Vaccine News & Notes — April 2018

Tiny Health website

The Tiny Health website offers healthcare providers and parents resources to improve communication with children in healthcare settings. The goal of Tiny Health, which was founded by a pediatric nurse and pediatrician in Ireland, is to better communicate healthcare decisions and treatments to children, so they can participate in the decision-making and treatment processes around their own health. Personalized materials and resources are available on their site, including a picture book that tells the story of a child’s office visit to get vaccinated.

National Infant Immunization Week

The last week in April (21-28) marks National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), a week to celebrate the protection vaccines provide our children from potentially deadly diseases. Most parents choose the safe, proven protection of vaccines. Giving babies the recommended immunizations by 2 years of age is the best way to protect them from 14 serious childhood diseases. During NIIW, make sure your child is up to date on vaccines. The Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (VEC) offers a variety of resources specific to infant immunization topics, including booklets (Vaccines and Your Baby, Vaccine Safety and Your Child), question-and-answer sheets, videos, an easy-to-read schedule, and dedicated website sections. You can also find these resources on our Pinterest boards or by using our free mobile app. If you have vaccine questions, you can email us through the app or from our websites.

Vaccine Makers Project: Where Learning Is Infectious

The Vaccine Makers Project (VMP), offered by the Vaccine Education Center, offers free standards-aligned educational curricula and resources about the immune system, infectious diseases and vaccines. If you know teachers who educate about these topics, please let them know about these free materials.