EXCITE Gets Recognition from the CDC

The Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement, (EXCITE) program received a letter of gratitude from CDC director Samuel F. Posner, and a spotlight on the CDC’s Health Equity in Action page for their work.

In the letter, Samuel Posner recognizes the value of a partnership with Cooperative Extension, stating “..we’re looking forward to learning from CES and understanding community concerns to develop and deliver effective tailored messaging to increase vaccination in hard-to-reach communities, in both rural and urban settings. I know how hard field agents work, the long hours and distances traveled especially in rural and frontier areas, and how much you all care about the community members you serve.

He highlights how this strength of CES has led to great success in vaccine uptake, “because Extension field agents are known trusted messengers working in every county across the nation,….Tailored messaging in rural areas works… In rural areas, 71.4% of people ages 18 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Thank you to those who helped realize these achievements by getting vaccinated and helping others do the same.”

A great shout out to our EXCITE team members doing work in their communities! To view the impactful work EXCITE is doing including the full CDC letter, project success stories, and breakdown of projects by state head to the new EXCITE website hosted by Extension.org — https://extension.org/excite/