Helping Uninsured and Underinsured Americans Get the Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

The Challenge

When the COVID-19 public health emergency ended, an estimated 30 million adults across the United States lost access to the COVID-19 vaccine due to being uninsured or having a health insurance plan that didn't fully cover the costs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Bridge Access Program (BAP)—which offered free COVID-19 vaccines to those affected—needed to increase public awareness and use of the program as cold and flu season drew near.

Our Solution

IQ Solutions developed and deployed a fast-paced national communications campaign with partnership engagement and paid, earned, and organic social media strategies. Messaging and outreach tactics were designed to motivate people 18 years of age and older who were uninsured or underinsured to get vaccinated through BAP's participating pharmacies and healthcare providers. A focus was placed on reaching Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino groups with higher rates of uninsured status and lower rates of COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

The Impact

Our targeted outreach achieved more than 1.4 billion impressions across partner, digital, and traditional channels, including radio, OOH, display, and social. Research showed the campaign successfully increased BAP awareness and was instrumental in getting more than 1.4 million uninsured and underinsured Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 during the 2024 viral season.