For most infants and toddlers, getting vaccine shots is as much a part of growing up as learning to take those first steps. But not for all.

As of 2007, according to the Ohio Department of Health, 77.7 percent of children at 35 months old received their full schedule of seven vaccines. That’s comparable to the national rate of 77 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the Ohio rate has increased from 63.5 percent since 2003, it still shows a significant number of children are not getting their recommended vaccines. While exceptions are allowed, Ohio law requires children to receive the full schedule of vaccines before starting school.

That full schedule of vaccines, with minimum number of doses is:

1. DTP or DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis): 4-plus

2. Polio: 3-plus

3. MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella): 1-plus

4. Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate): 3-plus

5. Hepatitis B: 3-plus

6. Varicella (chickenpox): 1-plus

7. PCV7 (7-valent Pneumococcal conjugate): 3-plus

According to a 2001 study by the CDC’s National Immunization Program, childhood immunizations prevent more than 14 million cases of disease and more than 33,500 deaths over the lifetime of children born that year. The cost saved from preventing these diseases was estimated at $10 billion per year.

Recently, The Toledo Hospital’s (TTH) Family Medicine Residency program received a national award for its efforts to improve local immunization rates. The program earned the Most Improved Award in the 2008 American Academy of Family Physicians/Foundations Wyeth Immunization Awards. TTH’s Family Medicine Residency program increased immunization rates for their patients who had reached 35 months of age from 74 percent in 2006 to 90 percent in 2008.

TTH’s Family Medicine Residency program was only one of 11 recipients of the national AAF/P Wyeth Immunization Award winners. As part of the Most Improved Award, the Family Medicine Residency program received $1,000 and $3,000 scholarships to send two of its physician residents to conferences, and $10,000 for the program.

The Family Medicine Residency immunization program was spearheaded by Health Education Specialist Barb Warner, RN. She said the Family Medicine Residency had been consistently below the national average for immunization rates.

“While we had done pretty well, we knew there had to be something more we can do,” she said.

A concerted effort to increase immunization rates was started in late 2005. That program included:

• Taking advantage of the Ohio Impact Statewide Immunization Information System (ImpactSIIS), a registry that helps physicians track their patients’ vaccine schedules. The registry was launched in early 2002.
• Educating residents in the program through the course work, and getting them in the habit of regularly checking the immunization schedule of patients.
• Improved communication with patients and their families by reminding them of their children’s immunization schedule during regular checkups, when they visit their doctor for sick visits, and through contact if an appointment has been missed.

Toledo Hospital’s Family Medicine Residency consists of 18 residents and seven staff members. Dr. Jeffrey Lewis served as residency director when the immunization program was started. Lewis serves as associate director along with his teaching duties, and Dr. Robert Fredrick is the current director.

Warner said the Family Medicine Residency will continue its immunization program while also seeking to boost adolescence immunization rates.

“Adolescents seem to get missed when it comes to immunizations because they don’t have regular checkups as infants and toddlers do. We believe most parents feel that once their children start kindergarten, they’re done and don’t know about the other vaccines that are needed,” Warner said.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 10:30 am and is filed under Featured.
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