Double Reminder May Boost Teen Vaccinations

Reminding both teens and their parents about missed shots may help increase vaccination rates, a new study suggests. Teens in the study were ages 13 through 17. All of them were missing at least 1 recommended shot. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group received reminder phone calls to parents from the doctor’s office. Another group received reminders for both the parents and the teens. People in the third group were not contacted. Vaccination rates increased in the next month for teens who received reminders for themselves and their parents. The other groups did not show this improvement. But any differences were gone a year later. Doctors also had problems reaching many of the teens and their parents. The journal Pediatrics published the study online August 20.