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Background: South Los Angeles Health Projects (SLAHP), a community health services department of Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, manages several community-based projects, including a WIC program, a breastfeeding peer counselor project and Immunize LA Families (IZLAF). IZLAF is funded under the CDC Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health - Across the US (REACH US) Initiative to increase flu and pneumococcal immunization rates in adults in South LA. Immunize LA Families is collaborating with the SLAHPWIC Program to provide immunization education and referrals to pregnant/postpartum WIC participants and to track receipt of flu immunization among women who are pregnant during the flu season. .
Objectives: To integrate flu immunization education and tracking into ongoing WIC operations in order to increase flu immunization rates of pregnant and postpartum participants.
Methods: WIC staff are trained to deliver flu immunization education to and to track receipt of flu immunization of pregnant participants during one-on-one contact visits at WIC. Responses are documented in the WIC computerized information system (ISIS). Routine quality improvement reviews and staff recognition events are conducted to improve adherence to protocols. Modification of the standard WIC nutrition questionnaires to include a question on receipt of flu immunization integrates activities into standard practices and appropriate implementation.
Results: The baseline flu immunization rate among pregnant WIC participants was 9.3%. The first annual follow-up rate during the 2009-2010 flu season was 23.5%. This represents an increase in flu immunization rate of 14.2 percentage points.
Conclusions: The flu immunization education and tracking of pregnant WIC participants is resulting in an increase in flu immunization rates of pregnant women. The WIC program is a strategic venue to conduct targeted flu immunization education and tracking.