Partnerships to Address Immunization Training and Information Needs of Health Department Staff, Coalitions, Nurses, and Medical Residents

Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-IP09-907ARRA09

 Find the application at http://grants.gov/

 Funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Application Deadline - July 6, 2009

This funding provides an opportunity for CDC to conduct time limited enhancements of its immunization partners’ program through the creation of new partnerships that will address specific, unmet needs in information and education regarding immunizations and using theory-based approaches to communicate about them as described below in efforts to increase immunization coverage.

Eligible applicants may apply for one or more of three unique funding categories:

Technical Assistance and Training for Immunization Coalitions and Health Departments.

Develop and Implement Materials and Programs to Educate Nurses about Immunization Issues

Develop Vaccine Safety Communication Materials and Curriculum for Medical Residents.

1) Provide Technical Assistance and Training for Immunization Coalitions and Health Departments: Studies have shown that immunization coalitions can improve on-time immunization coverage in children (1), and increase adult immunization rates for influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases (2). In the past, CDC has provided training and technical assistance to coalitions through cooperative agreements, and this has expanded the capacity of coalitions to implement interventions in their States and communities, work in partnership with State and local health departments, and to improve immunization rates. This format has proven to be an efficient use of resources because coalitions are able to share lessons learned and the materials they develop with each other, as well as receive expert consultation. Historically, the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases has not provided this service to Health Departments and their staff, which often have training and technical assistance needs related to communication and social marketing. Therefore CDC would like to use this one time funding opportunity to address this unmet need.

2) Develop and Implement Materials and Programs to Educate Nurses about Immunization Issues: As front-line healthcare providers, nurses are in a unique position to educate patients and parents about immunizations and to ensure both are fully immunized against vaccine preventable diseases. Despite this opportunity, many nurses are not fully informed about immunization recommendations and/or have misperceptions about the safety and value of vaccines (3). In fact, many nurses themselves are not fully vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases, especially influenza (4). This lack of protection poses a risk to other healthcare workers as well as the patients they care for in hospitals, long-term care settings, schools, work-sites, and other settings (5). Currently, CDC has partnerships for informing and educating physicians, pharmacists, and others; but none that target nurses. By targeting nurses specifically, this cooperative agreement will address a critical unmet need.

3) Develop Vaccine Safety Communication Materials and Curriculum for Medical Residents: In recent years, concerns about vaccine safety have resulted in some parents of young children choosing not to vaccinate their children. While physicians can be highly influential in persuading parents to vaccinate their children, studies have shown that there is a need for physicians to improve the methods they use to communicate vaccine safety information (6). While CDC has current immunization partnerships in place to educate family physicians and pediatricians about immunization issues, CDC has no immunization partnerships to educate future physicians. This is a missed opportunity, especially considering that the effectiveness of specialty training programs in preparing pediatric and family medicine residents to impact changes in parental behavior has been well-documented (7,8). New partnerships to develop immunization curricula for medical residents will be of clear benefit to future physicians (and to future parents and children).

Duane Kilgus, MPH, RS

Commander, US Public Health Service

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Phone: (404)639-6354

Fax: (404)639-8828