Intervention to Increase Uptake of Recommended Vaccines in an Inner-City HIV Care Clinic

This study investigates the effectiveness of a targeted intervention aimed at improving vaccination rates among People Living with HIV (PLWH) at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital's Adult HIV Outpatient Clinic, a key provider for a predominantly minority population in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Despite the established efficacy of vaccines and their endorsement by various health agencies, vaccination rates among PLWH remain suboptimal, particularly in minority groups. Our intervention, structured around the CERPS framework (Champion, Education, Reminder, Performance feedback, and Standing orders), was designed to address these disparities by increasing educational outreach, reminders, and accessibility to vaccinations within the clinic. The study was conducted over two years and included 400 Hispanic participants, randomized into intervention and control groups. Results showed high retention and vaccination rates that approached or exceeded national averages. However, comparisons between the intervention and control groups were not significant, suggesting potential benefits from increased general awareness and inadvertent cross-group contamination. The findings highlight the complexities of measuring intervention impacts in real-world settings and underscore the need for clinic-wide strategies to enhance vaccination rates. This study adds to the understanding of effective strategies to increase vaccination uptake in urban HIV care settings and highlights the need for further research into provider and patient-centered barriers and facilitators.