University at Buffalo (Fiscal sponsor: Research Foundation for the State University of New York)

Childhood vaccination is a great public health achievement, drastically reducing or eliminating diseases like polio and measles.

Routine childhood vaccinations prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases, reduce avoidable emergency room and hospital utilization, and save millions of lives and billions of dollars annually. New York State passed a public health law in 1966, which established immunization requirements for children attending childcare programs as well as public, private, and parochial schools. It also empowered local county health departments to promote public awareness and ensure greater access and compliance with vaccination requirements. Despite these guidelines, thousands of young New Yorkers remain unvaccinated. Inadequate vaccination rates can lead to a resurgence of preventable diseases. In New York, 17 cases of measles have emerged in 2025 as of September 4th. In 2025, NYHealth awarded the University at Buffalo (UB) a grant to expand a mobile vaccine program in Erie County and other parts of rural Western New York to increase childhood immunization rates, school readiness, and community knowledge about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. 

Under this grant, UB will extend its mobile vaccination program by partnering with the New York State Department of Health to reach high-need areas in Erie County and other rural communities. The program will conduct grassroots outreach through community partners to raise awareness, dispel misinformation, and build trust in local communities. UB will host weekly vaccination events at accessible sites, administer vaccines to an estimated 1,500 children, and connect families with primary care providers for follow-up. The UB research team will evaluate the program using State immunization data, and share findings and tools to support replication in other high-need areas while exploring billing agreements with managed care plans to sustain the program.