In the early 1990s Chicago experienced a recurrence of measles. Many parents in the city’s Austin neighborhood were unaware of the importance of immunizing their children by the age of two—which meant they were often not vaccinated until they enrolled in school. Others were aware of the importance of vaccinations, but lacked the resources and access to healthcare that were necessary to have their children properly immunized.

United Way launched the Austin Immunization Initiative to educate parents and guardians on the value of immunizations, as well as to provide accessible healthcare so parents can stay up-to-date on their children’s vaccines. The Austin Immunization Initiative works by communicating to parents why their children should be immunized, assessing the needs of children and their families, and providing training and resources to day care providers and license-exempt home day care providers. Committee members strategize around efforts to increase immunization rates among children 0-6 in Austin, identify local community partners, conduct assessments, facilitate training and host resource fairs.

The work of United Way in Austin continues. The Austin Immunization Assessment is conducted with school nurses, parents and day care providers to measure the effectiveness of the Austin Immunization Initiative and identify strategies and resources to sustain the Initiative as a model for other communities. United Way is conducting the assessments through the end of March.

Also, to commemorate National Immunization Awareness Week, April 19-26, United Way will host immunization fairs for home day care providers and an Immunization Day at a local church in Austin.