Medical School Hotline

Introduction

On October 22, 2015, graduate students from the Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology & Pharmacology (TRMD), and the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Manoa volunteered to assist a public screening of “Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic” held by the Hawai‘i Immunization Coalition (HIC). What began as a single volunteer opportunity sparked the Student Immunization Initiative (SII), with an objective to continue educating the public about vaccine-preventable diseases, and later expanded to prevention of all infectious diseases. SII is led by graduate students in TRMD, a department that provides future leaders in infectious disease research with a world-class transdisciplinary education encompassing basic, clinical, and translational aspects at the bench and in the field. Carrying on this mission, SII became a Registered Independent Organization at UH Manoa in Fall 2016, with the goal of providing validated medical knowledge to the general public in order to make informed decisions about healthcare.

This initiative was conceived during an immunology class taught by Dr. Sandra Chang, faculty adviser of the organization, when graduate students learned about the decline in vaccine uptake in the United States. With backgrounds in microbiology and infectious disease research, these students understood that vaccines have saved millions of lives and led to eradication and elimination of devastating diseases such as smallpox and polio. In this digital age, it has become easy for people to access information on the internet but increasingly difficult to distinguish scientific fact from fiction on which to base sound healthcare decisions. Since its founding, SII members have been actively involved in a number of education and outreach efforts promoting vaccination and disease prevention.

Quest for a Cure

Since its inception, SII has focused particular attention on efforts to reduce human papillomavirus (HPV)-related morbidity and mortality. As a member organization of the “Vaccine-preventable cancer workgroup,” SII presented an exhibit at the 6th annual “Quest for a Cure: Progress in Cancer Research” community event at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). The exhibit featured educational brochures and posters, a movie trailer on HPV and cancer, and an interactive jeopardy game to educate attendees on HPV vaccines, cervical cancer, and other HPV-associated cancers. Event participants who visited the exhibit expressed interest in learning more about preventing HPV-associated cancers and sharing the information with their children and grandchildren.

2016 Hawai‘i Public Health Conference

In addition to community outreach events, SII has actively participated in professional meetings. On October 14, 2016, SII officers presented a poster at the 2016 Hawai‘i Public Health Conference, organized by the Hawai‘i Public Health Association. Describing the organization's origin, projects, and goals, the poster attracted many participants, leading to new partnerships and collaborations. SII was engaged in planning meetings for National Public Health Week in April 2017 and is listed as a volunteer organization for the 2018 Global Public Health Conference (tentatively titled).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pink Book Course

To inform vaccine providers about the HPV vaccine and share tips on how to discuss vaccination with patients, members hosted an informational booth at the CDC Pink Book Course on January 10–11, 2017. Organized by HIC and aimed primarily at healthcare providers, the course covered updated vaccine dose schedules, administration best practices, along with the most recent recommendations from Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). It was the first CDC Pink Book Course held in Hawai‘i in over twenty years! SII members attended the full course and received certificates of completion.

Teen Health Camp

SII works closely with medical students and their interest groups. In November 2016, SII had a booth at the 2016 Teen Health Camp at JABSOM. At the booth, SII members talked to students grade 6–12 about graduate school, career paths, and research at TRMD. Officers of SII were featured on KITV4 news coverage of the event on November 19, 2016. Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNBnIBvDPnw/?taken-by=siihawaii

JABSOM Community Health Fair

An informational booth was displayed by SII at this year's “Lamalama Ke Ola Kino” (“Glow with Health”), on January 15, 2017. Organized by medical students, the event exhibited health-related booths from food to fitness. SII members discussed the importance of HPV vaccination as cancer prevention with a broad spectrum of attendees. After participating in the CDC Pink Book Course just a few days earlier, members of SII were able to share valuable information about the most updated ACIP recommendations.

Medical Mycology Workshop

After a year of planning, SII hosted Hawai‘i's first ever Medical Mycology Workshop at UH Cancer Center Sullivan Conference Center on January 20, 2017. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Nancy S. Miller, Medical Director of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics from the Boston Medical Center and Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, covered a broad range of medically important fungi and presented real cases that illustrated diagnostic challenges. The event was funded by a grant from the ASM and supported by ASM Hawai‘i Branch and student chapter. Attendees included healthcare providers, government and industry scientists, and faculty and students from UH Manoa. With overwhelmingly positive feedback, SII plans to make the workshop an annual event. A short article about the event is expected to be published in the newly launched ASM Microcosm magazine!

Distributing Information through Social Media

Social media is effectively used by SII to connect with members of the community. Through the organization's website, Twitter, and Instagram, SII provides information on vaccine and health-related news as well as updates on ongoing and future projects. Currently there are 135 followers on Instagram and 80 followers on Twitter.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Through community activities and events, SII has received recognition and established partnerships with organizations such as HIC, Hep Free Hawai‘i, Vaccine Preventable Cancer Workgroup, Hawaii Public Health Association, and Vaccine for the World's Children Japan Committee. The only official campus club for UNICEF USA in Hawai‘i is SII. Furthermore, current and future SII presidents serve on the board for HIC, gaining valuable experience working on legislative issues and learning organization and management within a coalition.

Future Directions

SII has demonstrated its effectiveness in advocating for vaccination and disease prevention. Compared to larger not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, student organizations like SII are flexible, mobile, and community-friendly. Students are able to incorporate new techniques, digital apps, and social media that enhance outreach to younger demographics. With outstanding support from JABSOM, TRMD, and its partner organizations, SII is able to access and distribute scientifically based educational materials at numerous health fairs and community events. In the future, SII will continue to participate in community health events and public health conferences and to expand current educational programs to reach local schools and hard-to-reach communities. Visit the SII website at siihawaii. org and follow Instagram and Twitter accounts @siihawaii.