsbaek, J.D., executive director, Houston Area Immunization Partnership. We urge parents to act now, to avoid the back-to-school rush at doctors’ offices and to avoid delays in starting 7th grade. Over the last several years, we’ve heard a lot of...

Houston Area Immunization Partnership Gelb Share Award

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Gelb Recognized as Top Corporate Citizen for Immunization Brand The Houston marketing community recognized the brand launch of the Houston Area Immunization Partnership at the 2008 American Marketing Association Crystal Awards. Gelb Consulting Group, one of our dedicated partners, received an award for Corporate Citizenship competing with a host of well-qualified entries. The AMA Crystal Award is heavily weighted toward results, which Gelb helped us achieve. By working with Gelb, the Houston Area Immunization Partnership has clarified its mission, created an exciting visual identity, launched a new website, www.immunizehouston.org, and renewed partner enthusiasm. In 2007, we sought to build consensus around a unifying idea, one that aligned our community partners and expanded our potential beyond the management of the Houston Harris County Immunization Registry. Gelb led our board through a process to create the Houston Area Immunization Partnership. It is certainly a well...

Immunization Partnership Gains Executive Director

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:15:00 GMT

In keeping with the new mission of the Houston Area Immunization Partnership, a new Executive Director has been hired who has the skills and vision to take the organization in its new direction. Anna C. Dragsbaek, who has been serving as a part-time interim Director, will assume the Executive Director position on April 4.

Anna comes to us from Texas Children's Hospital, where she was the Manager of the Immunization Project since 2005. There she was involved in collaborative community projects promoting immunization, as well as legislative advocacy work, immunization registry support, outreach to physician offices, and policy issues to support immunization of Houston's children. Anna provided leadership and oversight for the Immunization Project, engaging in public health and policy research, health education, and implementation of the Houston-Harris County Immunization Registry. Prior to becoming Manager, Anna was the Immunization Registry Coordinator.

Anna obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center in May, 2006 and was admitted to the Texas Bar in November, 2006. She has studied International and Family Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health.

Frankie Milley Honored by Partnership

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Frankie Milley will be honored by the Houston Area Immunization Partnership for her public service in promoting vaccinations. Frankie and Bob Milley's only son Ryan died from meningococcal meningitis. As a result of Ryan’s death, Milley founded Meningitis Angels, a nonprofit group which has become an international network of education, survivor communication and service. Meningitis Angels currently represents over 500 Angels and families across the U.S. and over 50 abroad. Milley has created a teen awareness group called the Vaccinators to educate other teens, and a big bear character called Beary Wise to educate children on the importance of disease prevention through healthy living and immunizations. She helped to write Texas Senate Bill 31 which helped Texas become the first state in the country which educates students of all ages on bacterial meningitis. Along with other parents across the country, Milley helped to establish meningitis vaccine recommendations for college...

Houston Organization to Address Immunization Issues

noemail@immunizeusa.org — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:00:00 GMT

The Houston Area Immunization Partnership will launch its new mission and scope of operations on April 24th. The organization is committed to addressing a wide range of immunization issues to ensure that our community is protected from deadly vaccine preventable diseases. Dr. Carole Baker, member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and noted author of the Red Book will speak on "Immuninzation: Truth or Consequences". Frankie Milly, Founder of Meningitis Angels, will be an honored for her advocacy work on vaccine policy. The event is co-hosted by the Rotary Club of Houston at their weekly luncheon at 11:30 on Thurdsday, April 24th at the Junior League, located at 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston TX 77027. Click here to view an invitation to the luncheon. All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP.