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 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:

• AIRA Discovery Session: H1N1 Lessons Learned and How They Are Informing the Response to COVID-19
• Business Continuity Planning for IIS Programs
• Onboarding Consensus-Based Recommendations
• Tips for IIS: Preparing for a COVID-19 Vaccine One-Sheet 
• Using IIS to Support an Outbreak Response

Partner resources

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Critical Updates on COVID-19
• Association of Immunization Managers (AIM): COVID-19 Updates
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): COVID-19
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Interim Updated Planning Guidance on Allocating and Targeting Pandemic Influenza Vaccine during an Influenza Pandemic
• Immunization Action Coalition and the National Network of Immunization Coalitions: Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): Our Response Efforts Around COVID-19
• National Foundation for Infectious Disease (NFID): Coronaviruses
• Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII): Search results for "COVID"

For questions or requests for information related to IIS and the COVID-19 response, please email [email protected].

Updated: 5/20/2020