Case Study: California’s Office of Digital Innovation improves vaccine equity with Syntasa

California’s Office of Digital Innovation - Customer Case Study

The California Office of Digital Innovation (ODI) faced the challenge of promoting equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution across its vast and diverse population. Despite efforts, vaccination rates for the least-advantaged residents were 25% lower than for the most-advantaged. ODI needed to shift from a logistics-driven approach to a needs-based strategy, requiring localized, real-time data on vaccine hesitancy and willingness down to the zip code level to effectively target its resources.

ODI partnered with Syntasa to implement a solution centered on a digital survey deployed across high-traffic ca.gov websites. Syntasa processed the responses using advanced analytics, including natural language processing and sentiment analysis, to correct for bias and create a constantly updating data product. This enabled the state to prioritize mobile vaccination sites in the most receptive, underserved areas. As a result, 70% of vaccinations in target communities occurred at these pop-up clinics, and the vaccination rate for the least-advantaged residents reversed, becoming 57% higher than the most-advantaged by August.

California’s Office of Digital Innovation