Promoting Immunizations for Kidney Health (PIKH) Mission
Promote Immunization Practices in nephrology care and facilitate uptake of routine vaccinations recommended for people with kidney diseases.
Why focus on immunizations?
- Vaccination rates are extremely low.
- Most kidney patients 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.
PIKH Spotlight
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.
Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
This interim guidance has been updated based on currently available information about COVID-19 and the current situation in the United States. Updates were made to reflect the high levels of vaccine-and infection-induced immunity and the availability of effective treatments and prevention tools. This guidance provides a framework for facilities to implement select infection prevention and control practices (e.g., universal source control) based on their individual circumstances (e.g., levels of respiratory virus transmission in the community).
Key Vaccination Messages and Tools from CDC
Find tons of resources that help you to:
- Talk to patients about why vaccinations are important for kidney patients;
- Find the level of respiratory illness in your area;
- Learn key vaccine recommendations and links;
- Develop toolkits for nursing homes, schools, and other settings.
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.
