Use of MIP-Supplied Vaccine for Non-Maine Residents
With the summer months upon us and an increase of non-Maine residents coming into the state, we have also been receiving more calls to MIP asking about the use of MIP-supplied vaccine for non-Maine resident children.
In April, MIP sent out guidance allowing VFC providers to borrow MIP-supplied Vaccine for non-Maine resident children who have private insurance. These doses are subject to replacement with privately purchased vaccine.
For each case, MIP will need to be contacted prior to borrowing vaccine to ensure proper steps are followed.
If a non-Maine resident meets VFC Patient Eligibility Criteria, the vaccine administered to the non-Maine resident will not be subject to the vaccine borrowing policy. Vaccines must be replaced unless the non-Maine resident meets one of the VFC Vaccine Patient Eligibility criteria below.
Any child who is 18 years of age or younger and meets at least one of the eligibility criteria
listed below is eligible to receive VFC vaccine:
• Enrolled in MaineCare, or is MaineCare-eligible
• Uninsured
• American Indian or Alaskan Native (in accordance with 25 USC 1603)
• Under-insured
The original communication can be accessed on the MIP website.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Urges Parents: Call Your Pediatrician!
In early May, the U.S. CDC released data showing that immunization rates have declined dramatically for all ages to dangerously low levels. The data show that from mid-March to mid-April, doctors in the Vaccines for Children program ordered 2.5 million fewer doses of vaccines, and 250,000 fewer doses of measles-containing vaccines, compared to the same period in 2019.
The fear is that we could see outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, and other diseases that can spread very rapidly. It is important for parents to call their pediatricians to schedule check-ups and vaccines for children of all ages.
The AAP's "Call Your Pediatrician" campaign can be accessed here. You can find sample social media posts, videos and graphics here.
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Maine VFC Survey
COVID - 19
In early May the Maine Immunization Program sent out a communication asking for providers to fill out a survey. This survey would assist us in gathering information from you about how the COVID-19 response has impacted your clinic and its services.
Thank you to all of those who have already participated in the survey. If you have not completed the survey yet, we would great appreciate your participation! The survey should only take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete.
Back to the Office Campaign
The Maine Immunization Program has partnered with the Maine American Academy of Pediatrics and have co-branded a series of infographics to encourage staying on track with immunization visits of children and adults, even through the social distancing. The infographics are currently on our Maine Immunization website and Maine CDC's Facebook page.
In addition, the Maine AAP is also working on a "Back to the Office Campaign Resource" Toolkit for providers to use. The toolkit is meant to provide you with easy-to-use resources when reaching out to families to schedule vaccine appointments. Stay tuned for its release!
A big thank you to the Maine AAP for revising these resources for Maine and co-branding with us!!
Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization During COVID-19 Pandemic
This repository, created by the Immunization Action Coalition, includes links to both national and state-level policies and guidance; advocacy materials, including talking points, webinars, press releases, articles, social media posts; and telehealth resources. These resources are intended for healthcare settings, state and local health departments, professional societies, immunization coalitions, advocacy groups, and the community to use in their efforts to sustain immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
