[Vaccination every time when an occasion arises: evaluation of an intervention in the Murcia Autonomous Community]

This study evaluated the occasions for vaccination that are lost in a vaccination center by means of the systematic offer of tetanus vaccine to the adults which accompanied pediatric patients. The study was prospective and had three periods, of two weeks duration each. In the first period vaccination was offered through a questionnaire, in the second without questionnaire, and the third was used as control. The recorded accompanying persons were 298, 478 and 155 for the three periods. During the first period the overall number of administered doses increased by 22%. During the second it increased by 31% (p = NS). In both the number of administered tetanus vaccine doses was doubled. 68% of the nonvaccinated accompanying persons accepted the vaccine in the first period, and 63% in the second period (p = NS). We conclude that both intervention alternatives were equally effective. Through this intervention we increased the rate of adequately vaccinated accompanying persons form 30 +/- 3% to 75 +/- 3%. This approach may be effective to increase the level of tetanus immunization in the adult population when applied in primary care centers.