Missouri Immunization Coalition Exhibits and Presents Outstanding Programs at Missouri’s Joint Public Health Conference

The Missouri Immunization Coalition (MIC) is pleased to announce the organization’s recent achievements! The MIC exhibited at the Joint Public Health Conference: Creating the Healthiest Missouri in Columbia, MO, on September 20^th– 21^st. During the event, MIC leadership and staff had the opportunity to showcase programs and projects, highlighting the importance of vaccinations in reducing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

MIC Programs Director, Nicole Williams

MIC Programs Director, Nicole Williams, and Public Health Educator, Kelechi Onyeaka, each presented a poster showcasing MIC efforts to raise immunization awareness and increase vaccination rates in Missouri.

Co-authored by Williams and Kassandra Maturino of the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing and School of Medicine, the poster, Understanding Best Practices for Deployment of Web-based Decision Tool to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Build Vaccine Confidence: A Pilot of Let’s Talk COVID-19 Vaccines (LTCV) presented findings and recommendations from the pilot deployment of LTCV, a new tool developed by the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to improve COVID-19 vaccine informed decision-making. The pilot aimed to assess best practices for dissemination and implementation of LTCV in rural Missouri settings and revealed that accommodations are needed for a web-based resource to meet the unique needs of rural settings in efforts to address vaccine hesitancy and build vaccine confidence, acceptance, and equity.

Public Health Educator, Kelechi Onyeaka

Research presented in the poster, The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workforce Staffing in Missouri (co-authored by Onyeaka, Williams, and Dr. Wilson Majee of the University of Missouri), confirmed that the healthcare sector in the state has faced unprecedented challenges over the last three years, made recommendations for addressing the most prevalent challenges, and revealed that healthcare agencies displayed tremendous resilience by developing innovative solutions to maintain care throughout the pandemic.

The 2023 Joint Public Health Conference was hosted by the Missouri Public Health Association, Section for Public Health Nursing, Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies, Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence, Missouri Institute for Community Health, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The Missouri Immunization Coalition is committed to promoting health for all Missourians, and we are thrilled to have had this opportunity to share our work with other colleagues from across the state. Thank you to our team for their hard work and dedication and to our members and partners for their ongoing support and collaboration.