Tag: vaccines

New COVID Variants and Boosting Your Immunity (Fall 2022)

Although it’s pumpkin spice season, another pandemic winter is about to arrive. Though no completely new variants of the COVID virus have emerged yet, there are several new Omicron sub-variants. The Omicron variant first surfaced in the fall of 2021, and during the past year, various Omicron variants have primarily been responsible for COVID cases. Now there are some new variants, including BA.4.6, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1, as well as XBB. To answer some of our questions about these new variants we have invited Dr. Suzanne Judd, Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to join our podcast.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Reginal Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Strategies for Combatting Health Misinformation (October 13, 2022 12pm CST)

Misinformation has been a risk factor throughout the pandemic, leading to more disease and death from COVID-19. Dr. Katrine Wallace (UIC School of Public Health) is an epidemiologist and social media science communicator who debunks misinformation and false claims about COVID-19 and the vaccines. In this webinar, Dr. Wallace will explain the difference between misinformation vs disinformation, discuss why disinformation is such a widespread public health issue, and identify strategies to combat health misinformation among your own friends/family/workplace. This webinar was co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Dr. Katrine Wallace,
Epidemiologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics & Division of Community Health Sciences
School of Public Health
University of Illinois at Chicago

eVALUATION

Back to School Q&A with an Infectious Disease Pediatrician

It’s August and it’s not just kids back in class. School is now in session for germs, viruses and bacteria that cause illnesses that can make your child (or yourself as a parent, caregiver, or guardians) sick. Back-to-school is widely recognized in the medical community as a time when many children pick up infections from their classmates. As a parent or caregiver, what do you need to watch for? Dr. David Kimberlin, Professor and Co-Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joins the podcast to discuss some common illnesses found in schools, the best way to treat them, and the importance of good hygiene practices to reduce the chances of catching these illnesses.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Reginal Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Having Conversations around Children and COVID-19 Vaccination

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends COVID-19 vaccination for most children and adolescents 5 years of age and older. However, as of April 13, 2022 only 28% of children 5-11 years old and 58% of adolescents ages 12-17 have received the 2-dose vaccination series. However, throughout the pandemic, having conversations around COVID-19 and the vaccine has been challenging, especially when it comes to our children. To share her thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine and children and how to have conversations around the vaccine, we have invited Dr. Candice Dye, an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Academic General Pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama, to join us to share her thoughts on this important topic.

Misinformation as a Risk Factor During the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 26, 12pm CST)

Misinformation has been a risk factor throughout the pandemic, leading to more disease and death from COVID-19. Dr Katrine Wallace (UIC School of Public Health) is an epidemiologist and social media science communicator who debunks misinformation and false claims about COVID-19 and the vaccines. In this talk she discussed the difference between misinformation vs disinformation, the techniques that people use to mislead, why misinformation goes so viral on social media, and how viral misinformation is negatively affecting public health. This webinar was co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Training Evaluation

Difficult Dialogues: Learning effective communication about tough topics (March 10, 12pm CT)

In today’s polarized and increasingly isolated communication landscape it can feel impossible to break through the noise and establish a meaningful dialogue about issues related to the COVID019 pandemic. In this webinar Dr. Adam Brooks from the University of Alabama shares with us the basis for effective communication and how to shift tough topics from a debate to a dialogue.

By the end of this webinar you will be able to:

  • Identify the techniques of effective communication.
  • Break down barriers to arrive at shared understanding.
  • Determine the difference between dialogue and debate.
  • Apply the four steps of active listening.
  • Recognize the barriers put up around complex issues like vaccine.
  • Develop strategies to structure conversations for better outcomes.

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Training Evaluation

Epidemiology 101: Fundamental Concepts for Understanding the Pandemic (February 24, 12pm CT)

Understanding epidemiologic concepts has been consistently and increasingly important in personal and professional decision-making as the pandemic has continued and all elements of it have evolved. Join Dr. Stella Aslibekyan as she presents several tools to help you read and think critically about pandemic-related news from an epidemiological perspective. The webinar will focus on concepts like herd immunity, vaccine efficacy, and endemic infection, and what they mean for COVID-19 control. There will also be a focus on disentangling correlation from causation.

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for OH&S .

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 contact hours.

Training Evaluation

COVID-19 and Children

 

Dr. David Kimberlin, Professor and Co-Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joins the podcast, Standard Precautions and Beyond, to discuss COVID-19 in pediatric patients, how to keep children safe from the Delta variant and to answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children.

Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health, a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.