AIRA's Response to COVID-19

AIRA is hard at work finding ways to support our members in this unprecedented time. Some vaccine could be available as early as fall 2020, and immunization information systems (IIS) will be instrumental in the management and distribution of this novel vaccine. Utilizing the existing IIS infrastructure already in place is critical to be able to quickly respond to and support COVID-19 mass vaccination efforts.

What Can You Do Now?

As the strategy to roll out a vaccine for COVID-19 is being developed, many are asking what should be done today. AIRA's new Tips for IIS: Preparing for a COVID-19 Vaccine One-Sheet contains ideas for steps you can take today along with links to helpful resources. Below are some of the actionable steps that can be taken by virtually all programs.

AIRA’s new IIS Policies to Support Pandemic and Routine Vaccination One-Sheet was created for national immunization advocacy stakeholders working with federal decision-makers to promote IIS policies needed to facilitate pandemic response and routine vaccination. There is an urgent need to ensure policies support the ability to capture and exchange complete, accurate immunization data in a timely manner to support data-driven decision-making. This resource highlights the value of IIS as well as areas to focus on strengthened policy related to data exchange, vaccine reporting, and consent to achieve more uniform, consistent policies.

AIRA’s Role and Support of the IIS Community

AIRA is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) lead to identify how we can best support jurisdictions. Examples of how we may provide member support include:

Serving as a centralized forum to unify IIS efforts and develop a shared set of priorities to ensure readiness
Highlighting the importance of IIS infrastructure and the role IIS can play in COVID-19 response
Coordinating and aligning with national partners on policy, infrastructure, and funding
Developing and disseminating resources, education, and training
Assessing how to best support efforts to evaluate and address the impact of COVID-19 on routine immunization and vaccination coverage of children and adults and to support preparations for the potential for multiple outbreaks and/or concurrent vaccination campaigns

Resources

AIRA resources

The AIRA repository contains many resources that you may find relevant in planning. These are some recent, relevant AIRA resources that may be of interest: