KEYWORDS:
Community Building
Barriers to Vaccination and Undervaccinated populations
Health Education, Promotion, Media and Communication

BACKGROUND:
Hampton Roads’ immunization rate for children at 24 months is 70%, lower than the state rate of 77%, with African American children half as likely to be appropriately immunized as Caucasian children. The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) and CINCH, sought to find a solution to improve immunization rates in their predominately minority public housing communities.

OBJECTIVE:
To improve the community’s ability to develop and fund a lay health ambassador program to raise immunization rates among at-risk populations.

METHOD:
A community-based coalition of diverse partners developed a nine step process to implement and fund a lay health ambassador program. Over 300 children, up to age six, were identified as living in one public housing community and were selected to receive an in-home review of their immunization records and general health status. Program materials were developed, employees hired and trained, and the program piloted for one year in a select housing community.

RESULT:
Reached 99% of families with children in the priority population living in a selected public housing community.
Of those families: 42% reported program helped them to get children’s immunizations up-to-date; 29% reported program helped them to find a medical home; 27% reported that program helped them obtain health insurance for children.

CONCLUSION:
Lay health ambassadors conducting home visits to families are effective in increasing immunization rates among at-risk children, ages 0-6, living in public housing.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Identify specific community partners who have an investment in improving the immunization status of your priority population; Identify unique opportunities for partnership within your communities to increase immunization rates; Identify new sources of data for use in developing immunization programs; Identify opportunities for creative funding for immunization programs in your community.