Immunization is a key component of early childhood development and health. Remember – early childhood and school readiness begin with good health! It is important for early childhood education staff to make immunization a priority. Foster an environment of health with:
• Immunization tracking
• Staff education and adult vaccination as needed
• Parent education
Early childhood education (ECE) programs are prone to disease outbreaks. Recent outbreaks of measles, flu and pertussis (whooping cough) have occurred in ECE settings. Unvaccinated children are at increased risk for disease and can spread disease to others. Babies are at high risk since they are too young to be fully vaccinated.
Learn how to check immunization records for children in your care. View online videos and learn about vaccines on the website of the Vaccine Education Center of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The instructions include a link to the website of the National Immunization Program of the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) and CDC's FREE handy software tools to check vaccine records for individual children in your care and adults who care for the children. Pennsylvania child care practitioners may earn professional development credit by submitting your answers to questions about what you learned with your evaluation of vaccine records for at least 5 children in your care. Follow the instructions in the "Important Reminders" box beside the list of self-learning modules for ECELS to review your work to award professional development credit. (ECERS-ITERS: Program Structure. K7-C2-78. 6/2017
This website was launched by the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the public and for professionals. It presents trustworthy, evidence-based (scientifically evaluated) information about vaccine-preventable diseases and their vaccines. The vaccineinformation.org website is organized by age group — Infants / Children, Preteens, Teens, and Adults. The website offers timely, accurate, and proven information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent. It features hundreds of valuable resources, accessed by easy key word searches. The website has about 100 vaccine-related videos. Also, it has public service announcements, educational materials and personal stories about suffering and death when people go without being immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. 2/28/2013
As you prepare for fall enrollment, now is a good time for early care and education programs to make sure all staff are up-to-date with recommended immunizations. Getting vaccinated is an important part of staying healthy. Routine immunization of adults is the best way to protect yourself against vaccine-preventable diseases. Several of the vaccines routinely recommended for adults will prevent diseases that can be spread to children in the child care setting, including pertussis(whooping cough), varicella(chicken pox), measles, mumps, rubella and influenza.
Start your influenza vaccine efforts now too! All children 6 months of age and older and staff should get influenza vaccine.
This workshop enables the user to learn how to assess health and safety practices in programs for infants and toddlers in conjunction with use of the ITERS assessment tool. Discuss feeding, diapering, sleeping, fostering early brain development, managing illness and more. Use the assessment to make improvements in the program.
Special practices are needed to protect early education and school-age providers from contact with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids. Use this online module to learn how to comply with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop an exposure control plan, how to care for a human bite, prevent injuries from sharps, and the procedure for post-exposure treatment. This module includes OSHA's Bloodborne Exposure Control Plan you can use by filling in the blanks. PA child care staff may submit completed work for review for credit by scanning the pages and attaching them to an e-mail, sending them by fax or by surface mail to ECELS. Be sure to follow the instructions in the “Important Reminders” box next to the list of self-learning modules on this webpage.
Outbreaks of influenza can be stopped by requiring that most child care workers and children who are over 6 months of age get flu vaccine. The CDC reported low influenza vaccination rates among child care workers in a national sample. The most common reasons for not getting the vaccine were mistaken ideas. The respondents didn't understand that they needed to get the vaccine, that the vaccine does prevent or reduce the severity of the flu, and that the vaccine is safe. Those who got the vaccine had the facts and felt some external pressure to receive the vaccine. Strong promotion of flu vaccine is associated with significantly decreased rates of emergency department visits for flu-like symptoms.
Pennsylvania regulations already require that children receive vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. All children over 6 months of age should receive flu vaccine. New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut are requiring that teachers/caregivers have influenza vaccinations too. Flu vaccine reduces the risk of severe flu for them, the children in their care and family members. Contact in child care is a well-known factor in the spread of influenza in the community. While the current flu vaccine is not perfect, it will reduce the risk. The flu season peaks in January-March. It’s not too late to get some protection from flu vaccine.
Flu vaccine will prevent severe illnesses and deaths, even this late in the season. Flu is spreading in Pennsylvania. Healthy people can get very sick. Some have died. EVERYONE older than 6 months of age SHOULD GET THE 2013-14 FLU VACCINE.