Influenza vaccination of parents and guardians by US pediatricians

In the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 influenza seasons, 84 pediatric offices participating in a prospective observational study were surveyed about whether the office offered influenza vaccine to parents and guardians of pediatric patients. Each season, approximately half of all offices cited offering seasonal influenza vaccine to parents. In 2008-2009, reported barriers to parental vaccination included reimbursement, medicolegal concerns and logistics. In 2009-2010, 51% of offices (n = 43) administered one parental seasonal vaccination for every 29 pediatric seasonal vaccinations and one parental H1N1 vaccination for every 23 pediatric H1N1 vaccinations. Currently, the number of parental vaccinations per office is small but parental vaccination by pediatricians may increase in the future given the new recommendations that all adults 18 to 49 years of age should be vaccinated annually. Efforts should be taken to address barriers to parental vaccination so that pediatricians are better able to vaccinate parents/guardians of their patients against influenza.