The Immunization Partnership

OUR MISSION IS TO ERADICATE VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES BY EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY, ADVOCATING FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PUBLIC POLICIES, AND SUPPORTING IMMUNIZATION BEST PRACTICES.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH: DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, TIP DEVELOPED AND PROVIDED INFORMATION THROUGH TRADITIONAL, ONLINE, AND VIRTUAL METHODS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR FRONT-LINE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONDERS, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, AND THE PUBLIC. TIP ANIMATED A SERIES OF SHORT VIDEOS TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 BY INCREASING AWARENESS ABOUT THE VACCINES THAT FIGHT IT. THE VIDEOS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ENCOURAGE VACCINATION, ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINE, AND DEBUNK FALSEHOODS CIRCULATING OVER SOCIAL MEDIA AND ELSEWHERE. TIP LAUNCHED IMMUNIZATION UNIVERSITY (IZU), AN ONLINE PLATFORM OF EDUCATIONAL COURSES, WHICH INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT IMMUNIZATIONS, VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES, AND DISEASE PREVENTION. IN THE THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH, 146 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED THE THREE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES AND 63 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED THE NINE COMMUNITY COURSES. TIP HELD AN ONLINE SCHOOL NURSES FORUM. THE ONLINE FORUM HAD 733 INDIVIDUALS REGISTER FOR COURSES AND AWARDED 437 CONTINUING EDUCATION CERTIFICATES. REGISTRANTS VIEWED OUR YOUTUBE TRAINING VIDEO MORE THAN 1,790 TIMES. THE BUILDING COALITIONS ACROSS TEXAS (BCAT) PROGRAM WORKED WITH SEVERAL IMMUNIZATION COALITIONS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES. OUR STAFF ATTENDED FIVE VIRTUAL COALITION MEETINGS AND PROVIDED MORE THAN 350 CONTACT POINTS TO SHARE UPDATES AND RESOURCES. TIP PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL NURSES ANNUAL CON-FERENCE AND RECEIVED MORE THAN 1,120 VIEWS. TIP PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY, AND TEXAS SCHOOL NURSE ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ON THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON IMMUNIZATION RATES AMONG SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. TIP DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 600 MOBI VS THE SHIELD CHILDREN BOOKS NATIONALLY TO ABOUT 150 PARTNERS. TIP INTRODUCED TWO PODCASTS CARRIED ON MOST PODCAST PLATFORMS. VAXX VOICE DEALS WITH VACCINES IN GENERAL; VAXX TO THE FUTURE FEATURES INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO COVID-19 AND ITS VACCINES.

ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHT: TIP CO-AUTHORED WITH RICE UNIVERSITY BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND PUBLISHED A WHITE PAPER EXAMINING WHETHER VACCINE LEGISLATION IN TEXAS BECAME PARTISAN OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. TIP CONDUCTED A VIRTUAL ADVOCACY WORKSHOP. IT WAS A THREE DAY EVENT WITH 177 REGISTERED INDIVIDUALS AND AVERAGED 99 ATTENDEES PER DAY. IMMUNIZE TEXAS (IZT) ORGANIZED A VIRTUAL RALLY DAY DURING THE REGULAR SESSION. ABOUT 120 VACCINE ADVOCATES FROM ACROSS TEXAS JOINED ONLINE. IZT HELD MEET-AND-GREET SESSIONS IN HOUSTON, LAREDO, MCALLEN, AND BROWNSVILLE AND MET WITH LEGISLATIVE STAFF MEMBERS IN EACH CITY. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO MADE PRESENTATIONS ON IMMUNIZATION ADVOCACY TO THE IMMUNIZATION COLLABORATION OF TARRANT COUNTY AND THE VACCINE ADVOCACY CONFERENCE HELD BY THE IMMUNIZATION PARTNERSHIP. TIP SUCCESSFULLY PASSED TWO LAWS: SENATE BILL 1353, WHICH REQUIRES THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO REPORT VACCINE ACCESS AND DISTRIBUTION DATA DURING PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTERS, AND SENATE BILL 239, WHICH ENSURES THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES CLEARLY COMMUNICATES IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS DURING TIMES OF DISASTER. BY THE END OF THE REGULAR SESSION, TIP MADE MORE THAN 250 VISITS TO LEGISLATIVE STAFF OFFICES, EDUCATING LAWMAKERS AND STAFF ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATION, WHICH LED TO THE PASSAGE OF THOSE TWO PRO-VACCINATION BILLS AND TO THE DEFEAT 13 ANTI-VACCINE BILLS.

BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH: TIP PUBLISHED ITS REGIONAL DASHBOARDS, OR HEALTH REPORTS, FOR TEXAS PARENTS, EDUCATORS, PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, AND STATE AND LOCAL POLICY MAKERS. THEY HIGHLIGHT KEY IMMUNIZATION DATA POINTS FOR EACH OF THE EIGHT TEXAS GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AND FEATURE RESIDENT OPINIONS ON VACCINE-RELATED ISSUES. DATA POINTS INCLUDE NON-MEDICAL EXEMPTION RATES AND FIVE-YEAR TRENDS FOR SCHOOL-REQUIRED VACCINES, SEASONAL DEATHS FROM FLU AND PNEUMONIA, AND IMMUNITY THRESHOLDS FOR EACH REGION'S PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. TIP CONDUCTED ITS ANNUAL COMMUNITY SURVEY IN LATE SPRING 2021. THE SURVEY RECEIVED OVER 1,400 RESPONSES. THE IMMUNIZATION PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED OUR HEALTH EQUITY COUNCIL FOR IMMUNIZATIONS (HECI) DURING SPRING 2021 TO EXPLORE WAYS TO IMPROVE VACCINE EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND ACCESS IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY HEALTH DISPARITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. AS PART OF THAT PLAN, HECI PLACED TWO OPINION ARTICLES IN TEXAS NEWSPAPERS REGARDING MAINTAINING POSITIVE ATTITUDES DURING THE PANDEMIC AND COVID VACCINE HESITANCY AND MISINFORMATION.