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Forward20th Annual Allegheny County Immunization Coalition Conference: "Uniting for Immunity: The Role of Vaccination in Public Health
The 20th Annual Allegheny County Immunization Coalition (ACIC) Conference, “Uniting for Immunity: The Role of Vaccination in Public Health,” is a full-day, in-person educational program designed to support physicians, nurses, pharmacists, school health professionals, and public health leaders in addressing persistent and emerging challenges related to immunization. Planned by an interprofessional committee, the conference focuses on practical, evidence-based strategies to improve vaccine uptake and rebuild public trust. Sessions will explore local vaccination trends, ethical and policy implications, communication strategies to address hesitancy, and systems-level approaches to cross-sector collaboration. The activity aims to address current practice gaps in vaccine delivery and patient communication and will incorporate lectures, panel discussions, and case-based learning to support interprofessional education and continuing competence.
Target Audience
Nurse
Nurse Practitioner
Pharmacist
Physician
Social Worker
Learning Objectives
Connect the history and legacy of vaccination to current public trust challenges, and apply those lessons to modern communication and policy.
Evaluate emerging infectious disease threats and translate epidemiologic data into practical, local preparedness plans.
Apply relevant public health laws and inter-agency collaboration strategies to strengthen vaccination programs.
Design and implement effective school-based vaccination strategies, overcoming logistical and trust-related barriers.
Develop system-level policies that improve vaccine confidence and coordination within healthcare networks.
Incorporate behavioral science principles into vaccine communication to address hesitancy and drive action.
Use trusted messenger and narrative defense models to combat misinformation and strengthen patient and community relationships.
Apply forensic and root-cause analysis to cases of preventable disease to identify and correct system failures.
Integrate diverse expert perspectives to develop practical, cross-sector solutions for improving vaccine confidence, preparedness, and coverage at the local and system level
20th Annual Allegheny County Immunization Coalition Conference
Uniting for Immunity: The Role of Vaccination in Public Health
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 – Regional Learning Alliance
7:30 – 8:00 AM — Registration & Exhibits
8:00 – 8:10 AM (10 min) — Welcome & Opening Remark: Set the tone: legacy, trust, and practical urgency. Sponsor recognition.
8:10 – 9:00 AM (50 min) — Keynote — Peter L. Salk, MD: Reflections on Vaccine Legacy and Public Trust
9:00 – 9:40 AM (40 min) — Amesh Adalja, MD: Emerging Pathogens, Pandemic Threats, and Local Preparedness
9:40 – 10:15 AM (35 min) — Tina Hershey, JD, MPH: Public Health Law and Collaboration
10:15 – 10:35 AM (20 min) — Morning Break & Exhibitor Visits
10:35 – 11:10 AM (35 min) — Michael Deem, PhD: The Ethics of Vaccination
11:10 – 11:45 AM (35 min) — Kara Miles, BSN, RN, NCNSN: Barriers & Breakthroughs in School Vaccination
11:45 – 12:45 PM (60 min) — Lunch & Exhibitor Visits
12:45 – 1:25 PM (40 min) — Gretchen Chapman, PhD: Behavioral Drivers of Vaccine Decision-Making1:25 – 2:15 PM (50 min) - Panel Discussion What Trust Requires Now: Cross-Sector Insights
Moderator: Raymond Pontzer, MD
Panelists: Richard Zimmerman, MD; Marian Michaels, MD; Donald Middleton, MD; John Alcorn, PhD
2:15 – 2:30 PM (20 min) — Afternoon Networking, Exhibitor Visits & Refreshment Break
2:30 – 3:05 PM (35 min) — Jean Storm, DO, CMD, DHDQM:System-Level Approaches to Building Vaccine Confidence
3:05– 3:45 PM (40 min) - Todd Wolynn, MD & Chad Hermann: The Trusted Messenger Model: Narrative Defense Against Misinformation
3:45– 4:00 (15 min) – Final thoughts/questions, Closing, Next Steps for CME, Thank Yous
Faculty Disclosure:
All individuals in a position to control the content of this education activity have disclosed all financial relationships with any companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. All of the relevant financial relationships for the individuals listed below have been mitigated.
Donald Middleton, MD- CE Speakers' Bureau with Merck; Pfizer, Sanofi. Consultant with Dynavax, Vaxcyte, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Sanofi Pasteur, Seqirus, Moderna, MinervaX.
Amesh Adalja, MD- Consultant with BD, Invivyd, Moderna, Pfizer. Publicly traded stock with Roche, Biocryst.
Richard Zimmerman, MD- Consultant with Sanofi Pasteur. Grant/Research Support with Sanofi Pasteur.
Todd Wolynn, MD- Consultant with Moderna, Sanofi, Merck, Pfizer. CE Speakers' Bureau with Merck.
No other members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships with any companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Immunization Coalition and Allegheny County Medical Society. The University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physician (CME)
The University of Pittsburgh designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit[s]™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity
Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 6.25 contact hours.
Pharmacy (CPE)
This knowledge-based activity provides 6.25 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit.
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the University of Pittsburgh is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 6.25 general continuing education credits.
Other Healthcare Professionals: Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.
Available Credit
- 6.25 ACPE PharmacyThe UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a Provider of continuing pharmacy education.
- 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
- 6.25 ANCCUPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
- 6.25 ASWB
- 6.25 Attendance
Thank you to our exhibitors:
The Children's Institute
Dynavax Inc.
GSK
Merck & Co., Inc.
Pfizer Vaccines