Immunization campaigns have been one of the most successful strategies for eliminating health disparities and protecting the lives of American children. While support for immunization is generally high, a growing number of safety concerns have surfaced in the media and on the Internet. Such concerns are bound to be an important topic for public health nurses, physicians, and other professionals at the front lines of health care. The National Immunization Information Hotline, which answers hundreds of calls from both professionals and the public each day, conducted a study to improve understanding of vaccine safety concerns. From February through April 1999, four Information Specialists collected quantitative and qualitative information from 570 callers (12% of total calls) expressing concerns about the safety of vaccines. Three quarters of the calls were from the public and the rest from health professionals. Ninety percent (n=387) of public callers and 86% (n=121) of professional callers agreed to a caller survey. Almost two-thirds of the professional callers were nurses, and 25% were physicians, with the most common reported specialties in pediatrics (30%), family practice (22%), and public health (8%.) The public reported relying heavily on health providers for information about immunization, as well as vaccine safety. Providers overwhelmingly reported that patients and/or patient situations prompted them to call. A considerable percentage (50% of public and 22% of providers) stated that they considered not receiving or not providing an immunization because of their concern. We will report on common concerns, and emphasize the importance of the provider/patient relationship.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant should be able to: 1) Recognize the critical role that health providers play in responding to vaccine safety concerns; 2) Describe common questions on vaccine safety from the perspective of providers and the public; 3) Identify at least two resources for improving provider/patient communication on vaccine safety
Keywords: Health Communications, Immunizations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: This project was carried out with CDC funds providing services through the National Immunization Information Hotline.