Goal 3: Increase Community Demand for Adult Immunizations

 

Communication activities concerning vaccination should be strategic, evidence-based, and culturally-appropriate and should reflect the health literacy, language proficiency, and functional and access needs of specific target populations.

Communications and outreach to the public are critical to address a lack of knowledge, as well as common misconceptions and skepticism about adult vaccinations. Likewise, health care providers are a highly influential source of information and advice about vaccinations, and a strong recommendation about the importance of immunizations can exert a strong influence over the vaccination decisions of patients, including those patients who may have reservations about some or all vaccines. A variety of other networks can also be leveraged, including faith-based and community organizations, employers, and individual trusted leaders.

Goal 3 Objectives

The following three objectives, and a number of sub-objectives detailed further in the National Adult Immunization Plan (NAIP), were developed to increase community demand through communications and outreach strategies. The second and third objectives, in bold below, were chosen in the National Adult Immunization Plan: A Path to Implementation as two of eight implementation priorities.

• Educate and encourage individuals to be aware of and receive recommended adult immunizations.
• Educate and encourage health care providers to recommend and/or deliver adult vaccinations.
• Educate and encourage other groups (e.g., community and faith-based groups, tribal organizations) to promote the importance of adult immunization.

Goal 3 Priority Measures

The implementation of this plan demands regular monitoring and documentation of progress, challenges, and opportunities. Therefore, the following baseline indicators were selected to measure progress in the NAIP and will inform future implementation and quality improvement efforts:

• Percentage of adults that believe they are recommended to receive a flu vaccine
• Percentage of adults that report receiving a provider recommendation for flu vaccine
• Percentage of internists and family physicians that report assessing vaccination status at very visit
• Percentage of adults who are aware that certain vaccines are recommended for them
• Percentage of pregnant women who report receiving the influenza and Tdap vaccines during pregnancy

Share Your Story

Many stakeholders play a role in improving the adult immunization system. Tell us how you or your organization are working to uphold the goals of the National Adult Immunization Plan!

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Download Reports

• National Adult Immunization Plan
• National Adult Immunization Plan: A Path to Implementation