BACKGROUND:
Despite recommendations from CDC for specific adult groups to receive influenza vaccine rates of uptake remain low. Public health departments must provide opportunities for these at-risk populations to receive these immunizations in their communities. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) conducts a yearly community influenza program targeting people 50 years of age and older and any adult with a chronic illness for influenza immunization. Volunteer providers and host sites representing multi-cultural communities offer opportunities at community sites for influenza immunization throughout the Philadelphia area during the months of October through December.

OBJECTIVE:
To promote influenza immunization at community based clinics through the use of media advertising and community based groups to a diverse multi-cultural population.

METHOD:
Radio and print advertising as well as direct community based volunteer involvement were used to promote the 2003-2004 Community Influenza Program. The PDPH partnered with local community groups and recruited hundreds of providers from throughout the Philadelphia area to staff clinics in every section of the city.

RESULT:
Radio advertisements and newspaper ads ran for six weeks during the campaign and over 10,000 influenza immunizations were administered to at-risk Philadelphians at over 250 clinics between October and December 2003.

CONCLUSION:
By partnering with local community organizations and providers a large diverse base of residents of the community were able to receive influenza vaccine. The utilization of multi-media interventions to reach the at-risk population increased the reach of the message and by having multi-cultural as well as culturally specific providers the ease of immunization administration and acceptance was fostered. These partnerships are a vital link to increasing public health awareness and encouraging further collaboration with community organizations.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Describe how to coordinate and implement a community based influenza program in a multi-ethnic population