Virginia Cooperative Extension partners with CDC, National Rural Health Association for adult vaccine awareness
Virginia is one of three states to receive funding for a pilot project to provide community members with vaccine knowledge to empower them to make informed decisions about their health.
Jessica Jones, an associate Extension agent in Greensville/Emporia, Virginia , is one of the vaccine ambassadors. Photo courtesy of Sophie Wenzel.
Virginia Cooperative Extension received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Extension Foundation to partner with the Virginia Rural Health Association on a pilot project called New Partners: Increasing Vaccinations of Rural Adults.
The project, made up of teams at Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, is currently in the design phase with the implementation phase expected to begin in January 2024. The 18-month pilot splits funding between the two universities and the Virginia Rural Health Association and targets underserved rural populations. New Partners will focus on training and engaging community health workers as vaccine ambassadors in their communities.
New Partners expands upon a current adult vaccine education project, dubbed EXCITE 3, by the researchers. EXCITE 3 is a new, third phase, building upon both EXCITE 1 and EXCITE 2, also funded by the Extension Foundation. For this third phase, outreach efforts are shifting from being campus driven to community driven, with vaccine ambassadors and Extension agents engaging in adult vaccine education in their communities. Ambassadors are available to support extension agents interested in integrating vaccine education into their ongoing programs.
EXCITE 3 is designed to provide education to community members around vaccinations to empower adults to make informed decisions about their own health.
“It’s more effective to have people from the community on the ground doing the outreach and conducting the education. Vaccine ambassadors and Extension agents are valued and trusted messengers in their communities,” said Sophie Wenzel, assistant professor of practice, associate director for Center for Public Health Practice and Research in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Virginia Tech lead on the project. “We want increased access to information on adult vaccinations, empowerment, and people feeling more comfortable talking to their health care provider about vaccinations. Ultimately, we want to improve access to vaccinations and protection from preventable diseases.”
The Virginia Cooperative Extension EXCITE 3 team and the Virginia Department of Health will hold a virtual event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 3 to learn more about the project. Register for the event online. The deadline to register is Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.
In addition to Extension, the Virginia Rural Health Association, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University, partners on the project include local health departments, ImmunizeVA, and the Office of Epidemiology in the Virginia Department of Health.
At Virginia State University, the partner at the project is Tiffany Freer, a health education Extension specialist. At Virginia Tech, in addition to Wenzel, the efforts are led by:
- Kristina Jiles, aesearch assistant professor in the Center for Public Health Practice and Research and public health Extension specialist
- Domenique Villani, project associate in the Center for Public Health Practice and Research
- Kathy Hosig, associate professor and director of the Center for Public Health Practice and Research
- Amanda Hensley, graduate student in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion
Current vaccine ambassadors on the project are:
- Maria Murillo-Valdez, Extension project coordinator in Lancaster County
- Shannon Rogers, Extension project coordinator in Halifax County
- Susan Dalrymple, Extension project coordinator in Pulaski County
- Jessica Jones, associate Extension agent in Greensville/Emporia
