KEYWORDS:
Adult Disparity and Minority Populations; Community Based; Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccines.

BACKGROUND:
The 1997 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that for persons aged 65 years and older, influenza and pneumococcal vaccination coverage rates were 63.3% and 46%, respectively. The coverage remained lower for non-Hispanic blacks at 45.8% and 26.1% and for Hispanics at 50.3% and 22.8%. The data demonstrated the need for a public health intervention in order to ameliorate immunization disparities among the adult minority populations 65 years and older.

OBJECTIVE:
Implement at least six new outreach activities throughout the Commonwealth and enhance the availability of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines to minority persons 65 years and older during the influenza immunization season.

METHOD:
Contacted identified State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) community partners to apply for up to $3000 to conduct activities to enhance adult influenza and pneumococcal immunization activities in their communities. Their activities needed to identify minority disparity adult populations; provide outreach education to those identified populations; and facilitate the provision of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination services at community-based facilities where these populations are concentrated.

RESULT:
There were 14 SHIP partners who applied for and were granted granted funds to implement these activities. They expanded their collaboration to 68 additional community based organizations to include churches, senior groups, and others. They purchased a total of 31 newspaper ads, 196 radio public service announcements, and 120 TV messages; distributed 12,636 pieces of print materials; and provided or facilitated 29,636 doses of influenza vaccine and 1,433 doses of pneumococcal vaccine. These services were provided to 196 sites serving disparity populations.

CONCLUSION:
A total of $35,933.08 expended on this project with easy implementation provided impressive and creative actions by the SHIP partners.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Describe how the combination of government support with community empowerment provides and opportunity for enhancement of minimal resources to serve a sizeable edentified health need.