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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Pamela M. Aaltonen, RN, MS¹, Carolyn Davis, RN, BSN², Bruce Farrar, BS³, Jeff Kerner, JD⁴, Dolly Lozano, BS², Connie Rudd, RN, BSN⁵, and Jennifer Sexton, RN, BSN⁶. (1) School of Nursing, Purdue University, 502 North University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2069, 765-494-4041, aaltonen@purdue.edu, (2) Elkhart County Health Department, 608 Oakland Ave, Elkhart, IN 46516-2116, (3) Department of Public Health, Indiana University, 1050 Wishard Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202-2872, (4) Indiana State Department of Health, 2 North Meridian, Indianapolis, IN 46204, (5) Porter County Health Department, 155 Indiana Ave, Valparaiso, IN 46383-5502, (6) Howard County Health Department, 120 E Mulberry Street, Kokomo, IN 46901-4657

In the recent past most influenza seasons have been plagued by influenza vaccine availability problems resulting in delayed distribution or insufficient or maldistributed supplies. When there is either a delay or supply issue, local health departments play an important role in assessing vaccine needs within a county. A team of representatives from local health departments and the state health department, recruited by the state public health association to participate in a leadership training initiative, collaborated to design a tool for local health departments. The tool provides a relatively simple, reliable means of calculating demand for vaccine under a number of different, plausible scenarios. The tool, using Excel software, allows local health departments to ascertain needed doses as well as track immunized populations in each of the at-risk groups during the influenza season to assess levels of immunization of target populations. The tool can be modified as priority groups change with new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations and as new vaccines are developed. The process used by the team to develop the tool, the tool itself, and the challenges of finding accessible, accurate, and timely data are discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to

• Discuss a tool designed to assist local health departments in calculating vaccine demand for at risk populations using available local, state, and national population data.
• Articulate planning assumptions used to establish formulas that determine numbers of persons in at-risk categories.
• Identify ethical questions related to prioritizing populations and assuring that priorities are followed in the distribution of vaccines.

Keywords: Immunizations, Data/Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered