The CDC Childhood Immunization Award

Kathy Goodine, RMA 

Vaccine Management

St. Croix Regional Family Health Center

Princeton, Maine

Kathy Goodine is Maine’s 2018 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion. Ms. Goodine is a vaccine leader in the St. Croix Regional Health Center who is motivated to protect children from serious diseases by educating parents and providing easier access to vaccines.

Congratulations to Ms. Goodine for all of her efforts in keeping Maine children safe against vaccine preventable diseases. 

To read more about Ms. Goodine and her exceptional work around childhood immunizations, please click here.

2018-2019 Maine School Entry Requirement for Meningococcal Vaccine

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education have revised the Maine School Immunization Requirements rule to now include meningococcal meningitis disease.

The following changes are effective for the 2018-2019 school year for all students attending a public or private school in the State of Maine:

• One dose of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 (serogroups A, C, W, and Y) is required for all students entering 7th grade.
• Two doses of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 are required for students entering 12th grade, with a minimum interval of 8 weeks between dose one and dose two. If the first dose of meningococcal vaccine was administered on or after the 16th birthday, a second dose is not required.

Please refer to our FAQ handout for more information.

Maine IIS - ImmPact System Enhancements 

The Maine Immunization Program will be going live with the new ImmPact system on Monday, May 21, 2018. If you haven't yet participated in a training webinar, please sign up for one of the remaining trainings listed in the memo here. 

The following ImmPact topics will be covered:

• Login and reset password ability
• The Portal – manage access/user account page
• ImmPact Application Overview
• Online Help
• Patient search, add new client, add immunization and client comments
• Medical home association
• Cold chain
• Inventory
• Ordering
• Transfers
• Reports

Handling a Temperature Excursion in Your Vaccine Storage Unit

Any temperature reading outside ranges recommended in the manufacturers’ package inserts is considered a temperature excursion. Identify temperature excursions quickly and take immediate action to correct them. This can prevent vaccine waste and the potential need to revaccinate patients.

1. Notify 

•  Notify the primary or alternate vaccine coordinator immediately or report the problem to a supervisor.
• Notify staff by labeling exposed vaccines “DO NOT USE ” and placing them in a separate container apart from other vaccines in the storage unit. Do not discard these vaccines.

2. Document

• Document details of the temperature excursion  (date/time, temperatures, inventory of affected vaccine, general description of event, and any other relevant information. 

3. Contact

• Contact the Maine Immunization Program and/or vaccine manufacturer(s) for guidance.

4. Correct

• If the temperature alarm goes off repeatedly do not disconnect the alarm until you have determined and addressed the cause.
• Check the basics including power supply, unit door(s) and thermostat settings.
• If you believe the storage unit has failed, implement your emergency vaccine SOPs. Never allow vaccines to remain in a non functioning unit.

For more information, please refer to the CDC's Storage and Handling Toolkit here. 

Paper Temperature Logs 

As a reminder, VFC Providers are required to keep paper temperature logs for a minimum of three years. VFC Providers must also monitor and document temperatures for all vaccine storage units AT LEAST once per day. Temperature documentation must contain: (1) at least one minimum/maximum temperature reading per day, (2) the time and date of each reading and (3) the name (or initials) of the person who assessed and recorded the readings. Initials should not be prefilled.