Driven by Objectives. Committed to Quality.
Enhanced Service Delivery:
To meet state and national immunization objectives, field staff conduct quality assurance and quality improvement activities in the public and private sectors. These activities promote best practices consistent with the Standards for Child and Adolescent Immunization Practices and the Standards for Adult Immunization Practices while generating provider-specific feedback on meeting state and national program goals.
Assessments, Surveys and Reviews:
Field staff collect and report statistical data for use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health and the Immunization Program. Data activities include an annual immunization survey of two-year-old children and school surveys (childcare facilites, Head Start, kindergarten, and seventh grade). Data is also collected periodically on immunization policies covering individuals in hospitals, colleges, universities, and nursing homes. Survey data is analyzed and evaluated by central office staff to identify trends, design intervention strategies, update program goals and objectives, and devise or modify training and technical assistance.
Immunization Information Systems:
Uniform collection and reporting of information by County Health Departments (CHDs) is achieved through the Department's Health Management System. Uniform collection and reporting of information by immunization providers is achieved through the Florida SHOTS™ (State Health Online Tracking System). Immunization Program efforts to achieve effective use of these systems to identify missing immunizations or to avoid duplicate immunizations rely significantly on field staff technical assistance to public and private providers throughout the State. Visit www.flshots.com for more information about the immunization registry.
Links with WIC and other Economic Assistance Programs:
WIC-Immunization linkage policies and guidelines established between the State WIC Program and the Immunization Program are implemented by CHD staff. Field staff facilitate local collaboration between the two programs to achieve these linkage policies. Visit the WIC website for more information.
Surveillance and Outbreak Control:
Coordination and management of vaccine-preventable disease reporting, surveillance and outbreak control by central office is a primary Immunization Program function. Locally, field staff assists central office with implementation of surveillance and outbreak control protocols when necessary. Visit the Epidemiology Program website for more information regarding surveillance and outbreak control.
Vaccine Management:
Federally-supplied vaccines are the essential resource for Florida's Immunization Program. The Immunization Program is committed to fully safeguarding these resources with effective policies and guidelines for storage, handling, distribution, and accountability. Locally, field staff provide critical assistance to ensure vaccine efficacy.
