KEYWORD1:
Hepatitis prevention, state-wide campaign, partnership

BACKGROUND:
Colorado requires children entering school/daycare to have three doses of vaccine against hepatitis B. Ongoing public awareness efforts are needed to reach parents of pre-school children who are not fully immunized. Coloradoans are also at moderate risk for hepatitis A.

OBJECTIVE:
To effectively partner with CDPHE and the Colorado Rapids soccer team to deliver the hepatitis prevention message. To create a state-wide campaign to educate Colorado parents about the different forms of hepatitis and how to protect their children—from preschool through high school. Three age-based educational tools were created for parents.

METHOD:
Provide localizable materials to CCIC sites, local health departments and county nursing services state-wide. Host a Denver news conference to kick-off National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) and the “Hepatitis Prevention: Always Best for Your Child” campaign. Develop logo to use on all materials.
Partner with the Colorado Rapids throughout soccer season. Develop English and Spanish TV spots with Rapids player. Provide free game tickets as incentives at immunization clinics. Distribute hepatitis prevention information at select games. Print posters/flyers in English/Spanish.

RESULT:
The Denver news conference was successful. Eight broadcast news stories aired on five local stations. Newspaper articles ran in five Colorado cities. Satisfaction was expressed by parents, providers and the Rapids on the donated tickets. Calls from the campaign were tallied by a statewide Family Healthline and the Hepatitis C Connection.

CONCLUSION:
Public awareness of the need for hepatitis prevention was achieved. The continued partnership with the Colorado Rapids was successful in spreading the immunization message. The free tickets were invaluable incentives for clinics especially when faced with the challenge of vaccine shortages.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
1) Describe the strengths of public/private collaboration.
2) Partnering with public health departments and professional sports teams provides a targeted approach to reaching at-risk families with immunization messages.