Grants Hope to Improve Idaho Immunization Rates

Trial program at CDHD would aim to better educate and train vaccine providers

The Central District Health Department (CDHD) has been awarded nearly $70,000 in grants aimed at improving immunization rates. Currently Idaho is tied for 49th place in the nation for the number of children immunized against preventable diseases. In Idaho and Nevada only 54 percent of children are fully immunized. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 goal is 90 percent.

The Regence Foundation recently awarded $49,800 and the Jeker Family Trust $20,000 toward a pilot program that would give vaccine providers greater educational and training support in immunizations practices. CDHD is providing $20,000 toward the pilot program.

Scott Kreiling, President of Regence Blue Shield, presents a check from the Regence Foundation to Central District Health Department Director Russ Duke (left) and CDHD Board Chairman Steve Scanlin (right) at the Board of Health meeting at CDHD Friday
February 19, 2010.

The pilot project comes on the heels of a series of surveys conducted by Boise State University’s nursing department. The surveys discovered that many health care providers may need additional educational support. The researchers believe Idaho’s low immunization rates could be improved by working with these providers to find solutions that will lead to more consistent and safe administration of vaccines.

The grant dollars will go to an Immunization Education Outreach Team that will provide training to the 40 medical clinics in Ada County with the lowest rates of childhood immunization. The team will include a community physician and health department nurse who will provide peer education to their counterparts at the selected clinics.

The Immunization Education Outreach Team will visit each of the 40 clinics twice within a 12 month period for initial training and follow-up. All providers participating in the program will complete a survey before receiving training and again after 6, 12 and 18 months to assess changes in immunization knowledge and practices, including compliance with Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations.

If successful, the health department plans to expand this program to reach other clinics throughout the health district: Valley, Elmore and Boise counties, as well as other parts of Ada County.