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Single-Center Experience in Vaccination of Children in Special Risk Groups: A Multidisciplinary Institutional
Hatice Ezgi Barış1, Eda Kepenekli2, Fikriye İrem Akbolat Sakar3
1Division of Pediatrics, Department of Social Pediatrics, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey; Institute of Health Sciences, Marmara University, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
This study analyzed childhood vaccination data for special risk groups, finding most children were vaccinated post-cancer treatment. Developing national guidelines for immunocompromised children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Immunology
- Vaccinology
- Clinical Pediatrics
Background:
- Childhood vaccine accessibility has improved, yet knowledge gaps persist regarding vaccination in special risk groups (SRG).
- Understanding vaccination practices in SRG is crucial for tailored immunization strategies and improved public health outcomes.
- This study addresses the need for specific clinical evidence to guide the immunization of children within SRG.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze clinical data of children vaccinated within special risk groups (SRG) at a single center.
- To contribute clinical evidence for the specific planning of immunization strategies for children in SRG.
- To present institutional consensus and protocols for vaccinating children in SRG.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of patient charts from a single-center pediatric vaccination clinic (2018-2021).
- Extraction of clinical and laboratory data from reviewed patient records.
- Development of institutional vaccination protocols through multidisciplinary healthcare professional meetings.
Main Results:
- 181 children were vaccinated, with most receiving vaccines post-treatment for malignancies (solid tumors, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia).
- The study excluded 298 children vaccinated for food or vaccine allergies, focusing on other SRG categories.
- Institutional vaccination protocols were developed for cancer survivors, hematopoietic stem cell recipients, and solid organ transplant recipients.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for national guidelines to standardize vaccination practices for immunocompromised children.
- Sharing vaccination data and practices from multidisciplinary units can inform the development of national policies.
- Enhanced knowledge sharing is essential for improving vaccination strategies in special risk pediatric populations.
Objective:
Despite marked improvements in the accessibility of childhood vaccines, knowledge gaps remain about the vaccination of children in special risk groups (SRG). This study aimed to analyze the clinical data of children vaccinated in SRG in a single-center unit to contribute to the clinical evidence for the specific planning of immunization of children in SRG. The second- ary aim is to present institutional consensus on the vaccination of children in SRG.
Materials And Methods:
This retrospective study was conducted at a single-center pediatric vaccination clinic. Patient charts between 2018 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, and clinical and laboratory data were extracted. Serial joint meetings with multiple healthcare pro- fessionals were performed to develop an institutional protocol for vaccination.
Results:
There were 479 children vaccinated between 2018 and 2021 for reasons such as post- chemotherapy, after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, before/after solid organ trans- plantation, allergies, and chronic diseases. Of these, 298 (62.2%) children vaccinated in the unit due to a history of food or vaccine allergies were excluded. One hundred eighty-one children were vaccinated at a median age of 11 [7-15] years. Most children were vaccinated after treat- ment for malignancies. Solid tumors were the most frequent malignancy (67%), followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (29.0%) and acute myeloid leukemia (4.0%). Institutional vacci- nation protocols for cancer survivors, hematopoietic stem cells, and solid organ recipient chil- dren were developed and presented.
Conclusion:
There is a need to prepare national guidelines for vaccinating children with altered immunocompetence. Sharing vaccination practices by multidisciplinary vaccination units might increase and provide knowledge to develop national policies.
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