A program that educates providers, encourages vaccine champions, and enlists the help of student pharmacists can significantly increase adult vaccination rates, according to a study that applied these interventions in a large integrated healthcare system.

• The intervention program included clinician vaccine education, enlisting the assistance of clinic vaccine champions, linking the healthcare system’s EHR with the statewide immunization registry, using pharmacist students to educate patients, issuing relevant EHR alerts, and sending messages to patients through patient portals.
• Before the program was set up, 38.8% of patients were vaccinated for herpes zoster, compared to 43% in the early intervention stage of the program.

• The baseline vaccination rate for Tdap was 56.8%, which increased to 65.4% after the program began.

• 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination rate jumped from 25.7% to 68.4% for patients aged ≥65 years.