NYAM "Yellowjackets" - The Original Flu Fighters

NYAM has served in the front line of public health as the original flu fighters since 2004 when it launched Project VIVA (Venue-Intensive Vaccines for Adults), a program designed to quickly immunize hard-to-reach populations (e.g. injection drug users, elderly shut-ins, undocumented immigrants) in disadvantaged urban communities (East Harlem and the Bronx, New York City) by delivering free flu vaccines door-to-door and on street corners

The partnership blends knowledge from each group to make credible and engaging information about influenza including encouragement to get vaccines. The community outreach workers, hired from the neighborhoods where the program is active, wear (and are labeled the) “yellow jackets.”

NYAM's "Yellow Jackets" have been delivering free flu vaccines door-to-door and on street corners since 2004.

While health institutions and governments continue to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu, it is worth noting our research has shown that low vaccination coverage among minorities and persons living in and near poverty is a persistent problem, particularly for hard-to-reach populations (e.g. injection drug users, elderly shut-ins, and undocumented immigrants). Efforts to successfully vaccinate HTR populations must address demographics, attitudes about vaccination, health norms, barriers to access, and immunization delivery methods

“The VIVA program is a model of community-academic-government partnership to address a response to seasonal and epidemic influenza. Much has been learned about making credible information to engage hard-to-reach communities for public health,” said Dr David Vlahov, Director Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies.

In the past five years, Project VIVA has conducted an assessment of personal and structural barriers to immunization, an examination of the feasibility, acceptance and utility of a community-public health partnership as a framework for rapid vaccination of hard-to-reach populations, the development of a rapid vaccination protocol for hard-to-reach and high-risk populations that could contribute to disaster and/or pandemic preparedness plans and a development of the means for generalizing these efforts to other hard-to-reach populations in other urban areas.

Currently the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends planning for vaccine distribution and accelerated preparations for mass vaccination campaigns against H1N1. NYAM'S work in Project VIVA has laid the foundation for this preparedness in hard to reach populations in East Harlem and other urban communities.

Project Viva is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Center for Minority Health and Disparities.

Posted on May 6, 2009

 Print   Subscribe

Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org

Press Release Archive