December 2021 Monthly Update

 


Monthly Update

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December 2021 in Review

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Executive Director's Update

Greetings,

Another year has come to a close, and there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year. It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of the second year of the pandemic. So much has changed since the beginning of 2020. We started 2021 with new vaccines that were limited to eligible priority groups, and we closed the year with COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses being readily available. Many children are now able to get vaccinated, and hopefully the new year will bring vaccine recommendations for babies and kids up to age five. It wouldn’t be a pandemic without the very real twists and shifts we have seen over the past year, but through it all, IIS continue to provide essential information to local, state, and federal leaders. I continue to admire the hard work and dedication of you all as we enter the third year of this pandemic. Keep up the amazing work.

 

We know access to immunization records is top of mind for people across the country and a challenge for IIS programs. SMART Health Cards continue to be a simple and secure way for people to maintain, own, and share their health information as they see fit. AIRA developed a one-page info sheet on SMART Health Cards. This resource defines what SMART Health Cards are (and are not) and outlines how they can empower individuals to take control of their health information in a safe and secure way. For more information on SMART Health Cards, visit https://smarthealth.cards.

 

AIRA worked with the Standards and Interoperability Steering Committee on a guidance document regarding indicating clinical trial vaccines in IIS. The current Implementation Guide for Immunization Messaging doesn’t include a mechanism to identify a vaccination event that occurred as part of a clinical trial, yet we know there’s value in knowing if a vaccination event was part of a clinical trial. The guidance document describes the technical mechanism for constructing a message for clinical trial vaccination events and gives other considerations outside of the technical HL7 requirements.

 

H.R. 550, the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021, was passed in the House of Representatives on November 30 and will go to the Senate for consideration next. This bill will amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to immunization system data modernization and expansion. It will not create a national IIS as has been reported in the media. AIRA has been working to dispel some of the misinformation circulating on this topic.

 

The AIRA 2022 National Meeting will be held on April 26 and 27 as a virtual-only event. The decision to go all virtual in 2022 is due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. AIRA wants as many people from the IIS community to attend as possible, and we know there are still travel restrictions and hesitancies. Find a "save the date" for the 2022 National Meeting in the article below.

 

Lastly, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently recommended mRNA vaccines over the Janssen vaccine for COVID-19 booster doses. The thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) case reporting rate following Janssen COVID-19 vaccination is higher than previous estimates in a wide range of ages for both men and women. Recent investigations have shown evidence of a relationship between Janssen COVID-19 vaccination and TTS and associated severe outcomes. We’ll continue to monitor and share ACIP recommendations and votes with you in real time.

 

I hope you all had a safe and festive holiday season, and I look forward to continuing to work with all of you in the new year.

 

Rebecca Coyle, MSEd

Executive Director


 



Save the Date! AIRA 2022 National Meeting

AIRA is excited to announce the dates for the virtual AIRA 2022 National Meeting on April 26 and 27, 2022! You read that right, AIRA is bringing the National Meeting to you!

 

The Call for Abstracts will open in late January, and we look forward to seeing you virtually in April!


 

HIMSS22 Global Health Conference & Exhibition: Early Bird Pricing Ends Soon!

Join AIRA at the HIMSS22 Global Health Conference & Exhibition on March 14–18, 2022, in Orlando, Florida, and digitally on March 14–17, 2022. Choose your path to attend—in-person, digital, or both, and explore the power of innovation to reimagine health! HIMSS22 brings you the education, products and solutions, and networking opportunities you need to solve your health information and technology challenges—all at one time, all in one place.

 

AIRA will be hosting an in-person networking even at HIMSS22 on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. We’d love to see you there!

 

Don’t miss out! Early-bird pricing is valid through January 18, 2022, and AIRA members receive a discount to attend. To receive the discount:

  • Go to the conference website.
  • Click on “Register.”
  • Sign in or create an account.
  • Select AIRA from the “Conference Collaborating Organizations” dropdown menu.
  • Enter the code HIMSS22C.

 

An Invitation to Anyone Interested in Power BI

Are you a current Power BI user? Do you want to expand your Power BI skill set? Are you interested in learning Power BI to visualize and communicate your IIS data more effectively?

 

AIRA will convene the first Power BI User Group on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, from noon to 1 p.m. ET. This first meeting will include a workshop demonstration on Michigan’s Flu Vaccination Dashboard. Anyone interested in Power BI is encouraged to attend, and all experience levels are welcome!

 

The goals of this user group are to:

  • Create a space for jurisdictions to engage in peer-to-peer sharing
  • Synergize Power BI efforts across jurisdictions
  • Consolidate and disseminate Power BI resources

To receive the invitation for this and upcoming Power BI User Group meetings, contact Amber Buckland.


 

Participate in AIRA's IIS Data Analysis Support Center

AIRA is excited to share a new initiative coming in 2022: the IIS Data Analysis Support Center! This center will support the onboarding, training, and advancement of data analysis skills among IIS data analysts and epidemiologists. It will also serve as a peer network for jurisdictions to consult with, as needed. The format of this center will include web-based meetings, peer-to-peer sharing, webinars from subject matter experts, small workgroups dedicated to creating community resources, and office hours with AIRA’s Epidemiologist, Taylor Boomsma.

 

For this collaboration, an IIS data analyst is defined as any individual who extracts, analyzes, interprets, visualizes, or reports out IIS data. All IIS data analysts are invited to attend!

 

To be placed on a mailing list for future IIS Data Analysis Support Center announcements, contact Amber Buckland.


 
 
 

Measurement and Improvement Updates

New AART user interface coming soon!

AIRA and members of the Measurement for Assessment and Certification Advisory Workgroup (MACAW) are excited to announce the upcoming rollout of a new user interface for the Aggregate Analysis Reporting Tool (AART). We are in the process of modernizing AART to continually enhance and streamline your Measurement and Improvement process.

 

The fresh user interface redesign is scheduled for deployment in early 2022. As you log in and navigate throughout AART, you’ll notice the main user interface will have a new look and feel, but it’s the same great product and information. This is the first of many iterations that improve upon an already valuable tool. Here are just a few of the enhancements:

  • Clean and modern look; easy to use and navigate
  • Seamless workflow and more intuitive design
  • Continued support of high-level and detailed views
  • Enhanced dashboard to access pertinent data  

Keep your eyes open for more improvements on the horizon in 2022.

 

If you need to register a new AART user or have forgotten your login credentials, create an account or update your password in AART.

 

Have questions, want to participate, or need help? AIRA’s technical assistance team is ready to help you understand your AART dashboard and results, prioritize work, and support your movement toward better alignment with standards. Don’t hesitate to contact us for technical assistance. We can quickly answer a question or dive deeper into topics, such as assisting you and your IIS technical development team with better understanding of issues and making plans to more fully align with standards. Fill out a Technical Assistance Request or contact Shalena Prude for more information.

 

SmartyStreets Is Rebranding

You heard that right! In early 2022, SmartyStreets will become Smarty. Why the change? As the SmartyStreets capabilities continue to grow to focus on data intelligence, the organization thought a name change would more accurately reflect who they are. The only change you will experience is the name. There will not be any changes to your Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), other tools, or legal agreements. Find more information about the SmartyStreets rebranding.

 

Want to learn more about what SmartyStreets offers? Need to understand how to use the service? We’re here to help! Find more information about address cleansing and geocoding on the Address Cleansing Service web page or contact Tesha Lucas to learn more about SmartyStreets.


 

Information Requests

AIRA members can submit and review information requests—a circulation of questions to and answers from the community. A recent information request on the topic below can be found by using the “Information Requests” filter in the AIRA repository.

  • COVID-19 Tracking and Reporting

Information requests are viewable only by individual members and individuals affiliated with member and partner organizations. Just log in to view these valuable resources! If you have any questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


 
 

Committee and Workgroup Updates: December Recap

HL7 Immunization User Group

  • The HL7 Immunization User Group met on December 9.
  • The user group discussed the HL7 frequently asked questions document and reviewed all topics covered in 2021.
  • The user group also continued the discussion on COVID-19 half doses.
  • The next user group meeting is January 20, 2022, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.

Measurement for Assessment and Certification Advisory Workgroup (MACAW)

  • MACAW met on December 9.
  • The workgroup received an update on discovery reports and the proposal for a new framework.
  • The workgroup received a demo from Nathan Bunker on the new Aggregate Analysis Reporting Tool user interface.
  • The workgroup also further discussed the Summary Assessment for Measurement and Improvement (SAMI).
  • The next MACAW meeting is January 13, 2022, from noon to 1 p.m. ET.

Modeling of Immunization Registry Operations Workgroup (MIROW)

Standards and Interoperability Steering Committee (SISC)

  • SISC met on December 8.
  • Paloma Hawry, speaking on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave an update on code sets.
  • The committee received an update from the HL7 User Group and SISC small groups from Nathan Bunker.
  • The committee voted on the Clinical Trial Guidance document.
  • An update on the Helios project for the Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR) Accelerator was discussed as well.
  • The next committee meeting is January 19, 2022, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.

NOTE: Meeting minutes will capture only action items and decisions made. Recordings of the meetings can be obtained directly upon request by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


 

AIRA Job Opportunities

Are you interested in working for AIRA or in the IIS community? Find current job openings at AIRA and other states/jurisdictions on the Employment Opportunities and Requests for Proposals page on the AIRA website.

  • There are no opportunities at this time.

Opportunities for independent contractors

Sign up to get notifications of future contracting opportunities.

  • There are no opportunities at this time.

 

AIRA in the News - December 2021

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