July 2026

As summer continues across Illinois, the Immunize Illinois Coalition is building momentum through collaboration, education, and community engagement. This month's newsletter highlights upcoming opportunities, coalition updates, and resources to help healthcare providers, public health professionals, educators, and community partners prepare for the busy months ahead.

To assist with that preparation, we invite you to check out Voices for Vaccines (VFV) toolkit for National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). NIAM is observed annually in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. In the toolkit, you will find many resources including customizable graphics and videos for social media. All resources are available in both English and Spanish! Use hashtags #AskForVax, #NIAM26, and #VoicesForVaccines to increase your reach and connect with partners.

Your Voice Matters! Complete Immunize Illinois Coalition’s Vaccine Needs Survey to help identify immunization priorities, address gaps, and shape future coalition initiatives that strengthen vaccine access, education, and confidence across Illinois. The survey is open July 20-August 7. More than one person from your organization can complete the survey. Please share with colleagues and partners that are invested in the success of immunizations in Illinois. You can take the survey here or scan the QR code below.

Sustaining Access to Immunizations Across the Lifespan. Join IPHA and Immunize Illinois Coalition to discuss how policy work can advance vaccine access in Illinois with particular focus on engaging employers and health plans. This in-person summit is open to anyone advocating to increase vaccine access across the State. The Summit will take place at Erin’s Pavillion in Springfield, Illinois on August 18, 2026. Additional information and registration can be found here.

The Immunize Illinois Coalition will host an in-person meeting at IPHA’s 85^th Annual Public Health Workforce Conference in Springfield, Illinois on September 1-3. The meeting will be open to anyone who wants to attend to learn more about Immunize Illinois or become a member! For more information on IPHA’s 85^th Annual Conference, visit the conference’s main page. Hope to see you there!

Back-To-School

Is Your Agency Hosting a Back-to-School Event? As families prepare for the new school year, Immunize Illinois invites partner agencies, providers, and community organizations to share information about upcoming back-to-school vaccination events and outreach activities. Submitted events will be promoted on the Immunize Illinois Coalition website and social media channels to help connect families with local immunization services. Please include event dates, locations, eligibility requirements, and registration details when submitting information. Send information to Melissa Graven at mgraven@ipha.com with the subject “Back to School”.

Vaccinate Your Family 2026 Back-to-School Campaign. This campaign encourages families to contact their child’s healthcare provider to ask what routine vaccines they may need before the first day of school. Campaign information and assets are available on the VYF landing page linked here. Don’t forget to use #FirstDayVax and #MakeTheCall to amplify your posts!

Grandparents for Vaccines webinar hosted by Immunize Illinois Coalition will be held on August 26 at 12:00 PM CT. Register here.

Advancing Influenza Vaccination: Building Confidence and Expanding Access with FluMist and FluMist Home a webinar presented in partnership with Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP), Illinois Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP), and Immunize Illinois Coalition will be held on August 28 at 12:00 PM CT. Register here.

The Current Landscape Around Vaccine Policy and Advocacy hosted by ICAAP will be held August 12 at 12:00 PM CT. Register here.

Reimagining Vaccine Education and Access through Community Support. Join Voices for Vaccines on August 18 at 1:00 PM ET to celebrate NIAM! Hear how Minnesota vaccine advocates found innovative ways to reach families in Minneapolis needing empathetic, accessible healthcare during Operation Metro Surge. Use Minnesota’s story to rethink healthcare holistically for your communities. Register here.

Storytelling for Social Change: Shaping the Vaccine Narrative hosted by Voices for Vaccines will be held August 19 at 12:00 PM ET. Register here.

Preparing for Respiratory Virus Season 2026-2027 Recommendations hosted by ICAAP will be held September 9 at 12:00 PM CT. Register here.

Who Can we Trust for Vaccine Information with Dr. Paul Offit will be held at 12:00 PM ET on September 9. Presented by The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, together with Pennsylvania’s Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University. Find out more or register today.

Vax Advocate Training. Are you interested in using your voice to make your family, school, neighborhood, or community healthier? Voices for Vaccines is building a community of Vaccine Advocates. Attend monthly training sessions for actionable tools and best practices in vaccine advocacy.

• Topics include the 4-A method, storytelling for social change, pro-vaccine messaging and media, resilience for advocates, and leadership 
• Access toolkits to engage communities in vaccine advocacy
• Meet like-minded people from other communities advocating for immunization

If you’re interested in learning more, fill out the form as “volunteer” here.

For Those New to Vaccination. Immunize.org is pleased to announce a new section of the website designed for healthcare professionals new to vaccination practice.

Getting Started: For the New Vaccinator is organized into six topic areas that connect vaccinators of any clinical background to the basic resources that support each step of successful vaccine delivery.

Motivational Interviewing Modules. From North Dakota State University-Center for Immunization Research and Education, this four-part online video series aims to help clinicians improve their conversations with vaccine-hesitant patients. Viewers will be introduced to several communication strategies rooted in motivational interviewing (MI). An avatar version of Dr. Mary Larson (a member of the MI Network of Trainers) will guide viewers through four videos, each about 10-15 minutes long. To complete the training, follow the instructions below the CE statements. To access the content, click here.

Mobile Clinic Finder is Live and Available at No Cost!  Mobile Health Provider Network (MHPN) and Mobile Clinic Finder (MCF) are now live and available for use at no cost. MHPN is a fellow community health provider and nonprofit 501c3 sharing a platform used for nearly 10 years to expand access and equity.  The site is open to all community and mobile health providers, across all health services. These tools strengthen and scale community-based and mobile care by making it easier to coordinate, deliver, and access health services. Increase visibility and connectivity; post, track, and report services delivered. To get started register today!

Sensory-friendly Clinic Model. Local health departments (LHDs) play a critical role in ensuring access to immunization services. For some individuals, particularly those with sensory sensitivities, anxiety, or neurodiverse needs, traditional vaccination settings can present significant barriers. Central Connecticut Health District (CCHD) is working to bridge this gap by developing a sensory-friendly vaccine clinic model that prioritizes flexibility, comfort, and patient-centered care. Read more here on National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)’s blog.

Voices for Vaccines has produced a new, educational video about measles! This one is about two people who caught measles from someone 10 stories below them. Download the video here to post on your social media and tag Voices for Vaccines as a collaborator! @Voices4Vaccines

Socal Graphics on Shared Clinical Decision-making. As respiratory virus vaccine season approaches and questions about shared clinical decision-making continue to arise, use these new graphics on your social media channels to help your community better understand what shared clinical decision-making means and how to make the most of a conversation with a healthcare professional.  Resources from Public Health Communications Collaborative can be downloaded here.

Back to School Immunizations: Addressing Exemptions and More from Illinois Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) featuring Dr. Daniel Johnson on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Access the slides and the recording here.  Vax Facts Note: This was an excellent webinar and Immunize Illinois Coalition strongly encourages viewing!

Maximizing Trust and Reducing Resistance with Communications Best Practices featuring Dr. Todd Wolynn from the Trusted Messenger Program presented by NACCHO on June 30, 2026 can be viewed here. More about Trusted Messenger Program trainings can be found here.

Public’s Exposure to and Belief in False Vaccine Claims. A new KFF poll finds that while relatively few Americans firmly believe common vaccine myths, at least half fall into a "malleable middle," expressing uncertainty about whether false claims are true or false. The findings suggest that ongoing exposure to misinformation, particularly on social media, continues to shape public confidence in vaccines, especially among parents.

Figure. At Least Half of the Public Express Some Uncertainty When it Comes to Belief in Falsehoods About the Measles and COVID-19 Vaccines

Vaccine Double-Header: Same-day Flu, COVID Shots Shown to Be Safe from CIDRAP. Getting the flu vaccine and COVID shot on the same day doesn't increase the risk of adverse reactions, according to a review of the medication records of 2.5 million adults who receive medical care across the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, assessed the frequency of 46 adverse reactions of some 1.8 million VA patients who only received the flu shot, and compared that data to the incidence of adverse reactions among more than 705,000 who were vaccinated against both the flu and COVID-19 on the same day. People received this medical care from September 2022 to August 2025, during which time three iterations of the COVID vaccine were available. Cardiovascular and thrombotic events, neurologic disorders, and immune-mediated disorders were among the adverse reactions that researchers looked for in the 90 days following the immunizations. No individual outcome showed a statistically significant increase in risk. The researchers also noted that despite declining fatality rates, COVID-19 continues to cause “substantial morbidity and mortality in the United States.” An estimated 879,000 hospitalizations and 101,000 deaths occurred from October 2023 to September 2024 in the United States.

Safety and Efficacy of mRNA COVID19 Vaccines. A new study in The Lancet reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of mRNA COVID vaccines. In a review covering billions of doses of mRNA vaccines, researchers found that serious adverse events due to COVID vaccination are rare, and the vaccines’ substantial protection against severe disease far outweighs any risks. Researchers note that mRNA vaccines can continue to drive progress in preventive medicine, but that key accessibility barriers including price and storage requirements must be addressed to ensure equitable access.

This month’s “Did you Know?” is a trivia question. If you know the answer, email mgraven@ipha.com.

What vaccine-preventable disease has also been called the 100-day cough?

Good luck!

Protection is powerful!

Thank you for helping Illinois stay immunized!