Immunize Colorado has received a 3-year grant award of $125,000 each year from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This funding, the first direct federal funding to be awarded to Immunize Colorado, and one of only six awards to be made nationally, will support activities aimed at building vaccine confidence for routine immunization in Colorado’s diverse communities utilizing lessons learned from community engagement conducted by the Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce (CVET).
With partnership support from the state health department, local health departments, and the Colorado chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, over the course of the three-year grant period, Immunize Colorado intends to identify and support areas of low vaccination coverage in Colorado and improve immunization rates through both community-based education and outreach as well as local partnership development and collaboration. Immunize Colorado will identify areas in the state that have experienced the most dramatic vaccination rate drops and engage them through a variety of strategies including healthcare provider education, youth and community influencer engagement, small group “living room” conversations, a vaccine expert speaker series, and more. To further promote vaccine equity efforts, this project will specifically focus on communities of color, Coloradans with limited English proficiency, rural Coloradans and include youth engagement efforts.
For inquiries about this new initiative, please contact us.