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Role of the pharmacist in childhood immunizations
B J Hoeben1, M S Dennis, R L Bachman
1College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505, USA.
Insights
Many children lack full immunization due to various barriers. Pharmacists can improve childhood immunization rates by providing education and increasing vaccine access.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pharmacy Practice
Background:
- Childhood immunization rates in the U.S. remain suboptimal, with fewer than half of 2-year-olds fully vaccinated.
- Barriers to childhood immunization are multifaceted, encompassing both systemic and individual challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on barriers to childhood immunization.
- To explore the role of pharmacists in enhancing childhood immunization rates through education and improved vaccine accessibility.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
- Informal interviews with parents and healthcare professionals at two immunization clinics provided anecdotal data.
Main Results:
- Literature and interview data identified numerous structural and personal barriers hindering parental decisions for child vaccination.
- Both sources suggest that parental concerns and logistical issues significantly impact immunization uptake.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacists can serve as a valuable resource by maintaining and documenting accurate vaccination histories, clarifying immunization status for parents and providers.
- Establishing pharmacy-based immunization clinics can significantly increase access to essential childhood vaccines.
Objective:
Fewer than half of the 2-year-old children in the United States are fully immunized. This article reviews the literature on barriers to immunization in children and examines how pharmacists can promote childhood immunizations by acting as an educational resource and providing increased access to vaccines.
Data Sources:
Published data were collected from the literature. Anecdotal data were collected from unstructured interviews with parents and health care professionals at two childhood immunization clinics in Des Moines, Iowa.
Data Synthesis:
Data from the literature were compared with data informally collected in the clinics. Both the literature and interviews indicated a variety of structural and personal barriers that may prevent parents from having children vaccinated.
Conclusion:
By collecting and documenting adequate vaccination histories, pharmacists can be a resource for parents and health care professionals who are unsure of a child's immunization status. Pharmacists may wish to establish immunization clinics in their pharmacies as a method to increase access to vaccines.