TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents and amendments between the City of Long Beach and the California Department of Public Health for the provision of immunization services in the amount of $461,486 for the period of July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
Since 1993, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services has received funding from the California Department of Public Health to supplement local childhood immunization programs and services. The goal of the Long Beach Health Department Immunization Program is to increase the immunization rates of children and to decrease the occurrence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Long Beach. The target objectives are that 90 percent of children in Long Beach will be fully vaccinated with all of the pediatric doses of vaccines recommended by age two, and that at least 95 percent of kindergarten enrollees into public and private schools in Long Beach will be up-to-date upon entry. Currently, 75-78 percent of two-year-olds have received all of the recommended vaccines. This percentage has increased significantly from 40 percent in 1993 when the project started. In 2010, 90 percent of Long Beach kindergarten students were fully immunized by the first day of school. A major emphasis of this project is to monitor the efforts of the schools as they bring students into compliance with immunization requirements to attend school and child care.
Immunization Program Activities
The funds will be used for the continuance, provision and coordination of local immunization program activities. The activities include: immunization education for providers, parents and the community; outreach to target populations; annual pre-school, Head Start and kindergarten immunization records assessments; quality assurance reviews in the Health Department and private non-profit clinics; case management for hepatitis B prevention; outreach and clinic interventions to promote and provide vaccine under special circumstances such as outbreak control or school law implementation; and recall/reminder systems to ensure on-time receipt of immunizations. The Immunization Program also coordinates the annual flu vaccine campaign which includes conducting community clinics using Red Cross volunteer nurses and the distribution of the remaining state-supplied flu vaccine to Long Beach non-profit clinics.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Trang and by Acting Budget and Performance Management Bureau Manager Shari Metcalf on December 9, 2011.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is requested on January 17, 2012 as services under this agreement began on July 1, 2011. The contract for these services was held up due to delays at the State level.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will receive grant revenues of $461,486 to offset expenditures of the same amount. Sufficient funds are currently appropriated in the Health Fund (SR 130) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HE). There is no City match required, no impact to the General Fund and no net impact to jobs associated with this action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
RONALD R. ARIAS
DIRECTOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER