Change increases postpartum pertussis vaccination

(HealthDay)—Changing in-hospital ordering procedures increases the postpartum pertussis vaccination rate to 69 percent, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Sylvia Yeh, M.D., from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical
Center in Torrance, and colleagues studied two hospitals. One hospital followed standard procedure, while the other implemented physician opt-in orders for tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) before discharge, followed by standing orders three months later.

The researchers found that the postpartum Tdap vaccination rate at both hospitals was zero at baseline. Implementing the opt-in order increased the rate to 18 percent, while implementing the standing order further increased the rate significantly to 69 percent. Vaccination rates were similar among different demographic groups. There were no postpartum Tdap vaccinations at the hospital following standard procedure.

"Our study demonstrated that hospital-based procedures are effective for an increase in Tdap vaccination among previously unimmunized women after delivery, compared with relying on standard community practices," Yeh and colleagues conclude.