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COVID-19 vaccine inquiries regarding children ages 5-11 years received by NIP-INFO
Elisha Hall1, Sarah Morales2, JoEllen Wolicki1
1COVID-19 Response, Vaccine Task Force, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Insights
Healthcare professionals asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about COVID-19 vaccine formulation, dosage, and schedules for children aged 5-11. Most inquiries focused on vaccine specifics and potential errors during initial vaccination efforts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Public Health Surveillance
- Vaccinology
Background:
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5-11 years in November 2021.
- Healthcare professionals (HCPs) require timely and accurate information to administer new vaccines effectively.
- Understanding HCP inquiries is crucial for refining vaccination strategies and educational materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the types of COVID-19 immunization inquiries received by the CDC's NIP-INFO service from HCPs regarding the 5-11-year-old age group.
- To identify the most common concerns and information gaps related to pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.
- To inform ongoing and future pediatric vaccination efforts.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive qualitative analysis of e-mail inquiries received by NIP-INFO.
- Data collection period: November 2–30, 2021.
- Categorization of 154 unique inquiries regarding COVID-19 vaccination for 5-11-year-old children.
Main Results:
- The majority of inquiries concerned vaccine formulation and dosage (39.6%) and vaccination schedules (14.3%).
- Concerns about vaccine safety (8.4%) and the availability of CDC educational materials (9.1%) were also significant.
- Vaccination errors accounted for 16.2% of all inquiries, highlighting a need for clear guidance.
Conclusions:
- Key areas of inquiry for pediatric COVID-19 vaccination centered on practical administration details like formulation, dosage, and scheduling.
- Addressing HCPs' questions regarding vaccine errors and safety is vital for successful pediatric immunization programs.
- Insights gained can guide future vaccination campaigns for younger pediatric populations to control the pandemic.
Abstract:
We describe COVID-19 immunization inquiries regarding children age 5-11 years received by NIP-INFO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) e-mail immunization inquiry service for health care professionals, at the launch of vaccination efforts for this age group, using descriptive qualitative analysis. From November 2 through November 30, 2021, NIP-INFO responded to 154 questions regarding COVID-19 vaccination for 5-11-year-old children. The most common questions related to formulation and dosage (39.6%), vaccination schedule (14.3%), CDC's educational materials for health care professionals (9.1%), and vaccine safety (8.4%); 16.2% of questions across all inquiry categories related to a vaccination error. We discuss CDC guidance related to the most common inquiries to inform further pediatric COVID-19 vaccination efforts, including future vaccination of younger pediatric age groups, which will be important to help to curb this pandemic.