Provider Tdap Vaccination Rates Improve With Education, Better Screening

Intensive educational campaigns, as well as improved processes of screening and vaccination, may be associated with improved coverage for tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination among health care providers, according to a recent study.

Health care providers have an increased risk of acquiring and transmitting pertussis to susceptible family members, coworkers, and patients, thus highlighting the importance of Tdap vaccination among this particular population.
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To evaluate existing barriers to Tdap receipt among health care providers, the researchers assessed several qualitative methods and previous studies of vaccination programs in the health care system.

Interventions evaluated during the study included changes to Occupational Health Program processes, a general education campaign, improved access to vaccination, and personal engagement of health care provider by task force members.

Results revealed that overall vaccination rates had increased to 90% over the course of 15 months. The researchers found that this rate has been sustained with the systematic assessment of new employees’ vaccination status, as well as vaccination of new employees without documentation of previous Tdap vaccination.

“Tdap vaccination coverage in our institution was significantly increased by an intensive, multipronged educational campaign, and by improving processes of screening and vaccination of [health care providers],” the researchers concluded. “The use of direct engagement of vaccine hesitant populations to increase vaccination rates warrants further study.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Jiang C, Whitmore-Sisco L, Gaur AH, Adderson EE; Tdap Working Group. A quality improvement initiative to increase Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccination coverage among direct health care providers at a children’s hospital. Vaccine. 2018;36(2):214-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.11.071.