KEYWORDS:
Capacity building, partnerships, adult immunization, influenza, vaccine, coalition

BACKGROUND:
Although influenza is a vaccine-preventable disease, annually there are approximately 114,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths attributed to influenza in the United States. Individuals at highest risk (those over age fifty and those with chronic health conditions) account for a majority of this mortality and morbidity. National surveys show that in 1999 only 67.4% of the 65+ population got their flu shot. It is critical that state and local jurisdictions develop effective and comprehensive coalition-based interventions to improve adult immunization rates.

OBJECTIVE:
Demonstrate and describe the impact of successful capacity building and partnership development on both the growth of an adult immunization coalition, and in turn, the increase in immunization rates.

METHOD:
The Ocean State (RI) Adult Immunization was formed in 1997. According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the influenza immunization rate in 1997 in Rhode Island for the 65+ population was 67.7%, and the State's national ranking was twenty. By 1999 (in just two years time), Rhode Island's immunization rates increased by seven percentage points to 75.8%, and its national ranking jumped to number one. This success is attributed to coalition capacity building and the associated development of coalition bylaws, recruitment and expansion of member agencies, creation of task-oriented coalition subcommittees, strategic planning and evaluation, and successful fund-raising efforts.

RESULT:
see "methods" entry

CONCLUSION:
Coalitions that place special emphasis on capacity-building functions such as organizational structure, membership recruitment, budgeting, communications, and evaluation, can effectively improve adult immunization rates.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Participant will learn about:
Ø Establishing an organizational hierarchy and decision-making process
Ø Attracting membership and membership commitment
Ø Developing and maintaining coalition partners
Ø Organizational strategic planning
Ø Budgeting
Ø Meaningful project development and implementation
Ø Effective Communication
Ø Membership and Project Evaluation