Handing Out the Secret to Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in the Office Setting :

As we head into fall and winter, influenza season will be upon us once again and the need to promote vaccination against this virus. While we certainly encourage our patients to get their annual flu vaccine, there are vaccine-hesitant families who may prefer to opt out if they are on the fence when given the choice.  In order to find the right way to convince more vaccine-hesitant families to agree to have their children vaccinated, Scott et al (10.1542/peds.2018-2580) share with us the result of a randomized trial involving a convenience sample of parents of children over 6 months of age at two New York City pediatric clinics during the 2016-2017 influenza season.  Families were randomized to get usual care, or while in the waiting room prior to a visit, an educational handout about local data on influenza, or a handout that shares information on national data.  The study measured how many patients in each group opted to be vaccinated during that clinic visit or by the end of flu season, controlling for potential confounders.  The results showed that if parents got a handout (of either type), their child was more apt to get the vaccine at the end of the season but not on the day of the visit compared to usual care. If the national data handout was given, the odds were significantly better that they would get their vaccine on the same day but not by end of season. The local data handout by itself did not seem to influence vaccine receipt compared to usual care on day of visit.  Why the various findings?  Put yourself in the nose—oops we mean in the know and inject some time into reading this study, the results, and the accompanying discussion, and then consider whether you might institute a similar study in your own office to see if your flu vaccine rates go up or not.