Advocating for Healthy Communities: Issues & Resources

Promoting positive policy and system changes can be an effective way to improve immunization practices and coverage levels. Policy changes are often made through laws or legislation, such as the laws that require children to receive certain immunizations before entering school or childcare. Other policy and system changes can also improve immunization coverage levels. For instance, health plan policies that improve payment or coverage for immunizations, hospital policies to offer shots to inpatients, and decisions about which clinics can offer health services in the community, can all affect immunization coverage levels.

The Immunize LA Kids Coalition has helped to educate policy makers about the importance of immunizations and the impact that several particular policies might have on immunization coverage levels. Below, we provide several letters that we have used to educate policy makers about various issues, along with other resources that you can use to educate policy makers about the health issues that are important in your area.

Sample Immunize LA Kids Coalition Educational Letters

• Letter to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding the closure of the King-Drew Medical Center Trauma Center, October 2004

• Letter to California State Legislators regarding the creation of a statewide hub for regional immunization registries, April 2005

• Letter to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations regarding a proposed accreditation standard that requires hospitals to measure and promote influenza immunization for health care workers, May 2005

• Letter to California State Legislators regarding school and childcare entry requirements, June 2007

Additional Resources to Support your Advocacy Efforts

• California Coalition for Childhood Immunization (C3I) Legislative Advocacy Resources. C3I’s site includes tips for meeting with your legislator, information about the C3I Legislative and Advocacy Committee, a Senate Committee Roster, a Legislative Packet, and links to additional resources.

• California Adult Immunization Coalition (CAIC) Legislative Resources. CAIC’s site includes concise summaries of pending and/or active legislation impacting adult immunization rates.

• “Make a Difference for Your Cause: Strategies for Nonprofit Engagement in Legislative Advocacy”. This step by step guide to advocacy, which was published by the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest, includes a description of advocacy strategies as well as a resource and discussion guide with examples of nonprofits that have successfully used public policy to meet their goals.