All for Them is Expanding to Central Texas

Published: July 15, 2025

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas recently awarded nearly $1 million to fund a community-based intervention that aims to increase vaccination rates among adolescents in Bexar County.

This vaccination initiative, led by Erika Thompson, PhD, MPH, associate professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio, will draw from All for Them, directed by Dr. Paula Cuccaro, assistant professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. All for Them is a program that aims to reduce HPV-related cancers in Texas through social marketing, comprehensive school-based vaccination clinics, and school nurse education. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common infection that can cause six types of cancers in both men and women, and the vaccine is the best way to prevent those cancers.

The project will adapt All for Them to deliver vaccines to adolescents in Bexar County in community settings — by eliminating barriers to access and raising awareness about the importance of HPV vaccination. “We’re excited not only for the expansion of All for Them into new Texas communities but for the opportunity to adapt the program to meet the needs of community-based organizations,” said Cuccaro.

Efforts will include working with community health workers and local organizations to deliver immunizations to the community, including through after-school programs. Vaccines will be administered by the UT Health San Antonio’s School of Nursing. All for Them’s school nurse education will be adapted for community health workers to strengthen their education about and recommendations of the HPV vaccine. The project will also continue to use social marketing as a strategy to provide HPV education — particularly focused on the HPV vaccine as cancer prevention.

“I'm excited for the opportunity to support HPV-related cancer prevention efforts in Bexar County, especially through partnerships with community partners and UTHealth Houston,” said Thompson. All for Them is looking forward to growing, serving more families, and furthering its mission to provide life-saving vaccines to Texas youth across the state.

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