Strategy
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Adult Vaccination Coverage Level Grant aims to advance adult immunization by partnering with community organizations, supporting provider education, promoting publicly funded vaccine programs, leveraging media to boost coverage, and addressing disparities in vaccine access among underserved populations.
Challenge
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), thousands of adults in the United States are hospitalized each year due to vaccine-preventable diseases. Many die from their illnesses. Vaccination is an effective tool to protect the public health and minimize unnecessary suffering.
Although childhood vaccines offer early protection, immunity to some diseases can diminish over time. Adults may also be at increased risk for other diseases due to occupational exposure, lifestyle factors, travel, or underlying health conditions.
Persistent disparities in health care access further contribute to lower vaccination rates in certain communities. Limited awareness, misinformation, and structural barriers often prevent adults, especially those in underserved populations, from receiving recommended vaccines. These challenges underscore the need for targeted education, outreach, and partnerships to strengthen adult immunization uptake across Illinois.
Solution
The IDPH Immunization Section awarded grant funding to three community-based organizations and health entities to implement targeted immunization initiatives within their respective communities.
Through formalized grant agreements, each partner aimed to enhance awareness of adult immunizations and increase vaccination rates while addressing local barriers to immunization.
Grantees carried out a range of programmatic activities, including:
- Disseminating educational resources and tools on adult vaccination
- Utilizing media platforms to raise awareness and encourage vaccine uptake
- Promoting publicly funded vaccine programs
- Identifying and addressing barriers to immunization for their local communities
A key component of the initiative was the adoption of a hyperlocal approach. Each organization assessed community‑specific needs, challenges, and gaps, allowing them to tailor messaging, refine outreach strategies, and collaborate effectively with local stakeholders. This approach ensured that interventions were both relevant and responsive to the unique characteristics of the populations they served.
Outcome
The grant-funded initiatives achieved measurable impact across the participating regions:
- Grantees disseminated adult vaccine information through electronic channels reached 24,000 individuals within the grantees’ regions.
- Grantees hosted webinars that offered Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, attracted 415 webinar participants, and covered topics such as adult vaccines and maternal RSV vaccination.
- Grantees implemented localized marketing campaigns and organized a variety of events. One grantee focused on influenza vaccination as an entry point to have broader immunization conversations since they found that their population was generally receptive towards flu shots.
Through these efforts, grantees built trust, countered misinformation, and increased public awareness of recommended vaccines and vaccine safety. These activities strengthened adult vaccination awareness and contributed to statewide coverage improvements. Overall, the work supported the IDPH’s mission to protect communities and advance equitable access to preventive health services.
Supplemental Materials