8/10/22 - Kent County Kicks Off A New Campaign

The Kent County Health Department wants to increase the number of childhood immunizations.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Aug. 4, 2022) - The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) is launching a public awareness campaign to address falling vaccination rates in the county. The multi-media advertising campaign is made possible through a $300,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.

“During the past two years, the pandemic has worsened an already concerning drop-off in childhood vaccination rates,” said Amy Shears, Immunizations Supervisor, KCHD. “While Kent County has higher rates compared to most of the state, a continued decline may allow diseases that were once considered eradicated to reemerge.”

After a competitive bidding process, the KCHD contracted with Grand Rapids firm Well Design Studio to create a campaign around the theme of “The Future is Ours.” The print, digital, and video assets will be seen on billboards, streaming platforms, apps, web pages, as well as traditional media.

The project also updated the VaccinateWestMi.Com website that was originally built for the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccine information. The website now features information on age-appropriate vaccine timelines, links that allow parents to make vaccine appointments for their children, and how to find a local health department clinic. Parents can also find links to information about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.

People should expect to see this campaign, in English and in Spanish, being widely used throughout Kent County between now and early fall.

“The last couple of years has been a tough time for everyone,” said Dr. Adam London, KCHD Director. “It is easy to see how parents could have fallen behind on routine vaccinations. We get that but now is a great time to get up to date and we are here to help.”

(Kent County Health Department Press Release)