Providing immunizations in a pediatric emergency department

Abstract

To assess the vaccination status and vaccinate eligible children with age-appropriate antigens. Intervention. Pediatric emergency department in an urban, public hospital. Convenience sample of children, aged birth through 72 months. Immunization of eligible children. 1) Immunization coverage rates in the sample population, 2) Acceptance rates of immunization. A total of 9321 children were enrolled over a 2-year period. Fifty-nine percent were documented to be underimmunized. Overall, 2514 children received a total of 6482 immunizations. Parents who carried portable immunization cards documenting that their child was underimmunized were almost five times more likely to accept immunization for their child than parents who lacked documentation (71% vs 15%, P < 0.0001). The estimated cost of providing immunizations in the emergency department was $47.15 per child immunized, or $18.56 per immunization given. The majority of children with documentation of immunization status were underimmunized. When documentation of underimmunization was available, parents were significantly more likely to accept vaccination. These data suggest that vaccinating children in nontraditional settings is feasible and support the creation of an accessible vaccine registry.