Proactive Protection: Seattle Children’s Launches Routine Immunization Initiative

Starting September 8, Seattle Children’s is launching an initiative to increase patient immunization rates. This effort will initially focus on the inpatient units and then extend over the next year to other clinical settings, including the ED, Urgent Care, and regional clinics that store immunizations. The goal is to expand access to routine childhood immunizations by providing accurate and timely information to patients, families, and communities.

Community providers are critical partners in ensuring families have access to reliable immunization information and personalized care. Seattle Children's aims to supplement that commitment to patient health and safety by expanding efforts to increase immunization rates. Through enhanced screening, education, and real-time tracking, our clinical teams are working to identify when a patient may be due or overdue for a routine immunization and offer families the opportunity to catch up during an inpatient stay.

To support these conversations, we’ve updated our immunization education resources for patients and families to help inform them on the importance of immunizations and why they are needed. This material is designed to help answer common questions, address vaccine hesitancy, and ensure families have the information they need to make informed decisions.

Through continued partnership with community providers, we can improve immunization rates, strengthen trust in the safety and importance of immunizations, and help reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable outbreaks.

Additional Resources

• Encourage routine immunizations and provide families with this resource on viruses, vaccines and treatments.
• Share the Health and Safety website with families so they can access additional information on preventing and treating illnesses.
• Review vaccine information provided by the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.