Helping school communities reduce kindergarten vaccination exemptions
Official title: Engaging school communities to prevent exemptions to kindergarten vaccination mandates
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11047214 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking into why more parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids for kindergarten, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, and it aims to help schools in places like Georgia, Wisconsin, and Idaho come up with friendly ways to encourage families to get their children vaccinated.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | September 29, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $350,000 |
| NIH project number | 1U48DP006839-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11047214 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are parents of kindergarten-age children, particularly those who may be considering or have filed for vaccination exemptions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not parents of kindergarten-age children or those who are already fully vaccinated may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to understand and address the reasons behind the increasing exemptions to kindergarten vaccination mandates, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. By partnering with school communities in states like Georgia, Wisconsin, and Idaho, the project will develop interventions that target vaccine hesitancy among parents. The approach includes identifying the factors that contribute to vaccine exemptions and implementing school-based strategies to improve vaccination rates. The goal is to create supportive environments that encourage parents to vaccinate their children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to increased vaccination rates among kindergarten-age children, thereby enhancing community health and preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that school-based interventions can effectively influence vaccination behaviors, making this approach promising based on past successes.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ammerman, Alice S — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Ammerman, Alice S
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.