VacciNation

Despite high uptake of the quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY vaccine among adolescents, significant protection gaps remain, particularly against serogroup B. That’s why Dr. Ruth Carrico joins us to examine key challenges in adolescent vaccine delivery and how newer pentavalent vaccines covering all five major meningococcal serogroups—A, C, W, Y, and B—can streamline protection, improve coverage, reduce missed doses, and support shared decision-making between providers, teens, and parents.

In the post-COVID landscape, healthcare providers face a new communication challenge: countering misinformation while building trust in vaccine recommendations. To help combat this, Dr. Ruth Carrico joins us to share how her approach to patient engagement has shifted from simply informing to actively listening and collaborating. Dr. Carrico is a family nurse practitioner based in Louisville, Kentucky and an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and polio form the foundation of early childhood immunization, but gaps in coverage continue to put children and communities at risk. Fortunately, combination vaccines and coadministration strategies can help providers minimize missed opportunities while protecting children from preventable disease and long-term health complications. Learn more with Dr. Ruth Carrico, a family nurse practitioner based in Louisville, Kentucky and an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Older adults face higher risks from influenza due to age-related declines in immune function, making enhanced vaccines a critical preventive tool. However, vaccination in this population comes with some considerations, including vaccine hesitancy and access barriers. Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to discuss the role of enhanced influenza vaccines for adults and strategies for overcoming these challenges is Dr. Irene Hamrick. Dr. Hamrick is a Professor of Geriatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and a Certified Medical Director through the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.

Recent research highlights the comparative effectiveness of cell-based versus egg-based influenza vaccines in pediatric populations. This data could help guide pediatric immunization, alongside strategies like comprehensive communication with parents and whole-family vaccine efforts. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the importance of annual flu prevention and ways to improve uptake in pediatric populations is Dr. Danielle Wales. She's a Clinical Associate Professor at the University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences and a faculty member of the Albany Medical Center's Division of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in Cohoes, New York.

Pediatric influenza remains a serious threat, with the 2024-2025 season bringing one of the highest recorded pediatric mortality rates in over a decade. As a result, understanding barriers to vaccine uptake and implementing strategies to address them is critical. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to provide insights into the burden of pediatric influenza and the importance of timely immunization is Dr. Ravi Jhaveri. Dr. Jhaveri is the Division Head for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Mrs. Alissa Kanowitz became a patient advocate after experiencing the absolute worst-case scenario: losing her four-year-old daughter Amanda to the flu. And now, she’s here with Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley to share her and Amanda’s story as well as her experience working with the Families Fighting Flu organization. This is so we can all better understand the seriousness of influenza and work to stem the tide on this tragic disease.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently updated their recommendations for the 2024-2025 flu season. Here to give us a breakdown of the key updates so we can protect our patients from the flu is family medicine physician Dr. Paul Hunter.

According to recent studies, co-administering the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines is generally safe, which is why both the CDC and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices support this approach. However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind when co-administering these three respiratory vaccines, which is why Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley speaks with Drs. Jill Foster and John Russell about best practices for co-administration and improving vaccination rates. Dr. Foster is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and Dr. Russell is a family medicine physician at Jefferson Health System in Abington, Pennsylvania.

According to the CDC, flu vaccine coverage for all adults is about 47 percent, and there’s been a continued decline among pregnant patients and children since 2020. These reduced vaccination rates can have serious consequences for our patients and the healthcare system as a whole, which is why it’s so important for primary care providers to embrace their role in reversing this trend. To help in this mission, Dr. Charles Turck speaks with family medicine physician Dr. John Russell about strategies for boosting flu vaccination rates in the primary care setting.