Adult Immunization Project Mission
Promote the adoption of CDC’s Standards of Adult Immunization Practices in nephrology care and facilitate uptake of routine vaccinations recommended for people with kidney diseases.
Why focus on adult immunizations?
- Adult vaccination rates are extremely low.
- Most adults are NOT aware that they need vaccines.
- Recommendation from their healthcare professional is the strongest predictor of whether patients get vaccinated.
- There are many missed opportunities for vaccination because many healthcare professionals are not routinely assessing vaccination status.
Spotlight
FDA authorizes changes to simplify use of Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines to simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals. This action includes authorizing the current bivalent vaccines (original and omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains) to be used for all doses administered to individuals 6 months of age and older, including for an additional dose or doses for certain populations. The monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States
CDC Clinical Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Calls/Webinars
During COCA Calls/Webinars, subject matter experts present key emergency preparedness and response topics, followed by meaningful Q&A with participants. Each COCA Call/Webinar will offer the most up to date information and guidance for clinicians. Continuing Education is available for most calls/webinars. Visit the COCA Calls/Webinars homepage for additional information and upcoming calls.
Adult Immunization Project Summary
ASN is one of seven specialty societies partnering with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their Adult Immunization Project. The goals of this five-year project (started in September 2021) are to increase the adoption of the CDC’s Standards of Adult Immunization Practices (SAIP) and the delivery of recommended vaccinations through the broad spectrum of nephrology care. ASN directs this work through a Task Force composed of kidney doctors, nurses, researchers, and immunization leaders. ASN will deploy effective strategies focusing on COVID-19 and Influenza immunizations through 2023; then, the focus will expand to include all adult vaccinations recommended for people with kidney diseases.
The White House Summit on the Future of COVID-19 Vaccines
On July 26, 2022, the White House held a Summit on the Future of COVID-19 Vaccines. The summit outlined a path towards innovation, next-generation COVID-19 vaccines, and featured leaders who are on the cutting-edge of discoveries.
Vaccination Toolkit
Provided by the National Forum of ESRD Networks. This Toolkit for health providers and practitioners is a reference tool that provides information about vaccination requirements for kidney patients in the dialysis facility. Click the button below to visit the Forum of ESRD Networks page, where you can download the toolkit, immunization collection tool, monthly intervention tracking tool, pneumonia vaccine protocol, and action plan implementation worksheet.
Statement on Immunizations from the ASN
ASN encourages all health professionals who interact with kidney patients to follow immunization recommendations from the CDC in order to reduce the risks from vaccine-preventable illnesses in people with kidney diseases.
Review the Statement on Immunizations in the Kidney Community to learn more about the recommendations for adult immunizations.
Activities
Resource Library
Immunization policies, procedures, and currently available standards are listed in the Adult Immunization Project (AIP) Resource Library.
Adult Immunization Project Learning and Action Network (LAN)
ASN will host quarterly “Learning and Action Network” sessions to facilitate quality and process improvements, share knowledge, and brainstorm solutions to barriers among the project participants. The ASN community will share opportunities to contribute to focus groups or environmental scans.
On-Demand Learning
Training materials for kidney patients and community staff members will be developed using human design and adult learning principles. The needs of the kidney community will be the driving force in the construction of education materials and vaccination program implementation resources.
Quality Loop: Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and Exchange
ASN will adopt a continuous quality improvement approach with the dialysis corporations/facilities partnering in this project.
Strategies
Leadership = leading the project is a Task Force made of vaccination experts, change champions, and clinical leaders.
Engagement and Spread = involving up to seven dialysis corporations with a minimum of 14 dialysis facilities, inviting participants to join in learning sessions, and creating knowledge-sharing opportunities.
Resource Curation and Creation = finding, using, and developing tools and resources to support immunization standard practices and vaccine delivery.
Continuous Quality Improvement = assessing current processes, collecting data and information, providing reports and feedback to participants, and celebrating successes.
