New Monograph Published to Increase Tdap Vaccine Rates
- By BSTQ Staff
A new monograph from The Joint Commission titled “Tdap Vaccination Strategies for Adolescents and Adults, including Health Care Personnel — Strategies from Research and Practice” is intended to help healthcare organizations implement or enhance tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination programs for adolescents and adults, including healthcare workers who can both acquire pertussis from and spread it to patients, other staff and family members.
The monograph, which includes 17 of the more than 80 submissions from healthcare organizations, has information about pertussis and the Tdap vaccine; barriers to successful Tdap vaccination programs and strategies for overcoming them; evidence-based guidelines and literature that highlight practical Tdap vaccination strategies; and examples of initiatives that organizations have used to establish or enhance their Tdap vaccination programs.
Pertussis is the most common vaccinepreventable childhood disease. However, the Tdap vaccine has been available only since 2005, and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that vaccination rates for adults are very low. Only 16 percent of healthcare workers have been vaccinated.
The monograph can be downloaded free of charge at The Joint Commission’s website at www.jointcommission.org.