Julie Le

The motivation for this project stems from the significant health risk RSV poses to older adults, causing 160,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths annually in the United States. Despite the recent approval of effective vaccines for elderly individuals, patient hesitancy and lack of awareness remain significant barriers, especially in multicultural communities. This study aims to evaluate whether a structured, pharmacist-led educational intervention can effectively improve patient knowledge and increase vaccine uptake in a community pharmacy setting.

I am most excited by the project's potential to create a scalable, evidence-based model that directly addresses low vaccination rates among vulnerable older adults in diverse communities. A successful outcome would provide the data to implement this model at the 986 corporate level, amplifying our public health impact far beyond the initial study sites.