Kathleen W. Gustafson, Immunization Program, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Immunization Program (P-115B), P.O. Box 85222, San Diego, USA, Ileana Cristina Rubio, San Diego Immunization Partnership, University of California San Diego, 3851 Rosecrans Street P 511-B, San Diego, CA, USA, and Jennifer Wieder-Gamez, San Diego Immunization Partnership, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0927, La Jolla, CA, USA.
KEYWORD1:
Partnerships, multi-cultural, collaboration, bi-national health
BACKGROUND:
San Diego and Tijuana share the busiest international border in the world, with over 40,000,000 crossings annually. More than 250,000 live, work and receive their health care on both sides of the border. The BiNational Health Commission was established to coordinate health programs affecting the border region, and has addressed issues including TB, HIV/AIDS, and emergency services coordination. The BiNational Immunization Initiative (BII) was formed last year to focus on activities to improve the coordination of immunization efforts between California and Baja California.
OBJECTIVE:
Facilitate communication among San Diego and Tijuana immunization programs. Develop tools to assist providers in understanding the requirements of both countries’ immunization schedules. Provide training to providers who immunize children receiving care in both countries.
METHOD:
Facilitate discussions of immunization issues between representatives of the San Diego Immunization Program and the Mexican health administrations. Look at barriers to the sharing of immunization data across the border. Develop culturally and linguistically appropriate education campaigns for families receiving bi-national health care.
RESULT:
The Initiative developed the BiNational Immunization Guide to enable providers and schools to interpret immunization requirements between countries. San Diego Immunization Program staff presented information on California’s schedule and requirements at a training for over 100 Tijuana immunization providers. Meetings are being held to discuss the barriers to sharing data between California and Mexican immunization registries. The Mexican Consulate provided funding for the design and purchase of educational incentive items.
CONCLUSION:
Immunization education and services for families living and working in both San Diego and Tijuana can be most successfully addressed by a bi-national working group.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
Name 3 agencies that provide immunizations to Mexican children in Tijuana, B.C.
List 4 collaborative efforts of the BiNational Immunization Initiative to improve immunization coverage among children receiving care on both sides of the border.
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