States will no longer be required to report how many children they vaccinate to CMS, according to a December 30 letter to state health officials. As a measure of the quality of the care, states have been required to report the percentage of patients covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Plan who are immunized. About 40% of children are covered by Medicaid, a federal health program administered by states for people with low incomes, pregnant women, those with disabilities, and others. CHIP provides health insurance to children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid. States may continue to provide the information voluntarily, according to the letter, 'to allow CMS to maintain a longitudinal dataset while exploring alternative immunization measures.' In the future, however, CMS will explore 'new vaccine measures that capture information about whether parents and families were informed about vaccine choices, vaccine safety and side effects, and alternative vaccine schedules,' according to the letter.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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