Parents and caregivers are encouraged to ensure their infants are immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases during an annual awareness week, April 21 to 28.  Since 1994, National Infant Immunization Week has served as a way to highlight both the importance of vaccines and the achievements of immunization programs.

This year the week also marks the first World Immunization Week, held in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA).

Vaccines protect infants and toddlers from 14 diseases, saving $13.6 billion in direct costs and preventing 42,000 deaths per birth cohort immunized according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Immunization rates remain high in the United States, however proponents point to recent outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough) and measles to underscored the importance of continued support of vaccination programs.

Immunization Resources:

Resources for providers and the public (CDC)

How to comfort infants being vaccinated (AAP)

Immunization Schedule (CDC)

Improving the quality and accessibility of health food in the community will be focus of the inaugural Duval County Food Summit. The event, hosted by the Duval County Food Policy Council, will be April 21 from 8am to 4:30pm at the Schultz Center.

The program will feature Dr. Oran Hesterman, President of the Fair Food Network; Eric Olsen, vice president of government relations for Feeding America; and Naval Hospital Jacksonville Director of Public Health Dr. Joseph McQuade.

The Duval County Food Policy Council is a new community-based group that seeks to improve the local food system so that it may lead to better health for residents. 

Entry costs $5. Six CEUs are available for participants. Breakfast and lunch will be prepared and provided by American Culinary Federation chefs.

The quarterly meeting of the Coalition membership will be held on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 9 a.m. at the Early Learning Coalition, 8301 Cypress Plaza Drive, Suite 201, Jacksonville. For directions, click on the following link: http://www.elcofduval.org/aboutus_directions.asp.

At this meeting, we will review our progress in implementing activities included in the 2011-12 Annual Action Plan and consider changes in strategies for 2011-13. We will also have a special presentation on the impact of the Camellia Project, an interconception initiative funding by the March of Dimes for women whose babies have been hospitalized in the NICU. The UNF Center for Community Initiatives, evaluators for the three-year pilot, will present information on project results to date.

Please take a few minutes to review the information included in the packet, particularly the updates on Coalition projects and initiatives: April 2012 Coalition packet.

Give me a call if you have any questions or if you need additional information, I look forward to seeing you next week!

The National Intiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) has started recruiting maternity hospitals for Best Fed Beginnings, a nationwide effort to make quality improvements to maternity care to better support mothers and babies to be able to breastfeed.

A free informational Q& A webinar is available on April 10 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm EDT for interested hospital teams.

NICHQ is recruiting 90 hospital teams to participate in the Learning Collaborative, which will be conducted between June 2012 and March 2014.

Visit the recruitment Web site for more information.

• When: April 11, 2012
• Location: Location: Shands Jacksonville Learning Resource Center, Birch Cherry Room, 653 W. 8th St., Jacksonville, FL 32209
• Time: 4-6:00 pm

The NEFL Teen Pregnancy Task Force will meet to discuss implementation of “Preventing Teen Pregnancy in Northeast Florida: A Plan for Community Action.”