Health Care Professionals

National Immunization Awareness Month

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children and adults against many common infectious diseases. Many people who delayed vaccination during the pandemic are still behind on routine vaccines. Healthcare professionals advocate for their communities safety and play a key role in protecting patients from serious vaccine-preventable diseases.

This August marks the annual observance of National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) and is the perfect time to remind Georgians of all ages to protect their health by catching up on all recommended vaccinations.

Vaccines are available for these preventable diseases:

Below are resources that may help guide conversations with patients of all age groups to encourage staying up to date on vaccines, along with learning opportunities for all staff in healthcare settings.

• NIAM
• RISE
• Immunization Schedules
• Vaccines for Children & Adolescents
• Adult Vaccines
• Vaccine during Pregnancy
• Travel Vaccines
• Education and Training for Healthcare Professionals

COVID-19

Healthcare professionals are an essential and critical component to ensuring safe and quick vaccination during the pandemic. To support COVID-19 vaccination efforts nationwide, many healthcare professionals are needed, and therefore, they must receive the necessary training to meet the demands of their roles. Below you will find training and resources to assist healthcare professionals with COVID-19 vaccination questions and concerns.

• COVID-19 Health Care Provider Training and Education/ Resources
• COVID-19 Vaccination for Providers
• COVID-19 What’s New
• VAERS
• V-Safe Fact Sheet

Healthcare Professionals interested in becoming a volunteer to assist with COVID-19 vaccination efforts, please click HERE.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Affidavit of Religious Objection to Immunization  
• Affidavit of Religious Objection to Immunization-Spanish
• MCV4 Parent Letter ( English / Spanish ) 
• MCV4 Poster / Spanish (REV. 2021) 

PROGRAMS

• Vaccines for Children (VFC)
• Georgia Immunization Registry (GRITS)
• Perinatal Hepatitis B
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Training/Education (for access to IRC, Train the Trainer and educational training presentations, please email the Immunization Program at [email protected])

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

• Hepatitis A Letter to Providers
• Hepatitis A Fact Sheet
• Measles Questions & Answers: For Parents and Caregivers
• Flu Posters for every season
• "Hop to It!"  / Spanish - recommended childhood/adolescent vaccines
• Word To The Wise: Immunize For Good Adult Health  /  Spanish  - recommended adult vaccines
• Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations With Parents
• Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent Them

Vaccine Information

• Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
• Vaccine Storage and Handling
• Current Vaccine Shortages (CDC)

7th Grade Immunization Requirements 

• Tdap/MCV4  Parent Teaching Sheet  / Spanish
• Tdap/MCV4  Parent Flyer   / Spanish
• Give 'Em Your Best Shot ( English / Spanish ) 
• Policy Guide 3231REQ, Vaccine Requirements for Attending Facilities and Schools in Georgia 
• Policy Guide 3231INS, Standards for Issuing and Filing Certificates of Immunization 

Immunization Schedules and Recommendations

• Immunization Schedules for Health Care Providers
• Eligibility Criteria for Vaccines Supplied by the GA Immunization Office for Children, Adolescents, and Adults  (For Public Health Clinics ONLY)- REV. 03/22
• Vaccine Supply Decision Guide 
• Vaccines for Teens Teaching Sheet ( English / Spanish )- teaching sheet describing seven vaccinations especially recommended for adolescents
• Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women
• Immunization Information For Adults

Reporting System

• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
• Notifiable Disease Reporting

Forms and Documents 

• Refusal to Vaccinate ( English  / Spanish )
• Immunization Materials Request (Form-3184) - healthcare providers may use this request form to order: Certificates for School/Child Care Attendance; Parent and Child Education Materials; Immunization Record Forms; and Report and Request Forms.

For information about Vaccine Information Statements, recommendations for their use, questions & answers, or if you wish to download Vaccine Information Statements or need them in languages other than English, see the Immunization Action Coalition website.

Georgia Vaccine Administration Record - this form can be used in paper charts to document doses of vaccine administered, the client's VFC eligibility for that dose, and information on the VIS. A page is also included, which is designed to document adverse reactions.

Informational Links

• Suggested Training for Student Nurses in a Public Health Setting - Orientation to immunizations and vaccine-preventable diseases prior to the student beginning clinical experience.
• Immunize Georgia Newsletter- Provides up-to-date information on vaccine-related issues.
• Georgia Composite Medical Board- Interested in becoming a Flu Vaccine provider in Georgia? Visit the Georgia Composite Medical Board website for details.
• Common Vaccine Safety Concerns
• Immunization Action Coalition: Answering Immunization Critics- Responding to parents' concerns about vaccines.
• The "Pink Book"/(Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases) CDC- Order the book or print materials directly from the website.
• Recommendations of the ACIP- The most current recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and links to related articles in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).  

Page Last Updated 07/24/2023