The Immunization Project is dedicated to developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to help keep Houston area children free of vaccine preventable diseases.
Mission
The Immunization Project is designed to help Texas Children's Hospital achieve its vision of committing to a community of healthy children by providing the finest possible pediatric patient care, education and research. We are dedicated to developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to help keep Houston-area children free of vaccine preventable diseases.
Education and Outreach
Vaccine-Preventable Disease: The Forgotten Story
The Immunization Project (IP) provides vaccine education through a line of story-based materials featuring families affected by a vaccine-preventable disease. In June 2025, the IP team published an updated edition of Vaccine-Preventable Disease: Measles and in May 2024, an updated edition of Vaccine-Preventable Disease: The Forgotten Story was published. Other materials include Vaccine-Preventable Disease: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in English and Vaccine-Preventable Disease: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in English and Spanish. The IP team developed a series of exam room posters as well as a series of one-page tear pads. The IP team also created several documentary films demonstrating the real-life impact of vaccine-preventable diseases, Facing Meningitis , Facing Influenza, Facing HPV, Facing Measles, Facing Polio and 3 Facing COVID videos.
Training
The Immunization Project provides vaccine education to healthcare providers throughout our organization. This education ranges from one-on-one training for new employees who administer vaccines to comprehensive vaccine training for all new TCP nurses and medical assistants. In addition, we provide vaccine education throughout the community.
In 2023, in partnership with the TCH Vaccine Initiative, a new resident elective was launched. The elective aims to increase pediatric resident knowledge and experience with regard to vaccines in the areas of vaccine scheduling, administration, storage/handling, research and hesitancy.
Materials
The Immunization Project creates easy to digest, one-page handouts for parents covering routine childhood vaccines and other vaccine topics, like common misconceptions and concerns.
The Immunization Project developed the Unvaccinated Patient Guide, a set of tables designed to serve as a quick reference for providers to use when they encounter a previously unvaccinated child whom they would like to begin on the recommended catch-up schedule for vaccination.
Immunization Helpline
The Immunization Project operates an Immunization Helpline (832.824.2061) to which parents can call and obtain information about free or low cost immunizations. The Immunization Helpline information is available in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese.
Research
HPV Vaccine Improvement
Since 2021, the Immunization Project team has partnered with the American Cancer Society to improve HPV vaccine rates among Texas Children's Pediatric patients. We have developed HPV vaccine educational videos to deliver to TCP patients via text message, resulting in increased HPV vaccine initiation rates. To date, more than 50 providers from 21 TCP sites have participated and 25 videos have been developed. The Immunization Project team, in partnership with TCH Information Services, has delivered nearly 30,000 text messages, generating more than 11,000 YouTube views.
Participation in CDC’s New Vaccine Surveillance Network
The New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN) comprises seven children’s hospitals across the United States. NVSN was created to evaluate the effectiveness of current vaccines and to gather information about diseases for which vaccines are under development and may soon be available.
The Immunization Project has conducted surveillance for acute gastroenteritis since 2007. The primary objectives of the NVSN’s surveillance for gastroenteritis are to evaluate the effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine in clinical practice and to determine the burden of gastrointestinal pathogens in children with diarrhea and vomiting who seek care in the outpatient, ED, or inpatient settings. Fecal specimens are collected and information about prior vaccine receipt, including for rotavirus vaccine, is obtained from enrolled children. To date, over 5,000 children have been enrolled; the information gathered by NVSN has been used to inform national and international rotavirus vaccine recommendations.
In November 2015, surveillance was expanded to include children with respiratory illnesses. Respiratory samples are collected and tested a variety of viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens, including influenza. This surveillance was funded to provide information about the effectiveness of influenza vaccine in hospitalized children and also to evaluate the contribution of other respiratory pathogens, including RSV, to pediatric hospitalizations. To date, over 3,000 children have been enrolled.
In March 2024, our network released a Morbidity and Mortality Report (MMWR) through the CDC, which estimated the effectiveness of the newly-released monoclonal antibody, Nirsevimab, against RSV during the 2023-24 RSV season.
