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Chiron Foundation Awards Grants to Five Organizations Dedicated to Infectious Diseases Education and Increased Vaccination Rates

Posted on: Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 12:00 CST

The Chiron Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization funded by Chiron Corporation (NASDAQ:CHIR), announced today that it has awarded a total of $198,500 to five national organizations for programs promoting public awareness and education about immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases. The recipients are Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition, Emory Vaccine Center, Internet Sexuality Information Services, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and Sabin Vaccine Institute. These grants will support each of the organizations in their efforts to increase vaccination rates and educate the public about infectious diseases.

"We are proud to aid in the prevention of infectious diseases through support of educational campaigns created by this group of organizations," said Jay Grover, president of the Chiron Foundation. "Vaccines have changed the landscape of healthcare by virtually eliminating the threat of many infectious diseases. The work of these organizations is crucial to extend the benefit of vaccines to more people and to support vaccine development that can mitigate the impact of diseases that still take a significant toll."

The Chiron Foundation's grant to the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition (CCIC), headquartered in Denver, Colo., will provide integral support for the expansion of a statewide childhood immunization registry and continued public awareness outreach to families with reduced access to healthcare, including minorities, rural residents and lower-income households. The overall goal of this program is to improve annual immunization rates by 4 percent per year in 11 targeted Colorado counties. CCIC was established in 1991 and is dedicated to working collaboratively with over 100 participating organizations and individual members to ensure that Colorado children receive all recommended immunizations.

The Chiron Foundation's grant to the Emory Vaccine Center, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., will support a study to assess how influenza vaccination policies influence coverage rates for healthcare workers. The information obtained during this study will help determine possible interventions to increase influenza vaccine coverage rates among healthcare workers. The Emory Vaccine Center strives to improve human health by conducting fundamental and clinical research that leads to the development of effective vaccines against infectious diseases. The project will be a collaborative effort between two centers of Emory University, the Emory Vaccine Center and the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats.

The Chiron Foundation's grant to Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS), headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., will support the expansion and enhancement of ISIS's HIV vaccine community awareness program, "San Francisco's Ready for the Vaccine." The goal of the program is to promote enrollment in HIV vaccines trials and participation from diverse communities. The campaign includes a website and social marketing tools to reach targeted populations. ISIS is an organization dedicated to developing and using Internet technologies to prevent sexually transmitted disease and HIV transmission and enhance the well-being of individuals and communities.

The Chiron Foundation's grant to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), headquartered in Bethesda, Md., will support the revamping of NFID's public information website to provide updated information about vaccine-preventable diseases, including CC/ACIP usage recommendations, new vaccine availability and new public health messages for influenza, pneumococcal, and meningococcal infections. Overall, the mission of the NFID is to encourage and sponsor public and professional education about infectious diseases.

The Chiron Foundation's grant to the Sabin Vaccine Institute, headquartered in New Canaan, Conn., will support the creation and dissemination of The Sabin Vaccine Report, the Sabin Vaccine Institute's newsletter which documents the latest discoveries, policies and debates concerning vaccines and immunization. Established in 1993, the Sabin Vaccine Institute is dedicated to continuing the work of Dr. Albert B. Sabin, who envisioned the tremendous potential of vaccines to prevent deadly diseases. The Institute works to save lives by stimulating the development of new vaccines and increasing global immunization.

About the Chiron Foundation

Established in 2004, the Chiron Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to improving lives through better healthcare, empowering lives through better education and enriching lives through better communities. The Foundation awards grants in three major focus areas: health and medicine, education, and community. For further information about the Chiron Foundation, please visit www.chiron.com/foundation.

About Chiron

Chiron delivers innovative and valuable products to protect human health by advancing pioneering science across the landscape of biotechnology. The company works to deliver on the limitless promise of science and make a positive difference in people's lives. For more information about Chiron, please visit www.chiron.com.

Source: Business Wire

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