Kohl’s VAX Kids A Community Outreach Guide for Southern Maine · Guide for Southern Maine 2 2 r 3...
Transcript of Kohl’s VAX Kids A Community Outreach Guide for Southern Maine · Guide for Southern Maine 2 2 r 3...
kohlsvaxkids.org
K o h l’ s VA X K i d s | P r o m o t i n g c h i l d h o o d i m m u n i z At i o n s
A Community Outreach Guide for Southern Maine
November 20 1 2
August 20 1 2
October 20 1 3
March 20 1 3
Childhood immunizations keep our community safe. Childhood immunizations protect children, families, and our larger community from dangerous, even deadly, diseases while saving our healthcare system billions of dollars.
Yet, our counties have some of the lowest immunization rates in Maine. More than one in four local children is not up to date on his or her immunizations. In fact, 2012 data showed only 64% of two years olds were up to date on their immunizations in Cumberland County, and only 71% in York County.1
Getting behind schedule leaves children vulnerable to dangerous diseases. While Maine’s immunization rates are improving, we still have a lot of work to do.
Will you help us keep local children safe and healthy?
Understanding local parents’ decision to vaccinateA statewide survey2 showed that the majority of
Maine parents believe vaccines protect children from
vaccine-preventable diseases. However, further
analysis and research has found common barriers to
vaccinating include:
•Believing on-time vaccinations are not necessary
•Believing vaccines are not safe
For many parents, these issues are intertwined.
In weighing safety versus necessity of childhood
immunizations, parents may think that perceived
vaccine safety risks outweigh the necessity of
vaccinating on time.
Parents with safety concerns (not to mention busy
lives) may not perceive on-time vaccinations as a top
priority and, therefore, get behind on the recommended
schedule. Parents not aware of the importance of
vaccination timing may actively try to address safety
concerns by choosing an alternative schedule.
“ If you want to give your kid the best chance of living a happy, healthy life, vaccinations are essential. In the big picture, vaccinations are small traumas with big rewards.”
Jason Shucker, Gorham, ME
About Kohls Vax KidsBarbara Bush Children’s Hospital teamed up with Kohl’s Cares
to create a locally-based immunization education campaign,
Kohl’s Vax Kids. The campaign is supported by the educational
resources of Vax Maine Kids, a provider of evidence-based
vaccination information and resources for parents in Maine.
What information do local parents need? Parents have many questions about childhood
immunizations. As a community, we can help parents
make the best healthcare decisions for their family.
The most important immunization education
messages to communicate to parents of young
children include:
Vaccines are necessary to protect children.
In fact, following the recommended vaccine
schedule protects a child from over 14 diseases by
age two. Staying up to date on the recommended
vaccine schedule:
•Prevents unnecessary illnesses and serious
diseases
•Keeps families and communities safe
Vaccines are safe.
Decades of research and the most current scientific
information show that the benefits of vaccines
clearly outweigh any risks. The recommended
schedule is based on this research and tested by
leading clinical experts, including those from the
Centers for Disease Control.
on-time vaccinations are important.
The recommended vaccination schedule is carefully
designed to protect children with certain vaccines
at certain times. The schedule gives vaccines at
the time when:
•Children are at highest risk for specific diseases
•Vaccines work best to prevent disease
Parents may inadvertently get off schedule or actively
choose an “alternative schedule.” Getting off schedule
puts children at greater risk for infectious disease.
local resources can help parents learn
more about vaccinations.
Parents have many questions and seek information
from many sources. The most important person they
can talk to about their immunization questions is their
child’s healthcare provider.
Outside the healthcare setting, parents should
seek information from evidence-based sources like
www.kohlsvaxkids.org.
Reaching many different types of local parentsEvery family makes decisions differently based on their own beliefs. While you know your organizations’ community best, understanding different family types and how they make decisions may better inform your outreach efforts. There are three main types of families with young children living in Cumberland and York counties:
Town Choice: College-educated,
upper-middle-income parents
with small families. Town Choice
parents use their own analysis and
interpretation of evidence to make
decisions.
Rural Choice: Upper-middle-
income parents with some college
education and several children in
the house. Rural Choice parents use
established traditions in their local
communities to make decisions.
Rural Legacy: High-school-
educated, lower-middle-income
parents with several children. Rural
Legacy parents use lessons learned
from their own life experiences to
make decisions.
Help promote on-time childhood immunizations You don’t need to have expert knowledge or a large budget—just a desire to keep our communities healthy! Here’s how you can help:
distribute free educational materials
Hang a poster: A poster creates a simple,
visual reminder about the importance of on-time
immunizations.
Offer educational resources: Offer resources such
as brochures and fact sheets for parents who want
additional information. Use the many downloadable,
free resources available at kohlsvaxkids.org.
leverage your social media
Post content: Use social media to spread educational
messages to parents who interact with your
organization. Need ideas for what to post? Check out
the sample posts in our online toolkit, or visit other
immunization sites like Vax Maine Kids.
Share content: Find the Facebook page, Twitter
handle, or other social media sites of local and national
immunization groups such as Vaccinate Your Baby,
Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, OK to Ask
VT or Voices for Vaccines. Follow their content, repost,
and share with your own network.
spread the word through emails or newsletters
Send messages: Include immunization education
messages in your email blasts or newsletters. Need
ideas for what to include? Check out the sample email
or newsletter blurb in our online toolkit, or visit other
immunization sites like the Centers for Disease Control
to get ideas.
“ The reason to vaccinate is to try to prevent harmful diseases from being introduced in the community and putting our children at risk. In order for immunizations to protect a community, you have to try to immunize as many community members as possible.”
Jane Ho, M.D., Maine Medical Partners—Pediatrics
u Use the free resources available at kohlsvaxkids.org to share information with parents.
1. Maine Immunization Program Regional Training Presentation. August 9, 2012. Portland, ME.
2. University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service and Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (March 2008.) “2008 Maine Early Childhood Immunization Survey Report.”
host events
Plan an event: Events are a great opportunity to educate
parents and connect to them in a fun way. Consider
planning immunization-focused events or including
immunization education at your existing events.
Remember, you don’t have to be an immunization
expert to host an educational event! Fill out the event
application in our online toolkit or contact us if you are
interested in partnering with us to host an event.
support others
Team up: Partner with other local organizations to
support childhood immunizations. Attend or help
staff an educational event, or promote or share online
content. Let’s build this effort together!