Relevance: Many rural Kentucky counties face severe shortages of primary care providers and medical treatment facilities.  According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, less than 52% of Kentucky's primary care physician needs are met within the state, making it more challenging to access routine and preventive care, such as vaccines.

Response: Utilizing a strengths-based approach, Extension Senior Specialist for Family Health, and College of Pharmacy faculty members recognized that all 120 counties have a local Extension Office, and 119 counties have a Community Pharmacy.   Building on the knowledge that local Extension Agents and community pharmacists are trusted sources of health information, collaborative efforts facilitated by the Extension Family Health Specialist, College of Pharmacy faculty, and the Kentucky Pharmacy Education and Research Foundation utilized local Extension events to provide vaccine education and pop-up clinics staffed by local community pharmacists.  Community members were able to learn about recommended vaccines based on their health demographics, ask questions, and receive the necessary vaccines on-site. 

Results: Vaccine education events held in 15 Kentucky counties throughout the 2024-2025 program year provided vaccine education and access to over 176,200 Kentuckians.   Examples of collaborative events included Cattleman's Association meeting, Farmers Markets, Community Baby Shower, HANDS Family Team Party, and In-Office Vaccine Clinics.  Additionally, collaborative efforts enabled the creation and distribution of community resource guides and pharmacy resource guides to help combat social drivers of health and increase awareness and access to healthcare locally.

Public Value Statement: Cooperative Extension, Community Pharmacies, and rural communities benefit from pooled resources and joint efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy and other health-related concerns that arise due to a lack of healthcare access and/or education.