CCIC is thrilled to announce our new name, coming January 2020!
After nearly 30 years focused on protecting Colorado’s children from the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases, the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC) is changing our name and expanding our mission to strengthen and solidify our commitment to protecting Coloradans of all ages, not just children and adolescents, from vaccine-preventable diseases!
Vaccines have demonstrated unparalleled success in saving lives—especially those of children—and CCIC is proud to have worked for many years to advance children’s health through immunizations; we are excited to continue this work and promote health for all Colorado children. But the science and evidence demonstrating the value of vaccines have only become clearer over the years, and the number of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines—diseases that affect both children and adults—has grown substantially. With new vaccines on the market and in the pipeline, in conjunction with new research highlighting vaccines’ role in protecting more at-risk populations, the health, economic and societal benefits of vaccines across the lifespan have only proven more significant over time. For instance, pregnant women, seniors and vulnerable families and populations, like those experiencing homelessness, are now more than ever benefitting from research highlighting the critical importance vaccines play in protecting against dangerous, sometimes devastating, consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases.
In many ways, CCIC has always tailored our efforts to adults. We have led and expanded a successful provider education series across the state; worked to provide families with accurate, science-based vaccine information through parent outreach initiatives; led public policy and advocacy efforts to improve access, delivery and demand for vaccines; spearheaded data translation projects to help address gaps in vaccine coverage across Colorado; and grown partnerships to provide low- and no- cost immunizations to medically-underserved populations. In addition to these efforts, CCIC oversees programs and stragegic partnerships focused on improving vaccine access and delivery for pregnant women, refugees, healthcare workers, people experiencing homelessness and vulnerable families facing language, racial, geographic, ethnic and income barriers resulting in health inequities.
With our growing focus on community immunity and our commitment to helping ensure all Coloradans have access to and accurate information about the benefits of lifesaving vaccinations, we have the great opportunity to bolster our capacity to make Colorado a healthier place to live for everyone. Our expanded focus will be critical to ensuring that our last-in-the nation immunization rates and our dangerously high non-medical exemption rates can be combatted with robust, science-informed, evidence-based programs and strategies. With a new name and broadened mission, we will be able to form more explicit partnerships and lead initiatives directed at protecting Coloradans of all ages.
So please join us in celebrating the announcement of our new name, Immunize Colorado!
Stay tuned for an official rollout of Immunize Colorado on January 1, 2020; in the coming weeks you will start seeing our new logo and name as we work to make this exciting transition.
Thank you to all of our members, partners and friends who have provided support to our organization throughout CCIC’s almost 30 years—and throughout this transition—and who work tirelessly across Colorado in support of our collective mission; we look forward to charging full steam ahead with you to help protect Coloradans across the lifespan from preventable illness. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you.