Covid 19 - EXCITE: Extension Collaborative on Immunization, Teaching & Engagement

In Kentucky, adult vaccination coverage rates average only one-half for influenza vaccine and one-fourth for pneumococcal vaccine. Coverage for hepatitis B vaccine varies from 1 percent to 60 percent, with an average of 10 percent across the state. Kentucky’s Covid-19 vaccine rate is only 58%. In an effort to increase adult vaccination rates, we aim to create and disseminate information regarding the importance of and schedule for all adult vaccinations, as determined by the CDC’s adult vaccination schedule, including the value for each type of vaccine and locations and contact information for vaccine providers in the targeted communities. With the great need for increasing awareness and knowledge about adult vaccines, we will implement the vaccine education program through in-person learning sessions that include trusted local medical professionals provided by our Rural Health Clinic partners and local Extension personnel. With our institutional partners in the UK College of Pharmacy, we will also be able to host mobile and pop-up vaccine clinics in more accessible locations to the priority population in the targeting counties, which is a carry-over from EXCITE 2 grant funding. Our priority population is older adults living in rural counties, which have low adult vaccination rates and high ratio of adult population to medical providers. Prior research on vaccine confidence has shown that older, rural adults prefer in-person education and interaction with trusted local providers. In these areas, there is a high level of trust between local residents and local Extension personnel. By providing adult vaccine education in the context of in-person sessions that include local Extension staff and Rural Health Center medical personnel, it increases the trust that local citizens have in the information they are being provided, and providing vaccine clinics in trusted and accessible locations increases the likelihood of engagement. Each of the counties that were chosen to receive this intervention are designated by Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) as rural and designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA). The rural counties were chosen for targeted intervention based on low adult vaccine adoption rates, low medical provider to population ratio, and high median age of population. Data was provided by Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning Immunization Branch, medical provider to population ratio data provided by County Health Rankings, and median age of population data provided by the United States Census Bureau. The chosen counties are: Clinton County, Harrison County, Marshall County, Morgan County, and Washington County.