July 30, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kerre Fisher, Alaska Division of Public Health
(907) 269-2042
Vaccinate Alaska Coalition Receives National Immunization Award
Released in cooperation with the National Partnership for Immunization
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Anchorage, Alaska – Vaccinate Alaska Coalition will receive national recognition for their efforts to promote and provide immunization to people of all ages. Vaccinate Alaska Coalition (VAC) is a recipient of a 2003 Excellence in Immunization Award from the National Partnership for Immunization (NPI).
VAC will be honored along with other state and local health programs and journalists at a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on July 31, 2003. Sponsored by NPI, the luncheon is a part of activities to kick-off National Immunization Awareness Month (August) as a time to emphasize the need for improving national immunization coverage rates, and to encourage everyone in the United States to protect their health by being up-to-date on their immunizations. The NPI Excellence in Immunization Awards highlight innovation in immunization services and recognize individuals and groups for promoting the importance of immunization across the lifespan.
VAC is a charitable organization composed of private and public providers, community service organizations and concerned citizens seeking to protect the health of Alaskans by decreasing vaccine-preventable diseases. It is receiving the Excellence in Immunization Award in recognition of its sponsorship of the I Did It By TWO! campaign, which heightens public awareness of the critical need for timely immunization of children from birth through two years of age. The campaign integrates an important health message into one of Alaska’s favorite and most visible sporting events, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. For the campaign, children pass immunization “checkpoints” in order to cross the finish line and are declared “Winners in the Race to Vaccinate”, just as mushers must pass checkpoints in the actual race.
Several other state and local programs: Western Pennsylvania Caring Foundation, Project Immunize Virginia, Ukrops Super Market Pharmacy and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will receive awards for their immunization promotion activities. Other recipients of the 2003 NPI Excellence in Immunization Award include journalists Isadore Rosenfeld, MD, of PARADE Magazine, Maggie Fox of Reuters America and Hugo Morales, Executive Director and one of the founders of Radio Bilingüe.
The National Partnership for Immunization (NPI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the nationwide incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases through increased use of licensed vaccines. The mission of NPI is to encourage greater acceptance and use of immunization for all ages through partnerships with public and private organizations. For more information on NPI, access their Web site at www.partnersforimmunization.org.
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News Directors / Assignment Editors:
The Excellence in Immunization Awards Luncheon will be held on July
31st at 11:30 am at the National Press Club in the Holeman Lounge at
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC
--30--
For more information, please contact
Sherry Hill, Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Communications
(907) 465-1611Or
Ross Soboleff
Public Information Officer III
(907) 465-1611
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