Building and Sustaining the NIVDP: A 4-Year Snapshot of Insights and Lessons Learned

In this issue, we highlight key insights and lessons learned since the National Influenza Vaccination Disparities Partnership (NIVDP) was launched in August of 2011. Since its inception, the NIVDP has yielded major results and has experienced significant growth. In its first year the partnership was comprised of 70 partners, and today it includes 800 grassroots stakeholders and influencers. Over the past four years, NIVDP partners have encouraged over 650,000 uninsured or underinsured people to get vaccinated by organizing 822 vaccination promotion events in 95 cities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

Overarching lessons learned from the partnership include:

• One message does not fit all. In the development of the NIVDP, research revealed cultural differences that warranted the creation of a distinct brand identity and tailored messages for each target audience;

• Leveraging resources maximizes impact. Utilization of partner connections to obtain resources improved results at flu vaccination events;

• Relationships matter. NIVDP partners have strong relationships built on trust with people in their communities. Engaging trusted and respected people at the grassroots level is essential to partnership building and sustainment;

• Partners value peer recognition. Partners enjoyed when their peers and the CDC recognized them through simple acts of appreciation like a thank you at a local event, receiving a certificate or special honor. Such efforts established new collaborations between partners and positive attitudes about the partnership itself.