An effective hospital-based pneumococcal immunization program.

We studied a hospital-based pneumococcal immunization program. Ninety (66%) of 136 patients on the study unit (group 1) and 97 (80%) of 122 patients on the control unit (group 2) were candidates for pneumococcal vaccine based on age of 65 years or older or underlying medical condition, or both, and absence of prior vaccination. In group 1, an infection control nurse identified candidates at the time of discharge and offered vaccine. No intervention was made in group 2. Seventy (78%) of vaccine candidates in group 1 were vaccinated at the time of hospital discharge compared with none of 97 candidates in group 2 (P less than .001). A hospital-based program offering vaccine at the time of hospital discharge can significantly improve immunization rates and successfully immunize the majority of hospitalized individuals at high risk from pneumococcal infection.