Many people fail to get vaccines which can be of great benefit for their health because of misinformation about the value of vaccines coupled with a lack of easy access to vaccines in a comfortable setting which is perceived of as safe and professional. A great place to get good information about vaccines and to get important vaccines is a private doctors office. Infectious Disease News has reported "Efforts needed to increase adult vaccinations in office-based settings."
It has been suggested by a recent study by the Rand Corporation that physician offices remain the primary source of vaccinations with the most potential to increase adult vaccinations. Katherine M. Harris, PhD, a senior economist at Rand Corp. has said “Regardless of where vaccines are actually administered, office-based providers are uniquely positioned to identify patients who need vaccination, to communicate credibly about the benefits and risks of vaccination, and to ensure that vaccination histories are properly maintained.”
Harris and colleagues conducted a literature review, a stakeholder workshop, follow-up interviews and a telephone survey of 1,278 adults aged 18 years and older aimed at improving the delivery of adult vaccination by identifying areas where efforts are needed. It was found that in comparison to any other setting, more than twice as many vaccinations were administered in physician offices and medical clinics. And it was found that physicians were considered a highly influential source of advice about vaccinations.
Furthermore, it has been discovered that out of the 160 million US adults recommended for influenza vaccination, 44% were not vaccinated and did not intend to be. But, according to the study 20% were willing to be vaccinated with a strong recommendation from a health care provider. Therefore, efforts to have physicians improve their strategies for suggesting and giving vaccines could have a dramatic impact on how many Americans receive suggested vaccines such as the influenza vaccine.
