UAct designed the IMMUNIZATION ACCESS PROJECT to integrate Community Health Workers into SD186 and Keep Kids in School Coalition (KKIS) to assist students meet the immunizations and physical examination requirements to begin school each year. The State of Illinois requires vaccinations to protect children from a variety of diseases before they can enter school. However, for decades, thousands of students will not have received their required physicals and immunizations by the first day or school in SD186 and an average of 500 annually are non-compliant by the exclusion day generally around two-weeks after the first day of school.
In November 2013, KKIS was formed to combat this critical problem but the problem persists year after year. This cycle of non-compliance causes extreme burdens to the provider systems and preventable disruptions.
The proposal was unsuccessfully submitted by IPHA for funding. UAct then sought start-up funding from SD186 and the Keep Kids In School Coalition member agencies but was unable to secure commitments. The project can easily be resurrected if an appropriate funding source becomes available.