Author: Catalina Navarro

Regional Center for Border Health, Inc.
its Board of Directors
and Staff
Congratulate

Ms. Amanda Aguirre
Former Arizona State Senator
President & CEO

2023 Arizona’s Immunization Champion Award
Announcing Arizona’s Immunization Award Winner

The Immunization Champion Award is presented by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to recognize individuals who are doing an exemplary job or going above and beyond to promote or foster immunizations in their communities for children and adults. Amanda Aguirre was nominated and selected from a pool of health professionals, community advocates, and other immunization leaders for making a significant contribution to public health in Arizona through her work in COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Amanda Aguirre, President & CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. (RCBH), is an immunization champion for her leadership, advocacy, and collaboration efforts in increasing access to immunizations in Arizona for almost 30 years. Ms. Aguirre established the RCBH San Luis Walk-In Clinic in 1991 to provide much-needed health resources along the U.S.-Mexico border. RCBH’s Nuestros Niños Community Outreach and Immunization Campaign, a long-running community-based initiative, continues to use Promotoras as community health workers to help families overcome barriers to accessing healthcare, including immunizations.
Ms. Aguirre coordinated almost 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccines from 2020 to May 2023 in Yuma County by addressing the barriers of community members and collaborating with key community partners. By utilizing extended clinic hours, mass immunization drive-thru clinics, and mobile unit vaccination events at locations where community members work and live in Yuma, La Paz, and Mohave Counties, structural barriers to accessing vaccines were effectively reduced. Partnering with other community agencies, RCBH provided more than 50,000 COVID vaccines at employer sites, schools, nursing homes, tribal reservations, and agriculture companies. These community health strategies enabled hundreds of workers and students to be immunized and return to work and school. Additionally, during the pandemic emergency, RCBH assisted in humanitarian response for refugee populations at the US-Mexico border by providing immunization services.
Ms. Aguirre understood that education on COVID-19 misinformation was a key component of outreach efforts. She incorporated vaccine education at the San Luis Walk-In Clinic, as well as, spearheaded mass vaccine education in Yuma, La Paz, and Mohave Counties through television commercials, banners, and flyers. The immunization education and outreach of the San Luis Walk-In Clinic has won multiple awards from the Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI).
When families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials work together, all people can receive protection from severe and deadly vaccine-preventable diseases. Ms. Aguirre is an inspiration to all who care about immunization in Arizona. We are pleased and honored to congratulate her on this well-deserved award.
“Amanda Aguirre is an immunization champion for her leadership, advocacy, and collaboration efforts in increasing access to immunizations in Arizona.”