Working with schools to reduce kindergarten vaccine exemptions
Engaging school communities to prevent exemptions to kindergarten vaccination mandates
This project will try school-based programs to help keep kindergarten children up-to-date on required vaccines by supporting parents, teachers, and school staff.
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 ID | NIH-11180952 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your school community will partner with researchers in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Idaho to address rising kindergarten vaccine exemptions. The team will talk with parents, teachers, school nurses, and administrators using surveys, interviews, and school record reviews to learn why exemptions are being filed. Together with school communities they will co-design and pilot practical strategies like clearer information for families, convenient vaccine access, or school-level outreach. Researchers will then monitor exemption rates and vaccination coverage to see which approaches help more children stay protected.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are parents of kindergarten-age children, school staff, and administrators in participating school districts—especially in communities with rising exemption rates.
Not a fit: Families outside the participating school districts or those not involved in kindergarten vaccination decisions are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could raise vaccination rates among kindergarteners and reduce the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in those communities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous school- and community-based outreach has shown promise for improving vaccine uptake, but targeted interventions specifically aimed at preventing formal kindergarten exemptions are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- 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
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 below.