Association of Immunization Managers Encourages Collaboration and Investment in Immunization and Emergency Preparedness Programs to Prepare for Next Pandemic

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), representing the 64 federally funded state, territorial and large urban area immunization programs, applauds Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health for its findings in support of collaboration between immunization and emergency preparedness programs as the key to successful pandemic influenza response.

The Emory Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center (Emory PERRC) manuscript entitled Perspectives of Immunization Program Managers on 2009-2010 H1N1 Vaccination in the United States: A National Survey, published in the March 2012 issue of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, highlights the value of ongoing collaboration and partnership between programs. Immunization programs that coordinated with their emergency preparedness programs to conduct pre-pandemic mass vaccination events were more likely to perceive their emergency preparedness staff as effective during the H1N1 pandemic than those who had not. 

Pandemic Preparedness Collaboration Principles, released by AIM and available at www.immunizationmanagers.org, encourage state, territorial and local immunization and emergency preparedness programs to establish relationships and routine communication; share information, resources and technology; and conduct ongoing drills to successfully prepare for the next pandemic.

"The value of partnership cannot be understated," said AIM Chair and Washington State immunization program manager Janna Bardi.  "In Washington State, longstanding relationships developed through routine planning drills and emergency exercises paid off during our H1N1 response."  Washington State provided more than 2.8 million doses of H1N1 vaccine and vaccinated 30% of its population.

"The research by Emory and AIM shows that planning and collaboration work," said AIM Executive Director Claire Hannan.  "Ongoing investment in staff, drills, exercises and technology improvements is critical to future success.  Budget cuts have resulted in furloughs, hiring freezes and a shrinking public health work force.  But disease doesn't respect fiscal or geographic boundaries.  The next pandemic or disease outbreak is only a plane ride away.  We must continue to cultivate relationships across agencies and invest in both immunization and preparedness programs."

AIM will feature its pandemic preparedness collaboration principles in an April 10th, 2012 training broadcast, Strategies for Successful Integration of Immunization and Emergency Preparedness Programs in Planning and Practice, co-hosted by the South Central Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center, Emory PERRC and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials for immunization program managers, emergency preparedness directors and state and local staff. More information can be found at, http://www.immunizationmanagers.org/policies_pub/imm_prog_emerg_collab_principles.phtml.                                                                                     

The Association of Immunization Managers is a non-profit membership organization comprised of the 64 state, territorial and urban area immunization programs which receive federal funding for immunization through the Section 317 program.  AIM is dedicated to enabling immunization program managers to work together and with federal, state, and local partners to effectively prevent and control vaccine-preventable diseases.  www.immunizationmanagers.org.

The Emory PERRC study was supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), grant # 5P01TP000300, to the Emory Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center, Emory University (Atlanta, GA). The work of the South Central Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is supported under a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant 1U90TP000400-01.

SOURCE Association of Immunization Managers