The National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS, aka The Summit) is soliciting candidates for the 2022 NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards. For the past two years, immunization stakeholders have gone above and beyond to serve the public health and health care needs of individuals and communities.  The tenets of the "immunization neighborhood" have come to life during the pandemic and the Summit wants to recognize our heroes.  The 2022 awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions towards improving vaccination access and delivery, health equity, and vaccine confidence within their communities during 2021-2022. The awards focus on individuals and organizations that exemplify the meaning of the "immunization neighborhood" (collaboration, coordination, and communication among immunization stakeholders dedicated to meeting the immunization needs of the patient and protecting the community from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs)). The NAIIS Immunization Excellence Awards recognize contributions to influenza vaccination and adult vaccination.  Unless an award is specifically focused on influenza, it is the intent of the Summit to recognize broader adult immunization activities.   Of course, vaccination activities related to COVID-19 vaccination and/or other vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic can and should be highlighted in your nomination packet.    

A National Winner will be selected for each award category, and where appropriate an Honorable Mention recipient. The winners will be presented with their awards at the NAIIS meeting (tentatively scheduled November 2-3, 2022, in Atlanta,GA). The national winner in each category will be invited to give a brief talk about their programs at the NAIIS meeting.  

Award Categories:   There are four award categories of recognition accepting nominations:     

The Laura Scott NAIIS Immunization Excellence Award for Outstanding Influenza Season Activities Campaign recognizes innovative activities related to seasonal influenza vaccination across the lifespan (pediatric, adolescent and/or adult activities) and/or among healthcare workers related to improving influenza vaccination.  Submissions may include strategies used to co-administer influenza vaccine along COVID-19 vaccine and other recommended vaccines at the same time.

"Immunization Neighborhood" Immunization Champion award recognizes efforts by individuals and organizations focused on improving COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 immunization rates through the engagement of the immunization neighborhood.  This could include efforts to promote  catch up immunizations in response to the significant drop in coverage rates because of the pandemic.  Nominations should highlight collaboration, coordination, and communication (the 3 C’s) among immunization neighborhood stakeholders to meet the immunization needs of patients and protect the community from vaccine-preventable diseases.  National, state and local programs are encouraged to submit nominations.  The submissions should demonstrate strong public and/or private collaboration around the 3 C’s, incorporation of the Adult Immunization Standards (Assess, Recommend, Refer/Vaccinate and Document in immunization information systems (IIS).  Applicants are also encouraged to demonstrate new approaches for sharing immunization administration information (via communications / messaging, IIS, EHR, etc) among multiple categories of providers.

"Health Equity & Access" Immunization Champion   award recognizes individuals and organizations whose efforts focused on enhancing vaccine confidence among groups of persons with historically lower vaccination rates and/or greater vaccine hesitancy that resulted in improving vaccine uptake.  This might include practice-based and community-based care and message delivery.   National, state and local public and/or private programs are encouraged to submit nominations.  The submissions should demonstrate strong public and/or private collaborations that have had a positive impact on addressing immunization disparities.  Applicants are encouraged to include data, descriptions and other information that demonstrates the impact of the effort.  Nominations should discuss assessment of patient immunization status and referral systems utilized, if applicable.  Did the work address health equity and access to recommended vaccinations?

Corporate Campaign award recognizes national activities developed by communication or public relations organizations and/or supported by manufacturers, distributors or other for-profit entities (such as multi-practice site companies) that could be in any of the above awards areas.  Corporate entities submitting nominations for national awards should only apply in this category.

Note:  the awards selection committee reserves the right to create additional categories or to not award any winners in a particular category.   

Evaluation Criteria:  Nominations will be evaluated in the following areas related to their immunization activities:

1. Collaboration / Coordination:  describe the extent of collaboration with other providers and/or organizations such as national, state and local professional organizations, local health departments, local hospitals, pharmacies, clinic/medical practices, community organizations, etc. Nominations should discuss assessment of patient immunization status and referral systems, if applicable, utilized.  Did the work address health equity and access to recommended vaccinations. The components of the Standards for Adult Immunization Practice should be included where appropriate.
2. Communication: describe activities and processes utilized to keep immunization neighborhood stakeholders informed and engaged, utilization and reporting to IIS (where applicable), and documentation of immunization administration and other activities to patient health records and providers (where applicable).
3. Originality:  describe the creativity, innovation and originality utilized by the nominee in achieving the vaccination rates and engagement in their community.
4. Participation and Impact: describe the number and types of healthcare providers and other immunization stakeholders such as community organizations and vaccine advocacy organizations that participated in the activity, as well as the number and demographics of the patients who were vaccinated and/or received immunization messages.  Inclusion of number of individuals vaccinated or educated is encouraged.
5. Health Equity & Access:  describe the challenges and opportunities that the nominee encountered and how they addressed those issues and improvement in this area.

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