Nurse-Led Model of Care That Helps a Community Heal: Curbside Immunizations With Assistance in Social Determinants.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed communities. Physical, emotional, and financial struggles have heightened, especially with our vulnerable populations. People have been afraid to return to their provider's office. For children, there has been an interruption of well-visits and immunizations. As the nation saw a decline in immunization uptake, a pilot nurse-led program was designed to increase vaccinations and address the social determinant needs during a global pandemic. The purpose of this article is to describe the planning and implementation of a curbside immunization event. The Logic model was used as a framework to ensure an efficient and replicable process. Initial observations showed an overall increase in immunization uptake and 97% of participants current with recommended vaccinations. Most parents (93%) would attend again and recommend it to others. They also felt that infection control precautions helped make the care delivered safe and efficient. Social determinants of health were assessed and addressed. This method of vaccine delivery is a viable model going into the future. Others may replicate this model, and it may also serve as a platform regarding flu or COVID-19 vaccine distribution.