MDHHS Update: Protect Your Adolescent Patients Before They Go Back to School!
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MDHHS Update: Protect Your Adolescent Patients Before They Go Back to School!

Alyssa Nowak, MPH, Adult and Adolescent Immunization Coordinator, MDHHS Division of Immunization

As the summer months come to an end and the back-to-school fury begins, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) want to remind you to ensure your adolescent patients are fully protected with all of the recommended vaccines before beginning another school year. While busy parents make lists and stock up on back-to-school essentials, take the time to reach out and remind them that vaccines are important back-to-school items too.

Preteens and teens require several vaccines to keep them healthy and fully protected throughout the upcoming school year. According to CDC, preteens age 11-12 years should receive one dose of meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine, two doses of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine 6 to 12 months apart, one dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, and an influenza vaccine every year.1 According to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) and as of March 31, 2019, only 39.4% of adolescents 13 through 17 years are up to date with the recommended adolescent vaccine series.2 In addition, CDC recommends that all 16-year-olds receive an additional dose of MenACWY. Further, teens 16-18 years of age may be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine in a series of doses.1  Outbreaks of disease can occur in school settings, so it is important to ensure that all your adolescent patients are up to date on all the recommended vaccines.

Meningococcal vaccines protect against the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease, specifically meningitis and bloodstream infections. Meningitis is easily spread through close contact with an infected person, such as coughing and sharing food and drinks. Meningitis can become serious very quickly and can cause brain damage, severe disabilities, or death. To learn more about MenACWY, MenB, and the diseases they protect against, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/hcp/index.html.

The HPV vaccine protects against genital warts and six different types of cancer caused by HPV infection: cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal cancer. The HPV virus is very common, with approximately 14 million people, including teens, becoming infected with HPV every year.3 HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Many HPV infections do not cause symptoms, so a person could easily spread the virus to others without knowing. The best way to protect your patients from HPV-related cancers is with timely HPV vaccination. To learn more about the HPV vaccine and the diseases and cancers it protects against, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/index.html.

The Tdap vaccine is a booster shot that helps protect against the same diseases that DTaP vaccine protects young children from: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Tetanus is caused by a toxin found in soil and causes painful muscle tightening. Diphtheria can cause shallow breathing, paralysis, and heart failure. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is spread very easily from coughing or sneezing and causes severe coughing and choking. Pertussis can be deadly to babies, who often get pertussis from their older siblings. To learn more about Tdap and the diseases it protects against, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/dtap-tdap-td/hcp/index.html.

Every year, everyone 6 months of age and older should receive influenza vaccine to protect them from seasonal flu. CDC encourages everyone to get their flu shot by the end of October, if possible. School-aged children are more likely to catch the flu, and a typical flu illness can mean missing at least a week of school.4 CDC estimates that from October 1, 2018 – May 4, 2019, there were 37.4 – 42.9 million flu illnesses, 531,000 – 647,000 flu hospitalizations and 36,400 – 61,200 flu deaths in the United States.5 Influenza can be very serious, and the best protection from flu and flu-related illnesses is to get flu vaccine every year. For more information about flu, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/flu/index.html.

For best protection, send reminders to all your adolescent patients who are eligible for vaccination and remind them to schedule a back-to-school appointment! Make sure your patients are equipped with everything they need, including their vaccines, for a safe, happy, and healthy 2019-2020 school year.

1CDC (2019). Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for ages 18 years or younger, United States, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
2MDHHS (2019). Michigan’s Statewide Quarterly Immunization Report Card. Retrieved from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/State_Level_ReportCard_621826_7.pdf
3CDC (2019). Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Information for Clinicians. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/index.html
4CDC (2019). Flu Vaccine for Preteens and Teens. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/teen/flu.html
5CDC (2019). 2018-2019 U.S. Flu Season: Preliminary Burden Estimates. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm


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AMA
As part of CCB, and having become known in the HOD as a trusted and respected parliamentarian and advisor, he has been actively sought out by sections and delegations for his expertise and counsel, to ensure their concerns are met and can be adopted by the House. His commitment to open, fair and unbiased discussion and debate empowers colleagues wherever he leads, including in our House of Delegates.

ACEP
In addition to his commitments to MSMS, the AMA and CCB, Pino participates in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Section Council. This allows him to stay informed about the latest issues facing their specialty and the broader medical landscape across the country. The council comprises representatives from all over the US, who bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table, and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing emergency medicine in different regions, and work collaboratively to develop solutions and best practices. This also allows him to build relationships across the country, which are key to getting the House to “yes.”

MSMS
Dr. Colone has been an active member of the AMA since his first year of medical school. He served as Chair of the Medical Student Section, Resident and Fellows Section, and the Young Physician Section of the Michigan State Medical Society, as well as representing each of those sections as delegate from MSMS to the AMA. He has served on the Michigan Delegation to the AMA for almost 30 years, and on the MSMS Board of Directors for 11 years during that time. He is also a recipient of the AMA Foundation Leadership Award.

In addition to influencing the national debate, Dr. Colone served as president of his county and state medical societies during times of crisis. He led his county medical society during the Flint water crisis and MSMS during the COVID pandemic from 2021-2022, standing up to outside efforts by lay persons and legislators and standing by science for the safety and betterment of the public. During his presidency he led a coalition of 50 patient and health care organizations to achieve comprehensive prior authorization reform removing barriers and improving the health of all Michiganders.

President of MSMS: Pino took the helm of MSMS as President during a tumultuous time. The COVID pandemic was entering its second year. Effective and, more importantly, ineffective treatments, were becoming better known, better understood, as physicians were learning every day how to best save lives. He stood by science and resisted pressures and endorsed science based treatments based on what we’d learned, over unproven, and even dangerous, treatments.

Health Can’t Wait Initiative: Pino advanced the Health Can’t Wait Initiative as President of MSMS, a coalition of over 50 health-focused groups that saw the successful passage of comprehensive prior authorization reform into law.

Read more about the coalition here

Organizations involved in the coalition 

PA Reform Signed into Law

“Today is a wonderful day for Michigan patients who can now rest easy knowing insurance company prior authorization practices will no longer prove to be an impassable roadblock between them and the timely care and treatment they too often desperately need," said MSMS President Pino Colone, MD. “Speaking on behalf of providers, patient advocacy groups and patients across the state, I want to thank Governor Whitmer and Michigan’s lawmakers for recognizing the need for reform in this area and then working to craft and enact legislation that delivers. In signing SB 247, Governor Whitmer has ushered in a new era where transparency, clinical validity and fairness to patients will all be factored into the prior authorization process, protecting Michigan patients from costly and dangerous delays in access to health care. Officially signing this bill into law is a tremendous—and much needed—win for countless Michigan patients and the providers who serve them.”

Scope of Practice: He has testified on scope of practice helping legislators understand that nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) do not have the training or education to safely care for our families, and that medical school matters. (include the graphic from the article) and link the article: https://www.mha.org/newsroom/tag/pino-colone/

Pino spent six years as chair of the MSMS Task Force on Opioid Stewardship, advocating for naloxone to be available to residents of Michigan without a prescription, collaborating with colleagues and state officials, and disseminating timely and accurate information to MSMS members. In this role, he was pivotal in shaping MSMS’s strategic plan to reduce opioid-related overdose, eliminate stigma, and support harm reduction efforts by fighting to make naloxone available over the counter.

He was also a member of the MSMS Executive Task Force on Health Care Disparities. 

Genesee County Medical Society
Pino was also president of the GCMS during the water crisis of its largest city, Flint. He led efforts by the Society to disseminate accurate information about lead in drinking water and its effects on health. With the city and state in the national spotlight, Pino stood firm against pressure from government officials to endorse what would later prove to be flawed information, putting the expertise of his physician colleagues and the safety of local residents first.
Read more about Pino’s service as county medical society president below: 

§  November 2020 GCMS Bulletin 

§  December 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  January 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  February 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  March 2020 GCMS Bulletin 

§  April 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  May 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  June 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  July 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  August 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  September 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  October 2020 GCMS Bulletin

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