Dear ACP Members:
The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has released its updated recommendations for immunization among adults, which are published in ACP’s Annals of Internal Medicine and a link is included here: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2484895. ACP’s Center for Quality, working with our chapter on the I Raise the Rates program, has supported the development of a brief video by past-ACP President Dr. Sandy Fryhofer, providing a great summary of the current recommendations. You can view the video by clicking the Audio/Video tab.
I must say that the publication that most caught my eye over the last week came from the CDC: the February 5th issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found here: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/ss/ss6501a1.htm. The bottom-line from this report is that immunization rates among adults remain unacceptably low, virtually unchanged over the last several years, with huge racial and ethnic disparities.
I believe that this state of affairs will not improve until physicians and their staff own immunization of their patients. Physicians are key. And that is the premise of the I Raise the Rates program – an ACP initiative aimed at helping us efficiently and effectively implement immunizations in our practice. All of you can participate in this program – if you simply want to learn more about immunization recommendations, download resources to educate your patients, find resources to educate your staff or health system, or touch base with a practice coach to help you work on immunization in your practice. I urge every single member to work on raising the rates. To learn more, contact the project manager Angie Duck at angieduck4@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
William Davis, MD, FACP
Governor, LA ACP