Improving Influenza Vaccination Coverage in the Pediatric Asthma Population: The Case for Combined Methodologies

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccine for pediatric asthma patients. Despite considerable risk for influenza complications in pediatric asthma patients, including hospitalization and death, influenza vaccination among children with asthma remains low, especially among low-income pediatric asthma patients. Multiple interventions have been attempted to increase immunization in the pediatric asthma population, including recall and reminders, parent/patient education, and physician education. More recently, information technology methods have been employed, including electronic alerts and computerized physician order entry/clinical decision support interventions. Each of these interventions, as well as a recent legislative intervention, has evidence of effectiveness, but none achieved the Healthy People 2020 vaccination goals of 80 percent for this population. This goal may be achievable with a combination of these methodologies and strategies that increase access to care for underserved patients.