Oregon’s Childhood Immunization Champion
May 1, 2019
HILLSBORO, Ore. – For more than 30 years, Kathy Tompkins has been managing the immunization program at Hillsboro Pediatrics. Not only has she led the team in improving vaccinations rates for children, she promotes excellence in all aspects of vaccine storage and carefully monitors compliance.
In recognition of her tireless work, the Oregon Health Authority nominated Tompkins as the CDC Childhood Immunization Champion for Oregon. The annual award is given to the nominees during National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), which is being celebrated April 27-May 4.
It highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and recognizes individuals who make a significant contribution toward improving public health through their work in childhood vaccination.
When the NIIW observance was established in 1994, immunization programs were facing significant challenges. The nation was in the midst of a serious measles outbreak and communities across the U.S. were seeing decreasing immunization rates among children.
"The recent measles outbreaks across the United States have demonstrated the importance of ensuring all children are fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," said Aaron Dunn, manager of the Oregon Immunization Program at OHA. "The work that people like Kathy do helps create healthier communities every day."
Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. Among children born during 1994-2018, vaccination will prevent an estimated 419 million illnesses, 26.8 million hospitalizations, and 936,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes.
2019 also marks the 25th anniversary of the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program. VFC is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who otherwise might not be vaccinated because of inability to pay.
For help in finding a local health care professional who participates in the VFC program, parents can contact their local health department or visit OHA's Vaccines For Children webpage at http://healthoregon.org/vfc.
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