Are You Equipped to Talk Vaccines with Adult Urgent Care Patients?

Financial barriers and difficulty in assessing immunization histories are among the toughest subjects for clinicians to tackle when talking to adult patients about vaccinations, according to a study just published in the The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. The report, which focused on pneumococcal vaccination, noted that over 95% of respondents reported they “routinely” check adult patients’ vaccination status, and 88% said they found the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations “very” or “somewhat” clear. However, 20% admitted they struggle with the cost of vaccines or lack of reimbursement. One issue identified is that practices have to pay for the vaccines upfront, with no guarantee of recouping the cost—of particular concern with the two shots required in the pneumococcal series.