Retrospective review of administration of childhood primary vaccination schedule in an Irish tertiary neonatal intensive care unit

Aims: Quantify and evaluate administration of the routine childhood primary vaccination schedule in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Study design: Retrospective review of paper record of vaccinations administered to inpatients in the NICU from 01/01/2001-30/11/2013. Methods: Data were extracted from hospital records and institutional databases and analysed using SPSS for Mac version 21. Analysis was made based on gestational age, chronological age at time of administration of vaccine, corrected gestational age at time of vaccine administration and type of vaccine received. Results: For all preterm (gestation < 37 weeks) babies that received the first '6in1' vaccination while an inpatient (n = 344): mean gestational age = 27.3 weeks (sd = 2.6 weeks); mean chronological age at time of vaccination = 9.4 weeks. For all preterm patients that received the second '6in1' vaccination while an inpatient (n = 19): mean gestational age = 25.6 weeks (sd = 1.63); mean chronological age at time of vaccination = 18.4 weeks. For all term (gestation > 37 weeks) patients that received the first '6in1' vaccination while an inpatient (n = 9): mean gestational age = 40.1 weeks (sd = 1.9); mean chronological age at time of vaccination = 9.8 weeks. There were no reported adverse events to any of the vaccinations administered. Conclusion: It is safe for premature infants to receive the routine vaccination schedule in a NICU setting. (C) 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.