Technically Speaking: Saying Goodbye — And Leaving You with My “Top 10” List of Places to Bookmark on Immunize.org

Editor’s note: Since its inception, the Vaccine Update newsletter has included a column about the technical aspects of vaccine administration written by Dr. Deborah Wexler, our friend and colleague from the Immunization Action Coalition. This month, Dr. Wexler will be retiring from IAC, so she will no longer be sharing her expert point of view on vaccine administration with our readers. While details about the future of the Technically Speaking column will be forthcoming in the next few months, we want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Wexler not only for her contributions to benefit our readers, but for her years of friendship and shared purpose. We wish her happiness, health and well-earned relaxation in the years ahead.

Farewell, readers. After 30 years as executive director of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), I will be retiring at the end of June. I leave IAC in the best of hands. Our deputy director, Dr. Kelly Moore, will be assuming the leadership of IAC on July 1.

On this occasion of my final column of Technically Speaking, it seems the perfect time to give you a parting gift. With my deepest appreciation for your dedication to immunization, here is my “Top 10” list of favorite locations on IAC’s website, immunize.org. These locations just might become your favorites as well!

Background on immunize.org

IAC’s website for healthcare professionals, immunize.org, was launched in 1995 as a pioneer immunization site on the World Wide Web. When you entered the term “immunization” into “AltaVista,” the internet search engine of the day, you would get 10 results. The Immunization Action Coalition was one of them. My, how things have changed! Twenty-six years later, immunize.org remains in the top 10 Google “immunization” search results, but has been joined by more than 400 million other listings. Today, immunize.org is the nation’s premier nonprofit immunization website for healthcare professionals, averaging 30,000 visits each day with visitors from nearly 200 countries each month. The IAC educational materials available on immunize.org have 3.5 million downloads per year.

My “top 10” list on immunize.org

Over the past 26 years, I have guided the content of immunize.org based on my experiences working in clinics and community-based immunization sites following the measles epidemic of 1989–1990. IAC has also received invaluable content suggestions from public health and private sector providers. Based on this experience, here are my “Top 10” favorite places to know about and bookmark on immunize.org.

1. IAC home page at immunize.org — This is your gateway to the wealth of information found on IAC’s website. A couple of ways to find what you’re looking for include the “Favorites” tab located on the upper left corner of the page and the index at the bottom of every page. Not finding what you need? Just enter your search term in the Google search box. In short, this page is your key to unlocking IAC’s treasure trove of practical and up-to-date immunization information.  
2. IAC Express at immunize.org/express — Every week, IAC Express keeps 53,000 healthcare professionals informed about new and updated CDC recommendations, vaccine licensures, VISs and their translations, and educational materials from IAC, CDC, and others. If you’re not yet on our email list, be sure to subscribe today at immunize.org/subscribe. 
3. Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) at immunize.org/vis — Find all of CDC’s VISs in English, as well as translations of these important documents in up to 40 languages.
4. Handouts (ready to print) at immunize.org/handouts — View and download more than 300 of IAC’s immunization education materials for clinic staff and patients. Search by topic, vaccine or language. View the alphabetical listing of all IAC print materials on one page.
5. Ask the Experts at immunize.org/askexperts — A hands-down favorite of our visitors! Read IAC experts’ practical answers to more than 1,000 technical questions about vaccines, their administration, storage and handling, and more.
6. ACIP recommendations immunize.org/acip — Access links to all of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations dating back to 1991. These may be viewed in either PDF or HTML format.
7. Package inserts at immunize.org/fda — Access links to package inserts for all U.S.-licensed vaccines, as well as prescribing information for vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization status.
8. Clinic tools at immunize.org/clinic — Find key resources from IAC, CDC and other immunization organizations to help with vaccine administration, storage and handling, contraindication screening, and much more.
9. Standing orders templates at immunize.org/standing-orders — Use these templates to help expedite vaccination for children, teens or adults. You may use them “as is” or modify them to suit the needs of your work setting. The page also includes links to CDC’s standing orders for COVID-19 vaccines.
10. COVID-19 vaccines at immunize.org/covid-19 — This webpage facilitates access to key COVID-19 vaccine resources from CDC and other partners.

So, there it is. I hope you find my “Top 10” list helpful in your work. Thank you for letting me be part of your world via the Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals since 2010. And know that IAC will remain your committed partner in immunization education and delivery for many years to come.