Clinical Edge

Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

Vaccinating Adult Caregivers at Child’s Care Visit

Pediatr Infect Dis J; ePub 2018 Mar 2; Jacobs, et al

Publish date:

Adult caregivers (ACs) readily accepted influenza vaccination at their child’s pediatric primary care office, according to a recent study that offered adult vaccination at regularly scheduled pediatric office visits and examined barriers to improve future vaccination rates. Via a retrospective chart review, researchers identified ACs who received an influenza vaccination at 1 of 3 pediatric clinics within an academic center from August 2015 to May 2016. They also screened for demographics of ACs and their children and found:

  • 297 ACs representing 518 children received their influenza vaccine at their child’s pediatric office.
  • The mean age of ACs was 35.9 years (range 22-70 years) and 68.5% were mothers.
  • Most ACs (n=294, 99%) receiving the vaccine had private insurance.
  • Almost all ACs received their vaccination on the day of the child’s visit (n=250, 84%).
  • 49.6% of AC’s children had high-risk illnesses.
  • Parents of children with Medicaid were under-represented due to high parental copays (n=3, 1%).
  • The highest clinic vaccine participation was noted at the clinics with lowest Medicaid populations.

Citation:

Jacobs K, Posa M, Spellicy W, Otero J, Kelly M. Adult caregiver influenza vaccination through administration in pediatric outpatient clinics: A cocooning healthcare improvement project. [Published online ahead of print March 2, 2018]. Pediatr Infect Dis J. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000001970.

Commentary:

This retrospective study demonstrates the “proof of principle” that it is possible and reasonably practical to vaccinate adult caregivers (ACs) when they visit the pediatrician to take care of their children. With some advance planning in streamlining the paperwork and logistics involved, these 3 practices were able to vaccinate a significant number of ACs against influenza. Unfortunately, barriers to this practice remain, namely the insurance status of the family. Since Florida did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), parents with Medicaid are not covered for the influenza vaccine, and the significant co-pay for vaccines appears to significantly limit this practice unless this system is changed.—Sarah Rawstron, MB, BS, FAAP, FIDSA

Pediatric Residency Program Director, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, NY

Clinical Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY

This Week's Must Reads

Must Reads in Vaccines