The AIM Bull's-Eye Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization was presented to 3 immunization programs in recognition of an outstanding immunization initiative.
ROCKVILLE, MD (PRUnderground) October 22nd, 2026
The three 2026 Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) Bull's-Eye Award recipients and winning immunization initiatives are:
-Connecticut Department of Health, Integrated Quality Improvement: Connecticut's Model for Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP) in Birth Hospitals
-Mississippi Department of Health Immunizations Program, The First Breath Initiative: Strengthening Maternal Screening to Protect MS Newborns
-Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Immunization, Using Geospatial Analysis to Increase MMR Vaccination Coverage through Targeted Outreach
The AIM Bull's-Eye Award for Innovation and Excellence in Immunization is presented annually to three state, territorial, or urban area immunization programs in recognition of an outstanding immunization initiative. The award celebrates immunization programs' strategic initiatives that "hit their mark," achieving goals and increasing awareness by encouraging replication in other programs. The winners are chosen by a committee of their peers.
Highlights from the 2026 winners include:
-The Connecticut (CT) Department of Public Health's (DPH) initiative designed a single, integrated visit that fulfilled IQIP core requirements. The integration had three primary objectives, including developing the CT Birth Hospital Annual Immunization Report with visualizations and supporting documentation, updating and modifying the Annual Birth Hospital Questionnaire to meet requirements and expanding to capture information that would be useful to CT DPH, and to create a resource for conducting integrated birth hospital IQIP visits.
-The Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) immunizations program initiative focused on reducing perinatal risk through clinical intervention and education with the aim to improve identification of births to HBsAg+ women in the state and ensure those infants receive appropriate treatment for exposure to HBV. With Mississippi ranking 50th in the U.S. for infant mortality rates at 9.65/1,000, "The First Breath Initiative" also aligns with MSDH's goal of constructing a unique system of care for high-risk pregnant women and their babies throughout our state to improve infant mortality rates.
-The Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Immunization's (RIDOH) initiative utilized geospatial analysis to identify where gaps are concentrated with MMR coverage in their state. By mapping vaccination data at the community, municipality, or other appropriate geographic level, RIDOH can identify areas with lower coverage, detect geographic clusters or "hot spots" of under-vaccination, and examine relationships between vaccination coverage and factors such as socioeconomic conditions, health care access, and population characteristics. These analyses help distinguish whether lower coverage reflects isolated practices, broader community-level barriers, or geographic patterns that warrant targeted intervention.
For more information on the 2026 AIM Bull's-Eye Award winners, please visit the AIM Awards page. AIM would also like to recognize the Washington State Department of Health for receiving honorable mention for the Bull's-Eye Award and thank them for sharing the promising initiatives in their jurisdictions.
"AIM is proud of the incredible work accomplished by the Connecticut, Mississippi, and Rhode Island immunization programs. These data-driven initiatives not only have an impact on their communities but pave the way for all our members to benefit from these proven practices. Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 AIM Bull's-Eye Award. We look forward to hearing how these initiatives evolve and improve vaccine access, coverage, and acceptance," said AIM Executive Director Claire Hannan.
About Association of Immunization Managers:
The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) is a nonprofit membership association comprised of the directors of the 66 federally funded state, territorial, and local public health immunization programs. AIM is dedicated to working with its partners nationwide to reduce, eliminate, or eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases. AIM also works to ensure the success of its members by providing support in their programming interests. Since 1999, AIM has enabled collaboration among immunization managers to effectively control vaccine-preventable diseases and improve immunization coverage in the United States. For more information on AIM, please visit www.immunizationmanagers.org/
