Santa Barbara pediatrician Dr. Daniel Brennan, MD, FAAP, has been named California’s 2026
Immunization Champion by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to promote and foster immunization in their communities. AIM’s 2026 Immunization Champion announcement recognizes immunization leaders from across the United States and U.S. territories.
Brennan, a pediatrician at Sutter Health, was recognized for longstanding work to improve childhood vaccination rates and strengthen vaccine confidence in Santa Barbara County and throughout the Central Coast.
In 2014, Brennan founded Strive for 95, a community immunization initiative bringing together healthcare organizations, public health officials, educators and community partners in response to declining childhood vaccination rates in Santa Barbara County.
The coalition united Sansum Clinic, Cottage Health, Santa Barbara County Public Health and the Santa Barbara County Office of Education, along with other community partners, to promote the importance of vaccination and community immunity.
The initiative helped increase Santa Barbara County kindergarten vaccination rates from 92.1% to 96.5%. Brennan spearheaded a broad public-education campaign that included community town halls, school engagement, print and digital media, television and radio advertising, and the development of StriveFor95.org to provide vaccine education and local resources for families.
He also created “Strive for 95” vaccination stickers modeled after “I Voted” campaigns to encourage parent-to-parent advocacy and make immunization advocacy a visible part of the community.
Brennan’s work has also extended into healthcare quality improvement. Within Sutter Health, he leads pediatric immunization quality-improvement efforts involving multidisciplinary teams. Through workflow redesign, population-health outreach, metric transparency and physician engagement, his team improved childhood immunization rates by 28.9% and adolescent immunization rates by 53.4% in less than one year.
Today, Brennan serves as Children’s Health Service Line Medical Director for Sutter Health’s Greater Central Coast Division. He is also an advisory committee member of the California Immunization Coalition, continuing his involvement in statewide immunization advocacy and public-health efforts.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition, but I see it as a reflection of the work of an entire community,” said Brennan. “Improving vaccination rates takes physicians, nurses, public-health professionals, schools, community organizations and, most importantly, parents working together. The goal is simple: keep vaccine rates above 95% to protect children and families from diseases that we have the ability to prevent.”
Brennan said the recognition also highlights the importance of making vaccine conversations accessible and trusted.
“Numbers matter, but vaccine confidence matters just as much. Families need reliable information, trusted healthcare professionals and a community that supports them in protecting their children,” Brennan said.
AIM specifically cited Brennan’s work as having a measurable and lasting impact on immunization rates, vaccine confidence and community health at both the local and regional levels.
About Daniel Brennan, MD, FAAP, CLC:
Daniel Brennan, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician with Sutter Health in Santa Barbara. He serves as Children’s Health Service Line Medical Director for Sutter Health’s Greater Central Coast Division and is an advisory committee member of the California Immunization Coalition. He
founded the Strive for 95 Community Immunization Initiative and has spent more than a decade working to improve childhood vaccination rates, strengthen vaccine confidence and promote community health through clinical care, quality improvement, community education and public advocacy.