For the second time, a faculty member from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) has been recognized as an Immunization Champion. Professor Sandra Chang has been honored as Hawaiʻi’s 2024 Immunization Champion by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) for excellence in promoting immunization efforts in the community.
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the annual award selects one winner from participating states, territories and the District of Columbia. Chang, chair of the Tropical Medicine Graduate Program, was selected from a competitive pool of health professionals and community advocates, and received the award during the 2024 Hawaiʻi Immunization Update Conference on September 4.
“It has been my honor to serve alongside my colleagues in the Hawaiʻi Immunization Coalition to increase vaccine confidence and uptake,” said Chang. “While much work remains to be done, we are all proud of the strides we have made to protect the health of our community.”
Chang joined JABSOM in 1986 as a research scientist specializing in malaria vaccine development. Over the years, she has become a leading voice in vaccine research and public health initiatives. One of her key contributions was co-founding the University Student Immunization Initiative, which focuses on improving vaccination rates among university students.
Dedication to public health
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a pivotal role as co-lead of the state’s medical working group for vaccination efforts, ensuring that healthcare providers had accurate information to guide vaccine policy decisions. She also served as co-chair of the vaccination education committee for the Vaccine Preventable Cancer Workgroup and led efforts to create a peer education program in partnership with local high schools to encourage vaccine acceptance.
Chang’s dedication to public health extends to her active involvement with the Hawaiʻi Immunization Coalition, where she has helped organize numerous educational initiatives aimed at increasing vaccine confidence across the state.
Lee Buenconsejo-Lum, JABSOM’s associate dean for academic affairs, was honored as an Immunization Champion in 2022.
