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[Tutorial Kit] Measles Immunization Coverage Rates: Building a Community Narrative

  • Writer: Tracy Flood
    Tracy Flood
  • 3 hours ago
  • 5 min read

Workshop Chapters

Note: Parts of this video were recorded live


00:00 Introduction: Turn immunization data into a story

00:19 The 95% threshold

01:06 Data Challenge Steps

01:21 📊 Data Hunt

01:46 Understanding data limitations

02:10 Airtable Project Overview

03:52 What is Airtable?

04:55 Go to Airtable

05:24 Collect data

06:15 Compare county rates to recommended rates

07:19 Airtable bonus views

07:52 Final project and next steps



🎯 Data Challenge

Create a data narrative or "data story" about measles immunization coverage rates in your county and how rates compare to the recommended community immunity threshold of 95%.



3 Learning Objectives


  1. Identify and procure secondary data on measles immunization coverage and confirmed measles case counts for a selected county or region.

  2. Analyze secondary data using a data management tool to determine the immunization coverage status of the county population relative to the community immunity threshold.

  3. Develop a data-driven narrative statement communicating measles immunization coverage and outbreak risk, suitable for use in a Community Health Needs Assessment or grant proposal.


Conflicts of Interest Disclosure

There are no financial conflicts of interest to disclose. None of the presenters or organizers of this event have any financial relationship, nor affiliation with the brands and organizations mentioned in this tutorial. We just really like Airtable.



Prerequisites. Beginner-friendly, no prior experience needed. A free Airtable account will be needed.


Keywords and core concepts also covered:

  • What is 🧰 🛠️ Airtable?

  • Basics of inputting and organizing data in 🧰 🛠️ Airtable

  • How do we measure "Immunization Coverage %" and what threshold matters for health?




What you'll need to complete this challenge

  • ⏰ Time. 20-40 minutes

  • 🧰 Tools:  Airtable.

  • 📊 Data:

    • Indicators:

      • Immunization Coverage (%) defined as the percent of a population that has immunity to measles. Immunity is estimated by the percent of people who have received two doses of the measles vaccine. Note: State definitions vary in regards to population age group, vaccine type and number of doses, and years (CORI, 2026).

      • Community immunity threshold is defined as the county immunization coverage needed to prevent a measles outbreak. The recommended threshold is 95% (Measles & Rubella Partnership, 2026).

      • Number of Confirmed Measles Cases in a specific county or region (2025-2026).

    • Data Source: 



Turning Immunization Coverage Into a Data Story With Airtable


This walkthrough shows how to use Airtable to organize measles immunization coverage data and then to transform it into a clear public health narrative.


The project focuses on vaccination coverage also referred to as "immunization coverage" and, specifically: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination rates as an estimate of immunization rates. Note: State reporting and definitions may and include 1 dose, 2 doses, or the childhood “7-vaccine series.”


The objective is to compare county vaccination coverage against the World Health Organization-recommended community immunity threshold of 95% (Measles & Rubella Partnership, 2026).


By the end, you will create a short statement, suitable for Community Health Needs Assessments or Community Health Assessment, that explains whether a county may be at increased risk for a measles outbreak.



Step 1: Set Up Your Airtable Workspace


What is Airtable?  Airtable is an alternative to spreadsheets (i.e. Excel, Google Sheets) and is powerful tool for managing and presenting information clearly. Key features include:

  • Basic Features

    • FILTER and GROUP data to focus on specific indicators

    • HIDE fields that are not currently needed

    • VIEW Different table formats to organize information

  • More Advanced Features

    • AI-generated summaries that help create narrative insights from your data

    • Automations

For this tutorial:

  • Log in to Airtable or 'Sign Up for Free' and create an account by verifying your email and following the instructions provided by Airtable.

  • Open the READ-ONLY TEMPLATE Airtable Base. Follow the instructions above to ‘Copy base’ to your own workspace for editing. Note: This step is not included in the video of the live workshop.

    Copy the READ-ONLY Template to create an editable copy in your own workspace. Changes to your copy will not be viewable by others.
    Copy the READ-ONLY Template to create an editable copy in your own workspace. Changes to your copy will not be viewable by others.

  • Open your EDITABLE COPY of the Base.

  • Go to:

    • TAB or TABLE: 'START HERE 🏁'

    • VIEW: 'Grid View'

    • See the Grid (or Spreadsheet) with rows

  • Next, in the first column of the Grid, under the last row, click on the ‘+’ symbol to add a new row and start by entering the following under the appropriate fields:

    • the name of your chosen county

    • the state of the county. Select from a dropdown.



Step 2: Collect Data From The CORI Measles Dashboard


Select tab: "US Immunization Coverage"
Select tab: "US Immunization Coverage"

  • Filter for your state at the top by clicking on 'Filter by US State(s)' on the top right.

Click to select state(s): 'Filter by US States'
Click to select state(s): 'Filter by US States'

  • Find ‘% Coverage’

    • Look up the immunization coverage percent for your county under the column ‘% Coverage’

    • Alternatively, find the county on the map to the left, click on it and access the data via the pop-up

See column: '% Coverage'
See column: '% Coverage'
An alternative way to access additional data is via popup. Click on county in map window.
An alternative way to access additional data is via popup. Click on county in map window.

  • To find Measles data,

    • Navigate once again to the bar at the bottom of the table and select ‘US County-level Confirmed Cases’ 

    • Access the data for ‘2025-2026 Confirmed Cases’ via the table or the map




Step 3: Add Data to Your Airtable Base


  • Fill in the field ‘Immunization Coverage Definition' (Vaccine type, Age, Years)’ using information in CORI Measles Dashboard 'US Immunization Coverage’ tab for the ‘Immunization’, ‘Population’, and ‘Year’ columns.

  • Record the values you obtained for immunization coverage and number of confirmed cases in your chosen county.

  • In Airtable, the field 'Community Immunity Threshold (95%)' will automatically populate as ‘95%’ based on the Measles & Rubella Partnership (2026).

Please watch the video above for a walkthrough of these steps.



Step 4: Use Airtable Formulas to Create a Narrative Phrase


This base contains multiple formula fields which auto-populate based on the data you enter. For example:

  • The field ‘County Immunization Coverage (%) vs Community Immunity Threshold’ will automatically compare your county’s immunization coverage to the recommended 95% threshold and indicate whether it is ‘lower’ or ‘higher’ with 'higher' indicating good coverage.

  • A prebuilt formula automatically converts your data into a public health narrative phrase such as: “In Oconto County, Wisconsin, there were 36 confirmed measles cases. Vaccination coverage was 81%, which is below the recommended community immunity threshold of 95%. This may increase the risk of measles transmission in the community.”

  • Data and formulas can transform raw numbers into a meaningful data story suitable for:

    • Community health needs assessments

    • Health reports

    • Grant proposals

    • Public health summaries



Step 5: Finalize and Submit Your Work


Before finishing:

  • Add the dashboard link as your data source

  • Update your status field to 'Done.'

  • Take a screenshot of your completed Airtable record and submit below for a certificate!


Example Screenshots


You've Earned a Certificate!


BroadStreet Certificate (FREE)




Note: We review projects every 2-4 weeks, and typically at the end of the month.




Instructor


Diana Saad, MPH, Instructor
Diana Saad, MPH, Instructor

Diana Saad, MPH

Data for Change Program Coordinator

BroadStreet Institute


Diana has a passion for exploring data and using tools like Airtable and over the past year has worked with dozens of trainees on Airtable setup, indicator exploration, data stories, and logic models. Diana is passionate about health and wellness, specifically for women and children.


References


Data Source:

Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI) at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (2026). 2025-2026 Measles Map. Retrieved from https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/dd314001921f4d2eac160f89ded0b49a.


Measles & Rubella Partnership (2026). Measles Outbreak Strategic Framework 2026–2030. Retrieved from https://measlesrubellapartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/MRP_MOSF_L5.pdf

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