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A Literature Review Of Barriers To Immunization In Preterm, Low-Birth-Weight And Very-Low Birth Weight Infants, Sandra Burkinshaw, Janelle L. B. Macintosh

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Approximately 500,000 infants are born each year prior to 37 weeks gestation in the United States. Despite the increased immunologic risk for infants born pre-term (PT), low birth weight (LBW), or very low birth weight (VLBW), infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are often under immunized, if they are immunized at all. Factors that have been identified to inhibit immunization uptake in the NICU population include: immunization effectiveness, safety and adverse events, provider belief, and policy guidelines regarding vaccination in this population. Providers caring for these vulnerable infants can increase the immunization rates by implementing evidenced based education, developing …