A Note from the CEO

Dear Friends,

I trust this finds you savoring these final days of summer, and I hope the season provided you with refreshing breaks from your routine and quality time with family and friends. Is it me, or does summer go by faster each year? It seems like yesterday (instead of three months ago) I wrote to you about my trip to Washington, DC and the people I met on Capitol Hill. I was quite grateful for that opportunity to engage with political leaders and with change-makers in the world of HPV vaccination and cancer prevention. It thrilled me to be forging new partnerships!

No doubt, that experience helped shape my summer work agenda. In addition to expanding the reach of our HPV Vaccine Provider Education Program to rural and medically underserved counties in Alabama, I wanted to spend time on 'partnership development' - to support existing partnerships and cultivate new ones. Although VAX 2 STOP CANCER has managed to accomplish A LOT on its own - as a small non-profit organization with three employees (at most - sometimes two, sometimes one!) - we could not spread our message and educate our community, without the organizations and individuals with whom we regularly collaborate, consult and converse. They are not only a source of great insight and information, but they encourage us and inspire us to strive toward our shared goal of eliminating HPV cancers. We all agree that wiping out cancer will "take a village."

Fortunately, I have a passion for building bridges with other non-profits in our field. I find it exhilarating to develop relationships with individuals who share similar visions around vaccinations and public health. I never regret the time and energy it takes to get to know a new colleague or to catch up with an old one. And I'm proud of the hundreds of connections I have made in four years. Each connection represents an opportunity for V2SC to improve its programming, or expand its reach throughout Alabama, or educate more healthcare providers, or discover new funding sources, or create new approaches to old problems.

I can honestly say that every one of these partners has opened doors for VAX 2 STOP CANCER, and I am extremely thankful for that:

Finally, I would be completely remiss if I didn't say that among our most valued and precious partnerships, are those which we hold with YOU - the health care providers, supporters, donors and friends of VAX 2 STOP CANCER. Thank you for the many ways you contribute to our mission and work. As our A Shot at Prevention guest speaker, Dr. Heather Brandt, said in her most eloquent and convincing way, "We can eliminate HPV cancers..."  Emphasis on the WE.

With Gratitude,

Barbara S. Schuler

CEO and Founder

Your gift to VAX 2 STOP CANCER will prevent HPV cancers in Alabama.

*Program Update*

For over four years, VAX 2 STOP CANCER has championed its mission - to prevent cancer by expanding the use of the HPV vaccine through education and advocacy - by training Pediatric and Family Medicine practices in the art of using the Announcement Approach to increase HPV vaccination rates of their 9-13 year old patients.

 And here's where we stand as of August 2024...

Board Member Spotlight

Mallie and her husband, Stewart Dansby

Mallie M. Ireland

VAX 2 STOP CANCER Board Member

Mallie has a true servant's heart for her native Birmingham, Alabama, and for years she has selflessly and generously shared her time, talent and treasure with organizations in her community.  Currently she serves on the Executive Committee of the Glenwood Mental Health Board and the Executive Committee of the United Way of Central Alabama Board (over which she was Chair, from 2019 to 2021).

She has been honored with many awards and acknowledgements, not the least of which include:

• The 1999 American Cancer Society’s Life Inspiration Award
• The 2001 Association of Fundraising Professionals Outstanding Civic Leader Award
• The 2021 United Way Tocqueville Award

Why did you join the board?
I was impressed with Barbara’s work and tenacity in promoting the vaccine and wiping out cancers caused by HPV. I was especially interested because I’ve personally seen the devastation of cancers caused by HPV exposure. 

Role on the Board?

Being born and raised in Birmingham and actively involved in the greater Birmingham area as a community volunteer, I have an ability to network and assist in fundraising for V2SC.

What does the mission of VAX 2 STOP CANCER mean to you?
I have 15 grandchildren, and it is important to know there is something available for them that is beneficial and can actually prevent cancer.

What is the most rewarding part of being involved with V2SC?
Seeing the increase in vaccine rates since V2SC has implemented trainings. And seeing those trainings increase. It’s also incredibly rewarding to be associated with such accomplished and brilliant doctors, dentists and researchers united for a common cause.

What do you want the public to know about V2SC?
The vaccine is safe and effective and should be administered beginning at 9 years of age.  It’s disheartening to see so much vaccine hesitation caused by Covid; so it’s critical to get the word out about the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine.  I applaud Barbara and her team for doing such a great work!

Did you know...

August is National Immunization Awareness Month?

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, the American Association of Immunologists, and other health organizations support this annual observance, to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages and to encourage people to talk to a healthcare provider they trust about staying up to date on their vaccinations.  GETTINIG ALL RECOMMENDED VACCINES PROTECTS AGAINST SERIOUS ILLNESS!  NIAM is strategically timed to coincide with the start of school and the approach of flu season. 

Years of research and hundreds of longitudinal studies confirm the SUCCESS of vaccines...

Impact of Routine Childhood Immunization in Reducing Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the United States (Pediatrics August 2022; 150 (3): e2021056013. 10.1542/peds.2021-056013)

In the United States in 2009, amongst an annual birth cohort vaccinated against 13 diseases, it was estimated that nearly 20 million cases of disease and ∼42,000 deaths were prevented, and $13.5 billion saved in direct costs (Zhou et al., 2009).

A landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved – 101 million – were those of infants. The study shows that immunization is the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring babies not only see their first birthdays but continue leading healthy lives into adulthood.

The WHO led this analysis of the impact of the Expanded Program on Immunization from 1974 to 2024. It covers the global and regional health impact of vaccination against fourteen diseases: polio, rotavirus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, measles, rubella, tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis, tetanus, pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, yellow fever, meningitis A.

The amazing power of vaccines to positively impact our lives is exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic --

Safe, effective vaccines against COVID-19 saved an estimated 14.4 million lives globally during just one year of this pandemic and will continue to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death for millions more.

Of course, V2SC's work focuses on the HPV cancer prevention vaccine, but ALL vaccines are important!  We want our readers to know what vaccines they, as well as their children, should have (YES, adults need vaccines too).  Take a look at this quick assessment tool, to see if you're up to date.

“The impact of vaccination on the health of the world’s peoples is hard to exaggerate. With the exception of safe water, no other modality has had such a major effect on mortality reduction and population growth” (Plotkin and Mortimer, 1988).

Anne Lynn Langloh

Welcome to VAX 2 STOP CANCER

Anne Lynn Langloh, PhD

V2SC, Program Manager

In April we welcomed a new Program Manager to our great organization. Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, PA, Anne Lynn graduated from Duke University with a degree in Zoology.  After college, she landed in Birmingham for a job in a research laboratory at UAB.  Inspired by the scientific fundamentals and processes of medical research, she became a graduate student in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at UAB.  For her doctoral work, she utilized techniques of biochemistry, cell biology, immunology and molecular biology to study the structure and function of the amiloride sensitive sodium channel.  After pursuing post graduate research at Johns Hopkins Medical School and at the Carnegie Institute of Washington (Dept. of Embryology), Anne Lynn decided to stay home and raise her three children.

Twenty years later, she met Barabara Schuler, and was amazed by her passion for the HPV cancer prevention vaccine and very intrigued by the work and mission of VAX 2 STOP CANCER. 

Because of my background in research, I thoroughly understand the science behind cancer, viral infection, and vaccine development. What this means is that I know vaccines are effective and safe and absolutely fundamental to public health and wellness. The science and the data have proven that vaccines can eliminate disease, reduce the impact of illness, and prevent cancer - end of story!

In the News

from the National Cancer Institute

"FDA Approves HPV Tests That Allow for Self-Collection in a Health Care Setting"

READ MORE HERE 

from Cambridge University Press

A heart-breaking, yet hopeful, book that takes you through the world of cervical cancer with evidence-based information, personal stories and actionable outcomes

"Intimate, and informative, Enough reminds us that the choice to end cervical cancer belongs to each of us. Now is the time to act"

--Heather White, TogetHER for Health, and VAX 2 STOP CANCER partner

Dr. Linda Eckert is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and an internationally recognized expert in immunizations and cervical cancer prevention. She has worked as a consultant with the World Health Organization on global cancer prevention for the last fifteen years, facilitating policy development for the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer screening. She is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology with an Infectious Disease Fellowship at University of Washington’s Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Global Health.