Vaccine Confidence Toolkit

AIM hosted the Sustaining Community-based Partnerships to Build Vaccine Confidence webinar on September 30. Attendees learned about innovative partnerships between local/state/jurisdictional immunization programs and community-based organizations, and heard how these partnerships that promote vaccine confidence among communities of focus can be sustained and strengthened as the immunization environment continues to evolve post pandemic.

Webinar panelists included:

• Michelle Gilstrap, MPH, Immunization Program Manager, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
• Emman Parian, MPH, Immunization Program Manager, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Immunization Program
• Leah Romano, MPH, Countywide Vaccine Coordinator, Allegheny County Health Department
• Michaela Avino, MPH, REACH Program Manager, Allegheny County Health Department

AIM hosted the Utilizing Infodemiology to Improve Vaccine Confidence: Resources for Immunization Programs Managers webinar on July 16. Attendees heard from Joe Smyser, Ph.D., MSPH, CEO at Public Good Projects, and Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, infectious disease epidemiologist and science communicator at de Beaumont Foundation. Dr. Smyser and Jessica discussed infodemiology, a public health discipline that studies the spread of information with the goal of improving health, how immunization programs and partners can utilize infodemiology resources to improve vaccine confidence, and science communication tips for health care providers and public health professionals.

On April 30, AIM held the webinar A Playbook for Addressing Health Misinformation: Applications for Immunization Programs and Partners. During this webinar, attendees learned from Tara Kirk Sell, Ph.D., MA, and Aishwarya Nagar, MPH, about the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security’s Practical playbook for addressing health misinformation, which takes a hands-on approach to help public health practitioners, medical professionals, and health communicators recognize and respond to health-related rumors and misinformation. Attendees also heard from Tad Sooter, public information officer at the Kitsap Public Health District, about his real-world experiences implementing the playbook’s concepts and other strategies to address misinformation and build trust.

This webinar was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this webinar reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC, or the U.S. Government.

On June 8, AIM hosted the “Using Qualitative Research to Increase Vaccination Access and Uptake in Under-Immunized Communities” webinar. Attendees learned about rapid evidence-based qualitative research methods that can provide insight into how to build confidence in routine vaccinations among under-immunized communities.

Dr. Brett Craig from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe shared how to:

• Design and conduct rapid qualitative research with different under-immunized communities
• Better understand communities’ routine vaccination drivers and barriers
• Use qualitative research results and strategies to develop community-tailored interventions that increase vaccine confidence, access, and routine vaccination uptake

AIM hosted the “Strengthening Vaccine Confidence: Refreshing our Conversations about Child and Adolescent Vaccinations” webinar on May 4. This event featured evidence-based recommendations designed to equip public health communicators, advocates, and health care providers with the needed strategies to effectively build an understanding of and support for child and adolescent vaccinations. Dr. Julie Sweetland from FrameWorks Institute provided participants with research-based insights to implement recommendations in their jurisdictions and build vaccine confidence across their diverse communities through an interactive presentation and Q&A panel.

On Wednesday, March 29, AIM hosted the “An Innovative Community Partnership to Increase Vaccine Confidence and Access” webinar. This webinar featured promising practices to increase vaccine confidence and uptake in communities. With presentations and a Q&A panel, attendees learned how partnering with trusted messengers, such as community basic needs organizations, can improve vaccination rates and vaccine equity.

Presentations included:

• Troy Moore from National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) gave an overview of NDBN’s participation in the HHS We Can Do This campaign to increase confidence and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and reinforce basic prevention measures.
• Doug Adair from Nashville Diaper Connection (NashDiaper) shared the success of partnering with the Tennessee immunization program to develop the Connections™  Program, recognized by the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) as a promising practice.
• Michelle Fiscus, MD, AIM Chief Medical Officer, discussed how partnerships can be replicated in other jurisdictions.

AIM hosted the Translating Vaccine Confidence Research into Practice Webinar on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. This webinar featured three evidence-based models to increase vaccine confidence in communities:

1. the ASPIRE framework
2.  LetsTalkShots
3. the ImmYounity module

Through presentations and a Q&A panel, immunization programs gained new tools to help healthcare providers, pharmacists, and community partners increase vaccine confidence in their communities.

Speakers:
Angela Shen, ScD, MPH; Visiting Research Scientist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Adjunct Associate Professor, Perelman School of Medicine & Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute, University of Pennsylvania
Daniel Salmon, Ph.D., Director and Professor, Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Amy Nicholas, PharmD, Medical Managed Care Director, Vaccines at Sanofi (presentation not recorded)

AIM hosted Engaging Rural Pharmacies to Increase Vaccine Access and Confidence Webinar on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. The webinar provided resources and perspectives from Laura Lee Hall, Ph.D., President of the Center for Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity, who discussed the flu and COVID-19 vaccine DRIVE Toolkit (Demonstrating Real Improvement in Value and Equity). Amy Nicholas PharmD, Medical Managed Care Director at Sanofi Pasteur, shared the ImmYounity module for pharmacists in having vaccine conversations with patients. Through presentations, highlighted resources, and an interactive Q&A panel, immunization programs learned how pharmacies can play a role in bridging vaccine access gaps in rural communities.

Speakers:
Laura Lee Hall Ph.D. (President of the Center for Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity)
Amy Nicholas PharmD (Medical Managed Care Director at Sanofi Pasteur)

AIM hosted Understanding Rural Health Challenges and Building Successful Partnerships to Achieve Vaccine Confidence Webinar on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. The webinar provided perspectives from the immunization coalition and program leaders about how they’ve partnered to boost vaccine confidence, as well as national perspectives on challenges and strategies in rural communities for overcoming access and vaccine hesitancy issues. Through presentations and an interactive Q&A panel, Immunization Programs learned best practices for creating successful partnerships to build vaccine confidence.

Speakers:
Dr. Yabo Beysolow (Pediatrician, Subject Matter Expert, REACH)
Karen Sharpnack (Executive Director, Idaho Immunization Coalition)

AIM hosted the Partnering with Community Health Workers to Increase Vaccine Confidence on October 4, 2021. The webinar provided perspectives from community health workers and immunization programs and their important role in health systems and public health through presentations and an interactive Q&A panel. Watch to learn best practices for building partnerships with community health workers.

Speakers:
Alma Galván (Migrant Clinicians Network)
Denise Smith (Executive Director; National Association of Community Health Workers)
Venus Ginés (President/Founder of Día de la Mujer Latina)
Michelle Di Miscio and Brianne Ramos, (Washington State Department of Health – Community Health Workers program)

On April 7, 2021, AIM hosted an interfaith webinar with religious leaders from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities on building vaccine confidence in faith communities. Through presentations and an interactive Q&A panel, presenters shared best practices for building partnerships with faith leaders to increase vaccine confidence.

To successfully build vaccine confidence in a community, you need to engage multiple types of community leaders to build trust and address vaccine misinformation. Public health’s strongest immunization advocates include parents, coalitions, and religious and community leaders. On November 10, 2020, AIM hosted a webinar with several advocacy groups who shared their work to educate their stakeholders on vaccination and offered tips/lessons learned for engaging communities to build vaccine confidence.

On August 18, 2020, AIM hosted the second webinar in its Vaccine Confidence Webinar series. The webinar focused on recent research on flu vaccine uptake trends within African American communities and offered examples of public health partnerships supporting flu vaccine confidence.

Dr. Sandra C. Quinn of the University of Maryland Center for Health Equity presented her research related to the cultural factors and demographic trends within African American communities that influence flu vaccine uptake. Dr. Laura Lee Hall of the Center for Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity presented on building partnerships with health care systems and researchers to identify ways to increase equitable flu vaccine coverage.