DISEASE PREVENTION - Coalition strives to boost immunization rate

Rep. Greg Smith and Mark Kubin of the Center of Human Development, Inc., discuss vaccinations at the second gathering of CHD’s Union County Immunization Coalition. Dozens of representatives of area government, business, health care and education attended. - The Observer/ETHAN SCHOWALTER-HAY

Hoping to promote the health benefits of vaccinations for toddlers and adults like, the Center for Human Development’s Union County Immunization Coalition Wednesday convened for the second time at Cook Memorial Library.

Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) attended the forum and said at its start, “I’m going to openly admit to you today that I know very little about the subject we’re here to talk about.

“But that’s why we’re here,” he said.

Barbara Wall, an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member stationed at CHD for a year, and one of the organizers of the coalition along with Joelene Peasley of CHD, said the project was taking inspiration from the Pay it Forward movement.

This philosophy, taken from a Benjamin Franklin idea and popularized by Robert Heinlein, involves “repaying” good deeds committed for one’s self in kind. Wall said the coalition hopes to spread information about the importance of vaccines in that spirit.

To that end, the Pay it Forward Foundation donated bumper stickers and bracelets to the group.

“What I’m trying to do is create a sense of urgency,” said Wall.

Sara Beaudrault of the Oregon Public Health Division sketched the situation with immunization rates in the state.

In 2006, she said, 27 percent of Oregon 2-year-olds had not received all their recommended vaccinations on time.

“Pretty much everywhere in the state, there’s room for improvement,” Beaudrault emphasized.

According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, in 2006, only 51 percent of 2 year olds in Union County had been vaccinated in the recommended 4:3:1:3:3:1 series (involving DTaP, polio, measles/mumps/rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B and varicella vaccines).

This, tied with Deschutes County’s percentage, was the lowest recorded in the state, which averaged 71 percent.

Beaudrault told the group that her agency, in addition to increasing rates for toddlers, aimed for more adults, including health workers, getting up-to-date vaccinations.

Participants were seated at four tables, each with a different area of focus: business, policy, medical and education. Following the opening presentation, the groups generated comments and suggestions for coalition activities — much of them involving educational outreach.

That idea was reinforced by Rep. Smith, who said after the meeting he’d found it a valuable experience.

“This was a fabulous forum, to be informed on the importance of vaccinations in Union County,” he said.

For more information about the immunization coalition, call Wall at 962-8836.

To learn more about immunizations, check out the websites of the National Immunization Program at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/nip ; or the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, www.vaccine.chop.edu .