Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, outlines the recommendations from the most recent ACIP meeting; Kathleen Amos, Director of Workforce Development at the Public Health Foundation, explains how Academic Health Department Partnerships can...
Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, outlines the recommendations from the most recent ACIP meeting; Kathleen Amos, Director of Workforce Development at the Public Health Foundation, explains how Academic Health Department Partnerships can be beneficial; and an upcoming ASTHO webinar focuses on strengthening public health risk communication.
CDC Web Page: ACIP Meeting Information
ASTHO Webinar: Exploring Successful Academic Health Department Partnerships
ASTHO Web Page: Calendar of Events
ASTHO Webinar: Don't Panic! A Panel on How to be an Effective Crisis Communicator
SUMMER JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, April 23, 2025. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
SUSAN KANSAGRA:
One of ASTHO's roles is to serve as a liaison organization member for ACIP, and so we do have a state health officer that is assigned to that role. And then we also work to update our SHOs on the All-SHO Call every week around some of these recommendations that took place at ACIP.
JOHNSON:
Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO's chief medical officer, recaps the most recent ACIP meeting with some of the big news happening for RSV vaccine recommendations.
KANSAGRA:
So, the committee voted to recommend a dose of RSV vaccine for those 50 to 59 that are higher risk of severe disease.
JOHNSON:
The recommendations will have to get CDC approval before any implementation and other vaccine changes were also discussed.
KANSAGRA:
There was also recommendations made around the use of a pentavalant meningococcal vaccine for certain populations that were eligible for that and then also around a chikungunya vaccine, which would be available for people traveling to countries where there was an outbreak or where it is endemic, and also for certain healthcare workers.
JOHNSON:
The committee also touched on COVID-19 vaccinations.
KANSAGRA:
The current recommendation is everyone six months and older should get a COVID-19 vaccine, weighing that type of recommendation versus a risk-based recommendation, where they may narrow and recommended only for higher risk individuals. And so there were a lot of pros and cons discussed, and the committee will likely vote on that at the June meeting.
JOHNSON:
You can find more information about the latest ACIP meeting on CDC's website, there's a link in the show notes.
Two upcoming ASTHO webinars, including one tomorrow, will help you develop academic health department partnerships. Kathleen Amos, with the Public Health Foundation, will be a presenter at the webinars and previews what attendees will learn.
KATHLEEN AMOS:
Through AHD partnerships, organizations may engage collaboratively to provide education and training to students or to the current workforce. They might work together on joint research projects or jointly provide public health services.
JOHNSON:
Amos says the partnerships strengthen the connections between public health and academia.
AMOS:
We've also seen numerous other benefits of AHD partnerships in terms of maximizing limited resources, obtaining funding, generating community-based research, and meeting accreditation standards, among other areas.
JOHNSON:
Here's what makes a health agency a good candidate for an academic health partnership, according to Amos.
AMOS:
Perhaps most important is an openness to collaborating with others. We know that all state health departments engage in projects with academic institutions. An AHD partnership is one way of sustaining that engagement beyond individual projects.
JOHNSON:
Those two webinars are coming up soon. The first happens tomorrow, Thursday, April 24, and you still have time to sign up for that one. And the second takes place next Thursday, May 1. You can sign up for both and learn more when you click the links in the show notes.
JOHNSON:
Also the Thursday after that, Dr. Susan Kansagra, who you heard earlier in this newscast, will moderate an upcoming ASTHO webinar. O'Keyla Cooper has more.
O'KEYLA COOPER:
Join ASTHO on Thursday May 8, from 1-2:30 p.m. ET for a webinar on strengthening public health risk communication. This session will feature a panel of experts sharing strategies for identifying trending threats, applying the latest research, and using leading tools to support effective communications during crises. Sign up using the link in the show notes to be part of this timely discussion.
JOHNSON:
Finally, this morning, you never want to miss an episode of this newscast. Public Health Review Morning Edition offers a daily dose of analysis opportunities and insights from local, state, and federal public health leaders. You want to make sure you follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. Just tap the plus sign in your favorite podcast app. That way it will be delivered to you at 5 a.m. every weekday as you're starting your day.
That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Summer Johnson, you're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.
