Reminder Systems and Strategies for Increasing Childhood Vaccination Rates

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An important component of an immunization provider practice is ensuring that the vaccines reach all individuals who need them. While attention to appropriate administration of vaccinations is essential, it cannot be assumed that these vaccinations are being given to every eligible person at the recommended age.

Specific concerns about U.S. immunization levels and areas for further study include the following:

  • Childhood immunization rates are still suboptimal.
  • Economic and racial disparities exist.

This page offers many resources and publications describing the need for increasing immunization levels and outlines strategies that providers can adopt to increase coverage in their own practice.

Specific strategies to increase Adult vaccination rates can be found on the Adult Vaccination Information for Healthcare and Public Health Professionals website

ob体育 Sources

  • “Immunization Strategies”: ob体育’s strategies that lead to high immunization levels in a practice – Chapter 3 in the “Pink Book”
    May 2015
    Explains the need for strategies to increase immunization rates, the AFIX approach (assessment, feedback, incentives, eXchange), and other essential strategies such as recordkeeping, recommendations and reinforcement, reminder and recall to patients and providers, reduction of missed opportunities and barriers to immunization.
  • Immunization Information Systems
    Many recordkeeping tasks, as well as patient reminder/recall activities, can be greatly simplified by participation in a population-based immunization information system (IIS), also known as an immunization registry.

  • ob体育’s The Community Guide May 2015
    Summary of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services’ Recommendations and Findings covering reviews done between 2014 and 2016
  • (published 1996; historical document)

External Sources

  • Checklist: June 2008 Immunization Action Coalition
    For healthcare professionals to improve their efficiency in administering vaccines and increase their immunization rates.
  •  June 2013
    Results of this study will provide data that will be relevant nationally in guiding future investment of resources to increase up-to-date rates in young children prior to school entry.
  • Barriers and Strategies to Improving Influenza Vaccination among Health Care Personnel
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Publications/Articles

Cost-effectiveness needs more research, regarding which strategies increase immunization levels with the least expenditure so these strategies can be prioritized.

Sustainable systems for vaccinating children, adolescents, and adults must be developed. High immunization rates cannot rest upon one-time or short-term efforts. Greater understanding of strategies to increase and sustain immunization levels is necessary in order to create lasting, effective immunization delivery systems.

Many strategies have been used to increase immunizations. Some, such as school entry laws, have effectively increased demand for vaccines, but the effectiveness of other strategies (e.g., advertising) is less well documented. Some proven strategies (e.g., reducing costs, linking immunization to Women Infants and Children (WIC) services, home visiting) are well suited to increasing rates among specific populations, such as persons with low access to immunization services.

A selection of the articles published on this topic are listed below. The first three are general reviews, and the remainder are stratified by strategy type.

General

  • . Clin Pediatr. 2013;52(8):710-20
  • . Pediatrics. 2010;125:1295-1304
  • . Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Clin Infect Dis. 2007;44:1529-1531

Strategy Type Representative Articles

Home Visits

  • Banach DB, Ornstein K, Factor SH, Soriano TA. . J Community Health. 2012;37(1):10-4.
  • Szilagyi PG, Humiston SG, Gallivan S, Albertin C, Sandler M, Blumkin A. . Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(6):547-53.

School requirements

Client/family incentives

  • Luthy KE, Thorpe A, Dymock LC, Connely S. . Journal of School Nursing. 2011; 27(4):252-7.

Client reminder recall

  • Kempe A1, Barrow J, Stokley S, Saville A, Glazner JE, Suh C, et al. . Pediatrics. 2012 Jun;129(6):e1446-52. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2921.
  • Kharbanda EO1, Stockwell MS, Fox HW, Andres R, Lara M, Rickert VI. . Vaccine. 2011;29(14):2537-41. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.01.065.
  • Stockwell MS1, Kharbanda EO, Martinez RA, Vargas CY, Vawdrey DK, Camargo S. . JAMA. 2012;307(16):1702-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.502.
  • Szilagyi PG, Humiston SG, Gallivan S, Albertin C, Sandler M, Blumkin A. . Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2011;165(6):547-53.

Standing Orders

  • Melinkovich P, Hammer A, Staudenmaier A, Berg M. . Joint Commission Journal on Quality & Patient Safety. 2007;33(4):205-10.

Provider reminders

  • Patwardhan A, Kelleher K, Cunningham D, Spencer C. . Pediatric Rheumatology. 2012;10(Suppl 1):A106.
  • Fiks AG, Hunter KF, Localio AR, et al. . Pediatrics. 2009;124(1):159-69.

Provider feedback

  • Brousseau N, Sauvageau C, Ouakki M, et al. . BMC Public Health. 2010;10(1):750.
  • Brousseau N, Sauvageau C, Ouakki M, Audet D, Kiely M, Couture C, Pare A, Deceuninck G. . BMC Public Health 2010;10:750

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Settings

  • Ghosh TS, Patnaik JL, Bennett A, Trefren L, Vogt RL. . Public Health Rep. 2007;122(5):602-6.

Health Care System-Based Interventions Implemented in Combination

  • Allison MA, Daley MF, Barrow J, et al. . Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2009;163(5):426-31.
  • Hambidge SJ, Phibbs SL, Chandramouli V, Fairclough D, Steiner JF. . Pediatrics. 2009;124(2):455-64.
  • Szilagyi PG, Humiston SG, Gallivan S, Albertin C, Sandler M, Blumkin A. . Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2011;165(6):547-53.

Community-Based Interventions Implemented in Combination

  • Findley SE, Irigoyen M, Sanchez M, et al. . American Journal of Public Health. 2008;98(11):1959-62.
  • Findley SE, Sanchez M, Mejia M, et al. . Health Promotion Practice. 2009;10(Suppl 2):128S-137S.
  • Lemstra M, Rajakumar D, Thompson A, Moraros J. . Paediatrics and Child Health. 2011;16(1):e1-e5.

Reducing Client Out-of-Pocket Costs

  • Carpenter LR, Lott J, Lawson BM, Hall S, Craig AS, Schaffner W et al. . Pediatrics 2007;120(1):e172-8.
  • Molinari NAM, Kolasa M, Messonnier ML, Schieber RA. . Pediatrics. 2007;120(5):e1148. https://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-3654.

Immunization Information Systems

  • Adamkiewicz TV, Silk BJ, Howgate J, Baughman W, Strayhorn G, Sullivan K, et al. . Pediatrics. 2008;121(3):562-9.
  • Allison MA, Daley MF, Barrow J, Crane LA, Beaty BL, Allred N, et al. . Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163(5):426-31.
  • Feemster KA, Spain CV, Eberhart M, Pati S, Watson B. . Public Health Rep. 2009;124(1):42-53.
  • Guh AY, Hadler JL. . Vaccine. 2011;29(37):6155-8.
  • Papadouka V, Metroka A, Zucker JR. . J Public Health Manag Pract 2011;17(6):565-8.
  • Saville AW, Albright K, Nowels C, Barnard J, Daley MF, Stokley S, et al. . Acad Pediatr. 2011;11(1):44-9.

Schools and Organized Child Care Centers

  • Guay M, Clouâtre AM, Blackburn M, et al. . Can J Public Health. 2003;94(1):64-7.
  • Effler PV, Chu C, He H, et al. . Emerg Infect Dis. 2010;16(2):244. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1602.091375.
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