August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This awareness event is recognized annually to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.
Quality Measure: Childhood Immunization Status (CIS)
As summer comes to an end and many Rhode Island families are preparing for their children to return to school, this is a time when childhood immunization should be at the front of our minds.
Ensuring children are caught up on recommended vaccines is important after the disruption of routine well-child visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. This effort will require a multi-faceted effort from families, healthcare providers, schools, and state and local governments.
It is important to:
- Identify children who have missed doses and contact them to schedule catch-up doses.
- Deliver vaccines that are overdue at routine well-child visits.
- Discuss vaccine safety and efficacy with families at routine well-child visits.
- Utilize CDC resources and educational materials for your office. (Found here: Childhood Immunization Resources for Immunization Partners | CDC )1
Measure Description: The percentage of children two years of age who had four diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP); three polio (IPV); one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); three haemophilus influenza type B (HiB); three hepatitis B (HepB), one chicken pox (VZV); four pneumococcal conjugate (PCV); one hepatitis A (HepA); two or three rotavirus (RV); and two influenza (flu) vaccines by their second birthday. The measure calculates a rate for each vaccine and three combination rates.
Quality Measure: Adolescent Well-care Visits (WCV) and Immunizations for Adolescents (IMA)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “One of the foundations of preventive adolescent health care is timely vaccination, and every visit can be viewed as an opportunity to update and complete an adolescent’s immunizations."2 Potential barriers to immunization are Internet and media sources that give misinformation about vaccines, especially vaccine safety. The best way to combat misinformation is education on the importance of immunizations and should be key focuses for adolescent patients during regular well-child visits.
Flu season is approaching! Adolescent well-care visits and regular physicals are a great opportunity to remind patients of the need for seasonal influenza immunization.
Please refer to your 2022 PQIP Booklet for additional information. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your quality representative with any questions at QualityHEDIS@bcbsri.org.
Measure Description (WCV): The percentage of members three–21 years of age who had at least one comprehensive well-care visit with a PCP or an OB/GYN practitioner during the measurement year.
Measure Description (IMA): The percentage of adolescents 13 years of age who had one dose of meningococcal vaccine, one tetanus, diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, and have completed the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series by their 13th birthday. The measure calculates a rate for each vaccine and two combination rates.
Sources:
1. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/partners/childhood/index.html> [Accessed 10 20 de junho22].
2. Henry H. Bernstein, Joseph A. Bocchini, COMMITTEE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES, Carrie L. Byington, Yvonne A. Maldonado, Elizabeth D. Barnett, James D. Campbell, H. Dele Davies, Ruth Lynfield, Flor M. Munoz, Dawn Nolt, Ann-Christine Nyquist, Sean O’Leary, Mobeen H. Rathore, Mark H. Sawyer, William J. Steinbach, Tina Q. Tan, Theoklis E. Zaoutis; The Need to Optimize Adolescent Immunization. Pediatrics 20 de março17; 139 (3): e20164186. 10.1542/peds.2016-4186