WAIIS Newsletter -January 2025

OPV Dose Correction 

WA DOH has discovered that doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in the WA Immunization Information System (WAIIS) on or after 04/01/2016 have been incorrectly entered as trivalent OPV (tOPV)). In April 2016 all OPV-using countries simultaneously switched routine polio vaccination from tOPV to bivalent OPV (bOPV), which contains vaccine for only types 1 and 3 polioviruses. Monovalent OPV (mOPV) is also used during an outbreak response. As a result, the CDC ACIP recommended schedule says doses of OPV administered on or after 04/01/2016, should not be counted. For the polio series to be evaluated correctly in the WAIIS OPV doses on or after 04/01/2016 should be documented as bOPV or OPV-unspecified so they are not counted as valid in the series completion. In mid-December of 2024, WA DOH will begin changing doses incorrectly documented as tOPV to OPV-unspecified to ensure that the doses are correctly evaluated by the WAIIS forecaster. This could result in new patients being forecasted as needing additional polio vaccine. Please vaccinate these patients with additional doses of IPV according to the Immunization Schedules | Vaccines & Immunizations | CDC. Additionally, please ensure that your facility is correctly documenting OPV doses on or after 04/01/2016 as bOPV or OPV-unspecified. Only OPV doses before this date should be documented as tOPV. For more information, please see this Quick Reference Guide PolioVaccineDocumentationInTheWAIIS. Questions about this change can be directed to ImmuneNurses@doh.wa.gov.

IIS Training Materials Portal Updates

IIS Resources (PDF) is a new guide that provides a compiled list of Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS) reference guides that are helpful for vaccine coordinators at sites participating the Adult and Childhood Vaccine Programs (AVP & CVP). This guide also includes a few programmatic resources and information about the IIS Training Materials Portal that includes many more IIS reference guides and training videos.

Partner with WCAAP’s HPV at 9 Quality Improvement Project (Cohort 4)

We need your help to prevent HPV cancers in Washington state! 

Please help us spread the word – we’re recruiting clinics NOW for the “HPV at 9” Quality Improvement Project which start February 1, 2025

Clinics can boost HPV vaccination rates through participation in this highly rated HPV at 9 Quality Improvement (QI) Project, developed by Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP) and supported by Washington State Department of Health.

This streamlined initiative helps clinics shift HPV vaccination from ages 11-12 to starting at age 9, leading to higher vaccination rates with less provider effort. Participating providers earn Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and continuing education credits.

Proven Impact:

• Clinics in past cohorts increased HPV vaccination rates at ages 9-10 by an average of 23 percentage points in just one year, with continued gains at ages 11-12.
• Providers report greater confidence recommending HPV vaccination, finding it easier to start at age 9-10 than at 11-12.

Why It Matters:

• On-time HPV vaccination (ages 9-12) is essential to preventing HPV-related cancers, improving public health outcomes, and reducing future healthcare costs.

Let’s Partner: Collaborate with WCAAP to empower clinics in your network, improve vaccination rates, and support healthier communities through cancer prevention.

Learn More: HPV at 9 Cohort 4 Recruitment Flyer

ISA Renewals

The DOH provider enrollment team is working to renew the Information Sharing Agreements (ISAs) for organizations participating in the WA IIS. Please check your records to ensure your ISAs are up to date as these agreements expire every 3 years.  You may lose connectivity to the IIS if no response is received during our review and cleanup of IIS data.

If you are not up to date, click here to renew your agreement or contact pchoiisa@doh.wa.gov for any additional questions.

Vaccine Coordinator Training Overview Recording Now Available

The recording of the January 9th CVP Training Series: Vaccine Coordinator Training Overview is now available. The slides from that training are also available for reference. You can find this training and other past trainings, as well as announcements for future training opportunities, on the CVP Training webpage.