Take action to improve adolescent immunizations rates

Estimates suggest that around 35 million American adolescents fail to receive at least one recommended vaccine.* The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise pre-teens between 10 and 12 years old receive three vaccines: (1) one dose for meningococcal; (2) one dose for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap); and (3) two doses of human papillomavirus (HPV) given five months apart.

Encourage pre-teen immunizations

Take action to provide clear and specific guidance to your patients’ parents to get the recommended vaccines on time. Convey the importance by administering vaccines as part of routine visits and by offering vaccine clinics during non-traditional times when your patients and their parents might be more available. It is helpful to remind patients of their upcoming appointments, follow up to reschedule any missed appointments, and address any concerns or barriers. Although you should check your patients’ benefits, immunizations are generally a covered benefit.

Reporting and documenting for HEDIS

Take action to make sure that all vaccine doses given, including those administered in a pharmacy and an urgent care, are clearly documented in your electronic medical system, your patient’s medical record, and state Immunization Registry. Doses should be clearly reported on claim forms with the assistance of CPT^® codes to maximize data collection and to reduce the burden of HEDIS^® medical record review, especially since NCQA strongly encourages the electronic collection of Immunizations for Adolescents (IMA) HEDIS data. Contact your provider relationship management representative for additional information and assistance with establishing electronic data exchange.

Opportunities to learn more:

• An on-demand webinar about the importance of the HPV vaccine and starting the conversation early with parents of 9-year-olds can be found on the Clinical Quality Webinars Hub. One continuing education unit is provided upon completion.
• Mydiversepatients.com includes free resources and courses that might help you with your diverse patient population.
• Letsvaccinate.org provides ready-to-use resources and strategies to help your care team increase vaccination rates.

Through our shared health vision, we can affect real change.