Do Pediatricians and Nurses Recommend Vaccines for Preterm Infants? A Survey in Italy
Francesco Napolitano1, Grazia Miraglia Del Giudice1, Concetta Paola Pelullo1
1Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Naples, Italy.
Insights
Healthcare workers (HCWs) generally view vaccines for preterm infants as safe and effective. However, consistent recommendation for timely infant vaccination requires further education and engagement to prevent missed immunizations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm infants are at higher risk for vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Understanding healthcare provider knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors is crucial for optimizing vaccination strategies in this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of primary care pediatricians (PCPs) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) health care workers (HCWs) concerning vaccinations for preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Data collected via confidential email questionnaires for PCPs.
- Anonymous self-administered questionnaires were used for HCWs in selected NICUs.
Main Results:
- 64.1% of HCWs perceived vaccines in preterm infants as very safe.
- 69.8% of HCWs always recommended the standard vaccination schedule for preterm infants.
- Knowledge of the standard schedule and belief in vaccine efficacy were associated with consistent recommendations.
Conclusions:
- A need exists to address missed or delayed immunizations among preterm infants.
- Engaging HCWs in quality improvement initiatives is recommended to promote timely vaccinations in this population.
Objective:
To assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding vaccination in preterm infants among primary care pediatricians (PCPs) and health care workers (HCWs) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Study Design:
Data were collected from PCPs through a confidential questionnaire distributed by email, whereas the research team distributed a self-administered anonymous questionnaire to all HCWs working in the selected NICUs.
Results:
Overall, 64.1% of HCWs consider vaccines in preterm infants to be very safe. The majority of HCWs (69.8%) stated that they always recommend that preterm infants' parents vaccinate their children following the same schedule as for term infants. This behavior was significantly more likely among those who know that the vaccination schedule for preterm infants is the same as for term infants, who consider vaccines in preterm infants very effective, and who strongly agree that preterm infants should be vaccinated on the same schedule as term infants. Moreover, PCPs were more likely than NICU pediatricians to always recommend that preterm infants' parents vaccinate their children following the immunization schedule of term infants, whereas this behavior was significantly less frequent among NICU nurses.
Conclusions:
There is a need for physicians and nurses in the NICU and in the community to counteract missed or delayed immunizations. Engagement of HCWs in healthcare quality improvement initiatives focused on the promotion of timely vaccinations in preterm infants should be encouraged.
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