Cooperative Agreement NH23IP922654

DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING TARGETED IMMUNIZATION MATERIALS - BACKGROUND: AS THE GLOBAL COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM UNFOLDS TO COMBAT THE PANDEMIC THAT BEGAN IN 2020, WE ARE REMINDED AGAIN THAT VACCINATION IS ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT LIFE-SUSTAINING MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS. NONETHELESS, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS UNDERMINED HARD WON GAINS IN ROUTINE VACCINATION COVERAGE ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS, LEAVING LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES OVERDUE FOR RECOMMENDED VACCINES. AS A RESULT, THERE IS A STRONG NEED FOR EFFECTIVE COALITIONS TO CHAMPION IMMUNIZATIONS AND ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS FOR SOURCES OF CREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION THAT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CAN USE TO COMMUNICATE WITH PATIENTS SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF VACCINES ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN. THE SWIFT INTRODUCTION OF COVID-19 VACCINES UNDER EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION (EUA) ALSO HAS INTENSIFIED THE DEMAND FOR RAPID COMMUNICATION OF NEW AND URGENT VACCINE-RELATED COMMUNICATIONS TO FRONT LINE IMMUNIZERS.OBJECTIVES: IN THIS APPLICATION TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR IMMUNIZATION AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC), THE IMMUNIZATION ACTION COALITION (IAC) SEEKS TO COMPLEMENT AND AMPLIFY CDC?S EFFORTS TO INCREASE IMMUNIZATION RATES AND REDUCE DISPARITIES BY DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON CURRENT IMMUNIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRACTICES FOR PROVIDERS TO SHARE WITH PATIENTS, PARENTS, AND THE PUBLIC; TRANSLATING VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENTS (VISS) INTO NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES; DEVELOPING TRAINING FOR COALITIONS AND PROVIDING THEM WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; AND PROVIDING RAPID RESPONSE COMMUNICATIONS IN THE FACE OF OUTBREAKS, EMERGENCIES, AND TRENDING PRIORITIES.ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY: IAC IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND RELIED UPON SOURCES OF UNIQUE IMMUNIZATION EDUCATIONAL TOOLS THAT IMPACT THE EDUCATION, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. IAC IS ALSO A DIRECT SOURCE OF IMMUNIZA TION INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC. IAC'S TWO MAJOR WEBSITES RECEIVE MORE THAN 35,000 VISITS PER DAY, PROVIDING MORE THAN 300 CONSISTENTLY UP-TO-DATE EDUCATIONAL HANDOUTS ALONG WITH FEDERALLY MANDATED VISS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, ALL AVAILABLE COPYRIGHT-FREE. IAC?S EMAIL NEWS SERVICE, IAC EXPRESS, STARTED IN 1997, BROADCASTS WEEKLY IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION AND SPECIAL EDITIONS TO MORE THAN 52,000 OPT-IN SUBSCRIBERS. THE IMMUNIZATION ACTION COALITION SERVES AS AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATIONS HUB THROUGH ITS WEBSITES, EMAIL NEWS SERVICES, LISTSERVS, CONFERENCE ORGANIZING AND PARTICIPATION, CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLICYMAKING, AND DIRECT CONTACT WITH EVERY VACCINE-INVOLVED FEDERAL AGENCY, STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, ALONG WITH MORE THAN 100 STATE AND LOCAL IMMUNIZATION COALITIONS. THESE CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDE IAC WITH UNMATCHED ACCESS TO IMMUNIZATION EXPERTISE AS WELL AS TO DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS FOR ITS MATERIALS.METHODS: DURING THE FIVE-YEAR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, IAC PROPOSES (1) TO CREATE NEW MATERIALS AND UPDATE EXISTING MATERIALS FOR DISSEMINATION IN RESPONSE TO PUBLICATION OF NEW IMMUNIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS IN MMWR; (2) TO SEND WEEKLY EDITIONS OF IAC EXPRESS TO ITS EMAIL SUBSCRIBER BASE, IN ADDITION TO SPECIAL EDITIONS CALLED "ASK THE EXPERTS" IN WHICH IAC EXPERTS ANSWER TECHNICAL VACCINATION QUESTIONS; (3) TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO IMMUNIZATION COALITIONS THROUGH REGULAR CONFERENCE CALLS, A DEDICATED LISTSERV, AND EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS; AND (4) TO DISSEMINATE RAPID COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH IAC EXPRESS, THE IMMUNIZE.ORG WEBSITE, AND THE COALITION LISTSERV IN RESPONSE TO OUTBREAKS, EMERGENCIES, OR TRENDING PRIORITIES.