Rhode Island Adolescents and Routine Vaccinations: Can We Get Back on Track?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Immunization Practices

Background:

• Assessed adolescent routine vaccination rates in Rhode Island using registry data from January 2019 to September 2022.
• Examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent immunization coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if adolescent routine vaccination rates are recovering from pandemic-induced losses.
• To analyze trends in adolescent immunization coverage post-pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Calculated quarterly vaccination numbers for adolescents aged 11-18 as a percentage of 2019 levels (Q1 2020-Q3 2022).
• Assessed cumulative vaccination deficits relative to pre-pandemic benchmarks.
• Stratified Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine trends by race/ethnicity and sex.

Main Results:

• Adolescent vaccination rates remained below 100% of 2019 quarterly levels for most quarters post-Q1 2020.
• Significant cumulative deficits in routine adolescent immunizations were observed through Q3 2022.
• HPV vaccine uptake showed variations by racial/ethnic identity and sex.

Conclusions:

• Rhode Island experienced persistent declines in adolescent routine vaccination post-pandemic.
• Strategies to enhance partnerships between primary care, public health, and schools are needed.
• Interventions should focus on addressing and reversing the observed vaccination deficits in adolescents.