Strategy
Decrease barriers to COVID-19 vaccination access, improve COVID-19 uptake, and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
Challenge
In the summer of 2022, Kentucky was experiencing suboptimal COVID vaccination rates in school age children. Vaccine hesitancy was impacting general vaccination rates in school age children.
Solution
In collaboration with the University of Kentucky Community Pharmacy and local health departments, the immunization division at the Kentucky Department for Public Health provided a statewide COVID-19 pop-up vaccination event. The event occurred at the location of the boy’s high school state baseball tournament, girl’s high school state softball tournament, and state track tournament, and simultaneously in communities across the state. Every individual that received the COVID-19 vaccine received an individualized general vaccination plan with easy-to-read materials defining and describing the recommended childhood and adult vaccines. The event’s target population was anyone 6 months of age and older.
The main event occurred on the University of Kentucky campus, with simultaneous events coordinated by the following local health departments: Fayette County, North Central, Lawrence, Martin, Todd, Logan, Kentucky River, Green River, and Lincoln Trail.
This initiative required approximately 100 hours of staff time. Personnel was paid by general labor funds, while signage, flyers, and patient handouts and resources were paid for by the Foundation for Healthy Kentucky. Incentives were provided by the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Plans.
The events occurred on July 20 and July 29 from 8 am-5 pm ET, while some local health departments continued to provide pop up events through August 5.
This initiative was made successful due to the partnerships with the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Plans for contributing incentives, the Kentucky Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky for supplying incentives, signage, vaccination handouts, and resources, and Midway University for providing nursing students as volunteers for vaccination administration.
Outcome
All vaccinated individuals were receptive to information about childhood and adult vaccines. Appointments were also scheduled for adults/individuals to return to the local health department to receive their recommended
In addition, every individual that received the COVID-19 vaccine received an individualized general vaccination plan with easy-to-read materials defining and describing the recommended childhood and adult vaccines.
Supplemental Materials
