Will Hospitals Become Vaccination Leaders

A recent study led by the University of California, Riverside, and published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (74(29);456–462), found that approximately 49% of people are unaware of one or more vaccines recommended for them.

Additionally, 86% of individuals have not received one or more of these vaccines.

This study is the first comprehensive national vaccine surveillance project conducted in emergency departments (ED), which serve as the only access point for healthcare for millions of underserved Americans.

The CDC wrote, 'EDs could be explored as settings to offer vaccination screening, recommendations, counseling, and referrals to increase vaccination coverage among underserved populations.'

"Vaccination screening is one of the most fundamental public health interventions," said Dr. Robert Rodriguez, a professor of medicine and associate dean of clinical and population health research at the UC Riverside School of Medicine and lead author of the study, in a press release on August 7, 2025.

"Vaccines — along with water sanitation — have saved more lives than any other public health intervention. But nearly a third of the U.S. population lacks primary care access and rarely receives this screening."

In the survey, the patients were asked age-specific questions about 6–10 recommended vaccines, including shingles, which the CDC recommends for most seniors.

For each vaccine that was recommended for them, the researchers asked if the patients had heard of it, whether they had received it, and if not, why. They also asked the patients if they would accept the vaccine if it were offered to them in the ED.

Considering the millions of visits to U.S. EDs (155 million in 2022), these findings suggest that asking non–critically ill adults in EDs about their vaccination status, and offering missed vaccinations to those who express interest, might improve vaccination coverage, added the CDC.

"Roughly 50% of unvaccinated participants said they would accept vaccines if offered during their ED visit," Rodriguez said.

Currently, most vaccinations occur in a doctor's office or at a local pharmacy.