Guidance on Routine Childhood Immunizations (2024)
Chapter: Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Childhood immunizations have long-established benefits in preventing illness, averting deaths, and reducing healthcare and other societal costs. Sustaining the successes achieved through childhood immunization and addressing remaining gaps and disparities in childhood immunization rates remain key goals despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic led to significant challenges in the delivery of routine childhood immunizations because of various factors, including disruptions in healthcare services, parental concerns about potential exposure to COVID-19 during healthcare visits, decreased access to vaccinations, and increased exposure to misinformation and disinformation in association with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines. The pandemic also exacerbated preexisting disparities in childhood immunization rates among different demographic groups.
Promoting childhood immunization requires a multifaceted approach that incorporates systems-level changes and strategic partnerships that help create the conditions for interventions at the levels of clinical practice, individuals, and families to be effective. In parallel, competencies around trust-building and communication are needed for many professions that may not typically be trained in these areas, such as in healthcare, schools, and other settings. Within this framework, this rapid expert consultation identifies strategies for promoting childhood immunization with a particular focus on populations with lower vaccination rates, including Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native children; those living in rural areas; people with lower incomes; and people who lack health insurance. The consultation focuses on targeted strategies (Box 1) for supporting resilient immunization services, addressing access barriers, promoting vaccine confidence and uptake, and providing accurate information while countering misinformation and disinformation.
BOX 1
KEY STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS
By employing a combination of technology, personal communication, and community outreach, the strategies outlined below can effectively address vaccine hesitancy and promote adherence to vaccination schedules.
Integrated Community, Policy, and Health System Strategies
- Access and convenience: Addressing disparities in vaccination rates requires practical steps that facilitate access and convenience. Examples include deploying mobile vaccination clinics and offering vaccinations in accessible locations, such as schools and recreational settings.
- Social networks and trusted community and institutional leaders: Parents often consult with their social networks and trusted community or institutional leaders when deciding whether to vaccinate their children. Understanding and targeting these social networks through social media campaigns, for example, can aid in countering misinformation.
- Collaborations and partnerships: Equitable collaborations and partnerships that see communities as partners and involve community members in designing and implementing interventions are critical for meeting community needs and establishing trust.
- Strategic policy initiatives and improved monitoring: Strategic policy initiatives and better monitoring systems make it easier for stakeholders to share information quickly and identify populations needing focus.
Individual-Level Strategies
- Core messages about childhood immunizations: Using tested core messages that focus on the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccines is essential to encouraging vaccination.
- Parental reminders: Practical steps such as providing reminders can assist parents in attending vaccination appointments.
- Tailored communications: Tailoring communications to take account of cultural, religious, racial, ethnic, income, and geographic characteristics of the intended audience can improve parents’ vaccine attitudes toward vaccination. Examples include personalized brochures or videos, relatable stories, and training for healthcare providers in communication techniques that can address hesitancy among parents.
