Project VIVA

Project VIVA (Venue-Intensive Vaccines for Adults) is a research and intervention project designed to rapidly immunize hard-to-reach populations in urban communities. National guidelines recommend annual influenza vaccination for high-risk groups, especially those 50 years of age and older and anyone with a chronic medical condition; however, vaccination rates are particularly low among many hard-to-reach, marginalized populations. First implemented in 2004, Project VIVA brings free flu vaccinations door-to-door in areas of East Harlem and the Bronx in an effort to combat low vaccination coverage among minorities, those living in poverty, and other hard-to-reach populations such as injection drug users, undocumented immigrants, sex workers, the homeless, and elderly shut-ins. The project uses a community-based participatory research approach, which is a collaborative process among researchers and community members and emphasizes building trust, equitable power sharing, and capacity building. In addition to free vaccinations, intervention activities include community presentations and the dissemination of social marketing materials including flyers, comic strips, and informational pamphlets.

The goal of Project VIVA is to rapidly immunize hard-to-reach urban populations through a community-public health partnership.

Between 2004 and 2007, over 100,000 printed materials were distributed to passersby and neighborhood residents; 35 presentations were given to local community boards and organzations; and over 2000 local residents were vaccinated. Half of those vaccinated were members of hard-to-reach populations. Of those surveyed, interest in vaccination significantly increased from pre- to post-intervention (from 80% to 94%). Project VIVA demonstrated that offering vaccination in door-to-door and street-based settings is a feasible means of accessing hard-to-reach populations and increasing interest in vaccination in these populations.