Vaccine co-administration is safe and convenient, and it is recommended for ensuring timely age-appropriate vaccinations and offering the best protection against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases both to the pediatric and to the adult population. The purpose of this study is to assess the compliance of the vaccination services of a 500000-inhabitant local health agency of the Northeast of Italy with such a recommendation and the value of co-administrations. This was a population-based analysis of an anonymous vaccination database containing complete information on all the vaccines administered in 2023 to the population of the study area. The frequency and types of vaccine co-administration were assessed and the advantage in terms of healthcare-time spare was estimated. Co-administration regarded 18% of the 27922 persons vaccinated in 2023. Co-administration was routine in the pediatric age, where it showed 3 peaks at 0–2, 5–6, and 12–14 years. It was less common among adults, with a peak at age 65. Frequent patterns of vaccine co-administration were identified. In one year, co-administration resulted in a spare of 450 working days for both physicians and vaccination nurses and a time spare double than that could be obtained if co-administration was practiced whenever possible. Co-administration is an efficient strategy to provide timely protection to population groups at risk for infectious diseases and to reduce the use of healthcare resources.
Citation: Francesca Valent, Giulia Degani. The value of vaccine co-administration in the Northeast of Italy[J]. AIMS Medical Science, 2025, 12(3): 268-278. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2025018
Vaccine co-administration is safe and convenient, and it is recommended for ensuring timely age-appropriate vaccinations and offering the best protection against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases both to the pediatric and to the adult population. The purpose of this study is to assess the compliance of the vaccination services of a 500000-inhabitant local health agency of the Northeast of Italy with such a recommendation and the value of co-administrations. This was a population-based analysis of an anonymous vaccination database containing complete information on all the vaccines administered in 2023 to the population of the study area. The frequency and types of vaccine co-administration were assessed and the advantage in terms of healthcare-time spare was estimated. Co-administration regarded 18% of the 27922 persons vaccinated in 2023. Co-administration was routine in the pediatric age, where it showed 3 peaks at 0–2, 5–6, and 12–14 years. It was less common among adults, with a peak at age 65. Frequent patterns of vaccine co-administration were identified. In one year, co-administration resulted in a spare of 450 working days for both physicians and vaccination nurses and a time spare double than that could be obtained if co-administration was practiced whenever possible. Co-administration is an efficient strategy to provide timely protection to population groups at risk for infectious diseases and to reduce the use of healthcare resources.
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Francesca Valent, Giulia Degani. The value of vaccine co-administration in the Northeast of Italy[J]. AIMS Medical Science, 2025, 12(3): 268-278. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2025018
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