Immunization for children. Motivating families to complete a series.

A communication gap in transmission of information from health professionals to indigent parents is demonstrated by the incomplete immunization of children attending pediatric health facilities. To bridge this gap, young women of similar ethnic and social backgrounds were recruited and trained briefly in counseling parents concerning adequate immunization. The effectiveness of these Health Aides in motivating parents to complete an immunization series was less than that of Public Health Nurses. Even so, the Aides were able to motivate two-thirds of the families that they counseled. Conclusions were that a significant number of children appearing in a large public emergency room facility are unimmunized. Many of these children are not seriously ill and an immunization series can be initiated "on the spot." Motivation to complete the series can be done almost as satisfactorily by young rapidly trained indigenous Health Aides as by professionals.