Partnering with parents to remove barriers and improve influenza immunization rates for young children

Background: Despite the ongoing public health initiatives to increase pediatric influenza immunization rates to 80%, only a few US health centers have been able to meet this goal. The suboptimal immunity to influenza poses individual and societal risks for vaccine-preventable cases of influenza and its complications. Local problem: At a diverse, urban, family health center, its influenza immunization rate of 44% represented the lowest uptake rate compared with all other early childhood vaccines, increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality in young children, including hospitalization and death. Methods: To identify key barriers to influenza immunization, the investigators interviewed parents of children aged 6 through 24 months at this urban family health center via randomized sampling using an open-ended telephone survey. Interventions: Based on the concerns parents expressed through the survey, a program was designed and implemented that included reminder calls, parent education, proactive appointment scheduling, and social media reminders. Results: After implementing a parent-driven quality-improvement program for 6 months during influenza season, the health center's pediatric influenza immunization rates rose to 57% compared with 44% during the year before. Conclusions: Childhood immunization is a critical priority to protect the health and wellness of children. Increasing parent engagement in discussions about increasing immunization rates not only promotes awareness surrounding vaccines but also allows primary care providers to learn from parents to create a patient-centered immunization program. Programs that specifically target immunization efforts toward parental concerns have the potential for increased vaccine acceptance and improved health outcomes.