Healthcare Provider Survey Results

Healthcare providers are not consistently discussing the Meningitis B vaccine with their patients. We explored why.

 

About the Survey

To better understand how the MenB vaccine is discussed and used in clinical practice, the Meningitis B Action Project conducted an anonymous, web-based, multiple choice survey, administered to a national sample of 524 healthcare providers.

The national sample included: 342 RNs, NPs and PAs, 82 pediatricians, 34 family physicians, 42 administrators and 24 medical assistants. 

The survey was conducted between October 2019 - March 2020.

 

Why Does It Matter?

  • It takes two types of meningitis vaccines. There are two meningococcal vaccines (MenACWY and MenB) that can help protect against the most common serogroups (ABCWY) causing meningococcal meningitis. Both the MenACWY vaccine and MenB vaccine are recommended by the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC).

  • ACIP recommendations. However, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) states that: 11-12-year-olds should receive the MenACWY vaccine, followed by a booster at 16, and many high schools and colleges require it; whereas 16-23-year-olds may receive the MenB vaccine, preferably between ages 16-18.[1]

  • Providers are not consistently discussing Meningitis B. A recent study found that 49 percent of pediatricians and 69 percent of family physicians did not discuss the MenB vaccine during routine visits for 16-18-year-olds.[2]

  • Low MenB vaccination rates and knowledge. Nearly 80% of parents in a recent study did not know about the MenB vaccine[3], and 78.2% of 17-year-olds have not received 1 or more doses of the MenB vaccine. This compared to only 11.1% that have not received 1 or more doses of the MenACWY vaccine and 46.3.% that have not received the MenACWY booster.[4]

Detailed Results

The Meningitis B Action Project conducted an anonymous, web-based, multiple choice survey, administered to a national sample of 524 healthcare providers. The national sample included: 342 RNs, NPs and PAs, 82 pediatricians, 34 family physicians, 42 administrators and 24 medical assistants. 

Below please find the detailed survey results. All data displayed are percentages.

Provider Discussion Habits

Not all providers are routinely discussing the MenB vaccine with their 16-23-year-old patients.

Q. Among visits with 16-23-year-old patients, do you routinely discuss the Meningitis B vaccine? (n=524)

 

Provider Discussion Habits

Family physicians were less likely than other providers to discuss the MenB vaccine with their 16-23-year-old patients.

Q. Among visits with 16-23-year-old patients, do you routinely discuss the Meningitis B vaccine? By role. (n=524)

 

Reasons for not discussing the MenB vaccine

A patient’s school/college not requiring the MenB vaccine was the most frequent reason why healthcare providers did not discuss the vaccine with their 16-23 year old patients.

Q. Why did you NOT discuss the Meningitis B vaccine with some or all 16-23-year-old patients? Select all that apply.

Top 5 reasons included in graph, full list below. (n = 170)

 

Reasons for not discussing the MenB vaccine

Additional reasons selected by providers for not discussing the MenB vaccine with their patients

 

  • Top 5 reasons reported above.

  • The Meningitis B vaccine was not “required” or “mandated” by the patient’s college. (32%)

  • ACIP recommendation for the Meningitis B vaccine is not as strong as recommendations for the MenACWY vaccine. (25%)

  • I did not have enough time during the appointment. (25%)

  • The patient did not fall into one of the high-risk vaccination categories as designated by the ACIP. (19%)

  • The patient was not going to college. (19%)

  • I am unclear on the recommended vaccine schedule for the Meningitis B vaccine. (15%)

  • I am unclear on current ACIP recommendations for the Meningitis B vaccine. (13%)

  • Meningitis B is rare. (10%)

  • I am concerned about the cost of the Meningitis B vaccine. (10%)

  • Lack of data on the Meningitis B vaccine’s duration of protection. (9%)

  • Lack of data on the Meningitis B vaccine’s effectiveness.(4%)

  • I have safety concerns about the Meningitis B vaccine. (1%)

ACIP Recommendations

Nearly 50% of providers were not aware of the correct ACIP recommendation for the MenB vaccine.

Q. What do you see as the difference between ACIP recommendations for the MenACWY vaccine and the MenB vaccine? (n = 524)

Correct response: MenACWY is routinely recommended; MenB is subject to shared clinical decision making

 

SDM - shared decision making

Discussion strategies used

Providers use educational materials and statistics as preferred strategies to discuss the MenB vaccine. Personal stories are used less often.

Q. When discussing the Meningitis B vaccine with patients, what strategies do you typically use? Select all that apply. (n = 466)

 

Discussion strategies used continued

Providers who routinely discuss the MenB vaccine with their patients are more frequently using personal anecdotes, educational materials and statistics during those discussions.

Q. When discussing the Meningitis B vaccine with patients, what strategies do you typically use? Select all that apply, by frequency of discussion (n=466)

 

Discussion approach used

The majority of providers use presumptive approaches to discuss the MenB vaccine.

Q. When discussing the Meningitis B vaccine with patients, what approach do you typically use? By role (n=466)

 

Discussion timeline

Nearly half of providers are not bringing up the Meningitis B vaccine at age 16.

Q: What do you think is the appropriate time to bring up the Meningitis B vaccine? (n=466)

 

Patient/parent vaccine denial

Majority of providers estimate that less than 25% of their patients decline the MenB vaccine.

Q. Based on your experience in your practice/work, what percentage of your 16-23-year-old patients (and/or their parents) decline the Meningitis B vaccine? (n=466)

 

Patient/parent vaccine denial

Providers who routinely discuss the MenB vaccine with their patients were less likely to have a patient (and/or their parents) decline the MenB vaccine.

Q. Based on your experience in your practice/work, what percentage of your 16-23-year-old patients (and/or their parents) decline the Meningitis B vaccine? By frequency of discussion (n=466)

 

Patient/parent vaccine denial

According to providers, the MenB vaccine not being “required” or “mandated” by a patients school/college is the main reason patients (and/or their parents) decline the MenB vaccine.

Q. What is their reason for declining the Meningitis B vaccine? Select all that apply (n=466)

 

Patient/parent mentioning the MenB Vaccine

Few 16-23-year-old patients (or their parents) are proactively mentioning the MenB vaccine to their provider.

Q. Among all of your 16-23-year-old patients, what percentage of these patients (and/or their parents) mentioned the Meningitis B vaccine proactively to you (before you mentioned it to them)? (n=466)

 

Sources:

[1] Meningococcal Vaccines Recommended for Preteens, Teens. (2019, March 18). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/men ingococcal/vaccin e-info.html

[2] Kempe, A., Allison, M. A., MacNeil, J. R., O'Leary, S. T., Crane, L. A., Beaty, B. L., Albert, A. P. (2018). Adoption of Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations. Pediatrics, 142(3), e20180344. doi:10.1542/peds.2018-0344.

[3] Basta NE, Becker AB, Li Q, Nederhoff D. Parental awareness of Meningococcal B vaccines and willingness to vaccinate their teens. Vaccine. 2019 Jan 21;37(4):670-676.

[4] Elam-Evans LD, Yankey D, Singleton JA, et al. National, Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1109–1116. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6933a1external icon

Last updated March 3, 2021