Adult Immunization Standards

Purpose

Informing health care professionals about the Standards for Adult Immunization Practice developed by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee.

Standards for Adult Immunization Practice

The National Vaccine Advisory Committee developed the Standards for Adult Immunization Practice to reflect the critical need for all health care professionals – whether they provide immunization services or not – to take steps to ensure that adult patients get the vaccines they need. These standards are important because:

  • Adult vaccination coverage is low.
  • Many adults are not aware that they need vaccines.
  • A health care professional's recommendation is the strongest predictor of whether a patient gets vaccinated.
  • There are often missed opportunities for vaccination because many health care professionals are not assessing vaccination status.

CDC encourages all health care professionals to implement these standards into their practice

1. Assess the immunization status of all your patients at every clinical encounter. Your patients' vaccination needs will change over time based on factors such as age, health conditions, lifestyle, travel, and occupation.

  • Stay informed. Get the latest CDC recommendations for adult immunization.
  • Evaluate how your practice is doing. Review a sample of patients' charts or analyze electronic health record data for your practice to see whether your patients are receiving needed vaccines.
  • Use reminders to help your practice stay on top of needed vaccines. Generate reminders using a computer system (electronic health record) or immunization registries or make a note of needed vaccines on a patient's chart.
SHARE: A healthcare provider follows adult immunization standards to recommend vaccination to a woman
Clear recommendations follow the SHARE framework: Share, Highlight, Address, Remind, and Explain.

2. Make clear recommendations for vaccines that patients need. For some patients, a recommendation may not be enough. Share important information to help patients make informed decisions about vaccinations:

  • Share tailored reasons why vaccination is right for the patient.
  • Highlight positive experiences with vaccines (personal or in your practice), as appropriate, to reinforce the benefits and strengthen confidence in vaccination.
  • Address patient questions and concerns.
  • Remind patients that vaccines protect them and their loved ones against a number of common and serious diseases.
  • Explain the potential costs of getting sick, including serious health effects, time lost (such as missing work or family obligations), and financial costs.

3. Administer vaccines or refer your patients to a vaccination provider.

  • Recommend and offer vaccines at the same visit. Research shows that when patients receive a vaccine recommendation and are offered the vaccine at the same time, they are more likely to be vaccinated.
  • Implement standing orders or protocols.Ensure patients' vaccine needs are routinely reviewed, and patients get reminders about vaccines they need.
  • Refer patients to providers in the area that offer vaccines that you don't stock. Vaccines may be available at private doctor offices, pharmacies, workplaces, community health clinics, health departments or other community locations, such as schools and religious centers.

4. Document vaccines received by your patients in their medical records and in immunization information systems (IIS).

  • Participate in your state's immunization registry. Help your office, your patients, and your patients' other providers know which vaccines your patients have had.
  • Follow up. Confirm that patients received recommended vaccines that you referred them to get from other immunization providers.

Resources

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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)