Funded Projects

Project Pertussis

Project Year

2023

City & State

Huntington, West Virginia

Program Name

CATCH Implementation

Topic

Immunizations (LHI)

Program Description

The Problem: Pertussis infection can cause severe respiratory illness in infancy. Those most at risk are too young to be vaccinated since the first DTaP vaccination is at 2 months of age. Women in their third trimester of each pregnancy are advised to get Tdap as well as all adults every 10 years. Despite these guidelines, only 30% of those adults aged 19 and older are up to date on Tdap vaccination per the CDC. With the COVID-19 state of emergency being lifted in WV, many children will fall under the category of lapsed healthcare insurance as re-application to medicaid/CHIPs was suspended due to the pandemic. A large portion of our pediatric population rely on medicaid/CHIPs for healthcare coverage. This project will also identify infants and siblings of infants who may have lapsed insurance and provide them the resources to re-apply. Primary Setting: Primary setting of the project will take place in our outpatient office and community centers that help serve patient populations at risk. These centers serve patients affected by substance use, homelessness, and domestic violence. Number of Children Affected: According to the CDC, most of the deaths each year are in babies younger than 3 months old. Between 2010 and 2020, up to 20 babies died from pertussis each year in the United States. Of those infants hospitalized, about 1 out of 5 will get pneumonia and 1 out of 100 will die. Our project goal is to reach 200 infant caretakers which will be the projected number of children affected by the project. Project Goal: 1) To increase community immunization against pertussis in individuals who will be caring for infants in the first 6 month of life. 2) To identify if more widespread access to the Tdap vaccine is needed to ensure adequate protection for those caring for infants. 3) To identify infants and siblings of infants through this project that have lapsed medical insurance and provide resources for application. Proposed Intervention: The project funding will allow us to work within our own clinic and with community partners to assess caretaker pertussis vaccination status. With this information, we will work closely with healthcare partners to provide access for caregivers to receive the vaccine. Caregivers with infants aged 6 months or less will be asked to fill out the survey (see below). Surveys will also identify if infants or siblings of infants have lapsed healthcare insurance. Resources will be provided to assist caretakers in enrolling their child for healthcare insurance. Data will be collected over a 6 month time period to determine the need for more future widespread pertussis vaccine availability. If a need is identified, the data can be used to advocate to policymakers and healthcare leaders for stronger resource availability for Tdap vaccine in our community. Anticipated Outcomes: Benefits include preventing transmission of pertussis from caregiver to newborn, resulting in decreased morbidity and mortality in infants. Additional benefit will be identifying pediatric patients with lapsed healthcare insurance and provide resources for re-enrollment. Risks include encountering standard vaccination reactions or vaccine refusal. Survey: 1. What role do you play in the child's life? a. Mother b. Father c. Grandparent d. Other family member e. Legal guardian 2. Have you been vaccinated against Pertussis? a. Yes b. No c. I’m not sure 3. Will there be other individuals taking care of the child in the next 6 months? a. Yes b. No c. I’m not sure 4. Have they been vaccinated against Pertussis? a. Yes b. No c. I’m not sure 5. Is your infant or another child in your care have healthcare insurance? a. Yes b. No

Project Goal

The goal of Project Pertussis is to identify caretakers of infants age 6 month or less who are not optimally immunized against pertussis, provide them education on the importance of being vaccinated against pertussis, and offer the opportunity to provide them Tdap vaccination. Project Pertussis will also help identify eligible children who need to enroll into healthcare insurance through medicaid/CHIPs.

Project Objective 1

In the first 2 months of Project Pertussis, at least 3-5 community partnerships will collaborate to develop a formal process to assist in identification of caretakers of infants that lack optimal immunization against pertussis.

Project Objective 2

By the end of the third month of Project Pertussis, a strategic plan will be finalized in coordination with community partners in facilitating vaccine administration. We will also have a plan in place in coordination with WV CHIPS medical director to help facilitate health insurance enrollment for eligible children.

Project Objective 3

By the completion of Project Pertussis, we will have immunized 50% of infant caretakers identified as lacking optimal immunization against pertussis. We also hope to help caretakers apply for healthcare insurance for children eligible in their care. Our goal is to have 75% of caretakers complete the enrollment process for their children (if eligible) with the assistance we provide.

AAP District

District III

Institutional Name

Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine

Contact 1

Andrea Lauffer