52 - To Vaccinate or not Vaccinate While Inpatient, that is the Question

Poster Number: 52
Publication Number: 52.1363

Background: Pediatric inpatient hospital admissions are recognized as potential opportunities for catch up vaccination. A single-center study demonstrated that 27%-84% of hospitalized children are missing >1 vaccine and that most hospitalized children needed only 1-2 vaccines to be considered up to date. However, little is known about caregiver attitudes and preferences for catch up vaccination during inpatient hospital admissions.

Objective: This study aims to assess caregiver attitudes and preferences for catch up vaccination during inpatient hospital admissions.

Design/Methods: We surveyed a sample of caregivers of admitted pediatric patients < 18 years old at an urban, freestanding, tertiary-care children’s hospital between February 2023 and August 2023. We assessed caregivers’ attitudes and concerns regarding vaccination in the inpatient setting, differentiating between routine childhood, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines. Descriptive statistics regarding caregiver attitudes around inpatient vaccination are reported.

Results: One hundred caregivers were surveyed. Of those surveyed the majority were female, English speaking, had completed a high school education, and had a hospitalized child >7 years old. Most caregivers agreed or strongly agreed that they would feel comfortable with administration of routine, flu, and COVID-19 vaccines during their child’s hospitalization, but the degree of comfort differed for each type of vaccine, as well as by race/ethnicity and type of insurance coverage. The most commonly noted concern about inpatient vaccination related to the child’s current illness, followed by possible vaccine side effects and concerns about communication with their child’s primary care physician. The type of concerns differed by race/ethnicity, as well as type of insurance, caregiver’s level of education, and employment status.

Conclusion(s): The majority of parents surveyed agreed that they would feel comfortable with both routine and seasonal vaccines during their child’s hospitalization. Families’ most common concerns, reported as the effect of vaccines on their child’s illness and potential side effects, can both be addressed with counseling from inpatient medical teams, while also taking into consideration other demographic factors, when possible, that may affect their likelihood to vaccinate while inpatient, such as insurance coverage and employment status. Overall, structured hospital-based routine and seasonal vaccination programs align with caregiver preferences from this single centered survey.