As vaccine providers, we are often asked specific or detailed questions. To respond effectively, we don’t need to know everything, but we need to know how to use resources to find answers to these questions. So, this issue of “Technically Speaking” is challenging you on your ability to find such resources on the Immunize.org website. Immunize.org offers a huge array of resources that all immunization providers should know about. While the website offers numerous ways to find the answer to each question below, we opted to describe only one route for each.
Question 1: You have a new patient, and they are due for hepatitis B vaccine. The family’s first language is Bengali. Where can you get a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) in Bengali?
Answer: Immunize.org posts current translations for many VISs. For the Hepatitis B VIS, Bengali is an option, but it is important to realize that Immunize.org is not always able to obtain translations in all languages as updates to the VIS are issued. However, if a current translation is unavailable, the CDC states that it is acceptable to continue to provide an out-of-date VIS translation, accompanied by the current English version, when the update does not involve significant changes to the information provided.
How to find the answer:
- From the homepage of the Immunize.org website, click on the “Vaccines & VISs” tab.
- Once open, scroll down and click on “VISs.”
- Choose “Hepatitis B” from the list on the right.
- When this is open, it shows the date of the most recent version in English, the list of current translations, a list of out-of-date translations, and two documents that describe how to use VISs. From here, you can print the Bengali-language VIS for hepatitis B vaccine.
Question 2: The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program helps to reduce or eliminate vaccine cost as a barrier to childhood vaccination. Most adults with Medicaid (e.g., during pregnancy) and CHIP are currently guaranteed coverage of all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) at no cost to them. What vaccines are covered by Medicare?
Answer: There are two relevant parts of Medicare coverage:
- Medicare Part B (medical insurance) statutorily covers four recommended vaccines for Medicare beneficiaries: influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide, pneumococcal conjugate, and hepatitis B. However, Part B does not cover other adult immunizations unless they are directly related to the treatment of an injury (e.g., tetanus) or direct exposure to a disease (e.g., anti-rabies treatment).
- The Medicare Part D drug plan (outpatient prescription drug insurance) now covers all adult vaccines recommended by the ACIP and not covered by Medicare Part B. These are covered without out-of-pocket costs to the patient, thanks to a law that went into effect in 2023.
How to find the answer:
- On the Immunize.org website, click on the “Ask the Experts” tab.
- Then choose “Billing & Reimbursement” from the list on the right.
- When this is open, it shows a list of relevant questions.
- Enter “Medicare” in the Keyword Search box and click on “Search.”
- Two answers appear. The first directly answers the question, “What vaccines are covered by Medicare?”
Question 3: In my state (California), what is the hepatitis A vaccination requirement for childcare and school?
Answer: California does not have hepatitis A vaccination requirements for childcare or for school grades kindergarten through 12. However, requirements change over time, so Immunize.org posts the date of the most recent update. Immunize.org also posts “State Immunization Websites” to explore your state’s requirements on your own.
How to find the answer:
- On the Immunize.org website, click on the “Official Guidance” tab.
- Once open, scroll down and click on “States.”
- Then, on the right side, choose “Vaccine-Specific Requirements.”
- You can then choose any of the 14 vaccines listed. In our example, choose hepatitis A. You can then opt to either “View table and map of U.S. requirements” or “View map only.”
Question 4: You work at the local health department and your area has a large Somali population. You recall seeing an IZ Express story this year about poliovirus in Somalia and you want to share it with providers in your area, but you don’t recall which issue this was in. Where can you find this story?
Answer: Issue 1764 (published July 3, 2024) had this story in the “Global News” section: "Persistent Transmission of Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus—Somalia, January 2017–March 2024," published in MMWR.
How to find the story:
- On the Immunize.org website, click on the “News & Updates” tab.
- Once open, choose “IZ Express Newsletter” on the left (default at the top) and then “Browse All Issues” from the list on the right.
- You can narrow your search by choosing filters (e.g., Keyword Search = Somalia, Year = 2024) and then click “Search” in the Keyword Search box. The most recent results are at the top. In this case, Somalia is in the title, so it is highlighted. (If your search word is not part of the title, open the issue displayed and use “Control + F” to search the word Somalia.)
Conclusion
Take a little time to explore Immunize.org to ensure that you are making the most of this valuable resource.
As vaccine providers, we are often asked specific or detailed questions. To respond effectively, we don’t need to know everything, but we need to know how to use resources to find answers to these questions. So, this issue of “Technically Speaking” is challenging you on your ability to find such resources on the Immunize.org website. Immunize.org offers a huge array of resources that all immunization providers should know about. While the website offers numerous ways to find the answer to each question below, we opted to describe only one route for each.
Question 1: You have a new patient, and they are due for hepatitis B vaccine. The family’s first language is Bengali. Where can you get a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) in Bengali?
Answer: Immunize.org posts current translations for many VISs. For the Hepatitis B VIS, Bengali is an option, but it is important to realize that Immunize.org is not always able to obtain translations in all languages as updates to the VIS are issued. However, if a current translation is unavailable, the CDC states that it is acceptable to continue to provide an out-of-date VIS translation, accompanied by the current English version, when the update does not involve significant changes to the information provided.
How to find the answer:
- From the homepage of the Immunize.org website, click on the “Vaccines & VISs” tab.
- Once open, scroll down and click on “VISs.”
- Choose “Hepatitis B” from the list on the right.
- When this is open, it shows the date of the most recent version in English, the list of current translations, a list of out-of-date translations, and two documents that describe how to use VISs. From here, you can print the Bengali-language VIS for hepatitis B vaccine.
Question 2: The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program helps to reduce or eliminate vaccine cost as a barrier to childhood vaccination. Most adults with Medicaid (e.g., during pregnancy) and CHIP are currently guaranteed coverage of all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) at no cost to them. What vaccines are covered by Medicare?
Answer: There are two relevant parts of Medicare coverage:
- Medicare Part B (medical insurance) statutorily covers four recommended vaccines for Medicare beneficiaries: influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide, pneumococcal conjugate, and hepatitis B. However, Part B does not cover other adult immunizations unless they are directly related to the treatment of an injury (e.g., tetanus) or direct exposure to a disease (e.g., anti-rabies treatment).
- The Medicare Part D drug plan (outpatient prescription drug insurance) now covers all adult vaccines recommended by the ACIP and not covered by Medicare Part B. These are covered without out-of-pocket costs to the patient, thanks to a law that went into effect in 2023.
How to find the answer:
- On the Immunize.org website, click on the “Ask the Experts” tab.
- Then choose “Billing & Reimbursement” from the list on the right.
- When this is open, it shows a list of relevant questions.
- Enter “Medicare” in the Keyword Search box and click on “Search.”
- Two answers appear. The first directly answers the question, “What vaccines are covered by Medicare?”
Question 3: In my state (California), what is the hepatitis A vaccination requirement for childcare and school?
Answer: California does not have hepatitis A vaccination requirements for childcare or for school grades kindergarten through 12. However, requirements change over time, so Immunize.org posts the date of the most recent update. Immunize.org also posts “State Immunization Websites” to explore your state’s requirements on your own.
How to find the answer:
- On the Immunize.org website, click on the “Official Guidance” tab.
- Once open, scroll down and click on “States.”
- Then, on the right side, choose “Vaccine-Specific Requirements.”
- You can then choose any of the 14 vaccines listed. In our example, choose hepatitis A. You can then opt to either “View table and map of U.S. requirements” or “View map only.”
Question 4: You work at the local health department and your area has a large Somali population. You recall seeing an IZ Express story this year about poliovirus in Somalia and you want to share it with providers in your area, but you don’t recall which issue this was in. Where can you find this story?
Answer: Issue 1764 (published July 3, 2024) had this story in the “Global News” section: "Persistent Transmission of Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus—Somalia, January 2017–March 2024," published in MMWR.
How to find the story:
- On the Immunize.org website, click on the “News & Updates” tab.
- Once open, choose “IZ Express Newsletter” on the left (default at the top) and then “Browse All Issues” from the list on the right.
- You can narrow your search by choosing filters (e.g., Keyword Search = Somalia, Year = 2024) and then click “Search” in the Keyword Search box. The most recent results are at the top. In this case, Somalia is in the title, so it is highlighted. (If your search word is not part of the title, open the issue displayed and use “Control + F” to search the word Somalia.)
Conclusion
Take a little time to explore Immunize.org to ensure that you are making the most of this valuable resource.