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Paediatric activities and adherence to vaccinations during the COVID-19 epidemic period in Tuscany, Italy: a survey of paediatricians.

ABSTRACT: Introduction:The global COVID-19 pandemic is placing a heavy burden on health services. One result could be a general reduction in routine vaccination activities. In Tuscany (Central Italy), paediatricians (in agreement with the regional health service) administer and register paediatric vaccinations of their patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on paediatric vaccinations administered by Tuscan paediatricians, as a proxy of adherence to vaccinations during this epidemic period. Methods:Four hundred members of the Tuscany section of the Italian Federation of Paediatricians (FIMP) were invited to participate in a semi-structured online survey. Results:During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all (98.2%) of the 223 respondents reported a general decline in outpatient paediatric visits; 65.8% reported a more than 60% reduction (144 answers) in comparison with the situation before the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 208 paediatricians (93.3%) continued to vaccinate in the period considered: 66/208 (31.7%) reported a reduction in parents' compliance with mandatory vaccination (hexavalent and MMRV vaccines), and 88/208 (42.3%) reported a reduction in compliance with non-mandatory vaccinations. Almost all paediatricians declared having taken preventive actions to counter the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Discussion and conclusions:Although the majority of Tuscan paediatricians continued to vaccinate during the lock-down, some parents decided to postpone their children's scheduled vaccinations, mainly owing to fears concerning the safety of access to health services. When Italian immunization coverage data on the first months of 2020 become available, it will be possible to assess the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric vaccinations. It is crucial to continue vaccinating against preventable infectious diseases in order to avoid other possible epidemic outbreaks. The pandemic must not be seen as an obstacle to compliance with the vaccination schedule, but rather as an excellent opportunity to underline the importance of all recommended vaccinations.

SUBMITTER: Bechini A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7419118 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Paediatric activities and adherence to vaccinations during the COVID-19 epidemic period in Tuscany, Italy: a survey of paediatricians.

Bechini A A Garamella G G Giammarco B B Zanella B B Flori V V Bonanni P P Boccalini S S

Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene 20200601 2

<h4>Introduction</h4>The global COVID-19 pandemic is placing a heavy burden on health services. One result could be a general reduction in routine vaccination activities. In Tuscany (Central Italy), paediatricians (in agreement with the regional health service) administer and register paediatric vaccinations of their patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on paediatric vaccinations administered by Tuscan paediatricians, as a proxy of adherence ...[more]

PMID: 32802994

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Project description:BackgroundA prompt start to an appropriate neonatal and paediatric resuscitation is critical to reduce mortality and morbidity. However, residents are rarely exposed to real emergency situations. Simulation-based medical training (SBMT) offers the opportunity to improve medical and non-technical skills in a controlled setting. This survey describes the availability and current use of SBMT by paediatric residents in Italy with the purpose of understanding residents' expectations regarding neonatal and paediatric emergency training, and identifying gaps and potential areas for future implementation.MethodsA survey was developed and distributed to Italian residents. SBMT was defined as any kind of training with a mannequin in a contextualised clinically realistic scenario.ResultsThe response rate was 14.4%, covering the 71% of Italian paediatric residency programmes. Among them, 88% stated that Out of the 274 residents, 88% stated that they received less than 5 h of SBMT during the past training year, with 66% not participating in any kind of simulation activity. In 62% of the programmes no simulation training facility was available to residents. Among those who received SBMT, 46% used it for procedures and skills, 30% for clinical scenarios, but only 24% of them reported a regular use for debriefing. Of the overall respondents, 93% were interested in receiving SBMT to improve decision-making abilities in complex medical situations, to improve technical/procedural skills, and to improve overall competency in neonatal and paediatric emergencies, including non-technical skills. The main barriers to the implementation of SBMT programmes in Italian paediatric residencies were: the lack of experts (57%), the lack of support from the school director (56%), the lack of organisation in planning simulation centre courses (42%) and the lack of teaching materials (42%).ConclusionsThis survey shows the scarce use of SBMT during paediatric training programmes in Italy and points out the main limitations to its diffusion. This is a call to action to develop organised SBMT during paediatric residency programs, to train qualified personnel, and to improve the quality of education and care in this field.

Dataset Information

Paediatric activities and adherence to vaccinations during the COVID-19 epidemic period in Tuscany, Italy: a survey of paediatricians.

Publications

Paediatric activities and adherence to vaccinations during the COVID-19 epidemic period in Tuscany, Italy: a survey of paediatricians.

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