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Published on: May 19, 2020
Providing opportunistic immunisations for at-risk inpatients in a tertiary paediatric hospital
Sonja Elia1, Kirsten Perrett1,2, Fiona Newall3,4
1Immunisation Service, Department of General Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
High immunisation coverage is crucial for children with medical conditions. A dedicated hospital service improved vaccination rates by checking records and offering vaccines during admissions, addressing missed opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health and Epidemiology
- Immunization Programs
Background:
- Achieving high immunisation coverage rates in children with medical conditions is a significant public health challenge.
- Hospitals present opportunities for opportunistic immunisation by checking patient records and administering vaccines.
- Missed opportunities for vaccination are common in healthcare settings, impacting overall immunisation coverage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a dedicated hospital-based Immunisation Service in improving vaccination coverage among pediatric inpatients.
- To assess the rate of incomplete immunisation status among children admitted to a tertiary pediatric hospital.
- To determine the impact of opportunistic immunisation during hospital admission on bringing patient vaccination records up-to-date.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a routine process for checking inpatient immunisation status within the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Immunisation Service.
- Opportunistic administration of vaccines to eligible inpatients during their hospital stay.
- Collaboration with inpatient clinical teams and a government agency to update the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR).
Main Results:
- One quarter of admitted children were found to be not up-to-date with their routine scheduled immunisations.
- 42% of inpatients who were due or overdue for immunisation received vaccines during their admission.
- A dedicated service model, staff reminders, and inter-agency partnerships can enhance vaccination coverage.
Conclusions:
- A dedicated hospital Immunisation Service can effectively identify and address immunisation gaps in pediatric inpatients.
- Opportunistic immunisation during hospital admissions is a viable strategy to improve vaccination coverage and update records.
- Healthcare providers have a critical role and responsibility in ensuring timely immunisation for children, especially those with underlying medical conditions.
Abstract:
Attaining high immunisation coverage rates for children with medical conditions is vital. The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Immunisation Service has the opportunity to check each inpatient's immunisation status and provide opportunistic vaccines and/or bring the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) up-to-date. This paper highlights that during admission, one quarter of children were not up-to-date with routine scheduled immunisations and 42% of those inpatients due or overdue for immunisation were vaccinated. The model of establishing routine checking of immunisation records and reminding hospital staff about immunisation can result in improvements in vaccination coverage. Healthcare providers have a responsibility to check immunisation status and offer vaccines when necessary; however, often there are missed opportunities to immunise. This paper demonstrates that having a dedicated Immunisation Service, a partnership with a relevant government agency, and effective collaboration with inpatient clinical teams, opportunistic immunisation can be achieved for inpatients.
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