Separate outbreaks of hepatitis A (hep A) and hepatitis B (hep B) occurring in the Spokane community prompted rapid response from Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) to administer Twinrix (hepatitis A and B combination vaccine) to the communities at highest risk for disease acquisition, namely people living homeless, people using injection drugs, and men who have sex with men.
With the last case confirmed on March 18, the Clark County measles outbreak that started at the end of December may finally be nearing an end – 74 cases in Washington have been reported (73 in Clark County, one in King County) and four in the Portland, OR area as of April 16. Public health will declare the outbreak over after two incubation periods (42 days) without new cases.
In each issue of the Epigram, authors introduce readers to a member of the health district's Disease Prevention and Response team. In this issue, Kari Lidbeck, Immunization Community Network Specialist, is featured. Lidbeck works in the Immunization Assessment and Promotion program, where she focuses on increasing immunization rates in birth to kindergarten-age children and community immunization services.
Multiple continuing education opportunities are coming soon! April 25 - National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) offers a free webinar on Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Healthcare Personnel Immunization. May 22 - VaxExpo at CenterPlace Event Center in Spokane Valley. Coming Soon - Free e-learning course on Communicating with Parents about Vaccines.
Recognizing the need to bring health messaging to the community in various languages, SRHD Immunization Assessment & Promotion program developed culturally competent, ethnically diverse fliers and posters in multiple languages that promote routine childhood immunizations.
