Open Letter to Oregonians Supporting the Importance of Immunizations

Vaccines save lives

We support immunization as the safest, most effective way to control and eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases in Oregon and across the globe. Thanks to vaccinations, we have not seen or experienced many of the infectious diseases that gripped past generations such as polio, measles, rubella, diphtheria and tetanus. But we are not immune to disease outbreaks in our state.

Vaccine-preventable diseases pose a real threat to personal and public health. And they can be just a plane ride away. Consider this: whooping cough (pertussis) is a reported vaccine-preventable disease that has actually increased in incidence (e.g., number of new cases) in the United States in the last 20 years. During 2009, Oregon’s reported incidence was nearly twice the national average¹. Through timely vaccination, we can protect those who are too young to be vaccinated, and those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical issues. Vaccinating our families according to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedules not only protects our loved ones, but our entire community as well.

• In Oregon, 5 percent of kindergartners have an exemption for one or more vaccines. In some communities, this rate is much higher, leaving children at greater risk for life-threatening disease than those in neighboring towns and cities. In Ashland, for example, nearly 25 percent of kindergartners have exemptions for some or all of their vaccines, a rate five times the rest of the state.
• Whooping cough rates have increased dramatically over the past thirty years, from a low of 1,000 cases to over 10,000 in 2008. In Oregon, there were 284 cases in 2009; four babies have died over the last several years because they were too fragile to withstand the wracking cough that lasts for weeks. While tiny babies can’t be immunized against whooping cough, adolescents and adults can now receive a pertussis booster (required for seventh graders) to ensure they won’t pass the disease on to newborns. Children who are not immunized against whooping cough have been shown to be 23 times more likely to contract the disease.
• Immunization has nearly eliminated Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib), a cause of severe bacterial infection. Before the vaccine became available, 20,000 cases of the disease were reported and nearly 600 died each year in the United States. Unfortunately, cases of this deadly disease are resurfacing in the United States due to lower vaccination rates. In Oregon, over the past decade, there have been up to three Hib cases reported each year.
• Influenza continues to take the lives of more than 36,000 Americans annually . In Oregon, the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic alone resulted in 79 deaths and approximately 1,430 hospitalizations . Flu outbreaks can be prevented only through annual vaccination against this deadly disease.
  Vaccination has protected generations of children from horrible diseases. It works because of the choices parents make to protect their children and the children of others. It also works because the community comes together to ensure our children are immunized. Together, we can protect ourselves and each other from potentially deadly diseases. Please be sure you and your loved ones are immunized on time, every time. For more information about vaccines and immunization, talk to your health care provider or local health department.

Vaccination has protected generations of children from horrible diseases. It works because of the choices parents make to protect their children and the children of others. It also works because the community comes together to ensure our children are immunized. Together, we can protect ourselves and each other from potentially deadly diseases. Please be sure you and your loved ones are immunized on time, every time. For more information about vaccines and immunization, talk to your health care provider or local health department.

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Oregon Immunization Program, unpublished data, 2009
http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org/pdfs/20090817_open_letter.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates/April_November_14.htm
http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/CommunicableDisease/DiseaseSurveillanceData/Influenza/Pages/surveil.aspx

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Every Child by Two
Oregon Adult Immunization Coalition
Oregon Partnership to Immunize Children
Oregon Pediatric Society
Oregon Academy of Family Physicians 

If you would like to endorse this letter, please e-mail susan.d.wickstrom@state.or.us

AAIM Care LLC (Allergy / Immunology)	Adventist Health Internal Medicine and Family Practice Clinic at Gresham Station
Adventist Health Medical Center	Alsea Rural Health Care, Inc.
Amber Woods, CMA	Andrea Janssen, MD
Andreas Wolf, chief of family practice, Kaiser Permanente	Aric Groshong, MD
Ashley Peterson, MD	Aumsville Fire District
Barbara C. Canavan, former director, Oregon Immunization ALERT	Barbara N. Pascua, BSN, RN, retired pediatric nurse practitioner
Bayshore Family Medicine	Benton County Health Dept.
Betsy Meredith, communicable disease nursing supervisor	Brenda Weber, LPN
Brian J. Rogers, RN, BSN, infection prevention coordinator	Care Oregon
Carol Irwin, RN, community nurse	Caryn Belafsky, MD
Cascade Family Practice	Cascade Steel EMS
Catherine Kordesch, M.D.	Ceil Colburn, RN, BSN
Center for Human Development, Inc., Union County	Chally Kruse, RN, MSN
Charles Lame Crow, MA, CHC	Cherie Campbell, RN
Chrissie Ott, MD, Nanopractice PDX	Clatsop County Department of Public Health
Colette S. Peters, director, Oregon Youth Authority	Columbia River Community Health Services
Coos County Public Health	Curry County Public Health
Dallas Family Medicine, LLC	Daniel J. Urbach, MD
Darin Vaughan, MD	David West, MD
Dea Collins, FNP	Debbie George, RN
Deborah Loewer, FNP	Debra J. McAninch, RN
Denise Ledbetter, PA-C	Dermatology Clinic, PC
Dian Duyck, RN	Douglas County Public Health Department
Dr Carl Erickson, DO	Dr. R. D. Jones
Ellen Portrait, RN	Eric Ring, MD
Erin Corrigan, MFA, MPH	Evergreen Family Care
Faith Shinn, RN	Family Care Center, PC
Family HealthPartners, LLC.	Family Tree Medical Clinic
Fariborz Pakseresht, deputy director, Oregon Youth Authority	FMC Dialysis Services of Mt Hood
Franklin S. Weingarten, MD, Ph.D.	Grand Ronde Health and Wellness Center
Gregory D. Kordesch, MD	Hands On Medicine
Hildegard Schone, MD, pediatrics	Holly Eckhart, RN BSN
Hood River Health Department	Jack Rosenberg, MD
Jackson County Public Health	James Lace, MD
James MacKay, MD, medical director, Providence Health Plans	Jane Burke, RN, ED manager, Providence Hood River Hospital
Jane O'Glasser, BSN, RN Infection Control Coordinator	Janet Buell, RN
Janie Vohland, RN	Jefferson County Public Health Dept.
Jen Reuer, MPH, epidemiologist, Washington County Health and Human Services	Jennifer Dormandy, RN
Jennifer Gwin, PHR, United Cerebral Palsy	Jim Shames, MD, medical director Jackson County Health and Human Services
Joe Hassett, M.D.	Josephine County Public Health
Joyce Liu, MD, chief of pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente	Julie Newmann, PA-C
June K. Wu, MD	Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Departments of Pediatrics and Family Practice
Karen Sheperd, clinic manager, Family Practice Group, Rogue Valley Physicians, PC Clinic	Kari A. Firestone MS, RN, CNS
Katherine Johnstson, MD	Katherine Mechling, MD, Clear Creek Family Practice, Selma
Kathryn Todd, MD	Kathy Kirk, RN M
Kelley A. Burnett, DO	Kelly Johnson, RN
Kenneth Whittaker, MD	Kids Clinic
Kirsten Heron, PA-C	Klamath County Health Department
Klamath Tribal Health & Wellness Center	L Wallace, LPN
Lake County Public Health	Lancaster Family Health Center
Lane County Public Health Immunization Program	LaPine Community Health Center
Leslie Pena, LPN/Adm.	Lincoln Community Health Center, Newport and Lincoln City
Lincoln County Health & Human Services	Liz Young BSN, RNC
Lori L Koch RN, CHN Multnomah County Health Department, Early Childhood Services	Lori Wike CMA, pediatrics
Lowell Norbom	Lyle J Fagnan, MD, family physician
Maggie King, MD, family physician, Crook County Public Health Officer	Malheur County Child Development Center
Malheur County Health Dept.	Margo Lalich, RN, MPH
Mark W. Olson, MD, Salem	Marinka Majdancic, RN, BSN
Martha deBroekert, RN, BSN, immunization coordinator, Lane County Public Health	Mary "Blu" Balliew, RN
Mary Altenhein, RN	Mary Lopez-Loftin, CMA
Mary Miller, MD	Mellissa Sparks, medical assistant
Metropolitan Medical Foundation of Oregon	Metropolitan Pediatrics Physicians
Michael K. Ericksen, MD, FAAP	Michelle Bryant, FNP
Morrow County Health District	Newberg Pediatric Clinic
Norman T. Eki	North Central Public Health District
North River Pediatrics PC	Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Care Systems
Oregon Division of Medical Assistance Programs, Medical/Surgical Policy Unit	Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Youth Authority	Pacific Medical Group, North Portland
Patrick Sullivan, RPh, Doctor of Pharmacy	Peacehealth Medical Group Pediatrics
Pediatric Associates of the Northwest, Portland and Lake Oswego	Peggy Pahl, LPN
Peggy Schultz, manager	Penny Walters, Malheur County Health Department
Phillip C. Histand, MD	Polk County Public Health
R. McBride, RN	Raquel Apodaca, MD
Rex Strickler, PA-C	Robert A. Mendelson, MD, FAAP
Robert H. Moore, MD, pediatrician and public health officer	Rocky Lequerica, RN, Union County immunization coordinator
Ron Van Fleet, RN	Ruth Young, RN, OIT Student Health Center
Sacred Heart RiverBend Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics	Safeway Inc.
Sandra Vilhauer, MD, PC	Sandy Holland, RN
Sarah L. Agsten, DO	Sharon Kaszycki, RN, BSN
Southern Oregon Pediatrics, Medford	Stephen Allred, nurse practitioner
Steven Shelton, MD	Suellen Nida, RN, nurse consultant, Silver Falls School District K-8
Sunset Medical Practice Group, P.C	Sunset Pediatrics
Susan E. Mournian, RN, nurse coordinator, SWCHC	Sylvia Hale, COO, Umpqua Community Health Center
Tami Kochan, CPNP	Teresa Griffin, RN, nurse manager, Oregon Youth Authority
Teresa Standley, office manager	Tillamook County Health Department
Treasure Valley Pediatric Clinic, Ontario	Umatilla County Public Health Department
Umpqua Community Health Center	Union County Center For Human Development Inc.
Val Berry Speck, RN	Valley Family Health Care
Vern Harpoke, MD, North Central Health District	Walgreens
Westside Pediatric Cllinic	Willamette Family Medical Center
Willamette Women's Health Assoc.	William Kohn, MD
Woodburn Pediatrics	Yan Duan, FNP