Kaiser Permanente Joins the White House in Efforts to Vaccinate 70% of U.S. Adults by July 4

June 15, 2021

Health System Commits Up To $1.85 million in Grants to 10 Community Based Organizations in Southern California to Promote Vaccine Confidence as Part of

a $10 Million Investment Nationwide

Kaiser Permanente has joined the White House for its National Month of Action sprint to vaccinate 70% of adults in the U.S. against COVID-19 with at least one shot by July 4. By launching several programs and incentives to engage unvaccinated individuals, Kaiser Permanente is aiming to increase confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and provide easy access to receive it.

With a presence in eight U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Kaiser Permanente is well positioned to accelerate this final vaccine push by connecting with millions of Americans who are not yet vaccinated. According to the White House, 63% of adult Americans had been vaccinated as of June 2, including 73% of Americans age 40 and over. COVID-19 cases and deaths have plummeted as a result, with cases falling more than 90% since January 20, 2021. Deaths are down over 85% in that time-period. Nearly 600,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early 2020.

Kaiser Permanente, which serves 4.5 million members in Southern California, will provide up to $1.85 million in grant funding to 10 area community based organizations to aid efforts aimed at increasing access to, and confidence in, the COVID-19 vaccine so that more people will get vaccinated.

Those organizations are: The Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, El Monte School District, El Sol Neighborhood Education Center, Faith Advisory Council for Community Transformation, Latino Health Access; SAC Health Systems, Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce/Latino COVID-19 Task Force; Family Health Centers of San Diego, and San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition.

“The U.S. vaccination effort has been a tremendous and inspiring undertaking, and Kaiser Permanente is proud to have played our part to quickly and safely protect Americans from the most immediate threat to the health of our nation. From standing up mass vaccination sites to deploying mobile clinics that have reached the most vulnerable populations, we’ve made every effort to vaccinate our communities,” said Kaiser Permanente Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg A. Adams. “There are still many Americans who have yet to be vaccinated, and we’ve designed these new programs to increase vaccination rates so we can reach the critical milestone of 70% vaccination rate by July 4.”

Nationally, Kaiser Permanente’s new initiatives to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence include:

• $10 million in community grants: Kaiser Permanente is targeting 100 community-based organizations across the country – 10 of which are in Southern California – to receive funding to continue to promote vaccine confidence messages and engage organizations such as churches, schools, and other trusted community hubs. This funding is in addition to our prior investment of $25 million in nearly 200 community-based organizations to increase vaccine access and build confidence in high-risk populations.

• ImmUNITY sweepstakes: Open to anyone age 12 and older who has been vaccinated by Kaiser Permanente and all vaccinated Kaiser Permanente members — regardless of where they got vaccinated — this sweepstakes will encourage vaccination while also supporting a full and healthy return to life’s activities. One thousand people will win Be Well Rewards that include wellness retreats, healthy home meal deliveries, personal training equipment, gym memberships, and family trips to theme parks and national parks.

• Influencer and social media campaign: Reaching an online audience of 18- to 30-year-olds, this campaign will deliver relevant messaging from trusted voices and social influencers. Activities will include social engagement programs with existing partners, including the Cloud9 esports team.

• Member and community education: Continued outreach to Kaiser Permanente members and broader communities will deliver trusted messaging on COVID-19 vaccination and safety that expands the organization’s ongoing work to prioritize outreach to Black, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and other disproportionately impacted communities.

• Publication of a vaccine confidence toolkit: This toolkit focuses on improving vaccine access and equity and highlights Kaiser Permanente’s proven approaches, including the use of trusted messengers and population health strategies to encourage vaccination. The toolkit is intended to share best practices to help other health systems and vaccine providers accelerate vaccination rates.

• Population-based care: For unvaccinated eligible people, Kaiser Permanente is using culturally relevant emails, mailings, and texts to encourage vaccination. Messages are tailored to individuals and populations including from our providers and employees who reflect the people of their community.

• Personalized physician outreach: When unvaccinated Kaiser Permanente members see their physician and care team in person, we are using prompts to discuss vaccination in a personalized venue. When patients come to our pharmacies and labs, they can use conveniently placed posters with QR codes to access our vaccine clinics that are now available on a walk-in basis.

Kaiser Permanente has been effectively vaccinating its employees, members, and communities for the past six months. With its scale and extensive experience in population health, the organization has partnered broadly with cities, states, and other municipalities, as well as with community organizations and federally qualified health centers, to safely and equitably administer nearly 7 million shots.  As some of the first eligible to receive vaccinations, Kaiser Permanente’s health care workers, with support from our labor partners, played an essential role in encouraging others to get vaccinated as soon as possible. 

“We are making it easier than ever for people to get the vaccine. Our own clinics are open on a walk-in basis in addition to scheduling appointments. We are also in our communities with pop up clinics at parks, community centers, and churches just to name a few options,” said Dr. Stephen Parodi, executive vice president of The Permanente Federation.

Throughout the pandemic, Kaiser Permanente has engaged with its members, communities, labor partners, and fellow health care providers to provide the most current information about COVID-19 and to encourage measures to prevent the virus’s transmission. Notable efforts include supporting the Ad Council’s multicultural COVID-19 education campaign; and publishing the Kaiser Permanente COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Toolkit to highlight approaches to improve vaccine access and equity. Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine equity strategy is rooted in the organization’s 75-year history of identifying and addressing health inequities in the medical system, public health arena, and society at large.