The public health emergency has come to an end, but LeadingAge members continue to show their commitment to their communities’ safety and well-being. Through the LeadingAge partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) We Can Do This campaign, more than 20 members are putting grant awards of up to $15,000 into action and getting shots in arms at vaccine clinics across the country—protecting staff, residents, family members, and their communities.

“We had a great two days of clinics—we administered 94 shots today and 56 yesterday!” says Kelly Goetz, chief compliance officer for The Wesleyan, who organized eight clinics in six weeks at her  Georgetown, TX-based community, which serves older adults across the continuum from independent living to hospice. “We are thankful to have the opportunity to continue to offer the clinics to our residents, teammates, and the community.”

Through the HHS collaboration announced in February 2023, LeadingAge has awarded more than $270,000 in grant funding to members for vaccine clinics to help increase vaccine and booster uptake, as well as raise awareness in their communities about the importance of updated vaccines. In addition to grant money, HHS provided resources including campaign materials for outreach.

To date, grantees have held 39 vaccine clinics and administered nearly 450 vaccines throughout the spring, in urban and rural locations across all care settings and community types—independent and assisted living to life plan communities and affordable housing for low-income older adults. At least 28 more member-organized vaccine clinics are scheduled before the end of May, when the grant period ends.

“It’s just as important to stay up-to-date on vaccines today as it was two years ago,” says Ruth Katz, senior vice president of public policy and advocacy for LeadingAge. “We got to the end of the Public Health Emergency by supporting vaccine access for the older people we serve and care for. Let’s not lose momentum now.”

The We Can Do This HHS partnership is one of several LeadingAge initiatives undertaken in collaboration with the White House and federal agencies to protect against COVID and ensure the well-being of older adults and the people who care for them. Other efforts include the All Hands on Deck campaign, launched in December 2022, and the Vaccine Equity and Awareness Program (VEAP) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information on how LeadingAge continues to provide COVID support for members through partnerships and resources, visit our Ongoing COVID Support webpage at LeadingAge.org.