NICU interventions boost infant vaccination rate to 93%

Anuja Vaidya -

A multifaceted intervention helped significantly improve vaccination rates in a neonatal intensive care unit, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

Researchers from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic found that from January 2015 to June 2017, only 56 percent of infants in its level four NICU had received all the recommended vaccinations at the time of hospital discharge or transfer to another hospital unit.

For the study, researchers analyzed baseline data and found three causes:

• Lack of provider knowledge of the routine vaccination schedule
• Failure of providers to order vaccines when due
• Hesitancy of parents toward vaccination

They then implemented five interventions, including a providing a private computer network for NICU providers to check the routine vaccination schedule; having an Excel-based checklist to track when vaccinations were due; and offering provider education on vaccine hesitancy among parents and vaccine safety.

Over a 19 months, the interventions helped improve the fully vaccinated rate among NICU infants from a baseline of 56 percent to 93 percent.

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