The following toolkits are included on this web page:
- Keys to a Healthy Health Care Facility Toolkit
- Sports Toolkit
- HPV Champion Toolkit
- Social Media HPV Vaccine Communication
- CDC’s Amigas Project
- Measles Outbreak Toolkit for Healthcare Providers
- Kids Plus Pediatrics Anti-Anti-Vaxx Toolkit: A Strategy Guide to Prepare For, Defend Against, and Clean Up After a Facebook Anti-Vaxx Attack
Keys to a Healthy Health Care Facility Toolkit
Click on the links below to navigate directly to the section you want to view.
- Introduction
- Section 1: Keys to a Successful Immunization Campaign
- Section 2: Implementing a Successful Immunization Campaign
- Section 3: Recommendations & Guidelines
- Section 4: Resources
Introduction
The Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition (PAIC) offers this toolkit for facilities, organizations, and community providers of health care who recognize how important it is to prevent disease in their facility. This toolkit provides instructions and resources to implement a health care worker immunization campaign in your facility.
Why are health care worker immunizations important?
Health care workers are key to the health of your facility. Ensuring that employees are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases can:
- Prevent illness among:
- Staff
- Patients
- Family
- Prevent disease outbreaks
- Model that your employees care about their health and their patient’s health
- Save money through:
- Fewer sick days
- Improved productivity
How to use this Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to help health care facilities develop health care worker immunization policies and programs. It is divided into four sections and provides strategies, immunization recommendations, sample policies, promotional and educational materials, as well as many other resources.
- Immunizing Health Care Workers (Fact Sheet by Dr. Paul Offit)
- First Do No Harm
- Who is a Health Care Worker?
Section 1: Keys to a Successful Immunization Campaign
Download ‘Keys to Successful Immunization Campaign’ PDF
Section 2: Implementing a Successful Immunization Campaign
Download ‘Implementing a Successful Immunization Campaign’ PDF
Ordering Vaccine
Be sure to order vaccine appropriate for the age groups you will be vaccinating.
Sample Standing Orders
Standing orders should be signed by a physician associated with your facility and updated at least once a year.
- Influenza Standing Order
- Hepatitis B Standing Order
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Standing Order
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis Standing Order
- Varicella Standing Order
- Guide to Contraindications and Precautions
- University of Pittsburgh Standing Orders Toolkit
Sample Policies & Guidelines
These sample vaccination and infection prevention policies and guildelines can be adapted for use in your facility. This section also includes information about the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) law and management of vaccine reactions.
- Sample Vaccine Policy Statement
- Nursing Home Guidelines for Influenza Vaccination of Residents, Staff, and Volunteers
- Masking Requirements during the Flu Season
- Health Care Worker Hand Hygiene Guidelines
- Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Adult Patients
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) Law
Clinic Supplies
Vaccine Administration, Storage, and Handling
This section provides tools to help ensure that you properly store your vaccines and to assist in screening and vaccine administration.
- CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit
- Vaccine Storage and Handling Checklist
- Vaccine Handling Tips
- Sample Temperature Log – Fahrenheit
- Sample Temperature Log – Celsius
- Adult Immunization Screening Questionnaire
- Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Injection Guide
- Vaccine Administration Record
Documentation & Data Collection
This section provides information and tools to assist you in documenting vaccines administered and declinations.
- Pennsylvania Statewide Immunization Information System
- Influenza Immunization Declination Forms
- Declination of Vaccination Tracking Form
- Adult Immunization Record
Billing
This resource provides general information on billing Medicare and other insurers for vaccines and administration fees.
Promotional Tools & Educational Materials
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
- Hand Hygiene for Health Care Workers
- A Patient’s Guide to Hand Hygiene
- Health Care Worker Immunization Flyer
- Health Care Worker Immunization Poster
Project Immunize Virginia
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Immunization Action Coalition
Customizable Promotional Materials
Employee Communications
Letters/Emails
- CEO/DON Letter to Staff
- CEO/DON Letter to those who Decline Vaccination
- Doctor Letter
- Protect Staff Letter
Newsletters
Section 3: Recommendations & Guidelines
Pennsylvania Department of Health Immunization Recommendations for Health Care Workers
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – Recommendations
- Immunization of Health Care Workers: Recommendations of the ACIP and the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee
- Provisional Recommendations: Evidence of Immunity Requirements for Health Care Personnel
- Recommendations for Prevention of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease among Adults using PPSV23
- Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the ACIP, 2010
- ACIP Recommendation for use of Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Among Health-Care Personnel
- Provisional Recommendation for use of Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Among Health-Care Personnel
- A Comprehensive Immunization Strategy to Eliminate Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States
- ACIP Recommendations for the Prevention of Varicella
- CDC Guidelines for Large-Scale Influenza Vaccination Clinic Planning
ACIP – Schedule
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Section 4: Resources
Case Studies
- Mandating Immunizations
- Top Down Management Involvement
- State Laws Facilitate Action
- Leveraging Technology
Videos
- University of Pennsylvania Video – Baby Be Wise…Immunize
- Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition Adult Immunization Video
Links
- National Influenza Vaccination Week
- Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
- Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases: The Pink Book
- Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices
- Joint Commission Flu Vaccination Challenge
- American Nurses Association Bringing Immunity to Every Community Campaign
- Flu F.A.C.T.S. Resources
- Influenza Toolkit for Prenatal Care Providers
Alternative Immunization Sites
If you are unable to offer on-site immunization clinics, these resources can help you find other places adults can get immunizations.
Position Papers & Reports
- Influenza Vaccination Coverage Estimates and Selected Related Results from a National Internet Panel Survey of Health-Care Personnel, United State, November 2010
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology (APIC) Position Paper on Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel
- APIC Position Paper: Influenza Vaccination Should be a Condition of Employment for Healthcare Personnel, Unless Medically Contraindicated
- Infectious Diseases Society of America Policy on Mandatory Immunization of Health Care Workers Against Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Immunizing Healthcare Personnel Against Influenza: A Report on Best Practices
- Providing a Safer Environment for Health Care Personnel and Patients through Influenza Vaccination – Strategies from Research and Practice
- Virulent Epidemics and Scope of Health Care Worker’s Duty to Care: Policy Review
Research Articles
Sports Toolkit
The coalitions of Southeastern Pennsylvania developed this toolkit of materials and resources that they have used to promote immunizations in sports venues.
Baseball Resources
- Slide into Fall Flyer
- Cover Your Bases Image
- Cover Your Bases Jumbotron Video
- Immunization Video Order Form
HPV Champion Toolkit
This toolkit has the best resources available to help you:
- Educate other healthcare professionals
- Discuss HPV vaccination with parents
- Make necessary changes in your practice to improve HPV vaccination rates.
By focusing on ways you can make changes that will lead to improved HPV vaccination rates, YOU are an HPV champion.
CDC’s Amigas Project
The full AMIGAS toolkit includes instruction guides, a video, a flip chart, message cards, and body diagrams. This study divided the participants into three groups to compare the effectiveness of the tools—
- One group used the full AMIGAS program (video and flip chart).
- One group used the AMIGAS program without the video (flip chart group).
- One group used the AMIGAS program without the flip chart (video group).
Of the 613 women who participated in the study—
- 52% of women who used the full AMIGAS program reported getting a Pap test within six months.
- 46% of women in the flip chart group reported getting a Pap test within six months.
- 41% of women in the video group reported getting a Pap test within six months.
When used in a one-to-one setting, AMIGAS increased cervical cancer screening among Mexican-American women who live in border, urban, and rural areas. Pap testing increased in all three AMIGAS study groups compared to those receiving usual health care.
- Cervical-Infographic
- Cervical_Infographic_Standard
- AMIGAS_BilingualFlipChart_Book
- Amigas handout with HPV information Spanish
- Amigas handout with HPV information English
Social Media HPV Vaccine Communication
Using social media to share messages about the HPV vaccine can be an effective way for physicians to build support for immunizations in their own practices and answer common questions outside of the visit, while keeping them at the center of the discussion and using their role as a trusted professional to make a recommendation.
The AAP offers an Immunization Social Media Toolkit, which offers social media guidance; memes and videos to share; resources to share; guidance on how to create your own videos; and results from a recent pilot of this toolkit, which include tips, lessons learned, and feedback from providers and families.
Tip: We recommend using one hashtag for all of your HPV vaccination tweets and posts to unify your social media messages.
Measles Outbreak Toolkit for Healthcare Providers
If you are looking for resources for you or your staff to learn more about having effective vaccine conversations with parents, these may help:
- Guidance for Talking with Parents about Vaccinespdf icon
- Tips for Preparing for Questions Parents may Ask about Vaccinespdf icon
- Vaccine safety fact sheets, such as Understanding Thimerosal, Mercury, and Vaccine Safetypdf icon
- You Call the Shots module on MMR
Examples of resources for providers to share with parents include:
- Parent-friendly immunization schedulepdf icon for children ages 0-6
- Fact Sheet: Infant Immunization FAQspdf icon
- Fact Sheet: If You Choose Not to Vaccinate Your Child, Understand the Risks and Responsibilities pdf icon
- Infographic: Measles: It Isn’t Just a Little Rashpdf icon
- Fact Sheet: Tips for a Less Stressful Shot Visitpdf icon
- Infographic: Illustrated list of Six Reasons to Follow CDC’s Immunization Schedule
- Fact sheet: Measles and the Vaccine (Shot) to Prevent It pdf icon
- Fact Sheet: Vaccines When Your Child Is Sickpdf icon
If you would like posters to display in your office, here are some that may be helpful:
Kids Plus Pediatrics Anti-Anti-Vaxx Toolkit:
In response to a week-long, global, and coordinated attack from anti-vaccine groups nearly two years ago, Kids Plus Pediatrics, an independent, physician-owned practice in Pennsylvania, launched a new website and toolkit, Shots Heard Round the World. This volunteer, vetted, online digital cavalry will come to the aid of any provider, practice, hospital, or health system attacked by anti-vaccine forces on social media. A message from Todd Wolynn, MD, MMM, IBCLC, president and CEO of Kids Plus Pediatrics, is reprinted below.
“This Monday, September 23rd, two years to the day since the end of our attack, we released our Anti-Anti Vaccine Social Media Toolkit to help our colleagues prepare for, defend against, and clean up after anti-vaccine attacks. The toolkit will be available for download on the Shots Heard website. The timing of these releases represents a message: “we survived, we thrived and now we’re arming vaccine advocates globally against an attack on child and public health.” Kids Plus stands in solidarity with vaccine advocates worldwide, and we are dedicated to addressing anti-vaccine bullying, threats, and attacks on all advocates for vaccines and evidence-based medicine. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work with vaccine advocates into 2020 and beyond.
Kids Plus Pediatrics and I want to thank you all for the work you do to improve vaccine communication and uptake. We hope www.ShotsHeard.com, our Toolkit and ongoing work will provide additional needed resources and help to increase immunization rates.”