title: A pilot program to improve vaccination status for hospitalized children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Screening of immunization status at each health care encounter is recommended to improve immunization coverage rates but is often limited to primary care practices. A pilot intervention study was performed to ascertain the immunization status of hospitalized children and determine if development of an immunization plan before discharge would improve the vaccination status for such children.
  
  
  METHODS
  On the basis of power calculations estimated to detect an increase in immunization status from 60% to 70% with 80% power, 356 randomly selected children were enrolled between March 6, 2012 and June 14, 2012. Immunization records were obtained, immunization status determined, and parent/guardian informed if catch-up dose(s) were needed. If parent requested vaccine dose(s), they were administered before discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vaccination status was current per Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines in 73% of hospitalized children, and 27% children required catch-up dose(s) (200 doses for 95 children). Human papilloma virus vaccine (dose 1), varicella zoster vaccine (dose 2), and meningococcal conjugate vaccine were the most commonly identified dose(s) needed. Of those requiring catch-up dose(s), 25% were caught up, increasing vaccination status to 80% at 1-month post hospital discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to determine the immunization status of hospitalized pediatric patients of all ages, including adolescents, providing new data on the immunization status of the inpatient pediatric population. A pilot intervention consisting of obtaining immunization records, determining immunization status, and discussing catch-up dose(s) before discharge resulted in improvement of immunization status, suggesting that the inpatient setting may be used along with many other national strategies to help address missed vaccination opportunities.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Infectious Diseases, baphud@cmh.edu.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pahud
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Infectious Diseases.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Joshua C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Herigon
authors.affiliation: Research Development & Clinical Investigation, and.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Daryl A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Infectious Diseases.
authors.forename: Mary Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008501:Medical Records, Problem-Oriented; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards; D058996:Quality Improvement; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: hospitalized; immunization; inpatient; vaccination