Health district awarded grant to boost child vaccine rates

New London — Ledge Light Health District has been awarded $100,256 in funding from the state Department of Public Health to implement the SECT Immunization Action Program, the first installment of a five-year grant.

Over the next five years, the district will work with local health care providers, schools, community organizations and parents to increase childhood immunization rates across southeastern Connecticut and link children at risk for childhood diseases to a medical home so their immunizations can be tracked.

“Ledge Light Health District is thrilled to receive this Connecticut Department of Public Health grant, an affirmation of the longrange objectives of the district to prevent childhood diseases through the delivery of on-time vaccines for all children,” said Stephen Mansfield, the district’s director of health. “In addition to a robust Immunization Action Program, our growing Hispanic communities will benefit from the addition of a new bilingual/ bicultural community health worker, who will assist families in navigating the health care system and ensuring their children are vaccinated.”

The grant will fund a public awareness campaign aimed at educating parents about the importance of getting vaccines that protect children from more than 14 diseases, such as polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps and tetanus.

The project also will provide assessments in pediatric practices to improve vaccine delivery, and an outreach and tracking program using the statewide immunization information system known as CT WiZ.