Adult Immunization - Rural Intervention

This project is now completed.

Background:
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a full schedule of adult immunization, not all adult health care providers offer the full complement of recommended adult vaccines.  In rural areas, this can create challenges to ensuring that adults receive vaccines. 

Objectives:
To identify rural areas of Michigan with limited access to adult immunization; to develop and evaluate interventions to improve access to adult immunization.

Research Topics & Methods:
The project will involve several components:

• Analysis of data from Michigan’s immunization registry to identify areas with low adult immunization rates
• Sites visits to identified areas to understand which vaccines are and are not offered by various providers
• Development of strategies to support an “immunization neighborhood” approach to ensuring that residents of rural areas have access to the full complement of adult vaccines

Funder: 
The project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.