Increasing adolescent immunization by webinar: a brief provider intervention at federally qualified health centers

Objective: To evaluate a brief intervention to increase provision of adolescent vaccines at health centers that reach the medically underserved.

Method: In April 2010, clinical coordinators from 17 federally qualified health centers (serving 7827 patients ages 12-17) participated in a competition to increase uptake of recommended adolescent vaccines: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis booster; meningococcal conjugate; and human papillomavirus. Vaccination coordinators attended a webinar that reviewed provider-based changes recommended by the CDC's Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and eXchanges (AFIX) program and received weekly follow-up emails. Data on vaccine uptake came from the North Carolina Immunization Registry.

Results: Uptake of targeted adolescent vaccines increased during the one-month intervention period by about 1-2% (all p<.05). These small but reliable increases were greater than those observed for non-targeted vaccines (measles, mumps, and rubella; hepatitis B; and varicella).

Conclusion: This AFIX webinar led to small increases in provision of targeted adolescent vaccines over a one-month period. Similar, sustainable programs at healthcare facilities, including federally qualified health centers that function as safety net providers for medically underserved populations could help reach populations with great need.