Pharmacists as immunizers to Improve coverage and provider/recipient satisfaction: A prospective Controlled Community Embedded Study with vaccineS with low coverage rates (the Improve ACCESS Study): Study summary and anticipated significance

摘要

Although there are many safe and effective vaccines for adults, public perception is that vaccination is targeted primarily for infants and children. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends a number of vaccines for adults and adolescents, including seasonal influenza vaccine (e.g., high-dose trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine [high-dose TIV] for those 65 and older), tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) and meningococcal B vaccine (MenB). As well, NACI recommends that people 50 years or older receive the herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine and that Canadians who travel to high-risk areas should consider vaccination to protect themselves against travel-related illnesses, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid fever. While NACI makes recommendations, it is provinces and territories that determine which vaccine programs will be funded and implemented. Unlike most childhood vaccines, which are publicly funded by provinces and territories, many adult vaccines are not publicly funded, which adds complexity to a patient’s decision-making, as out-of-pocket costs not covered by health insurance may be contributing to low uptake of some vaccines.