The Immunization Partnership will award the Richardson family the Ralph D. Feigin Award for Excellence at a ceremony in Houston. Each year, the award is given to individuals who champion education and advocacy for vaccine preventable diseases.
Improving immunization rates in New Mexico was one of the first priorities of the Richardson administration’s health policy. First Lady Barbara Richardson oversaw the effort and was critical to its success. Within just a couple of years of taking office in 2004, New Mexico went from being one of the worst states for childhood immunization to 15th in the country. It’s a lasting legacy, as the state continues to rank in the top 25 states for immunization rates.
“I want to sincerely thank The Immunization Partnership for this award,” Barbara Richardson said. “It has been my honor to advocate for the incredible need to increase access to vaccinations and improve immunization rates, and I am so proud of the results our collective work continues to see. Vaccination is one of the easiest ways we can keep our kids healthy and protect them from potentially deadly diseases.”
Dr. Vesta Richardson is the current Minister of Health for the State of Morelos, Mexico and a strong advocate for childhood vaccinations. From 2007 to 2012 she served as Director of the Mexico’s National Center for Child and Adolescent Health, the federal agency in charge of coordinating Mexico’s immunization program. In honoring Dr. Richardson, The Immunization Partnership noted her “impressive leadership in working to decrease infant mortality and her research on rotavirus vaccines” as a few of her many achievements in saving lives and making communities healthier. www.immunizeUSA.org; www.billrichardson.com
