ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Adult immunization is important for community health and preventive medicine. Since adult immunization is not compulsory, as in childhood vaccinations, opportunity to vaccination should not be missed. For this reason, we think that “Adult Vaccination Units” are important in hospitals. With this study, it is aimed to contribute to the spread of these units by sharing our “Adult Vaccination Unit” experience within our hospital.
Materials and Methods:
In this study, the vaccines made in the adult vaccination room of our hospital between 01.01.2021 and 31.12.2021 were evaluated. The first application of patients was analysed. The information of the patients was obtained from the vaccine registry and the data processing system, and the age, gender, referred unit to, the vaccine administered, and underlying diseases were recorded. It was checked from the data processing records of hospital whether the vaccinated people applied to the infectious diseases polyclinic with any complaints of side effects related to the vaccine within 1 week after the vaccination. Collected data are expressed as numbers and percentages.
Results:
In our unit, vaccination was applied to 1005 people within one year. The mean ages of vaccinated people were 37.64±14.35 and 55.2% were male. The most frequent applied vaccine was hepatitis B vaccine (44.2%), which was followed by tetanus vaccine (14.4%), pneumococcal vaccine (11.9%), meningococcal vaccine (11.4%), hepatitis A vaccine (9.3%) and Measles-Rubella-Rubeola vaccine (7.8%).
Conclusion:
Importance of adult immunization increases due to the prolongation of life time and increased immunosuppressive treatments. Presence of vaccine units in hospitals where adult patients are followed due to their comorbidities, facilitates the meeting of these patients with the vaccine. Vaccination of more than a thousand people in a one-year period reveals the importance and functional potential of these units. For effective adult vaccinations, increase the ‘adult vaccination units’ in the country is very important.
Keywords:
Adults, Immunization, Vaccine
References
1Türkiye Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Derneği, Erişkin Bağışıklama Rehberi Çalışma Grubu. Erişkin Bağışıklama Rehberi. 2023.
2CDC. Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report. 2023 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm
3Kalkan İA, Akgül F, Çinar G, et al. İkinci basamak bir devlet hastanesinde erişkin bağışıklama ünitesi deneyimi. Turkish Journal of Public Health. 2019;17:362-366.
4National Vaccine Advisory Committee. Recommendations from the National Vaccine Advisory committee: standards for adult immunization practice. Public Health Rep. 2014;129:115-123.
5Murthy N, Wodi AP, McNally V, et al. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older - United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72:141-144.
6T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı Türkiye Halk Sağlığı Kurumu AiÖHDB. Türkiye viral hepatit önleme ve kontrol programı 2018-2023.
7Tosun S, Batirel A, Oluk AI, et al. Tetanus in adults: results of the multicenter ID-IRI study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2017;36:1455-1462.
8Kader Ç, Balci M, Erbay A. Evaluation of tetanus antibody levels in adults in Yozgat, Turkey. Turk J Med Sci. 2016;46:646-650.
9Rubin LG, Levin MJ, Ljungman P, et al. 2013 IDSA clinical practice guideline for vaccination of the immunocompromised host. Clin Infect Dis. 2014;58:e44-e100.
10Chong PP, Avery RK. A Comprehensive Review of Immunization Practices in Solid Organ Transplant and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients. Clin Ther. 2017;39:1581-1598.
11Ayhan M, Kayaaslan B, Kaya Kalem A, et al. Knowledge, Attitude and Awareness Toward Influenza Vaccination Among Patients Admitted to the Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic of a Research Hospital. FLORA. 2020;25:527-535.
12Herzog R, Álvarez-Pasquin MJ, Díaz C, et al. Are healthcare workers’ intentions to vaccinate related to their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes? A systematic review. BMC Public Health. 20139;13:154.
13Karacaer Z, Öztürk İİ, Çiçek H, et al. Sağlık çalışanlarının bağışıklanma ile ilgili bilgi düzeyleri, tutum ve davranışları. TAF Prev Med Bull. 2015;14:353-363.
14Çetin AO, Şaşmaz A, Kurtuluş D, et al. Sağlık öğrencilerinde aşı tereddüdü. Anatolian Clinic the Journal of Medical Sciences. 2021;26:239-248.
15Rehberi EB. Türkiye Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Uzmanlık Dernegi. 2016.
16Öztürk R, Ilgar T, Cesur S, et al. Sağlık çalışanlarının grip aşısı hakkındaki bilgi düzeyleri ve aşıya karşı yaklaşımlarının değerlendirilmesi. Anadolu Güncel Tıp Dergisi. 2020;2:13-18.
17Öncel EK, Büyükcam A, Cengiz AB, et al. Hekim ve Hemşire Dışındaki Hastane Personelinin Mevsimsel Grip Aşısı ile İlgili Bazı Bilgilerinin, Görüşlerinin ve Tutumlarının Değerlendirilmesi. Journal of Pediatric Infection/Cocuk Enfeksiyon Dergisi. 2015;9.