Barriers to Immunizing Adolescents*
| Age 11 to 13 [No. (%)] | Age 14 to 18 [No. (%)] | Age 19 to 21 [No. (%)] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adolescents rarely make preventive health visits | |||
| PEDS† | 44 (45) | 68 (69) | 61 (63)‡ |
| FP† | 63 (56) | 79 (70) | 84 (74) |
| Overall | 107 (51) | 147 (70) | 145 (69) |
| Adolescents not aware of need for immunizations | |||
| PEDS | 44 (45)‡ | 62 (64) | 59 (61) |
| FP | 70 (62) | 74 (65) | 76 (67) |
| Overall | 114 (54) | 136 (65) | 135 (64) |
| Adolescents/parents underestimate risk of disease | |||
| PEDS | 42 (43) | 55 (57) | 44 (45) |
| FP | 58 (51) | 61 (54) | 60 (53) |
| Overall | 100 (48) | 116 (55) | 104 (50) |
| Difficult to obtain verification of previous immunization | |||
| PEDS | 31 (32)‡ | 42 (43)‡ | 35 (36)‡ |
| FP | 67 (59) | 69 (61) | 71 (63) |
| Overall | 98 (47) | 111 (53) | 106 (50) |
| Non-compliance with multiple dose vaccines | |||
| PEDS | 40 (42) | 48 (49) | 44 (45) |
| FP | 42 (37) | 44 (39) | 45 (40) |
| Overall | 82 (39) | 92 (44) | 89 (42) |
| Adolescents seek care from other facilities | |||
| PEDS | 23 (24) | 32 (33) | 40 (41)‡ |
| FP | 21 (19) | 23 (20) | 29 (26) |
| Overall | 44 (21) | 55 (26) | 69 (33) |
| Adolescents/parents overestimate risk of side-effects | |||
| PEDS | 18 (19) | 14 (14) | 11 (11)‡ |
| FP | 29 (26) | 26 (23) | 24 (21) |
| Overall | 47 (22) | 40 (19) | 35 (17) |
| Difficult to determine who needs vaccine | |||
| PEDS | 10 (10) | 16 (16) | 11 (11)‡ |
| FP | 22 (19) | 22 (19) | 24 (21) |
| Overall | 32 (15) | 38 (18) | 35 (17) |
| Difficult to determine adolescents “at risk” | |||
| PEDS | 10 (10) | 15 (15) | 15 (15) |
| FP | 14 (12) | 16 (14) | 14 (12) |
| Overall | 24 (11) | 31 (15) | 29 (14) |
| Adolescents/parents refuse vaccination | |||
| PEDS | 10 (10) | 10 (10) | 11 (11) |
| FP | 13 (12) | 10 (9) | 12 (11) |
| Overall | 23 (11) | 20 (10) | 23 (11) |
| Obtaining consent as per state law | |||
| PEDS | 3 (3) | 6 (6) | 5 (5) |
| FP | 9 (8) | 10 (9) | 8 (7) |
| Overall | 12 (6) | 16 (8) | 13 (6) |
* Overall, N = 210; pediatricians, n = 97; family physicians, n = 113.
† PED, pediatrician; FP, family physician.
‡ P < .05 for differences between family physicians and pediatricians.